The Our Heroes Award

I never cease to be amazed at how much people can inspire me. Every once in a while, in the midst of all the toxic stories in the news, I find a gem.

The Daily Record in Scotland does an annual Our Heroes Award, where people nominate everyday people they think qualify as heroes in a variety of categories.

This story highlights one of them, and also shines a light on the power of focusing on making a difference. Sonya Stewart had battled cancer since she was 12 weeks old. At 18, she was finally cancer free - but then her kidneys shut down and she discovered she needed a transplant. As the article describes...

It would have been easy simply to give up. But instead Sonya signed up to help Scots who, like herself, were facing life-threatening diseases.

"I needed a reason to get out of bed in the morning," says Sonya, now 23.

"I was in pain all the time, but it made a big difference to talk to others who are having a hard time. It put my own problems into perspective."

It's so easy to get caught up in our own lives - the busyness, the goals, the frustrations - that we really do lose perspective. And it's also easy to lose sight of how wonderfully beneficial a focus on helping others can be - not only for the people we help, but also for ourselves.

So who are your heroes?

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Comments

[JeremyS]

This is just plain weird, Curt. I was thinking about exactly this idea the other day. I was wondering why it seems we focus so much on entertainment and sports "heroes," while the people on the ground that truly impact people's lives go largely unnoticed. I was thinking that some kind of "local heroes network" could help to publicize a community's real difference-makers, and give the kids and everyone real people to admire, appreciate and inspire. I wonder how it could be done. Or is it happening and I'm missing it? In either case, I have to answer "I don't know" to your question. Not long ago, I would have given you a sports star. Now, I'd probably look for a local policy maker, social worker, small business owner, service-person or the like....

[Curt Rosengren]

Sounds like that question might be a good one to ponder, Jeremy.

Once we start to think about something like that, we start noticing things (kind of like when you're shopping for a car and you start noticing cars). And when we start noticing, we start actually seeing more of the people doing positive things out in the world. And when we notice more of that, our view of the world starts to shift. And when our view of the world starts to shift, we put more of that kind of energy out there ourselves.

Funny what potential a little question has, isn't it?