How To Be Your Own Hero

The dictionary definition of the word Hero is, "a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities." Literature, movies, and history are full of them; they are people we look up to and idealize, they are our role models, and unfortunately, we often see them as possessing different and unattainable qualities that we are not capable of having. Being a modern-day hero, however, is not about fighting dragons, or hundreds of men singlehandedly - it's about facing odds, surviving battles (internal and external), and overcoming these challenges. They come out on the other side as stronger, more self-confident, humble, and proud - qualities we're all capable of possessing.

How to be your own Hero

1. Always have an identified goal in front of you. This is something that will be a challenge for you, something you want to achieve, something that means something to you. When you do achieve this goal, you know you'll feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. You should be actively pursuing this goal step by step, not just thinking about it.

2. Always keep your eyes on the result - the achievement of the goal. Remember there will always be obstacles to face, but there are also solutions to every problem. Keep your eyes and ears open, which will help you determine the best route to take. Never give up.

3. Face your fears with your inner resolve. This resolve will always get stronger the more you use it - just like anything. Courage is about existing with the fear and choosing to move forward anyway. Fear is just self-doubt and your ego's way of telling you you're not strong enough - but you are.

4. Be in control of your negative emotions. If you allow anger, hostility, fear, anxiety, depression, etc. to infiltrate your naturally healthy state of being, things will become more difficult for you. Don't be your own worst enemy - it'll get you nowhere fast and it's a complete waste of energy - energy you need to achieve your goals.

5. Be kind, generous, and compassionate to those around you, and those in your life. Keeping your relationships healthy allows you to achieve things at a more effective rate - unhealthy relationships suck your time and energy. The people in your life are your support system - you need each other - no man is an island!

6. Show compassion to yourself. We all make mistakes and take missteps in life, but all things are correctable when you learn from them. Don't let self-proclaimed "failure" bring you down - keep moving and don't repeat the same errors.

7. Always challenge yourself to do what's hard, not what's easy - there's no sense of accomplishment in sliding through life.

8. Always give 100%; regret often stems from the feeling of not trying hard enough.

Being your hero is about believing in yourself, and not letting self-doubt hold you back from what you rightly want and deserve out of life. We all deserve to be happy and fulfilled, so don't let anyone, especially yourself, tell you otherwise. Go for it!