Open Your Arms and Your Heart and Become a Hero

You don’t need to pull someone out of a fire to be a hero.

When most of us think of heroes, we think of firemen, the police, maybe even nurses and doctors. These are all heroes but it doesn’t end there. Being a hero isn’t necessarily about saving lives. You don’t have to risk everything to be a hero.

Who are heroes?

Yes, of course risking your life to save others is heroic. There are plenty of professions people can choose that will allow them to put themselves in danger to pull others out of it.

It hardly ends there though. There are jobs that supplement these jobs. The person taking calls to send the police out could easily be considered a hero. Really, there are lots of supporting positions that don’t really get the props they deserve.

Those we would normally consider heroes would have a much harder time saving lives without them, after all.

Of course, this story isn’t really about what we commonly know as heroes. I want to talk about other types of heroics. Where you don’t have to risk your life but you can still make an impact in other people’s lives.

What makes a hero?

A hero is someone who makes other people’s lives better. If you’re saving lives, of course you're a hero. It doesn’t stop there though. Teachers are heroes because they educate our children. Therapists are heroes because they help people get through difficult mental issues.

Of course, you don’t even need to have a heroic job to be a hero. Being a hero is about improving people’s lives, as I mentioned. It’s about a willingness to sacrifice something to do so. Be it your time, money, belongings, and so on.

It’s also about attitude. Being kind and supportive. Giving smiles and love wherever you go. Really, being a hero doesn’t take much more than impacting others in a positive way.

Are you a hero?

You might be and not even realize it. Do you donate? That’s pretty heroic in my eyes. Are you kind to the people around you? Giving smiles and lifting spirits? That’s pretty heroic too.

If you just do your best to help people out, you’re a hero. Sometimes, a life is saved by the smallest of actions after all. A smile or a kind word could change the direction of somebody's entire life.

Do you want to be a hero? Be kind and compassionate. That’s a great start! Beyond that, donate what you can. It doesn’t take much to make a big difference in other people’s lives.

Some might accuse me of diminishing the importance of the word hero. I would disagree. Why are we trying to hoard this term so jealously? Why must it only be applied in the most extreme of circumstances?

I believe that being a hero is about helping people, however you choose to do it. If you’re making a positive impact on people’s lives, you’re a hero. Anyone can do it. You just have to choose too!

Someone that I consider a definite hero is Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles. She’s an amazing person who shares lots of positive, uplifting stories and she is regularly helping people out. You should definitely give her a look! :)