When we talk about heroes or acts of heroism, we think of incredible bravery, strength and toughness. You may picture a war hero, a super hero or one of your own personal heroes.
A hero is a protector
However, the true etymology of the word hero (which is Greek) is interpreted as:
a protector
someone who has strength enough for two
someone whose superpower is love
someone who always shows up
Wow! This puts a new spin on the word and made me realise that maybe I could be a hero within my own life?
I started to think of people whom I consider to be my heroes under this new definition and realised every one of them ticked all four boxes of the definition. Three of my top heroes are My Dad, Gramp and Dr Wayne Dyer, unfortunately all three are no longer with us but their love, teachings and impact continues on within me.
My Dad
My Dad has been my hero for as long as I can remember, as a little girl, he was always the person I knew would protect me. He taught me that family comes first and that we should always show love for one another even when we disagree. He held my hand through countless challenges, giving me his strength when I lacked my own; through a difficult pregnancy, through a torturous miscarriage, through a painful divorce and more, he always showed up for me and gave me his strength.
Although I lost my dad suddenly in 2019, I still feel his love and strength around me and despite my pain of losing his physical presence in my life, I am proud his heroic blood runs through my veins! A true hero!
My Gramp
I was lucky to have two amazing men loving me for over 40 years, unfortunately, I lost both my dad and Gramp within a short space of time and so lost two heroes. However, they both left different legacies, my Gramp was my hero as he had experienced 92 years of life and I never heard him moan or avoid one second of it. He always showed up and faced whatever life dealt. He never spoke very much, which gave his words so much more gravitas when he did. A constant in my life who protected me with unending quiet love and support.
Dr Wayne Dyer
I came across the work of Dr Wayne Dyer in 2010 when I was at one of the lowest points in my life, I felt lost and as if my life was over. I had experienced hurt, betrayal, loss and disappointment over and over again and was fast becoming a very negative unhappy person. When I first came across Dr Dyer's work it was as if he was speaking directly to me. His teachings of 'change your thoughts and you will change your life' really spoke to me and encouraged me to realise that in order for anything to change in my life, I needed to start thinking differently. I sought out his teachings compulsively, reading, watching and listening to as much of it as I possibly could. Sadly, Dr Dyer died in 2015 so I never got to be in the same room as him, but like any hero, he continually showed up, spread his messages of love and then unknowingly saved a lost me!
All of their teachings have shaped me into the person I am today and undoubtedly will continue to shape me. In turn, I have realised that when someone steps up to be a hero for you, you are then able to become a hero for someone else and this is what I aspire to do on a daily basis.
Under the definition of a hero, who would be yours? Who has consistently shown up, given you their strength and always acted from a place of love? And finally, who can you be a hero for?