Interrogating Sequels

Hollywood, I have a bone to pick with you.  My big question of the day is:  Why do movie sequels have to be so much bigger & better?  I ask because I feel like many movies go painfully wrong & consequently loose following from poor attempts to make the story that much more.  Now, I'm not saying all movie sequels automatically fail, just a large number of them.  Too many sequels end up "larger than life" in a bad way, loosing their viewers suspension of disbelief, and ending up corny instead of compelling.  I sight the following offenders as examples: Transformers (all of them), Die Hard 2 (the other Die Hards were cool), Star Wars (wavered with the first two sequels, takes an all out nose dive with Episode 1 through 3), Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom (I know it takes place before the other Indiana Jones films but it was produced after.  Can we just forget it ever existed?), The Next Karate Kid (give it up), Conan (all of the sequels somehow got cheesier?), Speed 2 (really? you didn't get enough heart pumping racing & explosions in the first one?), Friday the 13th (will it ever end???), Weekend at Bernie's II (dead people just aren't that amusing, unless they're actual zombies), and Batman & Robin (what wasn't made out of rubber in that film?)

Honestly, getting bigger each time only works in Dance movies; kudos to the Step Up series!  Hollywood, take a note from TV shows - progression in a character's story is much cooler than ever-inflating epicness :-P  And while I have your attention Hollywood, STOP REBOOTING THE SAME OLD STORIES!!!  There are plenty of us writers with neat ideas just waiting for an opportunity!  Please get off your couch & look.  

Sincerely, 

Hero Hearted

A Hero's Best Weapon

22nd July 2012 - "A Hero's Best Weapon"

I've been struggling with writing this post for a couple days.  The Batman Shooting rocked the country on Friday morning and we're still recovering, especially residents of Colorado like myself.  Hero-Hearted blog is for supporting Heroes, so I felt the need to post something in response to such an appalling, villainous attack.  My heart goes out to the victims & the families.  May God give you peace!  

Without a doubt, the Batman Shooting was performed by a Super Villain.  A Villain may act when an opportunity arises: rob a convenience store, kill out of jealous passion, etc.  This attack, however, was premeditated.  Premeditation or meticulous planning is the M.O. of a Super Villain.  People weren't killed because they got in the way of the villain's plan.  No, the shooter went in to kill.  Plain & simple.  

It's a scary situation because the shooter's attack caught people blindsided, right when they're trying to escape the world through a heroic movie.  I've seen a lot of people reacting to the shooting with fear & anger and I can't blame them.  Some are calling for more gun control while others are running for a Concealed Carry Permit.  I can't blame either action directly but neither can I condone them.

To the Gun Control mindset, this shooter got his weapons through whatever means he could.  If he had no legal access to guns he could have gotten them illegally.  The shooter could have done as much or more harm with a wicked combination of household chemicals; think about Timothy McVeigh.  The truth is, the only way to stop people from hurting each other is to lobotomize society, which is a horrible thought in itself.

To the Conceal Carry mindset, are you willing to take a life?  More importantly, can you live with yourself if you pull a weapon in a similar situation & you miss, taking the life of an innocent bystander?  Getting a Concealed Carry Permit allows you the ability to carry a weapon but it doesn't teach you how to keep your head in a high stress, combat situation.  It doesn't teach you how to deal with a no visibility, scream-filled chaos, with all the pressures that come in a real-life situation.  If you're not willing to make the lifestyle choice to train daily with your weapon, in & out of high stress situations, then for you there may be more harm in carrying then not.

To both mindsets I have a suggestion: train your awareness.  In the my years of martial training I've learned that the most important weapon you can have in your arsenal is a fine-tuned awareness.  If premeditated, meticulous planning is the M.O. of a Super Villain, then daily, meticulous training is the M.O. of a Super Hero.

The victims were caught off guard & in total disbelief.  If one person was a little more aware in the theatre it might have made the difference.  I've heard it said that a real-life street fight, where there are no rules, last on average only a few seconds.  Seconds are often the difference between life & death.  Awareness can give you those seconds.  If one aware person could have alerted people, slowed the shooter, or maybe even stopped him, could that have saved one more life? Could that have made the difference for a few people?  A dozen people?

We could debate back & forth for the next month on how the Aurora shooting could have gone differently but that is all hind-sight.  Hind-sight is always 20/20.  What can we do now as good people to help avoid these horrid situations in the future?  Get Aware.  Notice the small things around you.  Do not ignore the tickling thought in the back of your mind when something doesn't look right.  Awareness is a skill, train it daily in everything you do.  In boxing, the knockout punch isn't always the hardest punch, it's the punch you don't see coming.  Awareness can make the difference.  

Let us never forget this detestable tragedy for the right reasons.

PS: Mass Media - please treat this atrocity the right way.  Help people remember it for the right reasons, to honor & morn the lost.  DO NOT give attention to this psycho.  The last thing the world needs is a copy cat.  Mass Media, you have the power to make a difference. Choose right.

Courage Pledge Follow Up

18th July 2012  "Courage Pledge Follow Up"


So I challenged all of you, my readers, to be Courageous a little over two weeks ago (see it here).  How is it going readers?  Any fun stories?  I've got one:  


I went out for a run last night and by run I usually mean a Parkour run.  Here's a short YouTube clip of a what a daily training session might look like: 

Unlike a lot of Parkour videos out there, which feature an athlete's best abilities & skills, this one is a little more relaxed, a little more "everyday".  Thank you Parkour Generations crew. 


Anyway, I'm out for a run through an area I'm pretty familiar with when  I just so happen see a new combination I've never thought about doing before; & of course I have to try it!  It's a beautiful combination: from a run, I jump off of a wooden bench to land on top of a wall.  The wall is about neck height on me and about 6-7 feet from the bench.  In between the bench & the wall is a massive bush.  If I don't make it's gonna be a nasty mess to get out of.  But no problem, "I've got this!"


"Oo, the bench is a little shaky, creaky. . . 
No Problem, I'm good . . ."


<5-minutes later>


"I've got this. . . " thinking to myself how much the bush behind the bench looks like my spiky doom.


<5 more minutes>


"Um . . ." I realize I'm checking the time, looking around, thinking about other things. "Come on Logan!"  Back on track now, I force myself to work through a small jump, just to get moving.  

I've heard it said, Action Cures Fear & standing around, thinking about how things can go wrong definitely ensures failure.


A minute later I work up to attempting the jump with out a run, standing on the back of the bench.  (Because somehow jumping from a stand still, where the lack of momentum makes it harder, is less scary then jumping from a run.) Well I stick the jump no problem!  A minute later I'm accomplishing the jump, with a run, like it was nothing.  Afterwards I'm feeling great for accomplishing!  I'm sure that the next time I go to that place the jump will be like nothing.


Isn't it crazy what little things get in our way?  I think of myself as being pretty strong willed & fearless.  Yet, when I come up against an uncomfortable &/or scary situation I'm amazed at how easily I get caught up in what "could happen" but probably won't happen.  It's kinda sad how often I have to discipline my mind through these little moments.  

Come to think of it, I have to work on choosing Courage daily.  We all do.  I recently heard a minister say: "Fear is not the truth. It's just the truth of how I feel." Little daily decisions define us.  Will I be crippled by my feelings or conquer my fear?


So, Anyone else have a triumph to share?

What makes it Super?

16th July 2012 - "What makes it Super?"

I've been thinking for a while what makes a Super Hero (or Super Villain) Super?  Why aren't they just Heroes & Villains?  You might think, like I have, that it's super powers that make the Hero super.  But I've discussed previously that there are many comic book Super Heroes that have no super powers (Batman, Punisher, etc.)

Before we go too far lets define what Super is.  As an adjective Super means of the highest degree, of an extreme or excessive degree, or of a first degree - as in very good & first rate. Effectively Super Heroes & Super Villains are the best in their fields.  

Well maybe, like Batman & Punisher, the Super Hero is super good at a skill set?   That may be the case with many heroes but it's not what I'm going for here.  (However, I think aptitude is an important ingredient.)  Specifically, Super Heroes & Super Villains have a track record that puts them ahead of others in their field. If I had to simplify it down to a sentence:

"Super Heroes & Super Villains are who they are because they actively choose, plan for, & cultivate the necessary attributes required to become the best Hero or Villain they can be." 

By now you must be wondering why I keep adding in Super Villains to the discussion; "isn't this the Hero-Hearted Blog?"   Yes, you are in the right place.  The truth of the matter is being a Hero or being a Villain is very similar; being a Hero just takes a little more work.  Everyday each of us chooses whether to be a Hero or a Villain; sometimes multiple times a day we make this choice.  

• Someone comes to you with an embarrassing moment - Do you say the encouraging thing or say the funny thing that gets a laugh but mocks the troubled person?
• An old guy needs help carrying something - Do you stop & help or walk past pretending he doesn't exist, like the 3 people before you did?
• Do you choose the chips or the protein bar? 

You might say "But these are small things, they don't make or break being a Hero."  Little daily decisions define us. Who are you when no one you care about is looking?  

Generally, becoming a Super Villain doesn't happen overnight - it's a slow fade.  For many, the choice to be a normal Villain is easy, just choose yourself first.  And in many ways it's easy to choose the Hero's path when a moment of crisis arises, or if it feels good.  But this post isn't talking about Heroes & Villains, it's about Super Heroes & Super Villains.  This is about the little daily choices.  This is about making an active decision, choosing a side, planning for a future moment where you will need to be great.  What do you choose?  Who would you like to become?  

Actions become habitual & habits form your character which will ultimately determine your destiny.  Deeper at the root, what you think will determine how you choose to act & thoughts are just decisions; daily decisions.

Making the Hero/Villain choice is the easy part; living it is something else.  That's why the choice must be made everyday.  I hope you chose the Hero's path.  The world needs more Heroes.  Now, if you don't already know it, let me tell you first hand that you will fall down in your pursuit of being a hero.  Today I chose the chips.  But I have heard it said "A hero is the guy who gets up one more time."  Falling down does not force us on the Villain's path, staying down does.  

So I may never have super powers (but wouldn't that be awesome!) & may never be known for my heroics.  However, there is a Hero hidden inside of me that I can work towards being. I can choose daily to become a Super Hero.  Who are you choosing to become?

THE MONSTER CALLED FAVICON!!!

"THE MONSTER CALLED FAVICON!!!"
 

15th of Julius, being MMXII in the Year of our Lord. 

There is a minute monster in our midst.  A craven creature who lurks in the webbed corners of cyberspace.  This monster watches us all from nearly every location in the inter-webs; observing, lurking, calculating.  It is watching thee now & there is no way to escape it's glare & stay online!  This monster is called . . .

. . . the FAVICON!!!

I will tell thee where it is so thou too may stare the beast in the eye & know the Favicon for what it truly is!  Look up to thy web address bar, to the left hand side.  Dost thou see the little emblem?  That is the Favicon!  That 16 pixel by 16 pixel cretin of multicolored design!  The Favicon also lurks above it's address bar lair, nesting in thy web browser tabs where it can watch us with many different eyes!  

The Favicon, so named for being a Favorite Icon, is an elusive beast that is only caught by the best blog knights & website design wizards.  It prowls the web like a cyber rat, evading capture by the newest blog squires & design apprentices.  If thou desires the look of success that so many websites hold then thou too must pay the unknown price to this mysterious beast so that it may change it's look & wear thy insignia.  

I tell thee my tale of blight & pain so that thou may assist me in my quest, if thou art strong enough.  I have scoured the internet wastelands for over a week in search of the Sages of lost inter-web lore.  Many sages have I found who tell me their tales of Favicon capture & display, each with their own twist on Favicon capturing techniques.  However, it seems the creature has mutated in some unknown way, evading capture for my Blogger site.  

It may be that the Favicon was a beloved website pet of times past but I warn thee now, the Favicon is changing into an uncontrollable Beast!!!  It can evade capture from Blogger's template & layout augmenter mechanisms!  It hath also eluded the barbed trap of HTML coding!  I submit to thee that if this monster can not be reigned in soon, then there is little that will be able stop the beast from conquering all of the InterWebs!  All of our screens will turn to this:

And there will be no space for anything else!!! BEWARE!!! AND HELP ME SAVE THE CYBER WORLD FROM ULTIMATE PERIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(To translate into a more mundane version of speech, I can't figure out why I cannot personalize my Favicon image.  If anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated!)

 UPDATE!: I hath nearly captured the beast!  Now the dreaded Favicon flickers between this website's stock insignia & my own.  Victory is nearly at hand!!!

Villain Eat Villain World

11th July 2012 - "It's a Villain Eat Villain World"

There's a lot of wicked people in the world with a lot of there own personal agendas.  At least that's the way it seems. (What follows is going to make me seem a little crazy to the common eye & for that I apologize.  Let me assure you, I am normal as normal comes :-) Normal-er posts to follow :-D )

You hear conspiracy theorists talking about Shadow_Governments, Secret_Societies (also see this) & Government Cover-ups all the time. Do you ever stop & wonder about the truth that they might be telling?  I don't put a lot of stock into all the conspiracy stuff.  However, something has to be said for the theme, since it works it's way into many popular movies & shows.  Even some of the events reported in the daily news make you think there has to be a Super Villain (or a few) pulling strings somewhere.  For instance, look at this: 

I don't advocate stealing in any form but this is ridiculous.  No, this is absurd!  A Homeless Guy steals $100 & returns it with an apology, turning himself in, & gets 15 years.  In contrast the a fore mentioned CEO gets busted in one of our country's biggest corporate frauds & he gets a couple year slap on the wrist.  The saddest part is, this isn't an isolated case either.  

Wicked plots happen all too often & major news channels only report about some of them.  Then there are organizations like wikileaks.org which have helped to expose a number of dung heaps hidden behind many "big name" companies & people around the world.  If you've read any of the stuff on their you might wonder . . .

                . . . with this many schemes & schemers, how often do two villains cross paths?

I imagine a few wicked plots have to clash at some point.  So if the world can be seen through the eyes of a story, how often do two villains just wreck each other? Isn't that an interesting thought?  What would happen if a "real life" version of Batman's the Joker ran into Star Wars' Darth Vader?  Or Hannibal Lector from Silence of Lambs had to go toe to toe with the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz? 

That would be great if evil started chipping away at itself.  I believe justice will prevail eventually, but wouldn't it be sweet to see it happen?

HERO MAINTENANCE: Do What's Important

10th July 2012 - "HERO MAINTENANCE: Do What's Important."

(Epic Pic, I know. We'll get back to that.)

So I just had my mind lifted by a friend & fellow Blog writer.  He wrote this article which is entitled "The Confidence of Doing". Honestly it could be the title of a self-help book.  In this article, the writer talks about how doing your responsibilities helps you to be in motion & basically get more done because you're doing.  Truly, action is a manifold cure. But, I do his writing no justice with a sentence or two summary, so go & read it yourself.  I connected with His post because like The Eclectic Runner, my wife & I have been going through a lot of crud.  To give you the short story, life draws a vacuum in a most house-less way.  (Long story to come later.)   

The Eclectic Runner's post specifically helped me think about prioritizing my day better.  I know, it's not directly related to what he wrote but it's what I thought of.  I'll take inspiration where I can get it.  DISCLAIMER: The rest of my Blog's entry will not really be related to what The Eclectic Runner wrote about.  I just had to give credit where credit is do & shamelessly promote my friend's blog :-D  Thanks for the inspiration bud!

With reading The Eclectic Runner's post I got inspired to start my first Blog-series, which is titled HERO MAINTENANCE.  The basic concept for this series will be to provide tidbits of info for maintaining you, the Hero of your life story (or the protagonist at least).  So here we go!  Do you know of the old self-help concept of "make time for the important things".  A classic parable for "doing what's important" is this one:

A college professor started his class one day by pulling out a tall glass jar & placing it on his desk.  He then grabbed a bucket of rocks & started to put the rocks in the jar until it was full and asked the class, 

“Do you think I can put anymore in this jar?” and the class seeing the jar full of rocks said “No.” 

The professor grabbed a bag of pebbles and poured them into the jar, filling the gaps between the rocks. The professor asked the class, “Do you think I can put anymore in this jar?” and the class seeing the jar full of rocks and pebbles thought there was definitely no more space so the majority said “No.” 

The professor then grabbed a bag of sand and poured it into the jar filling all the small gaps between the rocks and pebbles. Then the professor asked the class once more, “Do you think I can put anymore into this jar?” and the class, not desiring to be duped again said “Yes” but nobody knew how. 

The professor grabbed a beer, hidden in his desk, opened it, and poured it in the jar of rocks, pebbles, and sand. Then he asked the class, “Do you know what this represents?” 

A young man responded right away, saying, “There’s always room for beer?” The class chuckled as did the professor. Then the professor responded, “No. Always put the big things in first. If I had put the beer or the sand in first there would have been no room for the rocks; the important items in life.”

I'm sure we all have days like I had today.  Days where things are popping at work at a non-stop pace.  I had one of those crazy busy work schedules where, as soon as I get on top of my 'to do' list, poof, more urgent things jump on me.  But some how I keep it all together & I get it all straightened out. Then poof, more, & poof more!  I kick it into high gear & I knock it all out of the park.  Like The Eclectic Runner said, I feel good cause I've gotten a lot done!  I'm taking care of business!  

Then I get home & poof, I have even more tasks that beg my attention. Finish designing a website for a friend, get some phone calls done, get some progress on one of my many projects, do the dishes & laundry, blah, blah, blah.  

I'm sure you've been there.  And when you come to this crossroad you have a choice: knuckle under & keep doing the little tasks or say you've had enough for the day & take a slice for yourself.  I find it's hard to know what to choose & not feel guilty.  I have a hard time knowing when I've done enough in a day.  Are you like that at all?  Well today was a rare occasion for me, because I chose instead to say no.  Sometimes you just gotta let the chores lie & do what you gotta do!

Sometimes you have to yell "I will not be under the tyranny of the urgent!"  I will not let the 'important' little stuff eat up my life.

So tonight was that night for me, & so I went for a run.  But for me, running often involves many . . .   

 . . . detours.

Yep, that's me, bouncing from one wall to the next and back.  (sorry for the fuzzy pick, my cellphone is not the best camera.)  

I train in Parkour & Freerunning.  I have for many years.  I even taught the art for a couple years at a local gymnastics gym.  I love it!  It's one of the few things I can call mine.  Parkour is a great escape.  Tonight I decided I had to go run & it ended up being a good reward for a long day.  

This particular area in the picture features two outdoor walls that are close enough together to perform a Tic-Tac, as it is called in Parkour, where the athlete run-jumps from one wall to another & keeps going.  It's a combination move that can be fairly tricky & it's one of my favorites.  The Tic-Tac is one of the moves that drew me into Parkour in the first place.  All you have to do is see one good Jackie Chan movie & you'll wanna do it too. 

Anyway, back to my night.  I almost literally ran into this location today, when I had that 'ah-HA!' moment, like "There you are! Where have you been?"  I had forgotten this location, which is surprising because it's perfect to train the Tic-Tac, one of my favorite moves.  It's sad to think I had forgotten such an awesome place.  

In truth, I had forgotten how good it feels to do those things that help you breathe deep, release pressure, & just be who you are supposed to be.  It is so easy in this busy life we lead to get pulled away from the things that bring us alive, that make a heart sing.  It's so easy to get caught in the urgent & forget what's truly important.  And that's what happened tonight, I got a chance to remember what's important not just do what I enjoy.  It was like a breathe of fresh air.

So, to those other neurotic people, who like me, are more likely to get caught up doing the little stuff, instead of the important stuff, i ask: What keeps you going?  Why do you work so hard?  What's your reward at the end of a long day? 

What walls are you leaving empty?

Go find them!

The Cure for an "Epic-Drained" Day

8th July 2012  "The Cure for an "Epic-Drained" Day"


So I need a quick show of hands, who gets to slay dragons everyday?  Or rescue a princess (or prince, or a kitten)?  Or defeat an evil wizard?  Or super villain?  Or an army of wicked pygmy aliens bent on world domination?  Yeah, me neither.  It kinda sucks too. Everyday life can be horribly mundane, don't you think?  

There is nothing courageous in doing everything "the way you are supposed to".  There's nothing heroic in working like a fiend in an okay job that you "can" do but does not come anywhere close to what you are called to do.  There's nothing epic in paying your bills & trying to not starve; particularly when you're not in the wild where starving is an actual risk.  

There's a serious lack of awesome in modern life. No dragons to slay or villains to stop.  The soul-sucking absence of a quest is draining.  I heard it said best, "Absence of conflict does not denote presence of peace."

So I have a solution a "5-Steps to More Epic Day" you can apply everyday to break up the monotony:

1. Make it harder.  Taking out the trash is so ordinary.  Creating a new sport is epic: Trash Sport
2. Get sneaky. Don't just say hi to a friend, sneak up on them (as long as they're not someone with rough combat reactions)
3. Take the long way. Going up or down stairs conventionally is boring so try something new. Better yet, train in Parkour before you get too crazy.  Don't let this happen.
4. Narrate everything.  Animals, people driving next to you, children, or your own actions get infinitely more entertaining when you narrate the happenings. 
5. Add a soundtrack.  Every hero has a cool soundtrack & music is good for the soul; but don't do it like Kronk

If these don't make your day-to-day more Epic, it'll at least be more entertaining or your money back!

To get a return on your money would you first please send me a payment.  

Money Orders, Cash, or Paypal are fine.  

After your payment is processed I'll be sure to return a portion. 

Guaranteed. 


P.S.: Thanks to the Youtube contributors for the links used in this post.

Un-Sparkly Independence Day

4th July 2012 - "Un-Sparkly Independence Day"


As I mentioned previously Colorado is burning, nay melting as we speak.  Wild fires rage up & down the Rocky Mountains, though they are steadily being contained; Thank You Fire Crews!!!  Due to the wild fires & the super dry conditions, nearly the entire state is under a fire ban.  No fireworks this 4th of July.  Many towns have canceled their main firework displays & the places that do have firework shows are going to be a nightmare to go to because everyone is gonna go there.  


For me, Independence day is one of my favorite holidays.  I love what it stands for & what the average activities are.  It's a downer for me that I will not get to see fireworks this year.  I'm all for celebrating the United States of America's Independence from tyranny of any kind!  Let Freedom Ring!!!  And I know fireworks shouldn't make the 4th of July for me; I can be proud & patriotic in other ways.  But really, no fireworks :-(  I mean, who doesn't love watching stuff blow up?


Veterans.


Many military veterans love blowing stuff up & I can't blame them.  But when it comes to things blowing up that they are not in control off, particularly stuff that sounds like artillery, a number of veterans have a really hard time.  Some just get on edge while others go into a Flashback, having to relive a horror of their past.  My heart goes out to these veterans today. 


Fireworks is one of the best parts of celebrating our American Independence!  For those who cannot enjoy them anymore I say Thank You!  I'm so sorry for the burdens you bear daily.  I would like to thank all of America's service men, past, present & future, for sacrificing the time spent in service, the injuries to your body, the lost friends, & to those who gave the final contribution, I thank you sacrificing your life.  But to those veterans with us today who look at Independence Day with conflicted feelings of patriotism & dread, who dread the hell that they know is coming to visit them tonight while many of us celebrate . . .


THANK YOU 


Thank You for sacrificing even the ability to celebrate the freedom you fought for.  May your contributions never be forgotten & may you find some peace tonight.  Happy Un-Sparkly Independence Day!!!

HEROES FOUND!!!

2nd July 2012 - "HEROES FOUND!"


YES!  Heroes still live in this world!  Check this site out: http://www.reallifesuperheroes.org/


What a cool concept!  If you read through their About Us section, Real Life Super Heroes is a civil service organization built around the ideals represented by superhero stories.  No, they're not other-worldly beings with super powers or mutant humans with special abilities.  They're people, like you and I who hope to make a difference wherever they are. 


These Real Life Super Heroes feel the tug to do more & help humanity.  Some have helped stop crimes in progress, helped solve crimes, or even helped prevent crimes by raising awareness.  Some of these Heroes have helped the injured in need or just helped serve society with Charity Work, Hospital Visits, & other general helps.  I think what they do is awesome!  "So shines a good deed in a weary world." So shines a bright light in a dark world.


Reading through the RLSH's Creed: http://www.reallifesuperheroes.org/about/creed/  (which is awesome), I thought it misses something.  I'm not sure if misses is quite the right word but it inspired a thought in me.  What is the number one thing all Heroes must have?  What is the bottom line most important thing?  Is it a super power or a flashy costume?  No, as far as I know it, the Superhero Punisher (Marvel Comics) is just a guy with a gun (actually a few guns) who barely has any costume at all.  So what is the baseline requirement to be considered a Hero?


Dictionary.com defines hero as:

1.  a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.

I posted only the first 2 definitions, as the others do not apply to this post.  The first short paragraph on Wikipedia's  article Hero is:


A hero (heroine is usually used for females) (Ancient Greek: ἥρως, hḗrōs), in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion.^[1] Later, hero (male) and heroine (female) came to refer to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity. This definition originally referred to martial courage or excellence but extended to more general moral excellence.


So, looking at these 2 definitions I would say that bottom line, a Hero must have Courage.  More then anything a hero is the person who stands up when others back down, who does that which is scary to help, save, or benefit another.  They do what might be terrifying but is most certainly right.


I once heard someone say that Courage is not the absence of fear but the choice to do what you know is right in the face of fear.  I challenge all of us to take the Courage Pledge:

• Everyday I will do at least one thing that challenges, scares & probably stretches me.  I will choose to be courageous whenever I can.

This act of courage might be something small like "liking" a controversial post on Facebook that you believe in or it might be saying something when you normally wouldn't.  It might even be something big like rescuing someone in harms way. 


The point is to challenge yourself to do a little bit each day.  I take this pledge to be Courageous everyday & I hope you'll join me.  And if you feel so moved, post a comment about an act of courage you perform.  We can all be heroes to someone. Even if no ones sees it & all it means is that we can stand a little taller & at look ourselves in the mirror with a smile.