“Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.” They say, when you want to see the character of a person, test him or her during hard times. During good times, we are kind to each other. We can love and care for others. We can afford to be altruistic. We can be a decent person. But when the hard time hits us, our real character comes up. That is when we need to decide what we want to be.
Actually, hard times do not create new heroes. We just begin to notice these heroes as they show up for others in difficult times. A charming friend who always smiled during those sunny days might turn indifferent during dark days. But a grumpy old neighbor, who we thought to be rude, might make it a point to check if we are doing well.
Some are panicking, hoarding, and not adhering to rules. And the others are making sure their old neighbors have enough supplies. Some who call themselves ‘charismatic leaders’ are busy thinking about how to profit in such hard times. In contrast, others who kept ‘low-profile’ all these years are giving up their salaries, so others do not lose jobs.
In short, there are all kinds of people in this world dealing with this pandemic differently. And amongst us, a few heroes are born every day. Not that they plan to be heroes. It is just that they stand out because of their ability to find strength in dark times, and they think of helping others.
I think there is a hidden hero within us too. And we just need to let the hero in us come out. I do not even think we need to do something extraordinary. We just need to bring the best of us and become a lifter or the encourager. Even a simple call to a friend asking how she has been doing might make us her hero today. Or sharing a positive quote with an inspiring message might lift someone’s soul today. Or even creating a funny video might help someone smile. We can be the cheerleader. We can lift ourselves up, and in the process lift others too. I guess, that is how we can be a hero today.
What are your thoughts, friends? How are you coping with it? What are you doing to discover hero within you? Please share so I can learn from you too.
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