Need a little pick-me-up? Maybe something that sticks with you to encourage you throughout the day? In this space, Mike will regularly share poignant, heartwarming, and fun-loving anecdotes and observations about how to be a winner in the game of life!

Heroes Redefined

   When I was a kid I used to think that heroes were superhuman beings with nifty red capes and spandex tights. They could leap tall buildings in a single bound and save the innocent just in the nick of time by cutting through walls with a handy-dandy laser gun.

    Well, you could imagine my surprise when a ten-year-old boy came up to me one day and flatly stated, "Mike, did you know you’re my hero?" I must have looked like a cartoon character with my jaw dropped completely to the floor. What in the world was this kid thinking? I quickly checked to make sure I wasn’t wearing spandex pants and then asked, "Ronnie, why would you think that?" Ronnie smiled and said, "Cuz, I see how sometimes people ask you to do something that makes you scared but you do it anyway."

   I couldn’t believe it! I had taken a group of kids from day camp to the amusement park that day. One of the counselors asked me to get on the roller coaster’s front seat with him. I tried not to show it, but I was scared! In spite of acting cool, my eyes didn’t lie. How did this kid notice it? And how many people today "see" us without our knowledge?

   I was humbled by Ronnie’s observation and reminded of the quote, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the resolve to face it."

   The truth is, we are surrounded by everyday heroes —a mother struggling bravely with cancer, a fireman racing into a burning building, or a school boy standing up to a bully. They may not wear red capes or leap tall buildings in a single bound, but they face their fears and inadequacies head-on and come out stronger for it.

   So don’t forget to take a look around and notice the unsung heroes who quietly reach higher and become true "bravehearts." May we all aspire to daily acts of heroism by facing our fears head-on and soaring to new heights in our business as well as our personal lives.