You Are My Hero of the Day!
Have you heard of "a hero for the day?" About a hundred years ago, I started randomly anointing a person as my hero for the day. I am confident it's an outcropping of the concept of "paying it forward." So today's article is about "paying it forward" with a slight twist, i.e., one hundred percent aimed at making someone's heart smile.
Principle:
Paying it forward should be natural for all of us!
An action to get you started: Make a hero for the day, every day!
You may not believe this, but I have researched the concept of "a hero of the day." I did so as I can not remember where in the devil I heard of doing this, thinking it couldn't be just a Gene thing. The only reference I could find is a song by Metallica in their sixth album, Load. The song's lyrics talk about people looking for heroes in the media without realizing that heroes are everywhere. I have never listened to this music until a few days ago.
My conclusion is yes; this is a Gene thing! Yours truly started doing this somewhere around 2005. One of my most memorable moments was a phone conversation with the EPA. I was in the middle of creating a fruit and veggie wash with a unique concept. To do this, I had many technical questions about food safety and the efficacy of cleaning products and food.
I had been on the phone with this person for nearly an hour. In the conversation, I told her how much I appreciated her helping me. When I worked in the corporate world, we were not allowed to talk to the people in the EPA as you can't trust them, and they will try to get our secrets. So on this day, as we ended the conversation, I told the person she was my day's hero because she had helped answer my questions and concerns. As I finished saying this, the phone went silent, then, after maybe 15 to 20 seconds, she said, "no one has ever said thank you for my help nor made me their hero." It felt like she was in tears. So, that was the moment making a hero for the day was born!
You might wonder how it is paying it forward. I believe that everything starts with us, the human being. Paying it forward is TYPICALLY considered to be some activities you do to help or pay for something or give something to somebody. A typical example is you are in a drive-thru, and the person ahead of you pays for your order anonymously.
It takes a village to raise a child and a village to enable a good life. We need to pay attention to each other, listen and hear.
And besides, paying it forward is free.
Telling someone they are your hero of the day is rewarding and fun!
Seriously, it costs nothing but personal dedication to find a way to say thank you. It starts with always carrying the thought in your mind and being willing to give it freely. When someone does something straightforward and friendly that they didn't have to do, I declare them my hero for the day, even if it's what they should be doing. Pay attention, and look for confidence and enthusiasm. You will know it when you experience it, and don't be shy!
And it's never about you!
Every day go out into the world determined to find one person to be your hero. It will keep you smiling as I know how fun it is to declare someone "your hero of the day."
Tell me about your most recent hero.