Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com and Tony Alter.

You’re probably a lot like me. You get up in the morning. Go to work. Come home. Fall into bed after various and sundry daily activities. You’re probably thinking, I’m no hero.

I’m here to tell you differently. You are to someone.

What makes you a hidden heroe?

All of us are hidden heroes because we impact lives throughout our day-to-day living. If you’re a mom or dad, you impact your children by taking care of them, by encouraging them, by guiding them through love and discipline. If you’re a supervisor like me at my day job, you impact the lives of those under your charge as well as your coworkers. If you write like I do, you impact people through your written words. Regardless of your station of life, your marital status, or where you live, you are most likely coming into contact with people and impacting the lives of those around you.

Why do hidden heroes impact those around them?

I think the answer lies in some of the above paragraph. But there’s more. As hidden heroes, we impact those around us by influencing them. Also, something about a hidden hero’s life makes others notice. Last year, I realized that I was actually making a difference at work when one of my staff, as we were reorganizing, said about me, “She watches out for her staff.” I appreciated hearing those words so much.

How do hidden heroes conduct themselves?

Hidden heroes, that is, you and me, live our lives on a day-to-day basis. We generally don’t rush into burning buildings to save someone or thwart an attack. We simply live. We get up and get ready for the day, take care of our families, work, and play in what may seem to be the most boring of lives. Yet somehow, we have this influence on others. I venture to call it love in an action-oriented way, or agape love. When we love, that is, give of ourselves to others, we provide a positive influence.

What kind of burden to hidden heroes carry?

On the surface we, as hidden heroes living ordinary lives, carry day-to-day burdens. We care about others because we love them. We worry about paying the bills, about how our children grow up, about day-to-day tasks. It’s more than that, though. Once we know others are watching us, we should worry about what, exactly, we’re teaching those around us. Do we teach gentleness and patience yet scream at people on the highway as we drive into work? Do we teach ethical behavior to our children yet cheat on our taxes? Do we preach courtesy yet act harshly to coworkers? Others watch us, even if we don’t know it.

Remember that, even if you feel like a very ordinary person, that you might not be a hero to anyone, you are. Very much so. The way you live influences others. By loving them, having a sacrificial love where you put others first, you render an impact that will resound not just today but on down the road into the future.

This post does not mention any products. Therefore, I am not receiving any compensation for writing this post. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”