I’m not going to name names, there are too many.
What’s become apparent and I feel is important is how my heroes got to where they are now and what will keep them going into the future.
And there’s lots of common ground.
They started – for one. They found a subject they were passionate about and decided to run with that. They started for them. It was personal and it was selfish. (Selfish is not really the right word given the definition and I can’t think of a better word. All I can think is to say – selfishly pursuing altruism)
They do the learning. They honed their abilities and seek to continue to improve those, even when they were appointed the “expert” by their peers, they don’t slack off.
They do the research. They emerge themselves wholeheartedly in understanding and applying every aspect they can. Asking questions and finding the answers.
They generously share. They don’t hoard what they find and create. They put it out there and eventually find the right places.
They have allies. They find other people that think like they do. They share knowledge and spread the word.
They are patient, consistent and persistent. You need a lot of that for all of the above.
They don’t follow a herd. They do things a bit differently. They’re not extraordinary. Extraordinary is a result, not a requirement. It’s about starting where they are, doing the work and the rest of us gets to decide just how extraordinary they are because of the impact they had on us.
They don’t just stop. One thing leads to the next thing and the next. No one hit wonders.
Realising all of that when you unpack your heroes and peak behind the cape means you know you can too.
Giving more care and attention in choosing the people you talk to: Do they care about similar things as you? Look for projects, initiatives and partnerships that align with helping others. Get up and write. Enrol on courses and take part in conferences. Deliver workshops and share your knowledge. Be part of groups that meet regularly to support each other. Test and get better at finding the edges.
You might not patient – You can work on that.
You might be reasonably consistent – so, you can work on that.
You might be persistent, for now until you hit a dip and lose confidence – yeah, you guessed it, you can work on that too.
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Abbie Pierce 