Part 10: “In Search Of Heroes Book 1″ What is your definition of heroism? by Ralph Zuranski
Nerissa Oden: I would say the ability to follow your gut instincts and listening to what your higher self or your intuiting is telling you to do, even when you’re staring at adversity and it feels like you’re against all odds.
You’re still going to do what it is that you’re driven to do. For example, my move from the film industry and editing, I did some editing on feature films and television there, into the internet took a leap of faith because, at that time, in the mid 1990’s, people were just getting on the internet in 1996.
In 1998, when I’m going, “I really want to make a living off the internet and I want to find a way on how to transition that,” I’m listening to my inner self because the outer evidence wasn’t really supporting me.
That would be an example of heroism, conquering your own fear in your mind and listening to your inner voice. I would say that we live in a time of activism right now. I would say that heroism is not forcing other people to do as you believe, but that you live out your own beliefs in your own life, follow your own intuition and your own path.
David Hancock: I think it’s probably big, it’s huge. It’s more than just having courage, being brave, or saving someone’s life. I think it’s having enough courage to do something that most won’t.
In fact, you’re not just saving someone’s life, but making a difference in someone’s life, whereas that can actually be what saves them. So, it’s not physically having to save their lives from a bullet, but actually saving their life by giving them an opportunity to do more with their lives.
Frank Garon: I probably have two different definitions. One, heroism would be anybody that does the right thing under any circumstances without seeking any reward, just because it’s the right thing to do. In today’s day and age, it is kind of heroic when people stay the course and do the right thing without any gain or without anybody watching them.
I think that is heroic, because day to day we face challenges that test our spirit, our strength, and in reality, our soul, and every time each one of us comes back with a great way to treat another person or the right thing to do, even if it causes us a little bit of trouble to do it, I think that is something to be celebrated and recognized in some way as heroism.
The second way I would define heroism is anybody that overcomes adversity in their lives and remains positive and optimistic. I’d also like to combine that with somebody that – I mean obviously, the standard definition of heroism is somebody that lays down their life or puts their life in jeopardy to help or save somebody else.
So I don’t know if that is two and a half definitions or three, but it’s a little bit more than the two I promised.