Who Is Your Personal Hero?
Jan

A few days ago, I was presented with the idea of writing about my hero by my friend, Danny Iny. And to be honest, I had no real interest in writing about it mainly because I have never thought about who my hero was!
Sure, I’ve had mentors and people who I’ve looked up to over the years, but a hero? When I think of heroes, I think of people like Mother Teresa, Gandhi And Jesus. And as important as they are all to millions of people, I have never considered any of them my hero.
Furthermore, I think it’s hard to call someone you’ve never met your hero. But that’s only my opinion…
So I thought about it and asked myself several questions:
- Who is someone who has impacted my life deeply?
- Who is someone who is where I want to be in my own life?
- Who is someone who has done the things I want to do in my life?
- Who is someone who challenges me personally?
Given that I have never really thought this through, it was a challenging exercise. I made a list of as many people as I could think of that I look up to and who have changed the way I view life. And I came up with my answer…
It’s my father.
And when I say he is my hero, it is not because he is exceptionally courageous, brave, or noble. Because he’s not. He hasn’t made great strides to improve humanity nor has he attempted to impact the world.
And that’s fine because that’s not how I define a hero.
This is why I chose him:
- He served his country in Vietnam after being drafted into the US Army Infantry. He was sent to the Mekong Delta, where he slept in rivers, flew in hundreds of high risk helicopter missions, and was wounded multiple times and received the Purple Heart.
- He has always made it very clear that his two sons are the most important thing in his life. And although he went through a bitter divorce with my mother when I was 6, where she won sole custody, he always made it his #1 priority to let us know how much he wanted us.
- He dedicated his life to his passion for science. He worked full time and paid his way through the University of New Hampshire, Michigan State, and UCLA, eventually receiving his PhD in Kinesiology. He knew what he wanted and went after it 100%…How many of us can say the same thing? His others passion is basketball and I’m sure he would have tried to make the NBA if he wasn’t 5’7 and white….
- He planned his life, his finances, and his retirement so that his life would not be a struggle. He saved when others spent. He cut coupons when he was making well over six figures, and invested his money wisely. He is now 66 and will never have to worry about paying his bills, being forced into a retirement home, or squeaking by on Social Security.
- He has always held honesty as the highest of virtues. Growing up, the worst thing we could have done was tell a lie. Once when I was 5, I broke one of our living room windows and blamed a neighbor. That was the worst reaction I ever saw from him and I never did it again (OK, maybe once..) Because of what he instilled in me when I was young, I value being truthful as one of the most important things we can do.
- He has created freedom and autonomy in his life. Being a distinguished researcher of 38 years at UCLA, he plays by his own rules. He sets his own schedule and literally plays basketball for 2+ hours every day of the week. He works hard, plays hard and loves it!
- He has a lifelong commitment to his health. How many 66 year olds do you know that get up at 4am, ride a stationary bike for an hour, stretch and do calisthenics for another hour, and then workout with weights in the evening? His health is better than mine and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him live to 100. Actually his mother is 98, so it’s definitely not out of the question.
- He is a classic example of someone “doing the work”. He worked tirelessly for many years to reach his goals and set a great example for my brother and I. Coincidentally, my brother followed in his footsteps and went on to get his DVM and is a successful radiologist.
- He literally loves his life. I know most of you reading this (and myself included) have probably never felt that way. He wakes up happy and looks forward to his day. He challenges his mind and body each day and is at total peace with where he’s at in his life.
My father is just a regular guy who has made some great decisions to create his desired life and is now reaping the benefits. This is in stark contrast to how I have lived my life up to this point. I’ve spent little time thinking of the consequences of my actions.
I’ve gone deeply into debt without thinking about how a bankruptcy would affect my life. I spent my twenties partying and drinking instead of going to college. Now I am going back and I’ll probably be 50 before I get my degree!
Why Do We Need Heroes?
The reason having a personal hero is important is because it allows us to measure ourselves against a benchmark. We see what’s possible through their actions and can strive to achieve greatness in our own right.
It’s funny because I’ve never thought that I was trying to live up to my father’s unspoken expectations, but I most certainly am. At 40 years old, I still do things that I don’t necessarily want to do but do anyway because they are what he would do.
And maybe you don’t have a hero, mentor, idol, or whatever you want to call it, but maybe you should…At least think about it and ask yourself who the person is that you most admire or aspire to be like.
And I’d love to hear about it!
So tell me:
Who is your hero and why?

Mark@Empower Network Review
All the anwers to those questions is my mom. My mom is no doubt my hero of all time. She raised me as a single parent and until now im still grateful about that.
Steve
Hey Mark,
My mother also raised my brother and I as a single parent and I know how hard it was for her. She’s at the top of my list as well…
Harriet
Wow. Powerful post here. Its lovely to read that your father is your hero, thats a great thought. And he seems to have done a lot of things in his life! You’ve definatley inspired me to look deeper into my family history and find out more about my Dad.
Steve
That’s good to hear Harriet. Not that you have to share, but you don’t know him well?
Evan
Paul Goodman for his penetrating insight, wholistic vision and practical proposals.
Steve
Evan,
I’ve not heard of him and will check it out.
Thanks for sharing..
Johnavery
heroes to me doesn’t mean only those who have extraordinary powers,they are the simple people who do extraordinary things which impact peoples life positively.I had a teacher in botany who inspired me to love the subject in a time when botany started to feel like an boring subject.And now am a bioengineer.It feels like he is a hero to me.
Steve
John,
Teachers make great heroes and I’ve had a few excellent ones who stand out in mind as well..
Anita Richard
Parents are heroes to most of our generation but sadly the present generations are missing out on the love and warmth of parents, aren’t they?
Steve
Anita,
I’m not sure that kids nowadays are missing out on love. I think parents today coddle their children more, which is causing issues with being able to function properly in society as they get older..But that’s off topic…
Ruth - The Freelance Writing Blog
I’ve never really thought about it, actually. It’s not my Dad and it’s not my Mom. Which is kind of sad, especially after reading this beautiful post.
I don’t think I have a ‘hero’. There are plenty of people in my life that I really, really admire for a variety of reasons – my brother, my mother-in-law, my step daughter, certain friends. But I wouldn’t characterize any of them as heroic.
Ahh…..wait a minute….it might have to be my 14 year old daughter, Julia. She has Down syndrome and she inspires me every single day with her determination, joie de vivre and sense of unconditional love. Maybe that’s heroic?!?
Steve
That’s really wonderful, Ruth.
From everything I know about her, she sounds like a huge inspiration!
Steve@Affiliate Marketing Tips
Steve,
It really sounds like your dad is quite a guy.
I love the way he has decided what he wanted from life and really done everything he can to put himself in a position to get it. It sounds like he knows what he wants and does what a takes to get it.
There is a lesson there for us all…
Steve
Hey Steve,
I guess this is the “law of blog comment reciprocity” in effect 🙂
He’s a rare breed for sure. Now, I would never want his life, but I truly admire the dedication to his craft and the unconditional love for his sons..
Tom Ewer
Steve,
For what it’s worth, your father sounds like an absolutely extraordinary guy – far from normal! And I mean that in the nicest possible way. I’m not surprised he’s your hero 🙂
Tom
Steve
Tom,
The funny thing is that he’s really an average guy who lives well within the confines of his comfort zone. But he knew what he wanted in life and went after it. I don’t know many people who honestly love their life…
Becca
For me, my dad is also a hero for me.Not because he is my dad but because of the way he stands of what he believes is true and right.
Steve
Great to hear, Becca!
Scott @ Low Cost Marketing Strategies Dot Com
Hey Steve,
Awesome post man, I really liked it.
To give an accurate answer to this I would need to have a good hard think, but one name that rolls off my tongue is Brian Tracy.
He is the best example of a person has perfected self mastery and discipline, he has created self help programs that have impacted millions of people, and he has made a fortune in the process.
Very few people are able to achieve a such a measure of excellence.
Steve
Scott,
Brian Tracy is an incredible mentor and hero. I’ve read a number of his books and he definitely practices what he teaches..
Chukwuka Okwukwe Chukwuka
Hi! Steve,
Talking about heroes, there are lots of them (or should I say a mix of heroes and heroines?)
I have my mum and then her younger sister who gave me access to read her book ‘Talent is never enough’ by John Maxwell. This book changed my life forever and she’s the reason why. I’m dedicating my first book to her (to be released in June).
I’m 20 now and I’ll learn from your bad experience to strike a good balance.
Thanks for the inspiration, Steve. And I must add up that degree isn’t really the biggest priority now for you, is it?
Steve
Good for you on releasing your book soon! I’ve had many bad experiences and I hope people can learn from them. And no, my degree is far from being at the top of my list..
Steve Rice | True Spiritual Awakening
Wow! “It’s funny because I’ve never thought that I was trying to live up to my father’s unspoken expectations, but I most certainly am”
How can I relate to that!?! 😉
It’s funny how the expectations/opinions of others can really play into how we see ourselves. Even unintentionally, these expectations influence us powerfully.
I know a trail-blazer lies within me. It’s just something that I know at my core. However, it’s a bit of a challenge to peel back the layers and allow that person to emerge.
I have plenty of awesome examples that I look up to, however, I would have to say that right now at this moment in my life, my hero is the ‘me’ that is inside, working so hard to break free.
I don’t say this as a self-absorbed comment, but I know how hard the real me has worked to grow, become and free himself from the mask that I have created for him to wear.
So, in a weird way, I have become my own hero.
Alexis
my hero is my mom And i love her very much
Make Mrecvjhj
Thanks for sharing this list to everyone. I’m very glad I surf on this webblog and saw this great blog list.
Chitra
My mom is my hero….. She is too single parant to us..me n my 2 brothrs
Jarkko Helenius
I’m going to stand out and say people who I don’t personally know!
I discovered a self-help guy called Owen Cook something like 3 years ago and during those three years since, he and his crew has massively affected my thinking and live, changing it permanently for the better.
I credit him the fact that I finally had the bravery to travel earlier this year and also got myself an awesome girlfriend.
If you know Owen’s stuff and check out my blog you can probably tell that I’ve resonated with his stuff.
Another person who has had a big impact on my life is Steve Pavlina. His personal development site is one of the most popular ones and for once something is popular for merit. Another guy who has really elevated my thinking.