06/27/2018
You: The ultimate Unsung Hero. Always doing right by others so that they get the credit you help make possible. Yeah, you sigh sometimes but you keep doing it anyway because it’s what you do. It’s who you are.
You’re the deeply caring nurse, teacher, counselor, cop, firefighter, supervisor, assistant perhaps. It’s not about the money–you’re worth far more than you’ll can ever be paid. You’re doing what you do because you’re deeply fulfilled by helping others do better.
Someone once asked me if I knew where she could go to be truly appreciated for how skillfully she helps other people succeed. I told her that she may never know such a place like that. I reminded her that her very essence is to be an outlier, a leader, guiding mainstream crowds toward a better future. She is a leader, and a leader is not the pack. When she’s finished, she’ll find a new gig, set up beyond the pack, and do it again. It’s what she does.
She plants seeds in people that may never even germinate in her presence. Deep inside, she knows that relying on the external for happiness is a risky strategy for anyone. She finds her real peace within. It goes with the territory of being an outlier. Her being true to her purpose is itself the reward. And that is true independence.
So give silent gratitude to all those who have helped you without your even knowing it. They don’t really even need you to know it.
Who’s your unsung hero? Who do you know like this?
Confucius: "To rank the effort above the prize may be called love."
