Heroes

[starkey]

So who inspires us? If you are reading this, Steve and Erin P probably have had some influence in your life. But I am thinking broader...Martin Luther King, Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, people who have done incredible things with their lives... It seems that so few people "get it." But perhaps I just don't know about them.

[songwriter]

Originally Posted by starkey

So who inspires us? If you are reading this, Steve and Erin P probably have had some influence in your life. But I am thinking broader...Martin Luther King, Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, people who have done incredible things with their lives... It seems that so few people "get it." But perhaps I just don't know about them.

Paul McCartney.

[Nico Kempe]

I think it's the latter option; you don't know about them.
Just look at this forum, it's filled with people who "get it" or are starting or at least wanting it.
To be honest I have been paying to little attention in history class, so I can't say much about those iconic heroes in history.
I did saw a movie about Ghandi some time ago, and it really added to my respect for that man, he really seemed to be conscious, although it seemed more in a human rights and living together kinda way.

Jesus Christ ofcourse is another hero I would mention. He also tried to stimulate living together, trying to get people to live together in harmony. As for the consciousness part, I guess he was top of the notch in that area, sure he too had his weaker moments where he was led by his egoic mind, but in the bigger picture I'd say he was very conscious about how everything works, what life is, what being is, and tried to make people see that too.
I bet that if he could clarify in clear current-age language what he meant by all his sayings back then, we could be in for a big surprise, since humans always have clinged to taking things literally and having difficulty with uncertainties, but that is exactly why it's so hard for many to become so conscious.

So I think my "hero" would be Jesus (not the religions that we made from his actions though).

[Matt]

All of the above and Jiddu Krishnamurti.

[David Hausladen]

From what I've learned of his life and work (and most of it comes from a Wikipedia article), Buckminster Fuller would qualify as someone who "got it."

[Amit]

There's so many, I wouldn't know where to begin...but I'll try

I don't just have one, I have many because they have all inspired me in some way and I aspire to be more like them! Here's my list.

1) Gandhi
2) Mother Teresa
3) Anthony Robbins
4) Princess Diana
5) Andre Agassi
6) Michael Jordan
7) Buddha
8) Dadi Prakashmani and Dadi Janki of the Brahma Kumaris
9) Neale Donald Walsch
10) Stephen Hawking
11) The Dalai Lama

There are many more and the reason these people are on my list as they have all directly played a massive part in shaping my actions into the being I've defined myself as today.

[Natsu]

Ghandi, Jesus, Buddha... But, what about the not-so-mystical ones?

One I greatly admire is Warren Buffett. He has gotten rich, but not by following the destroyer techniques of "I get rich today, and if the enterprise and the jobs are over after me, I don't give a damn". He has gotten rich (second bussinessman after Gates) by doing good, honest investing bussinesses. In my country, many people say "To get rich, you must get other people poor, that's the only way. Rich people are either posh children of robbers, or robbers themselves". And I always answer "What about Warren Buffett?" NO one knows him, probably because a honest man makes less headlines... But I very much admire him because he's the living example that you don't need to act like a bastard to get rich.

For me, also Anousheh Ansari. First female space tourist, entrepreneur, fled from "Revolutionary" Iran. An example to me, she also founded a technology enterprise. A good example for girlsgotech.org

Audrey Hepburn. As beautiful in as out, and in her case that was damn hard

[songwriter]

I'm gonna make a list too. I like lists. But don't take it too seriously...

1. Paul McCartney
2. Freddie Mercury
3. John Lennon
4. Leonardo Da Vinci
5. Mike O'Hearn
6. Brad Pitt
7. Steve Pavlina!

[floramorada]

Tori Murden

[Alvin]

Bruce Lee! I wrote a post about him (What You Didn’t Know About Bruce Lee’s Kick-Ass Success), plug plug :P

[Matt Langdon]

I've been writing about heroes for the last couple of months on my blog, The Hero Workshop.

I think heroes are incredibly important and people in this thread have hit on the point that heroes come from fiction, history, AND the people living around you.

I hope this thread continues - let's see some heroes from your life.

[MarkusL]

not blowing smokes but Steve Pavlina saved my life. hehehehe

[arithhuh]

Well, All these people are true heroes according to me. But the thing that i've always felt is, that beyond a point, we dont have the capacity to judge their level. "Are they above the hero mark? Probably." But beyond that vague assumption, we know little about the people who they really are on the inside.

I think that in this list, im not writing a list of heroes, but a list of people who inspire me like crazy. For, there are thousands of heroes, whose heroism is far beyond our perception - Our perception which is limited by its shallow assumptions and sometimes silly interpretation.

Swami Vivekananda
Nani
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Mother Teresa
Jesus Christ
Mahatma Gandhi
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
Sister Nivedita
Abraham Lincoln
Paramahams Yogananda
Abdul Kalam
Sri Aurobindo
Capt.Neal
Sri Sankaracharya
Winston Churchill
Alexander the Great
Martin Luther King
Capt.Julian Bond


Well, All these great personalities, struck a chord in me! And I truly feel that the power of their words, is infinite, and the inpiration in them was impregnable!

All, I guess it is our duty to pick up at least one virtue from each hero. Otherwise, it would be in vain , that destiny brought us in contact with those super-people or their work.

All the Best.

[Alvin]

*ahem* Captains Kirk & Picard.

Yes, I'm a trekkie :P

[Henry]

Kevin Rose.

[Gautam]

My Grandfather
My Mother
My Best-Friend
My Other Best-Friend
My Dog

I'm not going to mention their names because I don't want them to find this page and see that I mentioned them.

Ok I'll mention one: Dawg Dogson. (needless to say, that's my dog)

These are the greatest heroes a boy could have.

[Adam]

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for his peaceful sit-ins. His home life wasn't a model of sainthood, but his public message brought more peace than any other modern man.

Jesus, even though I'm not a Christian. His message was one of understanding, peace, and enlightenment.

It seems that I'm really picky when it comes to my heroes... That's all that I can think of.

[Natsu]

Hmmm... Adolfo Suárez is a real hero, too. If you don't know him, have a look at Spanish story. Suffice it to say that Spain has had the first transition from dictatorship to democracy, and the best one so far... And it was mainly Suárez's job. Though nowadays king Juan Carlos had his fair share, too. Jatamí, the former president of Iran, who tried to reform his country (and couldn't) used to say that he greatly admired Suárez, too. Deserves special attention for being an extremely rare species: a honest politician!

[madgeylou]

ralph nader.

he has been so abused and maligned for 2000 (which wasnt his fault, incidentally) that his ENORMOUS contributions to american freedoms have been forgotten.

without him we would not have the EPA, the clean water act, the clean air act, safety standards and seatbelts in cars, and a huge variety of other protections. he has fought the good fight for more than 40 years now, and even risked (and actually lost) his reputation as a great american to bring the complete corporate-centeredness of modern government to light.

see, he never really wanted to be president. he always liked being the policy wonk in the background, the one who would do the research and have the good ideas for how to solve problems, and then present alternatives to politicians for implementation.

but in the 1990s, he couldnt even get time with any congresspeople to present ideas. why? no corporate money behind him. our politicians are so concerned with being re-elected that real good work goes undone.

i love him and everything he stands for. i worked for him in 2000, in florida no less, and i was there in washington the night of the election. when it became clear that he was not going to receive 5% of the vote needed to get federal funding for the green party, he took the stage and gave one of the most heartfelt speeches i've heard in my life, about how our efforts would not be in vain, about how freedom and democracy are worth fighting for, no matter what.

i dont know much about his personal life, but i can say that in his work, he has saved and improved countless lives, and also served as a reminder that cynicism is a far less powerful tool than belief.

[ditto]

1. Jesus/God
2. Albert Einstein
3. Stephen Hawking
4. Theodore Roosevelt
5. Aristotle
6. Ben Franklin

[starkey]

Hmmm.... I think I will be spending some time with Wikipedia to look up some of these people. And some time with this new blog.

Natsu, I think you made a good point about Warren Buffet. People have done some pretty evil things for the purpose of making money, so it is good to find someone who can integrate money and humanity. I know it is cheesy to say this, but Oprah changed how I view money. You CAN be rich and still be yourself and you can be kind and generous without being weak.

Arithhuh, have you read Autobiography of a Yogi?

That book mean alot to me and it seems that some of your list relates to this book.

[Love]

I think that there are a lot of people who get it. We just have to find out about them.

The people currently on my mind are a father and son racing team. I can't remember their names, but I remember what they do. The son is physically challenged, and is in a wheelchair. However, the father and son enter races together--really tough races. The father has pushed and pulled his son all the way through. They've done triathalons, too. They are heroes in my book.

[AndyMartin]

Who wouldn't be inspired by the names you have posted. I have no name to add to the list.

But I was flipping the channels one night a couple weeks ago and came across a reality show and there was a guy--in his 50's--being arrested for jumping bail on a mistake he made like 15 years ago. He wasn't a hardened criminal, you could that his face; he just couldn't figure out how to get life to work. His crime was just another attempt that had failed. He finally had a good relationship and a family, and when he was picked up, all you could see was the fear that he was going to lose all of that.

Jesus asked what good it does you to love those who love you because that's easy. Love your enemies, he said. It was easy for Buddha and Ghandi and Mother Theresa to choose to incarnate; they were already so far down their spiritual path; they were on the last lap. But this guy--he's just trying to figure out how to make life work, forget about spiritual enlightenment! And yet, here he is.

That guy is my hero.

[Richful]

My Heroes:

Joseph Campbell - He wrote "Hero with a thousand faces" singlehandedly inspiring thousands of works of fiction (Star Wars!) both in print and on screen and said the immortal words; "Follow your bliss!" inspiring a whole generation to seek out their dreams. Not bad for a lecturer in mythology.

O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba - Founder of Aikido, the most non-violent martial art it has been my privelage to practice.

Yang Cheng Fu - Grandson of Yang Luchan founder of Yang Style Taijiquan, brought Taijiquan as a martial art for health to the masses. Emphasised the health of Taiji while still being kick ass; known as "Yang the Invincible".

Paul Foster Case - Piano virtuoso, Prestidigitator and Founder of B.O.T.A. a western mystery tradition. He and Steve would have a lot to talk about.

Steve Pavlina - Not trying to suck up here, Steve made my list because he offers personal development advice he's tried and tested to the masses for free. While he obviously makes a tidy profit from his blog it isn't done by holding his knowledge hostage for the chosen few who pay thousands for it.

David Suzuki - Environmentalist. Haven't been a fan for long but I recently saw him tell a room full of journalists that he didn't trust them and gave them a serve on how they personally were adding to global warming. He told the truth, he didn't mince words, he made it real for them. When he left that room those people didn't just have good copy, they had direct knowledge of their involvement aswell. So refreshing.

[escapee]

My heroes are plants , without them i wouldnt be living

[Phoenix]

Today is Remembrance Day/ Veterans Day/Anzac Day so I would like to make a plug for all of the Heroes who gave their lives for us during the wars...(and still do).

They were mostly ordinary people, boys in most cases, with no profound message for the World or high enlightened ideals.

They are my Heroes...without them I would not be living the life I do now.

[DanielBrenton]

Ultimately, shouldn't we change our lives so that we can be our own heroes?

[dailyplanit]

Originally Posted by Love

I think that there are a lot of people who get it. We just have to find out about them.

The people currently on my mind are a father and son racing team. I can't remember their names, but I remember what they do. The son is physically challenged, and is in a wheelchair. However, the father and son enter races together--really tough races. The father has pushed and pulled his son all the way through. They've done triathalons, too. They are heroes in my book.

They are Dick and Rick Hoyt. View the video at Youtube for an incredibly inspirational experience.

[Niki]

Leonardo Da Vinci

I like his special view on things.

Seven "da vincian" principles with a short description

1. Curiositá: Be curious and never stop learning.

2. Dimostrazione: Learn from mistakes and test what you know

3. Sensazione: constant refinement of our senses.

4. Sfumato: the willingness to welcome ambiguous, paradoxes and insecurities

5. Arte/Scienza: Learn to think with a ying/yang balance. Learn art to improve math skills, learn to dance to speak better, train logic to improve imagination and visa versa.

6. Corporalitá: show your grase, do sports, take care of your body, health...

7. Connessione: know everything is 1, and everyting is connected. Awareness


Sorry about my english.
I hope you like this.

[Trina]

My heroes are not of the famous variety. My grandparents are two of them, because they took my sister and I and raised us with more love than I could have ever asked for when our parents couldn't love themselves, much less their children. My husband is one of my heroes for so profoundly affecting my life and offering to sacrifice his for his fellow countrymen, not because he had to, but because he wanted to.

I also really respect James Natchwey, for his vision and for putting himself in danger countless times to take photographs that show what is going on in the world. His photographs have changed my life. I don't know if I would call him a hero, but I do highly respect him.