Heroes and Icons

There goes my hero, watch him as he goes
There goes my hero, he’s ordinary   - My Hero, Foo Fighters

We like our heroes. Superman, Batman and all the other superheroes. Sporting heroes and science heroes. Young heroes and animal heroes.  Military heroes and peace heroes.  Champions of noble causes and sometimes politicians too.

We like our icons too. Rock stars and sports stars. Businessmen and entrepreneurs.  Artist and musicians.  Brands and places.  Literary figures and famous faces.  Activists and sometimes politicians too.

Heroes and icons inspire us. Heroes inspire us through the deeds they have done or do.  Icons inspire us through the lasting effect they have or had on our lives, our society, our country and our world.

Icons can be heroes too.

Adrian Steirn is a well-known photographer and filmmaker.  He’s a hero and an icon too.  He’s also the creator of the 21icons project, where he shares remarkable stories of people who devoted their lives for the good of mankind.  Watch it - you will be touched by it.  And if you've seen it before, watch it again!

Listening to Adrian tell his remarkable story the other night, two things stood out for me. Firstly, we all have it in us to make a difference and through that, be a hero or an icon to somebody.

Secondly, none of the icons in his series set out to become icons, or heroes, or famous, or rich. They're just ordinary people doing what they believe in.  And sometimes doing what you believe in, takes you places where you never expected to go.

Maybe you want to change the world, maybe you just want to grow a tree.

Maybe you want to make a difference to a generation, maybe you just want to help a colleague.

Maybe you want to educate a nation, maybe you just want to teach your child to read.

What motivates you doesn’t matter.

 
Go on, be a hero.