In a most powerful book, “That Ye Might Have Life”, by Sterling W. Sill, comes this profound and enabling precept:
“As we honor our heroes, we tend to build their great qualities into ourselves.”
Back in 2004 when I first moved to Utah from San Diego, CA, I found myself in a new house, a new area, and with a new career. I found myself at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage as a new real estate agent with Jaren Davis as my broker. Like many in the office I quickly came to appreciate the experience and trust that Jaren offered to those whom he worked with. His example of success and his desire to see that success repeated in others added him to my short list of heroes. From this time forward I realized that the reasons that people held him such high esteem is that Jaren exemplified characteristics that we all wanted to embrace in ourselves.
Sterling Sill continued, “We are also the beneficiaries of everyone else who has ever lived, for the world would be incomplete without them. Each of us is an unknown soldier, and one of our most exciting truths is the fact that we were created to be the benefactors of the rest of mankind.”
After considering these two quotes I came to the conclusion that while I may have those whom I admire and seek to emulate, we must not forget that others will follow us in this world. Who will their heroes be? If we are the beneficiaries of the lives that proceed us, what legacy will we leave for those that follow? Who will see us as their heroes? In this way, the greatest gift we can give to the human race is to be the best heroes we can be.
Nick
I enjoyed your post Nick. That sounds like a great book by Sterling Sill. One spiritual view is the Universe in its wholeness being the embodiment of God, and each of us and the rest of creation being a unique and necessary essence of the whole. Whether you are Jaren Davis, Mahatma Gandhi or a peddler on the street, this life wouldn’t be the all encompassing experience if any one of us didn’t come to be. Like fractals, changing one aspect of the formation affects the entire graphic. I find Sill’s words quoted above as another perspective or puzzle piece to our awakening. Thanks for the post Nick.
I am glad you enjoyed it. FYI, while the Sill book is well out of print, Eborn Books (google it) has multiple copies for a reasonable price. It is worth the read.