Shift Your Perspective (By Dr. Noelle Nelson)

How do you see yourself? As a hero or a victim? In any given life circumstance, you can see yourself either way.

I recently moved into my new home. As is often the case with a "new" home, that is to say new to me, although built in the mid 1960s, it has what is euphemistically referred to as a few "issues." As in, I was scheduled to leave town for work first thing Friday morning, and Wednesday night, both toilets in my house ceased to function. This mattered greatly, as the puppy-sitter who was booked to take care of my beloved dogs in my absence could not be expected to stay over-night without a functioning toilet, and it being a Holiday weekend, I would not be able to find a place to board them last-minute.

Hero or victim? First thought, victim! Of all the times for the toilets to fail, and not one, but both toilets! After frantic calls to plumbers not returning my call (more "victim"), worrying myself sick over "Now, what?! This is a disaster!"(yet more "victim") I took myself in hand, and gave myself a talking-to.

As in, "who would you like to be, Noelle?" A whiny victim, or a successful hero? Good question! Because, you see, I know from long experience, that a hero is simply someone who refuses to see a problem as unsolvable, and forges on until some kind of solution is unearthed. Sometimes that means being Captain Marvel and saving the world, sometimes it's just me figuring out a toilet situation.

Once I shifted my perspective, it dawned on me to contact the repair person who'd fixed some odds and ends; maybe he'd know a willing plumber. To my surprise, he turned out to be the willing plumber. Plus, he was up for a crack-of-dawn visit to the local home improvement center, purchasing two new guaranteed fully-functioning toilets--at a reasonable price, no less-- and installing them, all before I had to leave Friday morning. Whew.

Had I stuck with my "Woe is me, life is so unfair" position, I would not have continued trying to come up with a solution. It was only when I told myself that somehow I'd get this handled that the idea came to me to contact the repair person.

Next time you are up against what could easily be defined as a victim situation, challenge yourself to find your inner hero. You'll be surprised at just how innovative they (you) are.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Shift-Your-Perspective&id=10114470

Live Like A Hero

Ever notice the first words invariably spoken when we recognize a hero publicly? "I never felt like a hero, I'm no hero," these words are the mantra of heroes. Regardless of the nature of their actions being hailed as heroic, they saw nothing unusual in their response. What is the difference in these people and those who stare in admiration at their acts? They have always lived like a hero; one day they were called on to act like a hero.

Heroes spend a lifetime following a creed of honor and respect for others. What traits are normally found in them?

1) They act responsibly in every situation.

2) They live compassionately, tending to look beyond weakness in others as they seek to find and focus on their strengths.

3) Reliability is their creed. They take pride in establishing relationships where they expect others to know they will be there for them. And they are.

4) They stand strong in the face of adversity.

5) They take the time to know themselves, to recognize and improve on their weaknesses while maintaining their strengths.

6) They avoid idle chatter, preferring to shoot straight and seek solutions rather than criticizing others efforts that may be failing.

7) They have an innate ability to understand that life is a series of head-on collisions; they wear a mental helmet of faith, hope and integrity. They live expecting the best possible outcome.

8) They rarely have a plan B. They understand that you get what you prepare for; they always prepare for what they may be called to act upon.

9) Injustice in any form ignites a passionate response in them; for them it is intolerable.

10) They are intuitive, seeming to know when and how to act and react to situations.

These are good old-fashioned traits that many parents continue to build and embrace in raising their family to be productive members of society. Look closely behind the hero and you will likely find parents or some adult or affiliation that embraced character building.

Heroes are not born; they are raised to embrace standards that encompass empathy, compassion, respect for self and others, to act responsibly and to embrace faith in their life. If you weren't raised that way you can still embrace the traits that create the best possible response to every situation. Even if you are never recognized publicly, you can be sure you will face the time when you are called on to be a hero allowing you to touch another person in a life altering situation. You may never know that you were their hero, but they will. It begins with choosing to live like a hero; if you do, you will always be prepared to act like one.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Live-Like-A-Hero&id=9585117