Comments on: Who Are Your Hidden Heroes?

By: Jann Freed

Jann Freed — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:22:26 +0000

Susan–I should know the answer to this question, but I don’t: How do I upload my photo so that it is next to the comment? While it might not be a great photo, it would be better than a gray box. Thanks. Jann

By: Jann Freed

Jann Freed — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:21:23 +0000

This was a great post because it makes you think. While I am sure I have “hidden” heroes, I am having trouble coming up with some because I take every chance I have to recognize the heroes so that they are not hidden. I agree that these people are leaders because they help guide us as we look to them.

I refer to these people as sages–people I seek advice and often think: WWTD (what would they do?)

I am grateful to all of them and try to let them know it every chance I have. In terms of real heroes or sages, there are usually not that many of them. We need to cherish as we thank them and remember them.

By: Danny Brown

Danny Brown — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:05:01 +0000

Beautiful post, Susan. What resonates with me is that you choose the hidden heroes over the front-line ones.

So many heroes I see lately are false ones – people with an agenda who push front and center all they “do”, in the vanity-led hope of being recognized for something not worth being recognized about.

True heroes, like you say, are the ones that do it for no gain – all they know is “it needs doing”.

My heroes? People like you that support something like 12for 12k. No fanfare, no “oh, look at me” – just get out there and make a difference, because you can.

Show me someone who does as opposed to someone who says and I’ll take that any day of the week.

By: dmccleary

dmccleary — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:19:22 +0000

Thank you for this insightful post. Sometimes the way we show up in different roles in life is hidden. We all lead in multiple roles, hats, or positions. A mother is probably the person with the most roles. The average mother is leader, manager, teacher, lover, wife, partner, mentor, advisor, coach, counselor, officer, referee, doctor, judge, analyst, friend, daughter, accountant, nurse, negotiator, pharmacist, chef, maid, and chauffer all before lunchtime. Not all of us are blessed with such complexity. But we all play our parts, actresses and actors in a powerful play. Some parts we run toward with joyful abandon; some parts we run from like rats jumping from a sinking ship. Whatever the role, we say our lines. We move on and off the stage. We act; we interact; we switch roles; we wear hats; we put on masks; we change costumes. Certain parts we like to perform better than others. We over-identify and overuse some roles, choosing to be comfortably trapped in a fractured sliver of existence; gravitating to comfort and safety as a defense against the discomfort of living fully. A mother might overuse the caring-pacifier role, a father might be stuck in the fierce-protector role, and a Vice President could constantly gravitate to the reactive-manager role. When our pet-select roles seduce us, magnetize us, and envelope us, we over-identify with that specific part of life. Our intoxication with these identity-magnet bit parts of existence chips away at our wholeness, dilutes our presence in other critical roles, and shatters our fullness. A multitude of varying roles is not a fragmented life. Being less than fully present in any one role is diminishment. Our identity is the compilation of fully living every role that presents itself throughout our lifetime. Our identity is not our action. Our identity is not one role or even a compilation of roles. Our identity is our unique creative process of breathing our full authentic presence into our chosen possibilities.

By: Jeremy Nash

Jeremy Nash — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 22:07:06 +0000

Besides this being a beautiful story about Ada, what I’m appreciating is the “hidden” side to this. The age and culture (in the US) we have been living in has had us celebrate too narrow a band of “hero.” Too often, heroes have become synthetic creations of the media. We think of an incredible athlete, or someone who’s made huge gobs of money, or a celebrity whose stories can seem too spun. Yet a story about Ada or Babcia allows us to see the virtues in more everyday people who seem exceptional for their modesty, too. These are people who influence us to live better lives ourselves. These are also people with warts, or who limp, or have bad breath, and who have their flaws, besides. They’re real. And they provide something priceless precisely because they are so real.

By: Soup And Flowers « The Effective CIO

Soup And Flowers « The Effective CIO — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:11:37 +0000

[...] recently, Susan Mazza posted a blog entry on Hidden Heroes. She talked about the hidden heroes in each of our lives, those people that quietly influenced us [...]

By: Susan Mazza

Susan Mazza — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:22:51 +0000

Thank you all for sharing about your hidden heroes. I am truly inspired by your acknowledgments of the amazing people in your lives and grateful that you took the time to acknowledge them here.

For anyone reading this comment I encourage you to go back and read through the comments above because they are so rich.

There is much to be learned about leadership and about acknowledgment from what you have written here. I need a bit more time to distill what I am discovering here.

In the meantime I wanted to let you all know that I am attentively listening to what each of you shared. Will share some further thoughts as I formulate them.

And please do share any insights that you have as well.

By: Chuck Musciano

Chuck Musciano — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:04:05 +0000

Such good responses!

If you want to read an wonderful collection of “Dad” stories, pick up a copy of Wisdom Of Our Fathers by Tim Russert (http://bit.ly/uWg5z). You’ll also want a box of tissues with that. Story after story of quiet, stoic sacrifice and love told by the kids whose lives were shaped by their dads. In this time of broken families and kids abandoned by their fathers, this book reminds us that they are many, many good dads who focused their lives on giving their kids a better shot than they had themselves.

Every father should live his life so that someday his children would write a similar page in a future book.

By: Henie

Henie — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:08:12 +0000

Thank you for such a beautiful and compassionate post!

Hands down, my father is my hidden hero…every golden strand I add to our family tapestry is because of his brilliance and love! He taught me how to cultivate and value relationships.

“He who is planted in our hearts is the one we remember forever!” ~Henie~

By: Tom Volkar / Delightful Work

Tom Volkar / Delightful Work — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:00:37 +0000

Beautiful indeed. I also thought of the rocks in my family when I read this. My Dad was a humble working man but he did generosity and care like no other. last father’s day I wrote this brief eulogy to honor him.

http://www.delightfulwork.com/2008/06/15/a-fathers-day-tribute-to-my-dad-tom-on-the-hill/