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The Making of a Hero

See Also:
Beginning of a FAMOUS Hero: The Ben Carson Story.
Life Lesson #23 – Determine Yourself to a Higher Plane.

 

 
Jeremy was an average student in Mr. Delaney’s class. He could make Bs and Cs without even trying. He was strong and healthy and intelligent. He had a lot of friends, but when it came to grades, sports, work, or anything else, he just didn’t measure up to what he was really capable of.

Mr. Delaney kept Jeremy after school one day and started talking with him about HEROES who HELP. Jeremy started to worry. “What are you saying?, he asked.” Mr. Delaney said, “I don’t know, Jeremy. When you could be a HERO to someone in a big way and you don’t…” He kind of trailed off at that point to make Jeremy think a little. “Okay, I give up. Who am I not HELPING?” asked Jeremy.

“A lot of people,” said Mr. Delaney. “First of all, yourself—and more specifically, your future self. And then your future family, your children, and who knows how many others—if you don’t become all you are capable of being.” The teacher had Jeremy’s attention now! Mr. Delaney continued. “You have the ability (and I think because you have the ability, you also have the responsibility) to become a doctor, a scientist, a researcher, a teacher, an architect, an engineer, a lecturer—any number of things that could HELP hundreds, thousands, even millions of people, and provide a good living for yourself and your family. But you will never do any of that if you don’t dramatically increase the amount of effort you put into everything you do.

Well, Jeremy had never heard anything like that before. He had never thought past next week! But now he began to understand what Mr. Delaney was trying to tell him, and he started that same day working diligently to build the foundation for that future HERO.

– Jim Lord