See Also:
Beginning of a FAMOUS Hero: The Ludwig Van Beethoven Story.
Life Lesson #80 – Master the Art.
Daniel was an awesome musician. When he was only six years old, he told his parents he wanted to learn as many instruments as he possibly could and that he wanted to conduct a great orchestra someday. There was no reason to doubt he could, either. Daniel made straight A’s in school, but he always wanted to learn more and more about music.
At some point along the way, his friends began to be interested in playing on sports teams. Daniel wasn’t really interested in playing sports. That’s when some of the boys, even those who had been his best friends, began to pick on Daniel about wanting to just play music all the time. More and more, Daniel found himself spending time alone, but the worst part was the teasing.
He would talk to his parents and say, “I don’t mind if they play ball, but why can’t they respect what I enjoy and what I can do the best?”
Well, Daniel’s parents tried to explain to him that sometimes kids are just very immature and selfish. They think it’s funny to put down someone else, and when they join with others in putting someone down, they feel safe because they are part of a group.
Daniel knew that was true, although he was still very hurt by the people who had once been his friends. He also knew that he couldn’t change the way they acted. He could only change himself. So knowing first hand how much it hurts to have others criticize and tease him, Daniel made a personal commitment to never do that to anyone else. He made a commitment to himself to always be a HERO who HELPS instead.
– Jim Lord