The True Hero

The true hero
Is not the one who gets all the attention
But is one who pays attention
One who is fully giving of himself
To wherever he is every moment.

The true hero
Is not the one who is known all over
But is one who knows himself
One who recognizes all the others
As reflections of himself.

The true hero
Is not the one who has conquered others
But is one who has conquered himself
One who treats others as he treats himself
And regards them as equals – as friends.

The true hero
Is not the one who is superior to all the rest
But is one who has seen his own goodness and badness
One who becomes neither self-righteous nor disparaging;
Merely that he accepts himself as he is.

The true hero
Is not the one who has proven himself to others
But is one who finds what he is cut out for
One who is true to his purposes and to his truth
And is aware of his place in the scheme of life.

The true hero
Is not the one who tries to be a hero
But is one who tries to be attuned all the time
One who follows the call in the situation
The call that is his alone.

The true hero
Is not the one I had believed in as a youngster
But is the one I had often taken for granted
Even disdained for his ordinariness;
Had I looked deeper, I would have seen the gem.