Heroes…
I was recently reading an article and one of the closing questions were, “who are your heroes?” That one question gives people a window into the type of person you are. I’ve been mulling over who my heroes are recently. It’s been quite the process trying to pinpoint the few people that inspire me to maximize my potential. This is my list. It’s an ongoing list. The list ranges from Spirit-filled Christians to non-believing Buddhists. Just because someone doesn’t believe the same things you do, doesn’t discredit their value both in your eyes and God’s eyes. Hopefully this list will give you a better picture of who I am through people I highly regard.
Bill Johnson
Bill is one of my personal heroes. It’s not because his teachings are seeping with knowledge. I think it’s because he taught me that God is in a good mood and that if I camped around God’s presence, I would gain access to God’s heart as well. Based on those two principles, it helped me lay the groundwork to my ongoing relationship with God.
Larry Randolph
Larry is one of the funniest preachers I know. He’s also one of the most real ones I know as well. Sometimes listening to Larry feels like I’m listening to my grandfather who’s giving me words of wisdom for my life. It’s what I appreciate most about Larry. He’s so comfortable with being himself that he’s not afraid to laugh at himself. He comes off as genuine and doesn’t take himself too seriously. Yet through the jokes and the laughs, he has developed this amazing friendship with God that I can only hope to have or exceed. It lets me know that you can have the craziest life and yet still be a friend of God.
Lance Armstrong
The Tour de France is one of the most grueling sporting events in the world. It covers 2,200 miles over the course of 3 weeks. You have to be in insane physical shape to even complete it. Many of those competitors who try year after year fail to win in their lifetimes. Lance has won 7. This is what I respect the most about Lance. Unlike many other sports, I really don’t think biking the Tour de France is about competing against people around you. You’re competing against yourself. To put a human body through 2,200 miles over the course of 3 weeks is a test of endurance. I always imagine my life more as a marathon than a sprint. The decisions I make today will affect the future I foresee for myself. Getting there the fastest isn’t my goal… endurance is.
Steve Jobs
I have a ton of respect for Steve. Although he’s been called a thief and the opposite of an innovator, I saw great value in the way he saw things. The tagline of Apple is Think Different and that is what Steve helped us all to do. He took a simple cell phone and gave people the ability to access the world easily through it. That’s just one of the things he helped pioneer. There are many more. Steve is one of my heroes because he taught us how to think different.
Tony Hsieh
I’ve recently added Tony Hsieh as one of my heroes after reading the book Delivering Happiness. What impressed me most about him is the culture he created at Zappo’s. Zappo’s is credited with having some of the best customer service in the world. Employees are incredibly happy to come to work everyday. They’re allowed to be quirky and fun, yet they accomplish their goals in a timely fashion. Who knew selling shoes could be so much fun? But what got me thinking was the creation of culture. I found that invaluable in my journey to attain more knowledge on how cultures are established.
That’s my list for now. I’m sure there will be more heroes in my future. Till next time…
