A Rescue Mission for our Highest Self
The ultimate Us AND Them challenge may be to learn how to live in meaningful relationship with our highest self. That would be the one that always errs on the side of moral integrity and courage. Whatever our aspirations, our highest self would be the one we wanted to be when we grew up. How do we set with that person today?
Who were our heroes? Who have they become? Maybe more importantly, who were our heroes before our demons took over? Maybe it wasn’t so much our demons. Could it have been greed, cynicism, or a small, ever contracting world view?
Have idols replaced our heroes?
Author Peter Gibbon, who wrote A Call to Heroism back in 2002, says “Idol means uncritical worship. . . unthinking admiration.”
In the same decade, American psychologist Frank Farley, surveyed people across the US about their heroes. He concluded, “all heroes share certain traits – courage and strength, generosity, honesty, expertise, a tendency toward risk-taking.”
Who do we most admire today, and why? Could it have previously been someone for whom our modern-day world makes little room? Maybe amidst this great conflict between our dreams and this person we’ve become, our vision has dulled to the point where we can’t even perceive the qualities that we once revered. Maybe we’ve become so cynical that we’ve lost sight of a realistic and tangible role model who could rescue this embattled world from itself.
Maybe the million-dollar question is - Have I merely given up on being my highest self? Multiply this question by hundreds of millions and it becomes very important indeed.
Who is your modern-day hero? And fear not, heroes shouldn’t be expected to be perfect.
“An idol is someone who is adored for various reasons, such as good looks, accomplishments, and charisma. A hero is someone who puts personal needs aside and goes above and beyond the call of duty to make a profound and positive impact on the life of another.” - Joe Paprocki
Sometimes it’s hard for us to even be nice to ourselves, let alone be our highest selves. Maybe we can start by simply treating ourselves politely, like we would any other person.