Superstars and Heroes

            Over the past month, I have been reading about the life of Winston Churchill in an excellent book called "Never Give In" by Stephen Mansfield. Churchill was a political leader in Britain during the time of World War II and his bold speeches of freedom are famous today. I will write more about him later but for now I wanted to copy something that Henry Kissinger said about Churchill and how it applies to leaders today. Mr. Kissinger said:

"Our age finds it difficult to come into grips with Churchill. The political leaders with whom we are familiar generally aspire to be superstars rather than heroes. The distinction is crucial. Superstars strive for approbation; heroes walk alone. Superstars crave consensus. Heroes define themselves by the judgment of a future they see it as their task to bring about. Superstars seek success in a technique for eliciting support. Heroes pursue success as the outgrowth of their inner values."

          So what does all that mean? In our world, people often confuse superstars with heroes. It's all very well to be a superstar but most superstars rely on popularity, fame, good looks and being cool. We can't trust in these things because they don't last long and they don't give us enough. Heroes are different. They stand alone even if nobody else will stand with them. They rely not on the crowd but on their beliefs that they value and fight for. Of course, it's easier and more exciting to be a superstar but in the long run, heroes win!

Frodo