You don’t have to believe in yourself to be a Hero

The title of this article is something I have known and believed in for a long time and I will like to buttress it for you with the following points:

*The Malian turned French

*Neo of the Matrix

*The Master Key for overcoming Stage Fright

So let’s begin with The Malian turned French. You may have heard the recent news of the 22-year-old Malian called Mamoudou Gassama who climbed a four storey building through the balcony to rescue a child who was hanging from the balcony. 

 

He said he saw the child in danger and he just decided to help. As he ran towards the building he didn’t exactly know what to do. All he knew was that he was going to help and the means and plans began to come out of him. He said "I didn't think about it. I climbed up and God helped me".

For his heroic act, he was not only commended by the President of France for his act of courage and made a French citizen, He was offered a Job in the Paris Fire Brigade.  

 Now let’s talk about Neo of the Matrix.

If you have watched the movie “Matrix” you will remember how that despite all that Morpheus had done and said, Neo Anderson didn’t believe that he was ‘the One”. But a time came when Morpheus risked his life for Neo and Morpheus was then captured and tortured terribly.

 

Do you know what the game changer was for Neo? He said to himself, "Morpheus’ life is in danger because he believes I am “the One”. I need to go and rescue him." Neo didn’t believe he was “the One” but just because he wanted to show love by helping to rescue Morpheus, he began doing things that he never knew or believed he could do.

  

He started dodging bullets and even pulled a helicopter with his bare hands. 

I know Neo is a movie character but the point is both Mamoudou and Neo did not have to believe in themselves or even have everything planned and worked out before carrying out the heroic acts that they carried out. All they did was they wanted to help. They believed they could help. They believed their help was needed and they gave it. In the process amazing things happened through them

 
I will like to end this piece by sharing with you what I call The Master Key for overcoming Stage Fright.

From experience I have discovered that one key to tension, anxiety and stage fright is when you are too focused on yourself and how you may look and sound. If you change you focus and tell yourself that what you are about to say or do is so important that if you do not do it someone’s life may be in danger, you will be amazed at how your stage fright and anxiety would dissolve into thin air. If you change your focus to how much what you are about to do or say will benefit those you are doing it for, a different kind of passion and energy will well up in you.

Like the title of this article says, I want to encourage you to focus less on believing in yourself and focus more on believing you can meet needs, solve problems, make impact and offer help to others. You will be amazed at how even depression would leave you and you will experience unbelievable things in your life.

Dare to be a hero

Dare to pursue your dreams

Seize that opportunity

Give that speech or talk

Carry out that assignment or project

Engage in Project R.A.K.E - Random Acts of Kindness Everyday

Dare to be all that you can be.

I believe in you.

I’ll leave you with these words from Optimus Prime in the movie “Transformers” as shown in the picture below