A few years ago, I returned to my impoverished village in Haiti. Many in the village came to see me—the tiny and diseased child they didn’t expect to make it. Some of them used to call me Souyen and kokobay—words that mean “crippled.” A man from the village, Alfred, reminded the people how they treated me. “Today” He said, “He returns as our village hero.”

I am sure you, too, may already be a village hero in your own way. In my case, it was the final result of personal responsibility, and a combination of strategies that prompted Alfred to call me a “Village Hero.” Let me share five of those strategies with you:

1. Practice Self-Discipline. 

Do you ever wonder why some have too much and others are barely surviving? 

The answer - discipline and self-sacrifice. Success, however you define it, is easy. But you gotta be consistent. My guess is there are a few things you could do to achieve more results in your life. Although you know what they are, you still neglect them. But listen: to be successful, you must do the uncomfortable now in order to be comfortable later.

2. Lift Up Others. 

Think of yourself as a pebble, and those you know as ponds. Give a little encouragement and you become a pebble in the pond. The ripples are endless. Someone you know is silently struggling and needs some uplifting words. It may be a minor detail to you, but to them, it’s a big boost. You can’t lift anyone up while lying on the ground. Say something nice and observe how you feel. Encouragement and feel-good words are FREE. Why not give them generously? Be a village hero, lift somebody up!

3. Be A Go-Getter & A Go-Giver. 

Maintain a balance. Take, but ask yourself, “What do I have to give?” Give a little encouragement, a little time, a little attention, and the gift of truly listening. When you can afford it, give a little money, too – maybe by dropping a quarter in that cup or sending flowers. Everyone has something to give. Avoid being called a user. Give a little and you shall receive a lot.

4. Take Responsibility. 

When we mess up, we need to fess up, fix it up and move on! Stop blaming! Some of us blame past circumstances for our failure. Big deal! My childhood was very depressing and the outlook dim, but I couldn't let that determine my future. Here’s what I read recently, “our background and circumstances may influence who we are, but we are responsible for what we become.”

5. Be Humble. 

Never be too big that you can’t identify with those in the lower rung of the ladder. We are all made of the same stuff regardless of our rank or position. It is said that you can always tell a big person by the way he or she treats little people. If there is a chip on your shoulder, send it to Silicon Valley. Remember, in God’s eyes, we are all the same. In the end, we will all leave this world without titles.

There you have it. Develop and strengthen those five attributes. The people in your village, be it from work or family, will begin to draw unto you. And soon, they will call you a “Village Hero.”

"One cannot live fully in mind without books and time to study them, without opportunity for travel and observation, or without intellectual companionship."
*-- Wallace D. Wattles

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