In today's environment we're constantly exposed to "superstars," particularly in the world of athletics, but also very frequently in the political arena. We see an athlete do his job, which might be to make a tackle, throw a block, catch a pass or make an exciting run. At the end of the play, the posturing athletes do borders on exhibitionism and certainly qualifies as strutting to the highest degree. They have that "in your face, hooray for me, look what I did, I'm the greatest" approach to life. For most of them that is their moment for glory, and for fear they'll never have another one, they want maximum mileage out of it. They might be superstars, but very few of them qualify as heroes.
Henry Kissinger expressed it unusually well in his book review of Churchill, and I quote: "Our age finds it difficult to come to grips with figures like Winston 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 inner values.
"The modern political leader rarely ventures to comment in public without having tested his views on focus groups, if indeed he does not derive them from a focus group. To a man like Churchill, the very concept of focus groups would have been unimaginable. Thus in the space of a generation, Churchill, the quintessential hero, has been transformed from the mythic to the nearly incomprehensible."
The Churchillian way is by far the most desirable one. I encourage you to take that approach and I really will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!
Zig Ziglar is known as America’s Motivator. He authored 36 books and produced numerous life-changing programs. He will be remembered as a man who lived out his faith daily.