Hero Worship: A Day in the Life Sunday

Don't strive to be a hero and don't worship them either.

Believing that someone (other than yourself) will make it all better, fix everything and chase your problems away is foolish and disempowering. It is time for all the heroes to go home, as the poet William Stafford wrote. It's time for some intellectual stimulation.

Real people don't have lives that sell magazines. Turn the TV off, put your People magazine down, step away from the internet and go read a book.

Photo Credit: files.nyu.edu500 × 326Search by image Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection.

Photo Credit: files.nyu.edu500 × 326Search by image Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection.

I am not worshiping heroes (yeah!) but I am also not reading like I used to (boo!).

I'll be traveling in June for business and pleasure so I am seizing the opportunity to get more than a few books read. I asked what others were reading and here are some of the book suggestions I received:

  • The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
  • The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
  • The 100-Year-Old-Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
  • The Last Letter from Your Lover by JoJo Moyes
  • The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
  • Picture of Dorian Gray by S.P. Shearon
  • Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
  • Zelda by Nancy Milford
  • Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
  • The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

What ever happened to the book mobile? Remember when the three R's were reading, writing and arithmetic and not reduce, reuse and recycle? Those were the days of my youth, but I digress.

Be particular about who you let into your life. Know that you have a voice and are surrounded by people just like you who want to be useful to others and solve their own problems.

Be strong, yourself.

Mask and cape not required.

Words by Friends

It's Monday night and I realize I don't have a post ready for tomorrow. The thought of throwing one together to fill the space crossed my mind but I've been there before and it doesn't feel good after it's done.

iStockphoto

iStockphoto

Here's what I'd like to do instead. I'd like to take a few minutes to introduce you to other bloggers I turn to regularly:

  • If you are a supervisor and want to be better, you should be reading the Three Star Leadership Blog by Wally Bock.
  • If you are interested in women, leadership and the musings of a professional people-watcher, then The People Equation by Jennifer V. Miller is a blog for you.
  • When it comes to keeping priorities straight, Deirdre Honner, The HR Maven sets the standard for me, and is an HR pro to learn from.
  • Want to know what's on the mind of women (and men) in HR? Check out Women of HR for over 25 of the most inspiring and smart voices in the space.

Ok, you've got me. These are all friends of mine and I have a bunch more in my reader, Twitter feed, Facebook page and LinkedIn profile. I read to learn - and my reading is not limited to those I've eaten with - but reading a post by someone I know is like getting a letter from a friend. 

Friends, you know who you are, keep writing, keep speaking and keep bringing sanity to what can be a bit of an insane space. You are amazing.

Words are just words and they mean more when you know a the person behind them. Who's words resonate most with you?