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.

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.

Obligatory SHRM Post

Did you hear about the riff between SHRM and HRCI?

I've been in the business long enough to know that there are two sides to every story. I am not connected enough to know what's happening behind the scenes (I want the dirt!) but from the front lines, both organizations look bad.

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I am SPHR certified and have been since 2003. I obtained certification to challenge my knowledge, strengthen my skills and build HR credibility after separating from the military with a background in maintenance, supply and ammunition. I maintained my certification over the years because that's what good HR professionals do.

My certification expires in August 2016 and even before this debacle hit center stage, I was debating whether or not to renew my certification.

My decision is made. My experience speaks for itself.

There are dedicated and innovative human resources leaders at the local, state and regional levels within SHRM organization and I am inspired by their commitment to making a difference. SHRM as an organization is not inspiring, nor are their senior leaders.

That's a shame.

I will follow along with my favorite SHRM-connected friends as this drama unfolds because I love the snark, sass and perspective. I will not be pursuing a competency-based certification from SHRM or renewing my knowledge-based one from HRCI either.

Now is the chance for HR professionals to stop the credit chase, engage in the profession and gain experiences that speak volumes more than a few letters after their name ever could.

What am I going to hang on the wall where my Senior Professional in Human Resources certificate is now?

Obligatory SHRM Post by Lisa Rosendahl first appeared on lisarosendahl.com.