By Dr. Steve Smith, Pacers Founder and Team Doc
What is said about people of high standing is rarely consistent with their true character. Last weekend my son told me, “Never meet your heroes. It is better to leave them as heroes and to continue to believe in them.” I have found this often to be true, too. I’ll keep meeting them anyway, take the legendary parts and leave the flaws. I have flaws; I have been someone’s hero. I’m only human, so take the candy and leave the wrappers if you still want me to be a great example.
I have many heroes. One of the greatest was my mother. She looked quite ordinary to most people until one heard friends speak of her, felt her kindness, or ate one of her pies. She once told me, “It is better to reach for the moon and land on a star than to aim for the curb and land in the gutter.” And she led me to this belief: Live intensely, be competent, be bold in your pursuits, and know you cannot live an extraordinary life while being ordinary!
Maybe you had different motivations to start running, but I’m going to guess something in line with my mother’s thoughts is what keeps you running, then gets you to go father, faster. And it is the reason why we need to be with one another when we do it. We feel extraordinary when we do it.
Mom said, “You are the average of your friends.” Well my friends, we must have a pretty high average because I find all of you extraordinary.
If you are a mom, you are somebody’s hero. If you are extraordinary, it is probably because of your mom.
Happy Mother’s Day, incredible hero moms—we are what we are because of you!