{"id":108351,"date":"2023-07-13T12:23:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-13T16:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=108351"},"modified":"2026-01-22T13:59:04","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T17:59:04","slug":"how-to-become-a-hero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-become-a-hero\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Become a Hero in Real Life: Sharma’s 5 Principles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you admire heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman? Did you know you can also be a superhero?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Robin Sharma, a hero is an ordinary person who lives in an extraordinary way. You don\u2019t need to be a genius or have any exceptional talents to be a hero in Sharma\u2019s eyes\u2014you just need to fully commit to your purpose in life<\/a>, exhibit positive attributes, and try to make the world a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover how to become a hero, according to The Everyday Hero Manifesto<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Principle 1: Focus on the Tasks That Matter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Want to know how to be a hero? Robin Sharma’s first principle is to do work that matters. Stop just keeping yourself busy, and start doing meaningful, purposeful work. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharma notes that often, we equate \u201chaving a busy life\u201d with \u201cbeing productive.\u201d However, if your time is packed with busy work and distractions, rather than work that advances you toward your meaningful goals<\/a>, then you\u2019re not truly being productive. Further, you\u2019re not living up to your heroic potential. You must replace mindless distractions and less-impactful tasks with purposeful and rewarding work.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, imagine you currently spend an hour each workday in meetings that don\u2019t really require your attendance and an hour each evening scrolling social media<\/a>. To use that time more wisely and heroically, you might spend it developing your professional skills, creating art that holds significant meaning for you, or doing volunteer work for a cause you believe in. You might also spend time helping others\u2014we\u2019ll discuss the importance of this in detail later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What If You Can\u2019t Eliminate Less Impactful Tasks? <\/strong>

It may not be possible to eliminate all less-impactful tasks from your schedule and replace them with work that feels more meaningful and purposeful. For instance, in the workplace, you may have no choice but to complete tasks<\/a> that don\u2019t feel that meaningful to you\u2014if your boss mandates that they\u2019re part of your job, you have to do them (or risk censure). In this case, you might tell yourself that, while you can\u2019t eliminate all<\/em> meaningless work<\/a> from your schedule, you can<\/em> make a conscious effort to dedicate as much time as possible<\/em> to things that feel purposeful. Focus on eliminating the less-impactful activities that are<\/em> in your control\u2014for example, your social media usage.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Principle 2: Build Self-Confidence<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stop saying \u201cI can\u2019t,\u201d and start saying \u201cI can.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharma means this literally. The words you say affect your mindset, so every time you say \u201cI can\u2019t,\u201d you\u2019re weakening yourself, and every time you say \u201cI can,\u201d you\u2019re empowering yourself<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: It\u2019s not just the words you say<\/em> that can impact your mindset. According to some psychologists, the words you hear<\/em> can affect you too<\/a>\u2014and in turn, impact your performance at work and in social situations. For example, a study from 2020 showed that student athletes were happier and played better<\/a> in games where they were cheered on by a teacher, compared to games where they got no verbal encouragement. However, the opposite is also true: Hurtful words, such as bullying and insults, can lower your confidence and hinder your effectiveness at work.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To boost your confidence and get in the habit of using empowering words, Sharma suggests that you start each day with a simple mantra (a word or short phrase that focuses your thoughts). For example, before you get out of bed in the morning, you might say, \u201cToday I will be kind, enthusiastic, and productive.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also use words to guide your mind away from negative thoughts.<\/strong> For instance, if you notice self-defeating or belittling thoughts creeping in, say something like, \u201cLet\u2019s not think about that,\u201d or, \u201cThat\u2019s not who I am.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using Mantras for Mental Empowerment<\/a><\/strong>

Sharma implies that saying an empowering phrase just once will focus your thoughts and boost your confidence, but a mantra<\/a> is typically something you repeat over and over while meditating. A session of mantra-based meditation<\/a> (MBM) could last anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour<\/a>. Some research supports Sharma\u2019s claim that mantras can help you feel empowered and shut out negative thoughts. For instance, mantra-based meditation (MBM) can lead to significant improvements in your mental health<\/a>, reduce stress and anxiety, and help relieve symptoms of depression.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Principle 3: Take Responsibility<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stop making excuses<\/a>, and start taking responsibility. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharma says that your power comes from taking responsibility for everything in your life\u2014that it\u2019s up to you, and nobody else, to create the life you want<\/a>. Blaming other people or circumstances for your problems might soothe your ego<\/a>, but it will also trap you in a mindset of helplessness: <\/strong>You\u2019ll convince yourself that you\u2019re powerless and there\u2019s no point in trying to improve your situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, an aspiring author sometimes needs to submit a manuscript to dozens of different publishers before one of them accepts it; even then, the author might have to do numerous revisions before it\u2019s ready for publication. An author who takes responsibility for her own outcomes will do that and whatever else is necessary to get the book published. On the other hand, an aspiring author who doesn\u2019t take responsibility might soothe her ego by blaming a rejection or set of extensive revisions on the publisher, the industry, or anything else that makes it someone else\u2019s problem. She might decide that she simply can\u2019t succeed in these hostile conditions and give up on finding a publisher for her book. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responsibility Isn\u2019t Blame<\/strong>

There\u2019s a common misconception that taking responsibility (or accountability) is akin to saying that your problems are your own fault<\/a>. As a result, many people don\u2019t want <\/em>to take responsibility for their lives; it feels like admitting that they did something wrong. However, self-help expert Mark Manson (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck<\/em><\/a>) explains that there\u2019s a crucial difference between accepting responsibility<\/a> and accepting blame. Whatever problems you\u2019re facing might not be your fault<\/em>, but it\u2019s still your responsibility <\/em>to deal with them; you\u2019re the only one who can fix your problems. For example, if you had a traumatic childhood<\/a>, that\u2019s in no way your fault\u2014but you\u2019re still the one who has to heal from that trauma and learn how to live a happy, fulfilling life<\/a>.

Manson\u2019s tip for taking accountability is to recognize that you\u2019re always <\/em>making choices, no matter what situation you\u2019re in. Even when you feel completely powerless\u2014say, if you\u2019re stuck in a hospital or in prison\u2014you\u2019re still in control of your actions and your attitude, and by recognizing that, you\u2019re accepting responsibility to deal with your situation. You can still consider why you\u2019re in that situation, think about how it could help you, and decide to make the best of it. If you do the opposite and spend your time there sulking or robotically going along with what people tell you to do, that\u2019s also a choice you\u2019re making\u2014and you\u2019re not accepting responsibility to improve your situation.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Principle 4: Be Resilient<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stop getting discouraged, and start getting motivated. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharma says that an everyday hero finds inspiration in hardship and failure; every setback is a chance to learn<\/a> and a reason to improve. For example, if you were passed over for a promotion at work, that\u2019s an opportunity to ask your boss how you can become a better employee\u2014and to transform your disappointment into motivation to work harder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, stop brooding about events that left you feeling bitter or regretful. If there\u2019s a lesson to learn from those events, learn it, then let the memories go. Reflect on your joys and triumphs<\/strong>\u2014remember the great things you\u2019ve already done, so you\u2019ll know that you can overcome your current struggles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In this section, Sharma recommends letting go of hurtful memories by meditating on your successes. Practicing gratitude meditation<\/a> specifically is a great way to remind yourself of the great things you\u2019ve accomplished and come to terms with difficult or upsetting events. A key part of gratitude meditation is to practice feeling grateful for the things in your life that seem negative<\/a>, such as losing a job, in addition to your joys and triumphs. Through gratitude meditation, you\u2019ll often find that those seemingly-bad experiences were crucial in helping you learn valuable lessons or build mental and emotional resilience, thereby making you better able to handle future challenges.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Move Past Failure and Disappointment<\/strong>

The difference between someone who learns from failure and someone who unhelpfully broods on it is often ego\u2014an overblown sense of one\u2019s own importance or abilities. As Ryan Holiday explains in Ego Is the Enemy<\/em><\/a>, an egotistical person will often refuse to learn from failure because they take it personally\u2014they view failure and disappointment as direct personal attacks and therefore become defensive instead of responding rationally. 

For instance, if you fail a test, your ego might drive you to blame your teachers, the exam proctors, or the test itself, meaning that you\u2019ll see no reason to address your own shortcomings. However, if you\u2019re able to set aside your ego, you can then recognize where your own skills and knowledge fell short and work on fixing those shortcomings so that you\u2019ll pass the next test.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Principle 5: Live Selflessly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t just do great things; do great things <\/strong>for others.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharma says an everyday hero understands that helping others is the best way to enrich your own life and find true happiness<\/a>, satisfaction, and pride in who you are<\/a>. Therefore, make helping others your greatest passion<\/strong>\u2014in other words, use your heroic abilities to benefit others, not just yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This final principle goes directly against the common belief that there\u2019s not \u201cenough\u201d for everyone: enough money, enough resources, enough respect, and so on. People who hold this belief try to take whatever they can, at everyone else\u2019s expense, because they\u2019re afraid of not having enough resources for themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This selfishness is an ancient and deeply-rooted survival instinct<\/a>, but it\u2019s one that you can overcome through compassion and rational thinking. Sharma urges you to recognize that the world today<\/a> is very different from how it was for our ancestors; today, there <\/strong>is <\/em><\/strong>enough for everyone to survive and be happy. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Sharma is saying that humans have evolved to be selfish because our ancestors had <\/em>to be selfish in order to survive. However, some people disagree with this perspective. For instance, Richard Dawkins explains in The Selfish Gene<\/em><\/a> that animals (including humans) engage in both selfish and selfless behaviors to maximize their odds of survival. In other words, we\u2019re not <\/em>genetically programmed for pure selfishness; in fact, living in tribes where people could take care of each other was crucial to early humans\u2019 survival<\/a>. Furthermore, recent research suggests that there\u2019s no reason for people to selfishly fight over resources\u2014one study says that the Earth can support three times the current population<\/a> if we use its resources wisely.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Help Yourself by Working Hard for Others<\/strong>

Philosophers from many different schools of thought believe that making the world a better place<\/a> isn\u2019t just a moral duty, but also the best way to live a satisfying life. In other words, even from a selfish perspective, working hard and doing your best for others is worth the effort; by helping other people, you\u2019ll also make yourself happy.

In The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari<\/em><\/a>, Sharma himself offers one possible explanation for why that is: You\u2019re part of the world, not just an isolated individual living in it. Therefore, by improving the world around you, you\u2019re also improving yourself<\/a> and your circumstances.\u00a0

Further, Marcus Aurelius\u2019s Meditations<\/em><\/a>\u2014one of the definitive texts on Stoicism\u2014says that working for the common good is the only way to live a happy and fulfilling life. Aurelius\u2019s reasoning is that to feel fulfilled, you must have a consistent goal (what Sharma would call your purpose<\/a>) and spend your life working toward that goal. However, people are naturally inconsistent<\/em>; your personal desires and goals will change frequently. Therefore, any fulfilling goal must be selfless rather than oriented around your ever-changing personal preferences.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you admire heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman? Did you know you can also be a superhero? For Robin Sharma, a hero is an ordinary person who lives in an extraordinary way. You don\u2019t need to be a genius or have any exceptional talents to be a hero in Sharma\u2019s eyes\u2014you just need to fully commit to your purpose in life, exhibit positive attributes, and try to make the world a better place. Discover how to become a hero, according to The Everyday Hero Manifesto.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":88334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,43],"tags":[1100],"class_list":["post-108351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motivation","category-self-improvement","tag-the-everyday-hero-manifesto","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Become a Hero in Real Life: Sharma's 5 Principles - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Superheroes aren't just found in comics. You can find one in the mirror, too. 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