Unexpected Heroes

Its been an eventful week. The "Miracle on the Hudson" happened and I found out later that day, that a great friend of mine, Dave Sanderson was the last man off the plane. He helped dozens of people get to safety. Interestingly enough, Dave was not supposed to be on that flight. He took an earlier one to get back to his family sooner. Here's what you need to know about Dave. He always puts others first, is always looking for ways to help and serve and has a very calm disposition in the face of fear or crises of any kind.

I've known him for over 10 years now and all I can say is, the passengers of that flight were fortunate to have an angel among them that day.

Here's a link to an interview with him. As you can imagine, the media found a hero. And yet, heroes live among us. I guarantee you that people you know have or will find themselves in positions that take them beyond what's expected of them and what they think they are capable of. Dave, I love you.

Second I spoke at The Inaugural Change Conference in Baltimore with an extraordinary soul and powerful speaker, Theo Androus. Here I want to acknowledge another unexpected hero, Carla Beaumont. She has a regular corporate job in the technology department and found a way to contribute at a higher level. She decided to host a conference and raise money for a charity, Sarahs House, that welcomes families (over 500 people) who have fallen on hard times.

Carla has never put on a conference, never raised money like this and simply emailed me at our site and asked if i would do this. When I accepted, she then went about doing the marketing, booking the venue, taking care of all the details. She raised several thousand dollars for the cause and I donated books for everyone. Now Carla doesn't see herself as a hero, but she really is, for people who may not even know her or her generosity of time and spirit. Thank you Carla. Sometimes, the reason you start off doing something, is not the real reason in the end. The benefits that come back to you are always compounded.

It doesn't take some massive undertaking to make a difference--just a decision and some follow through. What's a small, positive decision you could make that would affect a few people around you? Does something or someone you've noticed need some help?