I am the hero in my life – A statement made by Ravichandran Ashwin, an Indian  spinner, in a recent interview after his resignation / retirement from International Test Cricket.

Whoa!!! What a statement and one that has made me reflect on and on and on; and draw my own perspectives.

It needs immense strength and confidence in oneself to make this statement. An acceptance that a hero is not just made of strength but also made up of a whole host of emotions – those which are looked at as positive emotions and those not so. Our emotions are as real as we are and moderation is the key.

A hero is also one who takes whatever comes their way, in their stride. When things come our way, we have a choice in facing them headlong or subverting them and moving on; and being comfortable with that decision. Accepting that whatever decision that was taken, was out of choice; and that, that decision was the best that could have been taken in that context.

Stengths and limitations are the Yin and the Yang of us. If we can be proud of our strengths and accept them, so should we do, our limitations too. A limitation is one that may come in the way of our march forward. Well, either we could meet it headlong or we could subvert it and move on. The choice is ours isn’t it? Hmmmm!!! A hero is one who accepts their strengths as much as their limitations. A coin is never the same without two sides!!!

A hero is never one who looks at themselves as a villian. When do we look at ourselves as a villain – either for ourselves or for others? When we see many aspects of ourselves as flaws, which makes neither us move forward with ease nor do we feel is helping others to move forward? If we look at ourselves as a villain, who will look at us as a hero?

A hero doesn’t look at outcome as a success or failure. Every situation is an experience, from which there could be many a learning. Neither is life about growing horns nor is it about feeling down in the dumps. The hero that we are will find the best to take from every experience and move on!! Life is to be lived!!

When others look at us as a villain, what makes us mirror what they see? Why do we reflect the image that the others see of ourselves? We should be able to stand tall with squared shoulders and show the hero that we are. We are what we are!! We accept ourselves whether others do or don’t.

When we create a story of ourselves, we look at our character as what we wanted to be and not what we are!! In which case, we are always wanting and a ‘wannabe’ hero. We don’t see ourselves as the ‘now’ hero but in the hope that we someday may become a hero. Well, that someday can be today and that ‘wannabe’ hero can be a hero now!! It is our choice!!

A hero is made, not by others but by we ourselves. Others don’t make us a zero, we do the deed ourselves.

If we look at ourselves as a zero, who will look at us as a hero?

If we look at ourselves as a zero now, when will we look at us as a hero?

If not now, when???