"Heroism is ever available, and in fact it is through ordinary experiences that the ordinary person can become extraordinary." --George Sheehan

In Western culture many of us have grown up with the idea of heroism as embodied in the lead characters in movies like Rambo, the James Bond series, Die Hard, Under Siege and Terminator. In this view of heroism the main theme is to achieve something through dominance and control, often at the expense of others. This view of heroism is not only pervasive in the movies we watch, but it is also continually reinforced in the workplace. Even the language we use in our work reflects our deeply held conquest mentality. We attack a problem, beat our competition, and make a killing in the market. Seeing heroism in this way can be limiting and misses the point of why humans have an urge to be heroic.

When we choose to experience our lives as a heroic journey, we realize that there are stages of change that are natural and necessary to the development of our character and consciousness. To fully live and work from the center of ourselves, we must cycle through all of the heroic stages. Even though there will be a different outer appearance for each person who undertakes a heroic journey, the stages required to get to the next level of wisdom are common to all of us.

During the most challenging and scary time in my life, when I was spinning out of control in every aspect: physically, mentally, psychologically and spiritually, I was blessed with a spiritual guide, Marion Moss Hubbard.

When she celebrated the New Year, ten year old Julia McLane did not yet realize that 2005 would be such a challenging year. She also didn't know that events were about to unfold that would give her an opportunity, at such a young age, to demonstrate the depth of her personal heroism, unselfish giving, and love for her family.