Who Is Your Hero?

I’m hesitant to share this but I think it is important and hopefully helps someone else. I’ve been actively working to overcome comparison. I often compare myself to friends, family, mentors, podcasters, competitors and other leaders in the beef industry. It’s become toxic and hasn’t served me in a way that will allow me to make the impact I want to have. Enough is enough.

So, just like any other problem I searched for the solution at the root of the problem. What I found is that it is caused by many of things and for each person that will look different. Today, I want to talk about one, just one reason, we experience comparison.

That one reason is idolizing others. We find someone successful and make them our hero to a point where we forget their flaws and that we have our own story and impact to create. We try to be like the successful ones. If we are like them then we will be successful too, right? Actually, that’s wrong. Let’s take a step back and look at what true success and mentorship looks like. 

Success is a personal definition and do not let anyone tell you differently. To some, success may mean having a ranch that supports their whole family without another source of income while to others it may look like being able to live out multiple passions through ranching and another career off the ranch. Heck, it may even just mean making it back to the place once per year to help out when you can because you have other dreams to chase. Success in your life is not the same as success in someone else’s life. So, when you evaluate those you look up to remember that their story is not yours and you are in charge of determining what success looks like. 

Let’s chat about mentors. I firmly believe that mentors can change your life. I know mine have. Whether they are more formal mentors or just leaders who agree to let me pick their brains, they have changed my life in ways that I will forever be grateful for. How do they change my life? They inspire, empower and push me to create my life path and do MY own thing. I’ve gotten caught up in trying to be like them. I’ve tried to follow in their footsteps and do all the “right” things. Just. Like. Them. It’s usually not long after I do this that I fail and get knocked on my rear as a good reminder that mentors aren’t in our lives to copy. They are in our lives to push us to build our own paths, just like they did. 

If you get anything out of this message please let it be this. Your life was not created to compare to others. Define what success means to you and find a mentor that pushes you to build your own path. Stick to your guns and don’t fall into the copycat comparison trap. I’m fighting through it with you. Make YOU your hero.