Becoming Heroes and Overcoming Poverty

with Dr. Philip Zimbardo, world-renowned American psychologist, and professor

How to Be an Everyday Hero

How do you define heroism? You don’t need extraordinary superpowers—sacrificing time to help others, standing up for injustices, and defending the vulnerable are all heroic acts.

In this episode of Relentless Hope, Zimbardo shares how to be an everyday hero. Let’s learn how to stand in the face of fear and demonstrate what it truly means to be courageous.

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Words of Hope:

“Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.” 

― Theodore Roosevelt

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LIFE

In part 1 of Relentless Hope, Dr. Zimbardo talks about finding hope through prayer. He shares that he spent six months in a children’s hospital at age five for whooping cough and double pneumonia. While there, he prayed every morning to Jesus for strength and recovery. This experience made him realize he wanted to be a leader and impact people’s lives. Like Dr. Zimbardo, we have an opportunity each day to make right or wrong choices and be a hero that changes the world, even in small ways.

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LEADERSHIP

In part 2 of this series, Dr. Zimbardo shares how he strives to motivate individuals to become wise, strong, and influential with integrity and morals. Leaders are heroes. They rise above societal expectations and embody Christlike attributes. Through compassion and empathy, they use their influence to impact our world. Influential leaders display a moral conscience and courage to stand up for their beliefs. We can transform the world with compassion, empathy, and courage.

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LEGACY

In part 3 of the podcast, Dr. Philip Zimbardo expresses his desire to be remembered as an honest, humble, and self-made man who emerged from the challenges of illness and poverty. His famous book, “The Lucifer Effect,” explains how we can prevent good people from becoming evil and how anyone (including you!) can be a hero. Writing this book inspired him to start The Heroic Imagination Project, which trains ordinary people to do extraordinary things and not be passive in the face of evil.

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Scripture to reflect on: 

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

– Deuteronomy 31:6

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Closing prayer for Dr. Zimbardo’s story:

Dear Lord, sometimes I know what I should do, but I feel afraid. I worry about what other people will think of me or what will happen to me. Then I remember Jesus. He never hesitated to do what was right. Remove my fear and fill my heart with courage. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

What has God brought you through that made you stronger? We’d love to hear your testimony in the comments below!