Everyday heroes are all around us. They’re the ones who seal the cracks in a country with kindness, who rise to the occasion when no one else does, and the people make the world better by making someone else’s journey in it, easier.
South Africa (25 June, 2023) — Unlike superheroes, the everyday hero’s origin story doesn’t require a team of writers. Their powers don’t require mad scientists, quests or a multiverse mashup to be activated. Best of all? Anyone can choose everyday heroism to be their path. In fact, deciding to be an everyday hero is one of the few choices in life that’s completely in our hands — how empowering is that
So, how do we put on the capes that no one will ever see, and where do we start?
Here are 10 Ways to Be an Everyday Hero in South Africa
1. Become an Active Citizen
Being an active citizen, in short, means participating in your community from an informed and intentional place. If you see something that needs to be done to better your neighbourhood, school, or even municipality; learn about it and advocate for it!
This could mean mobilising community members to take action to better a space or several, tackling what needs to be done yourself (if possible), connecting with other agents of change, or simply raising awareness and coming up with a plan once you’ve done your homework.
Here are a few tips on becoming an active citizen in South Africa, as told by Good Things Guy!
2. Be a Cheerleader for Others
In times where we can’t actively pursue impact moments ourselves (like running a big marathon for others or funding a dream) we can always cheer the people that are, on.
The more people that see an impact moment, the more traction it gains, and the more possible the goal becomes. If you can’t do; cheer, share, repost and tell the stories of the people making change. Naming and faming helps more people learn about the initiatives!
3. Remember that a Little to You is a Lot to Someone Else
Many of us have been guilty of not sharing the little we might have to spare because we see its value as limited. To someone with less, your little means a lot. Keeping this in mind, be encouraged to spend and share your little wisely by contributing to organisations that collect all those ‘littles’ to become a lot more.
4. Find Your Passion Point and Treat It Like a Side Hustle
Consistency is the key ingredient for the best recipe—impact. If you’ve found a passion point or topic that makes you smile in its victorious moments, find out how to make more of those moments happen!
That could mean sharing some love with animals in need once a week, helping blossoming students learn to read for a few hours when you can, or adding beautifying missions to your weekend errands. It’s not about which you choose, but what you stick to.
5. Turn Your Hobbies into Helpful Moments
Transforming a hobby into a helpful moment is one of the most rewarding ways to give back with love. Bake, stay active, crochet, or thrift for a cause; it’s something you’d do anyway and this way, you get to make someone else’s day as well as your own.
6. Tackle One Mission at a Time
In South Africa, it can be overwhelming to get involved because there are so many causes and only one of you. Our advice for first-time everyday heroes is to pick one cause, charity, person or animal and focus on them. just like picking a passion point, narrowing down where your help goes can help you be more consistent and accountable in the long run.
7. Don’t Be Afraid to Unite Your Immediate Community
Connect with the people around you; whether that means co-workers, the neighbour who plays music too loudly upstairs or the person you like at your running club. Many hands make light work, but it usually takes one person to get the ball rolling. If there’s a big cause your heart is drawn toward but it looks like it needs a lot of people, don’t be afraid to unite your immediate community. Chances are, there’s someone else who was too afraid to take the initiative who’d love to help.
8. Stay Up-To-Date With Who Needs a Helping Hand
Good Things Guy’s Charity Lists are a wealth of knowledge that direct our readers to causes. Check out the charity’s social media to see where they need a helping hand if you have no idea where to start or head to pages like BackABuddy which shares tons of individual stories every day.
9. Leading By Example Has Never Been More Relevant
In the social media age, trend-setting happens and changes within seconds. If we harness that power for the good of greater society, there’s a lot of positive impact possible.
It might seem cringe to share the little things you’re doing to make a difference, but most of social media is pretty cringe anyway; so why not share to lead? Document that upcycling journey. Show people how beautiful the newly cleaned beach looks, and let people know about the organisations you’re supporting.
10. Wear Kindness Like Your Favourite Perfume
If you have nothing to give but kindness, it still counts. It only runs out if you let it, and there’s no such thing as too much.
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