Americans like a good heroic story, but not every individual is up to saving the world, not in the defining moment sort of way that plays out in our favorite books and on the movie screen. Simon Sinek likes to say that we've over-indexed on rugged individualism and he's right. However, writing professors are also correct when they say each person is the hero of their own story. So, how do we reconcile the two?

Just because someone has agency doesn't mean they are destined to be silver screen superheroes.

Though I tend to write personal stories and share personal epiphanies, my writing is not about me. It's about the lesson I'm trying to exemplify, or the point I'm trying to make. What matters most are not the grand gestures that stroke our egos, but the collection of small, meaningful interactions that happen every day over a lifetime. The lessons lie in what's revealed in those moments.

Books and movies are great for exciting, over-the-top drama. It's why we love them. There are times when life calls us to do incredibly hard, brave things. But if we have not arrived at those hard times with vested emotional equity in our meaningful relationships, then what well will we draw from for support? Despite the rhetoric of the rugged individualist, no man is a rock unto himself. What have we been doing with our time? Tiny powerful and personal moments are the true building blocks of our existence.

It's the first spoken "I love you." It's sitting in silence as a friend discloses their truth. It's holding a child's hand during a frightening medical procedure. It's the joy of calling your mentor and sharing the success they foresaw for you. It's your parents' pride when you've persevered. It's your spouse's unwavering love and support on your darkest day. Strung together, all of these moments are what it means to live. It is in these moments that your presence underscores life's meaning for others.

You may not change the entire world, but your everyday actions will change the world for others individually. I'm not talking about random acts of kindness. Those are good, too; don't get me wrong. However, social media can make random kindness feel performative or disingenuous. Random moments are not building complex human connections over time.

I'm talking about emotional equity. Our investment in the lives that we choose to entangle with. From colleagues to clients, best friends and family, we must savor these foundational connections. Extend generosity — especially in your assumptions. If you can assign ill intent, you can also decide that others are doing the best they can and show up likewise. Take stock of your own behavior while extending grace to others.

In 2024, I hope more people can forsake the rugged individualism that's fostered on the big screen while choosing to be the quiet and steady hero for everyone who crosses their path. It's not a gun-toting cowboy that's going to save this world. No. It is the grassroots hero who will save the day in small ways every single day. I hope you will be part of this daily force.

Check out Bonnie's weekly YouTube videos at https://www.youtube.com/bonniejeanfeldkamp. To find out more about Bonnie Jean Feldkamp and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Beth Macdonald at Unsplash