Be Your Own Hero

We have spent the last few weeks discussing heroes in our own lives and hidden heroes throughout history. Today, Cydni and Sher talk about the importance of being your own hero. Venture into the dragon’s cave with us as we explore the steps of the Hero’s Journey. You will likely find yourself in one of the 12 steps, or maybe even repeating steps 1 and 2 for years. Sher shares her family history of heroes during World War II, reminding us that our DNA is made up of amazing men and women who have gone before us. Cydni interrupts her inspiration with a lesser form of inspiration. We live in a world where you get to write your own story, a world where you can be your own villain or your own hero. Cydni and Sher encourage each and every one of us to recognize the divine DNA and inner power within us all. Today’s episode is “Be Your Own Hero,” and we are so glad you are here.

This Week's Challenge
Write down three sentences as if they were for your own eulogy. Write down three statements you hope people would use to describe you and the life you lived. Do those statements match the kind of life you are living now? Do you need to make any changes? Reflect on your sentences and your life, and make the necessary adjustments.

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Show Notes

Drip-Drip Drop, Words and  Music by  Matt Hoiland
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Transcript

Sher: 0:02

This is Cydni and I'm Sher, and each week we get together to share with you a message of hope it is through our own study and our personal experiences that we offer the reminder to not only seek the light but be the light, you can find peace and there is hope.

Cydni: 0:16

And as long as one of us is slightly caffeinated, there will be laughter Today's episode is Be your Own Hero.

Sher: 0:22

Pow, chika pow.

Cydni: 0:24

Pow, pow and we're so glad you're here.

Sher: 0:36

Okay, Cydni. So this last month, quite on accident, we had a focus for the entire month, which was service. It started with a tribute to my mom. I was thinking what my mom would love the most for her birthday is for us to serve each other.

Sher: 0:49

And then the second week, we talked about planting seeds. We talked about your teacher, glenna, who planted a seed in your heart and soul and how that inspired you and changed your life and how she was all about service. And we talked about other people who were all about doing good deeds in their life. And then last week, we talked about hidden heroes, just people that maybe aren't so famous but that did something extraordinary to help others. All three weeks definitely have something in common and it's just regular people that put others before self and went out and served other people.

Sher: 1:24

As we were talking about this next episode, we were thinking about how Jesus Christ, through the ultimate act of his service, through the atonement and sacrificing his own life, that he has made it possible for each one of us to choose to be our own hero in this life and the next. All of this can be done through the choices that you make, and this is how you can become your own hero in this life and the next. All of this can be done through the choices that you make, and this is how you can become your own hero.

Cydni: 1:49

And I have to say something about being your own hero and the choices that you make. This morning I heard oh from the other room, and it was Iana. That's never, good.

Cydni: 1:59

Especially with that one. And she tiptoed out to the kitchen and she said mom, could I talk to you? So we go and we sit on our bed and she shuts the door and she said I have something to show you. I made a little bit of a mistake. I was trying to do something by myself. I was like it's okay, what happened, and then pulled her hand from behind her back, opened up her hand and there was a massive wad of hair.

Sher: 2:24

What Hair? Her hair, Okay. I didn't see that coming. Dude me either. I was thinking all sorts of things but a hairball.

Cydni: 2:33

Not a hairball, a hair chunk. She had these little ties in her hair and she tried to cut it out by herself. This morning, no. She cut off the rubber band, but a ponytail with it. Oh my gosh, I know I was like listen, honey. Sometimes you do need to be your own hero. Sometimes you need to get in there and get done what needs to get done, but sometimes it's okay to let someone help you.

Sher: 2:55

Yes, that's true, and that is why we have our saviors, so we don't have to cut our own ponytail off.

Cydni: 3:00

That is right, which she did. But it was okay, it was fine. I said dude bro, because that's what she calls me, is dude bro. Nobody says bro to me more than my eight-year-old daughter. So I said, bro, hair grows back, it is no big deal.

Sher: 3:13

That example is perfect because we do all have choices. We have the choice to cut off our own ponytail or ask for help, and we need to know when it is appropriate to ask for help or just to go ahead and do it on our own. So we always have choices. President Russell M Nelson explains because of Jesus Christ's infinite atonement, our Heavenly Father's plan is a perfect plan.

Sher: 3:37

An understanding of God's fabulous plan takes the mystery out of life and the uncertainty of our future. It allows each of us to choose how we will live here on earth and where we will live forever. So, obviously, to be your own hero is a little bit more impactful than cutting off your own ponytail just a tad bit. But we get to choose how we want to live here and where we will live forever. President Nelson further explains here is the great news of God's plan the very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be. So if you're just trying the best, you can now just keep going. There's something so much better to look forward to.

Cydni: 4:23

I hope Me too, and if not, I will be so sad I didn't make different choices.

Sher: 4:27

if there's nothing left, Well, if there's nothing left, we won't know. We'll just be dead and we won't know. Okay, moving on, president Nielsen adds a little more. He says it is also dependent upon your obedience to his laws. That's the important part. He further says the key to all of this is to choose obedience. And this is what is so amazing is that our Heavenly Father allows us to choose to be obedient to Him, and this is made possible because of the atonement of our Savior, jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ has made it possible to return to live with him and our Heavenly Father. If we choose to be obedient, we can have a life more filled with joy on earth and a grand eternal reward in the next life. And this is how we can be our own hero. We can be our own hero through faith and obedience and we can have a life and eternity full of joy. Whenever I think about obedience, I can can have a life and eternity full of joy.

Cydni: 5:24

Whenever I think about obedience, I can't help but feel a little bit of a negative feeling.

Sher: 5:29

Do you ever it feels like you have to do something or else.

Cydni: 5:32

Right. It feels like it's taking away something from you. If you're obedient, that you want to just live however, you want to live and do whatever you want to do. And if someone tells you to be obedient to them, then suddenly it feels very unenticing. It doesn't sound fun. No, it doesn't sound fun, it sounds miserable. But I sometimes try to think of the word obedience with the word discipline, because that one makes a little bit more sense and in my head it makes me feel like I'm the one choosing to do something. And I love this quote about discipline. It says only the disciplined ones are free in life. If you aren't disciplined, you are a slave to your moods and you are a slave to your passion. That's a fact and I love that, because I'm a slave to my moods and so is my family.

Sher: 6:18

I think that is where the power came. I am your mother, I give and I take it away.

Cydni: 6:24

Yeah, the happy wife, happy life, happy mom, happy home. I don't know, it doesn't have to rhyme.

Sher: 6:29

No, it doesn't. This is your podcast. You can do whatever you want.

Cydni: 6:33

And poems don't always rhyme too. So there is that I support it. But I do think there is a law of discipline that if you want certain things, then I always think of the gym, because I go to the gym and I'm disciplined at the gym and then I'm not so disciplined that all the drive-thrus available within a mile of my home. So to me there's a law of discipline that if you want something, you have to make specific choices to get the end reward. And so I try to combine that with the law of obedience, that if you're obedient then you will get a specific award, and that helps me.

Sher: 7:07

I really love that when you were talking. What I try to do is I always try to think of control. I need to control myself so somebody else doesn't get to. Sometimes I control myself pretty well and sometimes I stink at it, but I try because I don't want other people or other things or addictions or whatever to control me. I want to be the one controlling myself.

Cydni: 7:27

I like that because it shows that we can be our own hero and we make choices that help us to live the most free. If any woman figured out how to be free from your moods, please let me know. Yeah, please let her know. It would help all of us. Wait, I thought you were relating to me, but you were cutting me down Careful.

Cydni: 7:45

It's a moody week, but you could also be your own villain too, because a hero comes in and helps you have the best case scenario, and a villain comes in and gives you the worst case scenario, and I think that's important to not be a villain In your own life, and it sounds a little funny.

Cydni: 8:01

But how often are we the villain of our own life? Too often we sabotage ourself Self-sabotagers. Don't be that. Don't be a villain, be a hero. There is a man named John Diaz, and this man was traveling for work in October of the year 2000, which is very, very long ago.

Sher: 8:19

I wasn't even born, then I don't even know that year the lies. Just move on. Just stop talking and move on.

Cydni: 8:28

Okay, okay, hashtag ageism Is that what we're doing? And John was heading home from Asia and he had several impressions and several signs to not get on this flight, but he wasn't spiritual at all, he didn't believe in God and he didn't believe in life after Earth and he wasn't spiritual at all. He didn't believe in God and he didn't believe in life after earth and he wasn't religious in any capacity. So these little nudges to not get on that flight meant absolutely nothing to him, which I will say I am religious and I am spiritual and I constantly also ignore very strong impressions. So no judgment.

Sher: 9:03

John, I'm glad you said that. I was just thinking the same thing. I was like, oh, I am religious and stink at that.

Cydni: 9:08

Right, god shows up and he's like do this. And you're like nope, we're going to talk about obedience, but nope, Words are more powerful than actions, right? Is that the?

Sher: 9:20

quote I think you might have it backwards, but if we're not judging, we'll just let it go for now.

Cydni: 9:23

It's like a rapper who's like oh this money, this cool car. Look at my girlfriend. But he's like broke in his grandpa's basement.

Sher: 9:30

That's probably most of them, words matter more.

Cydni: 9:32

OK, so John, he gets on this flight. The flight does not even take off before there's absolute chaos. The airplane turned the wrong direction and they crashed into a concrete wall and caught on fire.

Sher: 9:45

It turned the wrong direction, that's what one article said, that must be true. Nobody fact check.

Cydni: 9:50

Ever, and John said that he thinks one of the reasons he survived was that he was in the front of the airplane. Just the situation of what caught on fire was the back. They were all told at one time you have 12 seconds to get off this flight before it's over. He said that he got jerked back into his chair and when that happened he looked back and he saw a horrifying scene. There were people who were trapped in their seats. I'm trying to think of a way to not say that they were all on fire, but they were.

Sher: 10:22

Thank you for softening that. Not at all.

Cydni: 10:24

So he looked back and he saw something that really was really tragic happening, but they were Thank you for softening that Not at all. So he looked back and he saw something that really was really tragic happening, but there was a surreal and peaceful feeling through the whole entire plane and it kind of shook him. But more than that, above everyone's head he saw an aura. There was light leaving their bodies Some of the, and some were very dim. He said that moment his life changed. He knew there was life after death. He knew that we would continue and he knew the choices that he would make would either make his aura brighter or dimmer. He knew it was up to him, and him against himself, of the kind of life he would make, the kind of choices he would make that would make his aura brighter or dimmer, and it was a clear cut.

Cydni: 11:17

That person had a dark aura. That person had a bright aura and nobody else can influence us. They could try, but ultimately it is us against ourselves and it's us against our thoughts and how we feel about ourselves, how we feel about other people and the actions that we take. No matter the actions of others. It's up to our own personal actions that will help us to either have a bright aura or a dimmer aura.

Cydni: 11:43

He said that from there on he strived so hard in his life to have a bright aura when he would die and I did find a follow-up interview with him that he talked about what would come after and his life was chaotic. He almost died so many times and he had diseases and he currently has cancer and I thought it's really interesting because so many times we make a decision that we will change and that is when the pinata gets beat. And you're the pinata, correct? Yes, what I am saying is we are the pinata and there's a bat and it is beating us aggressively to help us pull out our brightest aura, the best candy.

Sher: 12:24

I have a comment and a question about that. When he said that he saw the light, did he see light in everyone? It was just brighter or dimmer, but there was always light.

Cydni: 12:34

He saw light in everybody.

Sher: 12:36

Some was bright, some was dim, I think, that is so beautiful because it shows that we really are God's children. There's a little bit of light in all of us. All of us have that little spark that God has put into our soul and it just depends on if we choose to make that light grow stronger and brighter by being obedient and aligning our life with Christ or not. But it's still there, we're still His.

Cydni: 13:02

I love that perspective and I also thought what was interesting is he never judged people with dimmer auras or lights. He only thought of what he needed to do. He didn't even have a second with that near-death experience. He did not have a moment to worry about other people's decisions, what other people believe, how other people conduct themselves. What he worried about was I need to make changes, I need to be better, I need to do things that will brighten my own countenance, and I thought that was really beautiful too.

Sher: 13:35

I really like that because that is so true, because God's the final judge and I'm just trying to hang on and I'm glad God is the final judge because I have no idea what's going on.

Cydni: 13:45

Right the analogy of being strapped into a burning airplane that is perfect for life.

Sher: 13:50

Great analogy, but actually that does get me back to the comment that I wanted to make is that, when you were talking about being a piñata, I often think about, whenever we talk about being obedient, how it should just lead to joy and everything's happy. But that's not what happened for John, and I always think of this scripture. It's in Ecclesiastes 9, verse 11. It says I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill. But time and chance happens to them all, and that is the truth.

Sher: 14:28

Sometimes you're just going to get kicked in the butt and that's all there is to it, or get hit in the face with a baseball bat because you're the piñata. Elder Neil A Anderson said, like the intense fire that transforms iron into still, as we remain faithful during the fiery trial of our faith, we are spiritually refined and strengthened. So, like it or not, trials and getting kicked in the butt helps us to become better people. Heroes are always getting kicked in the face. That's why they're a hero, is they get kicked in the face and they just keep going.

Cydni: 15:02

I loved everything you said and I like that. We keep saying that you get punched as a piñata because we're human piñatas, but sometimes it will be a bat to the throat. Has this happened to you?

Sher: 15:12

You act like this is a little bit sensitive. I speak from experience.

Cydni: 15:16

It's like quite literally happened All right. Did you know that there are 12 steps in a hero's journey? Are you aware of this?

Sher: 15:23

No, I am not aware of this.

Cydni: 15:24

Well, I'm going to tell you about these 12 steps today. And the hero's journey is basically the same outline we see over and, over and over in movies that involve heroes. There is a cycle, there's just a storyline. If you thought of your favorite hero movies, they kind of all have the same ups and downs and the person doesn't know who they are until they know who they are, and then it's tragic and then it's victory. Right the same storyline. So an author put together 12 steps of the hero's journey. I think you'll like the first one, the call to adventure.

Sher: 15:58

Yeah, let's go on an adventure.

Cydni: 16:01

If you didn't listen to that one, go back. It was an adventure. Number two the refusal of the call. At this stage, the hero may initially refuse the call to adventure, often due to fear, doubt or a sense of inadequacy. Three, meeting the mentor. The hero encounters a mentor or a guide or a companion who will provide support. Thanks, cher, that's you Me. Yeah, because we're podcasting. Oh, I'm not a mentor. I don't know what the crap I'm doing. Well, you're a bad mentor, but you're a mentor, thanks.

Sher: 16:32

I'm here for you all day, every day.

Cydni: 16:34

Thank you. We're on a journey, an adventure. Number four crossing the threshold. The hero leaves behind the known world and crosses the threshold into the unknown. Five test allies and enemies. The hero must navigate a series of tests, trials and challenges. Six the approach to the inmost cave. The hero approaches the innermost cave of the heart of the darkness, the ordeal. This is the moment of the hero's greatest challenge, where they face major obstacles or enemies and must overcome it to continue their journey. Eight the reward. The hero achieves a reward, often in the form of knowledge, insight or a powerful object. Nine you think that's the end. I thought that was the end, but it's not. There's more. Nine Something better than a reward. Well, I think this is important because we think we get there, and then that's when the throat punch comes.

Sher: 17:28

That's why I'm not looking forward to number nine.

Cydni: 17:30

The road back the hero begins the journey back, often encountering new challenges and obstacles along the way. 10, the resurrection the hero experiences a moment of death or and rebirth. The return the hero returns home transformed and changed by their experience, armed with knowledge and insight. And 12, the freedom to live the hero achieves a state of freedom and enlightenment, often living happily ever after, or at least in a state of balance and harmony during the next trials that will come.

Cydni: 18:03

I love these steps and the last few were my favorite because I thought also that you go through these challenges, you go into the innermost part of your soul and your pain and your traumas and you face them and you think it's going to be good.

Cydni: 18:16

But then there's oh, we're starting all over again, and I have seen that happen plenty of times in my life. So it felt nice to know I'm on the right track. I'm on the right one for this hero's journey. But I really liked the idea at the end of your journey, if you're really on the right track, once you gain your insights and wisdom and knowledge. Part of the journey, the essential step of the journey, is to share with other people and you do that in different ways, whether it's service or it's writing a book or just being more present in your family and your community, or teaching or podcasting but you give back. So I love so much that a real hero even though this feels very much us centered or me centered it's very much of you heal, you become better, you face your demons and then you give back, you reach back that hand and you lift somebody else up because you can say I have been through this, I know what it feels like and you're going to be okay and I love that.

Sher: 19:17

I do too, and it works at all ages of your life, because I'm thinking of the students that I taught.

Sher: 19:22

I mainly taught 13 to 15 year olds my entire teaching career and I saw students that have been through so much, that were constantly giving a hand up to their peers, to their younger siblings, because they had been through trials at a young age and were willing to reach out and help others. Now I know those kids are going to have more trials and more adventures and they're going to continue to grow, but with that planted in their heart at such a young age, they're going to be incredible adults because they're already in the habit of doing that. So, even though, just like you said, we we got to keep starting over, the adventure just keeps going. You conquer whatever the trial is and then you have another one come up and then you get to conquer that one, and it just keeps going. But with each one we have the opportunity to reach back and to serve and to love and to help others that are in similar or are going through trials themselves.

Cydni: 20:15

And this ties together with me for one of our seed planter episodes where simple acts can help other people Because when I was going through postpartum depression, I did not understand what I was going through, because I thought postpartum depression meant depressed only, and I wasn't sad, I was just like Hulk, angry, all of the time.

Cydni: 20:34

And that was not a normal feeling for me. I never thought postpartum depression meant you could be full of pure fiery rage. In that story I was more of the dragon than the hero. We're glad that that dragon was slayed, or is it?

Cydni: 20:48

Oh great. But there was a woman in a Facebook group who shared a post that changed my life. Her post was simple. It was I just had a baby and I feel so angry all the time. And then people said, oh, that's happened. Sometimes I had no idea, but her simple post of being open, being honest, being like hey, I'm struggling, meant everything to me. I don't remember her name, I don't remember the Facebook group, but I do remember a sudden feeling of of you're not alone, you are right that this isn't you and it's okay to seek some help, and I did after that, and I'm just really grateful that she reached out and helped others be lifted up.

Sher: 21:28

That is a perfect example of the power that we have of being a hero in our own life and then also extending that to others. That's a great example.

Cydni: 21:38

In the 12 steps. The end step is you're sharing with others, but we do along the way. I personally find it to be a lot more easy to say, hey, I went through a really hard thing but I got through it. That's easier than right now I am struggling. Right now I'm in a really difficult position. There's lots of bad things happening but I'm trying so hard to keep going. I think that's harder to admit and say, but I also find it to be very helpful to hear.

Sher: 22:05

While you were talking. One of the things that I thought about is I have a cute little nephew. He's 10 years old and he was just feeling a little, I guess, maybe insecure and doubtful and all those types of things, and I started talking to him about people that have overcome, but I was using examples in his own family. I use the example of my dad, his great grandfather, who had a really bad infection in his leg when he was the same age as my nephew. He almost lost his leg. Then they said he wouldn't be able to walk and he just was determined. And not only did he walk, but he played sports in high school and he lettered in football and wrestling and baseball and he was always just a go-getter.

Sher: 22:45

Then I talked about a few other relatives, but at this little event we were at, his great grandmother was there. She's not related to me, she's on the other side of the family and his great-grandmother, her family, hid Jews during World War II in Holland. They just lived a few blocks away from where Anne Frank was hiding. When I told him this, he had no clue. He didn't know about his great-grandpa and what my dad dealt with, and he didn't know about his grandparents on the other side of the family stepping up and hiding Jews, and his whole countenance lit up. He set up straighter, his shoulders went back and you could just see him glowing. And I said to him all of that is flowing in you and I touched his heart and I said it's right here in your heart, it's in your soul, that's you, that's who you have lifting you up. That's in your blood.

Cydni: 23:36

And I was thinking that your story is so beautiful and touching and my kids could only say that great granny hid illicit drugs under her boyfriend's pillowcase.

Sher: 23:44

But look how creative and adventurous you know what I'm saying. Look at the potential of being creative and getting away. Wait, did she get away with it? Yeah, very few people know. All right, we'll see there you go Until now. Be your own hero.

Cydni: 23:56

Thank you, Sydney. I said boyfriend to make it more promiscuous, not husband.

Sher: 24:00

Was it her boyfriend or her husband? I'm making this up as I saw his countenance change. I thought about whether we have those types of stories in our family line or not, whether you had the grandma that was helping hide Jews during World War II, or if you had the grandma that was hiding drugs under her pillow, it doesn't matter Illicit drugs, I apologize. It doesn't matter, because all of us are children of God. That's the most important thing and that's who we have flowing through our souls. We are the children of a God and there's a lot of power in that and there's a lot of potential for you to become a hero by following and being obedient to your father. I find a lot of comfort in that following and being obedient to your Father. I find a lot of comfort in that. For me personally, when I think I can't do things which happens often At least you know what my fallback plan is. Well, I'm a daughter of God, so I can do some things Maybe not well, but I can still do them. And as I was thinking about that, god has given us the opportunity to make our own choices and to choose obedience so that we can have a more joyful life in this life and throughout all eternity, and also a human pinata.

Sher: 25:14

I thought about this quote from President Monson. He said the difficulties which come to us present us with the real test of our ability to endure. A fundamental question remains to be answered by each of us Shall I falter or shall I finish? Some do falter as they find themselves unable to rise above their challenges. To finish involves enduring to the very end of life itself, and that's going back to the whole. Be your own hero. You can do it, but you have to endure to the very end, which seems so daunting. But with the help of our Savior Jesus Christ, we can do it. We have that potential there because, just like I was telling my nephew, we have that capability because we are God's children.

Cydni: 26:00

Since we're all on our own journey here, I'm going to get personal and share with you a part of my own personal hero's journey, because I think some people become a villain in their story, not because they're bad, but maybe because they don't believe that they're worth saving or capable of being saved.

Sher: 26:17

And I think that happens more than just being bad. You just don't believe in yourself.

Cydni: 26:22

And there's reasons too, yeah, and a lot of them can be very valid.

Sher: 26:26

And I think that we take turns sabotaging ourself throughout our life. We're hero, and then we're our villain, and then we go back to hero.

Cydni: 26:33

It's part of the journey. Yeah, from the villain rises the hero, something like that.

Sher: 26:37

That sounds good. That sounded good to me.

Cydni: 26:41

And so I think a lot of people don't go on a hero's journey because they just want to stay put. They build walls, they stay where they are. They lock a key, throw it away, just stay put, because they're tired of being hurt Cher is raising her hand. They're tired of being hurt. They're tired of people letting them down. They're tired of themselves letting themselves down. There's so many reasons that do feel very valid and I did go through this as well and one of the life-changing things that happened when I was reading through the 12 steps, I was laughing at some of them in a way that's like what should I do right now? Laugh or cry? And you're like I'm going to laugh in a way like that. But I think for a long time I feel like number one and two, where it's the call to an adventure. You feel it in your heart, and then number two, the refusal of the call. I think I started that over and over for about I don't know 30 or so years, but then also I thought it was interesting because you get through it and you get the reward, but then you go back again and I like that.

Cydni: 27:37

This is a thing that helps me to comprehend what I've gone through in my life. I had this experience when I was doing EMDR therapy, because my brain is very visual. When I did therapy, I had images appear in my head. Some people have voices in their head. I have pictures in my head. It's okay, I'm unmedicated, you're safe.

Cydni: 27:59

One time I had a really beautiful experience, though. I saw myself in my mind's eye as a little girl and I could see in the background in my mind's eye someone walking towards me. When I was expressing this to Deanna, she was like well, is this person that's coming towards you, there to help you or hurt you? I said this person is coming to help me and she said, okay, well, who is it? And I couldn't tell.

Cydni: 28:20

I could see myself as a child very clearly, but there was a fog in the background and a shadow walking closer to me and she would tell me be patient, let it unfold and see what takes place. So I saw the figure getting closer and closer and closer to me and it wasn't scary feeling. It was a positive feeling, but I couldn't tell who it was. So then I thought I bet it's Ben. Ben has been such a support in my life. He has helped me through the hardest times and he's always been there for me. But then I saw that it wasn't Ben. I saw myself as a child and myself as an adult. It was me that was coming to help myself. That is really cool.

Cydni: 28:58

It was amazing it was a very empowering moment, because up until then I was stuck in the. I'm not capable of helping myself. I am too broken. I'm not on the hero's journey, I'm on the hero's grave.

Sher: 29:09

I'm on the zero's grave. You are too stuck in being the victim rather than letting go of that.

Cydni: 29:16

Right, and I think it's really comfortable to remain a victim because you know what that feels like. But when you decide that you can be a hero, that changes things, because now you have action to take and you have a duty to make changes. And not only did I feel empowered and capable, I felt a responsibility that I'm not that little girl anymore in a situation that is out of my control. I am now an adult, I am in a different situation and there's a lot of control available to me. It's up to me and I have a duty and a responsibility to become my own hero.

Cydni: 29:50

At that moment, which is terrifying. And I think it's terrifying because of the responsibility that comes with it, because you're so used to getting the call and not answering it, because, like it says that you don't answer the call often because of fear, doubt or a sense of inadequacy. And to overcome that, there's so much because we feel those feelings that are so big for different reasons, and you have to face it. So, basically, that moment for me, that's where the hero approaches the innermost cave of the heart of darkness, often facing their greatest fears and their challenges. That was that for me. It was me going from nobody's going to ever help me to. You can help yourself. That's a crazy transition to make.

Sher: 30:34

yeah, that is that puts a lot of pressure on yourself, but here I am and good job doing laundry, taking care of carpool, making homemade slime.

Cydni: 30:42

I'm doing it. You are the hero of this story. Sydney cooking chicken well done, overly done. I do believe. Cooking chicken Well done, overly done no-transcript.

Sher: 31:15

You have what it takes within you already. You have worth and you have value and you are capable. Through the power of the atonement and obedience to our Savior Jesus Christ, you can become your own hero. Obedience leads to more freedom, more joy, more ability to endure to the end. We have the potential because we are God's children. Choose to be your own hero. You may falter, but you are not a victim.

Cydni: 31:42

So get up, dust yourself off and finish the race and part of the hero's journey requires you to look at your current story. Is the story that you're living the life that you want to live or do you want to change something? As the quote is said, you're not a tree. You can move. If you don't like where you're at in your own story and in your own journey, then you have to make a decision to make changes, to change your story and to then become the hero of your story.

Cydni: 32:11

President Nelson shares a talk titled With the End in Mind. He says if you were given the power to write down, for your funeral, your own eulogy and you could only write three sentences that described you as a person and described your life, what would those three sentences be? We challenge you to write down three sentences that you would want to describe the life that you lived and the person that you were. Reflect if that matches the direction you're heading in your story and if it doesn't, we challenge you to adjust, to move and act as a hero. This is our prayer from Sydney, ann Scher share Today's episode is Be your Own Hero.

Sher: 33:06

Pow, chika-pow, pow-pow. How was that?

Cydni: 33:08

That was good. Is that a hero? Noise, would you say, is be your own hero. Pow, chika-pow, pow-pow. How was that? That was good, is that? A hero, noise, would you say.

Sher: 33:14

Definitely a hero noise.

Cydni: 33:16

I think of, like Katy Perry Roar. You know that song. I forgot how it goes, but it comes to mind. Do I need to move that? Do you need me to take my mic outside and you just do this? You want me to wait in the car.

Sher: 33:26

It would be a lot easier, could you? Unplug your mic. We'll find out.

Cydni: 33:30

It was fire, you're fire, not to be confused with fired.

Sher: 33:33

Just so you know, during our podcast, Rudy likes to randomly get as close as possible to Sydney and reach out and touch her shoulder.

Cydni: 33:41

Rudy is a dog, not like a handyman. I never get attention like that from handymen. Let's see Choices. Yeah, let's see choices. Yeah, you tie that back together. Teacher, a student just went cray cray.

Sher: 33:54

Now what are you gonna do? How are you gonna bring it back?

Cydni: 33:55

allows us to shoot to try that again you could be a choo-choo train if you choose. All right, it's heavily, try to keep going. I do feel like I'm in middle school. I am blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, number four crossing the threshold, threshold, threshold, threshold, crossing the threshold. I can read what was that song? Reading Rainbow, I only got through the intro song. I never actually like paid attention. That's why I am where I am.

Sher: 34:25

What were you going to say?

Cydni: 34:27

Nothing. I just thought if I smiled it would bring positive energy into the room. Break me out. I was just like I'm an active listener. No, that was like creepy. I'll go back to ignoring you.

Sher: 34:39

Okay, good, that's more your style, the creepy smile.

Cydni: 34:42

I was like maybe if I smile it will bring up the like a student smiling at their teacher. But they never did that. No, they just have their claws.

Speaker 3: 34:49

I'll double flip you off behind, yeah double flip me off and have your claws out, and I'm gonna mess with your eyelashes the whole time.

Sher: 34:56

Okay, doing it. My throat is gurgling.

Cydni: 34:58

Can you hear it? I thought that was rudy snoring no, that was my throat gurgling have a good week.