What It Truly Means to Be a Hero Today

When you hear the word hero, what comes to mind?

A caped figure soaring across the sky? A knight in shining armor? A person with a famous name and a headline-worthy act?

Those may be the popular images. But in my experience, both as a writer of stories and a seeker of real-life inspiration, true heroism looks quite different. And it’s much closer to home.

I’ve spent most of my life exploring the question: What does it mean to be a hero? It’s a theme at the heart of my books, from MERLIN: The Lost Years to The Hero’s Trail, and a question that inspired me to create the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes — an award that honors outstanding young people making a real difference in the world.

Through it all, I’ve discovered something quietly powerful: Real heroes aren’t mythical or unreachable. They’re all around us. And they remind us of the magic that lives in every human heart.

Heroism Begins with the Heart

To me, the essence of heroism is not strength or fame. It’s caring.

Every true hero I’ve ever known, whether fictional or real, has cared deeply about something bigger than themselves. That could be the natural world, a vulnerable person, a fragile community, or an idea worth defending.

They don’t act because they have to. They act because they choose to.

That’s one of the first things I tell readers when they ask me about the heroes in my books. Merlin, in his youth, is lost and unsure of who he’s meant to be. But through struggle and self-discovery, he finds purpose, not in his magic, but in his compassion. He learns that the truest kind of power is not what you can do with your hands, but what you hold in your heart.

A Lesson Learned

Let me share a personal story.

I was on a book tour, stopping in Ohio, several years ago. After my talk at a high school, I spoke with the usual gaggle of kids who wanted to talk about epic fantasy, heroes, and writing. But one young woman waited until everyone else had gone before she came up to say what was on her mind. And what she said changed me forever.

“Your books are fine,” she said, “but I know the truth about how life really works.”

Jokingly, I said, “Well, I’m in my forties and I have no clue how life really works.” But she didn’t crack a smile. Instead, she looked at me with a cynical expression and said:

“People like you write these stories about young people who do something amazing. They save the people they love — or maybe even their whole world. But the truth is…that only happens in fairytales. Not in real life.”

Then she looked me straight in the eye and said, “In real life, kids don’t matter. Kids just don’t mean squat.”

She turned and walked off. Which, in that moment, was probably for the best — because I didn’t have any words to say. I was just stunned by how defeated and hopeless she sounded. Yet I wondered, underneath, whether that was because she really wanted to matter — to make a difference somehow.

The whole rest of my book tour, I thought about that young woman. And asked myself what I could do to give her a sense of hope about her own possibilities…or even help her believe that she really does matter. And I realized that, for all the fictional heroes in my stories, they just aren’t strong enough to accomplish that. What that young woman (and so many more like her) really needed was to hear stories of real, live young people who had made a difference.

That’s when I made up my mind to delay writing my next novel — and instead, to start a prize that would turn the spotlight on real young people from diverse backgrounds who had faced enormous obstacles and still managed to triumph — and to make a difference. I named the prize after my mother, who was always a quiet hero in my life, and that began the journey of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes.

What Does It Mean to Be a Hero in Today’s World?

We live in an era that’s both extraordinary and uncertain. Climate change. Conflict. Inequality. And yet, also — a rising generation full of empathy, ideas, and incredible resilience.

So, what does it mean to be a hero today?

It means standing up when it’s easier to stay silent. It means choosing kindness, especially when it’s not convenient. It means looking around, seeing something that needs doing, and saying, “I can help.”

That’s the common thread I see in all of the young people honored by the Barron Prize. These are kids and teens who’ve created clean water systems, saved endangered species, championed mental health, and led campaigns against injustice. Some have started nonprofit organizations before they could even drive a car.

Their stories remind me that age doesn’t define a hero — heart does.

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage

I often think of heroism as a trail. A path anyone can walk, regardless of where they come from or what they’ve been through.

In my nonfiction book The Hero’s Trail, I share stories of young people — some famous, most not — who overcame incredible odds to make the world better. Their courage didn’t come from the absence of fear. It came from caring so deeply that they acted despite their fear.

That, to me, is the core of heroism. And the world needs more of it — now more than ever.

The Hero in All of Us

If there’s one message I hope my stories and my life’s work convey, it’s this: You don’t need magical powers to be a hero. You just need the courage to care…and the willingness to act on it.

Whether you’re planting a tree, speaking out for someone who’s been silenced, or lifting up a cause that needs a champion, you are answering the call of heroism.

You are stepping onto the hero’s trail.

And that trail? It’s open to everyone. No matter your age, your background, or your doubts.

A Call to Action

So, what does it mean to be a hero?

It means recognizing that even small acts can spark big change. It means embracing empathy, showing up with courage, and daring to believe that your voice matters.

It means choosing, again and again, to care.

I encourage you to reflect on your own journey and to look for the heroes around you. They’re often the quietest ones. The ones who work behind the scenes. The ones who don’t seek recognition, but leave the world better than they found it.

And who knows? As you walk your own path with courage and heart… you just might become someone else’s hero.