Kay:
Hey there Questers, and welcome back! Kind of a fun numerical sequence for you today so I’m just going to slow it down a little, because it is 11/11, (yes, November 11th!) and this is episode 223. So, you’re right, 11/11, 222 and it’s Veterans Day!
Shi:
So even though there are 5 digits, there are only 2 numbers – which is kind of fun for today. So today’s quote for you is one from a Disney movie and a Greek god. So, it’s pretty epic and it’s in alignment for Veteran’s Day here in the US and that quote is “A true hero isn’t by the size of his strength but by the strength of his heart.”
Kay:
Now, many people attribute this wonderful Disney quote to Hercules himself but it is actually said by Zeus in the movie Hercules (as Zeus is describing to his son the attributes of a hero), because the son says, “Well Dad I’m so strong I’ve done it look at me I’m a hero I’ve got muscles, I’ve defeated monsters..”
Shi:
“Can’t I come home?”
Kay:
“Can’t I come home? I’m a hero now!” And dad says, “No, no son it’s not about that physical appearance, or what you got going on the outside, or your accolades, or your achievement, it’s about that strength of your inner heart”.
Shi:
I mean this is such a good lesson but there’s 2 things that we have to address first. One is we love the movie, Hercules.
Kay:
It is so good.
Shi:
It’s an underrated Disney film for sure.
Kay:
The muses are some of the best narrators in a Disney film EVER.
Shi:
*(Sings)* You mean…Hercules!
It’s the best, that song is still on my running playlist. I love the music from this movie so that is the first thing they wanted to address. The second thing is of course that today is Veterans’ Day in the US and whether or not you believe in what the military does, one thing we can all agree on is that it takes a lot of heart and courage to step and serve in this way and today we honor those who have done that and live to tell about it. So if any of you are veterans or know veterans, thank you for your service.
Kay:
Thank you SO much! You know, we don’t underestimate what it takes to choose to spend time away from your family, spend time away from your country, in service of what is an ideal that many of us can get behind in our Declaration of Independence and our Bill of Rights. You know, “liberty and justice for all,” and we’ve seen time and time again our military step up to help not only American’s see that dream come through but the world at large. But many veterans that we have met have really been measured by the strength of their hearts and are just incredible people who have gotten stronger through their experiences in the military but had to have that strength of heart and bravery to even go forth in the first place.
Shi:
Well, I think that the word strength is a very intentional one here in this quote, you know. “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength,” that maybe what we first imagine when we think of a hero is that kind of physical strength. “But by the strength of his heart”. Not the size of his heart but the strength of his heart. And the only way that anything gets stronger is by going through stressful moments, by going through training, and by going through pushing just a little bit past that breaking point. And so the strongest hearts of all are the ones who have been through the hardest things.
Kay:
You know what’s interesting is that at the end of the movie Hercules proves that he is a hero and has a strong enough heart by jumping into a pit of death to save his true love. And he literally shoves his heart into an uncomfortable situation. He could have lost everything that he was hoping for, but he had to at least try. And that was the thing that allowed him to choose to not do bad and live on earth and be a demi-god instead, but it was really him charging intentionally into something he knew would hurt him in service of another person that showed the Gods that he had a hero’s heart!
Shi:
Right! So that’s strength training for the heart (of course, in the Greek mythology type way!), but it’s still a great lesson and I think that you know this heart hero ratio and understand it is a good one to keep in mind. So to remind you today’s quote is said by Zeus in the movie Hercules, “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of strength but by the strength of his heart”.
Kay:
So, today’s quest is a Hero Quest! Use your heart today to be a hero for someone else in some kind of way. This could be offering a happy meal to a homeless person or cooking your children and your husband their favorite dinner after a really tough day. Be it 11/11 or episode 222 we super appreciate you guys tuning in. Are you ready?
Kay and Shi:
Let’s quest!