I once saw a greeting card that said, “We need heroes because they draw us on to become better versions of ourselves.”

Heroes and heroines inspire us, but they aren’t perfect. They all have flaws. They get hungry and lonely, they need sleep, and make mistakes. Like all mortals they have weaknesses, and their performances are inconsistent. Their quirks keep them off the pedestal.

To the extent that we pick our heroes wisely, we grow in the direction of our aspirations and our vision.

Heroes and mentors are important because they model what to do and, sometimes more importantly, what to avoid. Mentors and heroes don’t need to be nationally known. Among my heroes are giants like William Wilberforce, Martin Luther King, and Abraham Lincoln. But there are more people you’ve never heard of who do good work and exhibit courage (physical, spiritual, or political).

My hunch is that having more heroes and heroines, mentors, and coaches increases the likelihood of living a deeper, more satisfying, and more impactful life. I suspect that people who don’t have heroes, mentors, or role models have a hard time becoming better versions of themselves.

Want to test the theory? Within the next week, ask two or three people that you admire who they admire. Ask a few angry, disillusioned, grumpy, lost, or unhappy people about their heroes.

Tell me what you discover. Your report will do us both a favor and we’ll both be better informed. I’ll appreciate your report.

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Terry Moore, CCIM, is the author of Building Legacy Wealth: How to Build Wealth and Live a Life Worth Imitating. Read his “Welcome to My Blog.”

Click here and find out how Terry and his team can help you make the most important financial decision of your next decade.