Standing up for those who can’t help themselves is isn’t as glamorous as it seems on the movie screen. Real life doesn’t work out as smoothly as Rambo or Rocky or Robin Hood.

Sometimes standing up for what you believe in means that you end up getting hurt.

Sometimes it means that you take the beating that was being directed at the person you’re trying to help up.

But kindness and valor and courage are qualities of champions.

You’ll learn valuable life lessons by reaching out and caring about somebody other than yourself. One of the most important character traits of ordinary people who achieve outrageous results is their giving mindset. They give first. They don’t begrudge the homeless person with a cup of coins in their hand, they purposely leave their house in the morning with a few extra coins to deliberately give to that person when they find them. They don’t laugh when other people get “what’s coming to them”, they learn valuable life lessons from the situation and then see what they can do to help.

For high performers, giving is a strategy. A smart strategy.

It’s not a strategy of leftovers and what you don’t need right now. It’s the singular belief that you were made to help out the person next to you. To encourage and inspire and motivate someone else. That’s why you were put on the face of this earth. To make a difference. And what greater difference can you make today than to stand up for someone else who can not do for themselves what needs to be done.

Borrowing their beat down is your path to greatness.

It’s not easy or fun or convenient at times, but giving propels you past your own selfish tendencies and keep you on the path towards where you want to be. Go give. Go grow. Go be amazing. Greatness is your obligation.