I've learned something from everyone I've ever met. But here are a few of the historical figures whom I consider to be my heroes:   

    - Abraham Lincoln        - The Dalai Lama
    - Dale Carnegie            - Henry David Thoreau
    - Frédéric Bastiat         - Ralph Waldo Emerson 
    - Martin Luther King      - Mahatma Gandhi

What makes these men my heroes? Abraham Lincoln suffered from a nervous condition, yet he overcame the inner discomfort consistently to rise above his condition and serve as one of the greatest leaders of all time. Dale Carnegie, the self-improvement master, taught that to conquer fear we must do what we're afraid to do over and over again. Frédéric Bastiat, the French theorist and political economist, understood the cost of pursuing high ideals, and he spoke his mind with every breath in his lungs. Martin Luther King saw only the insides of people, and he wanted his followers to look deeper into those who surrounded them. The Dalai Lama spends hours a day in meditation and contemplation; without taking quiet time to still the mind and examine life, we cannot make real progress. Henry David Thoreau found immense pleasure in a simple life and in the small things, like savoring each morsel of food and just being alone. Ralph Waldo Emerson understood faith: when we trust our Creator, we can rest assured that all is well. And Mahatma Gandhi instilled that we must always "be the change" and lead by our own example. When we practice what we preach, others will see the value in our words.

These are all steps towards peace.

What have you learned from your top 8 heroes? How are you implementing those lessons? When we change our daily actions to reflect the greatest lessons we've learned, we grow into the person we want so desperately to become.