In Search Of Heroes Spreads Good News About Everyday, Real-Life Heroes Who Deserve Recognition For Their Good Works

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: I always have an expression "if you don't let other people care, they won't". And you need to let other people care about you, and be a part of all the good things in your life, and you know, of course all the bad things in your life.

RALPH ZURANSKI: Do you readily forgive those who upset, offend, and oppose you?

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: Oh yeah. I really don't hold too many grudges. That unfortunately was a part of my past married life. I was, you know, married to a person that DID hold grudges, it was quite often that she would bring up things from 4 years prior, 5 years prior, very very suicidal for a relationship, and I've never been like that and I just... people make mistakes.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: Sometimes people have bad days. Sometimes people say things that they really don't mean. You know, if something is said that I feel could have been said in a different way, I'll always tell somebody, but I don't really hold too many grudges. I mean, life is too short and there's too many good things to happen to you and your future to hold other people back and hold yourself back simply because of maybe a comment or something was done that you didn't like.

RALPH ZURANSKI: Do you experience service to others as a source of joy?

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: Oh! Absolutely!

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: In fact, that's probably one thing that you've seen me do at the live seminar. It’s that I enjoy going around helping other people, and I don't need any recognition, I don't need any monetary compensation. Something that just happened at the past seminar: One of the attendees was having a problem getting some audio on the web, so rather than sit in the seminar room and learn how to do something, we were out in the hall with a laptop, actually doing it, and actually helping him experience not just joy but success.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: And that's what I base my whole business on. Watching other people to succeed. You do interviews, you like watching other people succeed. I do interviews. I love watching other people succeed, otherwise, you know, we'll just be interviewing ourselves! So, absolutely, when I interview people, I want to make sure that we put the spotlight on them. When I help people, I want to put the spotlight on them. And that's what it's all about- serving others.

RALPH ZURANSKI: What place does the power of prayer have in your life?

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: O! It has a very big meaning to me. I go to church. I don't want to suggest that somebody go to church 52 weeks a year, or zero weeks a year, but I go to church. I don't go as often as I would like to, because, like you, I'm gone a lot of weekends.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: However, I think that whether you go to church or not, you should have prayer in your life, and I think it should be very private thing which you never need to explain to others. Sometimes you like to pray with other people, sometimes you like to pray by yourself.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: Quite often, you know, I will talk to myself. That's prayer to me. I will talk to myself, I will talk to God, again everyone has their own way of doing it, but I think that if you keep things inside, you're going to little by little break down your body.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: I think that you need to get things out sometimes it's just a matter of getting others' suggestions, sometimes it's just a matter of praying in general, and sometimes you want to pray with a specific intent in mind. You want to talk to God or your Lord or whomever you speak to, and just kind of get it out. You know, I've been drawn to tears sometimes. Just simply by the things that I've said to God.

RALPH ZURANSKI: Do you maintain your sense of humor in the face of serious problems?

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: I think you know me by now! I think you know that I've got a good sense of humor about just about anything! I try to definitely laugh about everything. I am very self-effacing. People can laugh at me anytime, you know, I have friends who are constantly ripping me about, you know, silly little things, and those during the good times.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: Now, when bad times happen, yeah, absolutely. I mean, my mother has gone through cancer. My kids have gone through illnesses. I've been at the hospital because of surgery and you know, I constantly smile, and think of "no problem, when I get out of surgery, I'll going up and down the mountain or I'll be lifting weights in no time". So, absolutely, you've got to smile about just about everything in life.

RALPH ZURANSKI: Who are the heroes in your life?

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: Um. The biggest heroes in my life are my children, I can tell you that. They've been through an awful lot the last couple years watching their parents split up and you know, you say "how can a 8 year old and a 4 year old be heroes?" Well, these are- well, you know children just as well as I do.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: Kids generally tell you what's on their mind, kids just kind of roll with the punches. I am just amazed at how they've been able to have a sense of humor in the face of serious problems. I'm amazed every single day.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: If you're looking for adults who've been heroes in my life, Ralph, you're a hero in my life. I mean, you go around, all over the country, talking to people, taking pictures, and just giving people experiences. When people see the pictures of themselves on the web, when they hear the interviews, you know, you have a way of just squeezing every juice of inspiration out of somebody, and that's a very heroic thing!

RALPH ZURANSKI: Oh, well thank you!

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: Oh, you're welcome!

RALPH ZURANSKI: People realize I love them as people regardless of what's going on in their lives.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: You care!!! And that's the most important thing. You care about people! I hear the way you talk about your parents. And that is a very heroic thing. And sometimes people are afraid to look in the mirror and see themselves as being a hero.

RALPH ZURANSKI: MM Hmm.. (Agreement)

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: And I guess it's up to me to tell people that yes, Ralph Zuranski is a hero! Although, you are too modest to ever say that of yourself, of course!

RALPH ZURANSKI: Yeah. No, I could say that about Captain Biorhythm, my other alter ego,

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: True! (Laugh)

RALPH ZURANSKI: But I retired him! Once I lost my buffed out body now that I'm taking care of my parents and can't work out all the time any more!

So who are the heroes in society whom you don't think are getting the recognition that you think they deserve?

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: There's one gentleman that I had an opportunity to meet during the past summer, and I think you've met him as well. Are you familiar with Orrin Hudson?

RALPH ZURANSKI: Orrin? Sure, he one of my heroes. I did my Heroes Interview with him.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: Oh! Great! I didn't even know that. Orrin, he, for those listeners who are not familiar with Orrin Hudson, he actually teaches intercity youth how to play chess and he does this to relieve them of a lot of the problems and crimes that they are exposed to on a daily basis.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: I'm going, Wow, that's amazing, I mean, to get gang members, and disadvantaged children to play chess, to not only learn how to escape problems but to experience positive things in their lives. That's incredible! And you know what- all the teachers that are out there, maybe are making minimum teaching wages, and are teaching the kids, second graders, third graders, fourth graders,

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: I'm dating a third grade teacher right now, and she's an incredible hero to me. And I don't think she even knows it. But, she's changing the lives of children. I think that anybody pretty much changing the lives of the future of America, the children, they're absolutely heroes in my eyes.

RALPH ZURANSKI: Why are heroes so important in the lives of young people?

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: Because sometimes they can't look up to people who mean the most to them. Their parents, their grandparents. I know a lot of kids whose parents aren't very active in their lives.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: They don't watch their kids play Little League. They don't take their kids to recitals, and ice-skating lessons. And their grandparents maybe are no longer here, so sometimes kids need other people.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: People who don't really have necessarily a financial gain with this child, but someone who is all about the inspiration, somebody who is all about giving good ideas, somebody that you wouldn't expect to play a role. I think it's very important that there be mentors out there even for small kids.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: I mean, I've got mentors in my life and many of them are adults, but I know a lot of children out there who think that life's just passed them by, and kids out there who've been through some terrible things.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: They've been abused, they've been dealt a bad deck, you know, they've had autism or palsy. My brother's son is autistic, and I know it's obviously important for his father to be an important person in his life, but there's other people out there who've dealt through autism.

DJ DAVE BERNSTEIN: And they've succeeded, and it would be wonderful if I could hook my brother's son up with somebody with this experience with autism and has overcome that to experience success. So I just think that it makes life more worthwhile.