Given the right tools and the proper determination, individuals can accomplish even the most seemingly impossible tasks.

“Give me a place to stand,” said one of the most legendary figures of classical antiquity, “and I will move the world.”

The men and women Bermuda celebrated on National Heroes Day moved the world — or at least our little corner of it. And so can we all.

We rightly stand in admiration of those individuals we honoured last Sunday. They were not only masters of their own fates and captains of their own souls but their courageous efforts helped to determine the fate of our Island.

With Sir Edward Richards and Gladys Morrell now inducted as heroes alongside Mary Prince, Dr EF Gordon, Sir Henry Tucker, Dame Lois Browne-Evans and Dr Pauulu Kamarakafego (Roosevelt Brown), Bermuda boasts a small but potent official pantheon of figures who shaped their own times as well as our own.

They all channelled their boldness, enterprise and sheer grit towards the common good rather than personal advantage. They all overcame seemingly unconquerable adversities through the exertions of inflexible will. And they all applied themselves tirelessly to furthering their ideals.

Given the scale of their achievements, given the polish and gloss which history provides, we might feel that whatever contributions we are capable of making would seem trivial and entirely inadequate by way of comparison.

After all, very few of us believe we have it within our power to determine the events of our times, to leave a mark on history. But each of us is certainly capable of influencing those events which fall within our immediate purviews. Each of us can have an impact, a positive impact, on the lives of those we come into contact with on a daily basis.

It is the sum total of all of these acts and interactions which will ultimately determine the history of the current generation of Bermudians.

A great American statesman — and an even greater champion of the human spirit — once said: “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

There are those among us who certainly qualify as everyday heroes, those who do not stand up for ideals or act to improve the lot of others for recognition or personal gain or advancement, but simply because these are the right things to do.

Spurred by altruism and conscience, the likes of Harold Minors exemplify the remarkable selflessness and sincerity which actually exists all around us in Bermuda — but which too frequently goes unremarked on.

Mr Minors retired last week after spending 40 years helping to guide the development of hundreds of young lives at The Centre (formerly the Pembroke Youth Centre).

The outgoing community outreach worker was feted by dozens of those whose lives he touched — and touched for the better — at a celebration at the Angle Street facility held on the eve of Bermuda’s National Heroes Day.

This event was the perfect curtain-raiser for the weekend’s festivities and gave Bermuda an opportunity to reflect on the many aspects of heroism and the many forms it comes in.

As Mr Minors said, The Centre has long provided an essential outlet for young people in the Pembroke community: “They need that kind of [organised] activity in their lives. We are trying to stop children getting involved in the wrong kind of stuff. You have to intervene early; if not, you can lose them to the streets.”

But youth programmes such as the ones run by The Centre are only as good as the adults who dedicate their time, enthusiasm and talents to them, individuals motivated by high aspirations and deep convictions such as Harold Minors.

He underscores the fact all of us can indeed move the world, even if it’s just by a little bit at a time.