Mano Be Better istorija

The BEST "My Be Better story" 2010 (EN)

A young individual is a small but fast-growing country. He looks for his place in various markets, tries to boost his impact in different organizations and wants to be recognized world-wide.  Lech Walesa and Mahatma Gandhi displayed that to become a mature country it is vital to have a leader. Fortunately, I had a chance to meet  Hercules of our times.  To tell you the truth, he does not dress in leather nor does he bear a sword. Conversely, he goes in a grey casual suit with his arms wide open and with a frank smile through which you can see his open heart. He will never threaten you with his sword to be better.  You are simply astounded by the influence he has got by using his brain and tongue.  This is my ex- history teacher.

By showing that nothing good comes easy he awakened a knight in me ready to fight for my dreams and a better world. By topping straightly to my heart with his chalk sword he used to kill his enemies - ignorance, weakness, arrogance, lies. He used to repeat: everything has a black and a white side and we have to be critical of every notion we encounter. What is good about being critical? - You may ask. We are not discussing cynicism - I want to emphasize the importance of analytical and measured criticism. How many people live relying on the information heard from friends or read on the tabloids? There are plenty of them.  So what? -You may ask again. Well, the thing is, you cannot create a better world without knowing the way things really are. In the best case scenario, you can make a fool of yourself but people usually make bigger mistakes than spoiling their image. Do you know how many workers sent to clear the area after Chernobyl explosion knew about the danger? No one. It became apparent only when the majority of them became ill with various forms of cancers. The idea is: always question the facts.  The world becomes much safer and clearer without distortions and, at the first sight, innocent lies.

Another world-healing panacea my Hercules was carrying in his pockets was empathy.  If you are through some existential problems at the moment, I am listening.  If you do not know which direction to move, here is the tip. His permanent position was 'I am here for you'. How can you not admire this person and how can you not want to be at least a little bit of him? How could I? I was not strong enough to resist this lesson.  The most motivating thing is that we all can have the attitude of 'I am here for you'.  Can you see even the flowers blooming much brighter because of that?  

Sometimes simple respect cannot reflect all the appreciation that is streaming like vigorous springs inside. But seeking strongly for that indescribable goal secretly seeded in me during history lessons can. After those tiring hours of wandering in the boulevard of dark and uncertainty caused by one short comment of Hercules aiming to let you down on earth you find your feet finally touching the ground and going your way. But more than that, after learning great examples from history you assume that your life is no longer only yours. You have a mission in this world: to become one of the creative minority which leads the society to the Future. You must show people that the world around is a great place to live but we have to learn to be: responsible, critical, communicative, attentive, active, positive, respectful, engaged, conscious, motivated. We have to learn to juggle apples that grow in our garden before going out to look for more. And the most amazing thing for me concerning my Hercules is how he unconsciously instills in people that strong will to continue his mission. This is what I have not even started to learn. This is what makes him a Teacher from the capital letter.

While writing down the metrics can highly contribute to a country's cultural attractiveness, it is much more crucial to move towards its direct objectives. Thus, it is time for me to go regulate my policies with other mature countries and implement the new ones, which would change the world. Sounds trivial? I have already started. Remember the bright flowers? This means I learnt my lesson. Now it is your turn, my dear. Be better.

By Jūra Paulauskaitė