and most importantly my dreams - to get maybe even further than those telling me that I am limited, disabled, or even useless or crippled. This dream has had even more powerful fuel behind it - to help others not to struggle as I had to struggle and understand the awesomeness of life regardless its conditions. I feel that people have managed to learn that we all are interconnected and can help each other to overcome obstacles. I don’t believe in the existence of false hope, I am convinced that people are able to achieve anything in life if they keep being grateful for the obstacles and believe in their dreams. If someone feels disapproval, it’s like: “Don’t believe me, just watch!”
I had to learn not to care of what people think. I have always been grateful for everything in my life, having it clear that the physical change of being unable to walk did not make me disabled, but unique. As I was able to identify my goals and priorities, I won the scholarship to study in the United States, being selected from around 250 people. Since then, I have had a strong base to turn the impossible into possible. I disregard the limits and take risks, while being in love with my limitless choices and intuition. The sentence I first said when I was 12, has naturally transformed into a shorter and sharper abbreviation stick with your dreams, unconditionally! www.stickwithyourdreams.com
Photo: Archive
the ways to help people to find them. I also feel the need to make a change in healthcare division and instead of supporting big factories for health I wish to create something different, based on biopsychosocial approach and ultimate care, small, individualistic and awesome, helping people in various conditions not to give up their dreams. This is coming along with the foundation, How do you perceive the position of the Czech Republic? You are known for the optimist attitude but this is because finances should be the least obstacle in what The Czech Republic has still had a long way to learn to not a common trait characteristics for many Czechs. we need to live life to the fullest. My aim is to provide unlimited support when it comes to health. understand that we all are more alike than different, that Were you born with it or did you learn it? obstacles are here not to stop us but to help us to deserve Even as a small child I learned that crying over what we dream of and that instead of jealousy there is a spilled milk doesn’t help me at all. I have learned that I know that there were many individuals as well something called support and inspiration. From my own smile, on the other hand, is powerful and capable of as numerous institutions that provided help and experience, the majority of Czechs still perceive success changing sadness into happiness. When I fall and cry, assistance on your journey. Can you mention as something what is not right as well as something they it makes other people sad, whereas if I fall and laugh, those who supported you the most and how? will never have. Why than would they be successful if they it eliminates negative feelings and also change the way What other kinds of support would you need? And do not believe they will? Nevertheless, people tend to people perceive the situation. how do you perceive the NGO sector in the Czech lack understanding of what is behind the success, the Republic in general? long journey full of obstacles. They feel jealous for other The reason why you left to study psychology and I have been awarded a very unique bright green light people’s success. Combination of success and disability business to the US was your ultimate goal to establish from Bakala Foundation. This gave me confidence, firm is than even more harmful to these people. Harmful a foundation to help other people with different base and power to always go my own way. I am extremely instead of inspirational. I remember on my journey to learn physical abilities to reach their dreams and potential. grateful for this connection full of common inspiration, to walk I had to spent a lot of time in a hospital. Instead of How far you in establishing such an institution? wise advising and ultimate understanding. I have also support I often had to face jealousy. People were jealous Thanks to having an awesome chance to grow been very strongly connected with The Kellners Family that I can rest in a hospital, not considering the enormous academically, physically as well as personally I was able Foundation, Our Child Foundation, Deloitte, Kraft Foods, pain I was going through. They did not even consider that to understand something immeasurably important. If the Konto Bariéry, Výbor dobré vůle foundation and Rotary I would switch with them without hesitation. However, at disability is considered according to needs, then, we all Club Prague International, while steadily supporting each one point I have to agree with them. I personally believe are disabled in some ways. We all have specific needs. other.The whole life is about a connection and that is what people are just lucky to break their leg for example. It is We need food – somebody farms it for us. We need clean I need the most, to be able to reach to those who need simply because anything what gets into our lives with no water – somebody cleans it for us. We need a place to me. NGOs in the Czech Republic as well as many Czechs chance to turn it over is an awesome experience and we live – somebody builds it for us or at least provides us still hardly perceive my perspective of unlimited choices, have to make the best of it. Everything seemingly negative with necessary materials. We need a job – somebody which however results from gratefulness (from what we is an obstacle, a tool to really deserve what we wish for creates it for us. Or – we do this for somebody else. have achieved), belief (in what we wish to achieve) and and we need to be grateful for it. We all are different in having different needs as well as happiness (over every obstacle we are lucky enough to opportunities to fulfill needs of others – as much as we be getting across by hard work to deserve what we wish How does it happen that a boy originally from the are the same – we all need help and are able to help. To to achieve). town of Banska Bystrica determined to stick to his be concrete, we all are disabled of doing something and dreams ends up studying in the United States and we all need help of others, on the other hand, we all are Your final words to Leaders Magazine readers… walking instead being on wheelchair? able to do something and we all can help others. This is Ultimate happiness does not depend on external In the whole world there is nothing we would not essential for helping people to reach their full potential conditions. Please be happy for everything and stick with be able to achieve if we have courage enough to fight regardless of physical conditions. your dreams unconditionally. If you can, please spread my relentlessly all obstacles towards our dreams. Facing of I am currently working on establishing my own words in order to help to make the impossible possible. being considered abnormally crazy for this sentence, consulting company focused on unlimited choices and Final note from the author… Even though this young man still needs a lot of Linda Štucbartová graduated from the Institute of International Territorial support, when he was asked what kind of support he Studies. After a one year scholarship at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and needed, he did not mention the financial one first. He Jewish Studies, she obtained a Diplome d’études supérieures from the said that „the whole life is about connections and that is Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. Between the years what I need the most, to be able to reach to those who 2002 and 2006, she worked in senior positions at the Diplomatic Academy need to get to know me“. of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2006 she has functioned in the Please, reach Patrik at stickwithyourdreams@gmail.com. private sphere, and lectures at the Anglo-American University, where she was named the Chair of the Department of Diplomacy. In addition to Those of you interested in financial assistance, please training in negotiation and communication of clients from the private, visit Rotary Club Prague International website and under public and non-profit sector, she regularly collaborates with NGOs in the the title project Patrik you have the details how to make projects of the International Global Young Leaders Conference and the a donation or contact Linda Štucbartová, the author of Women and Leadership Programme. Linda Štucbartová is a member of the Rotary Club Prague the interview. International. She currently works for Atairu. Articles are extracts from her book Velvyslanci i bez diplomatického pasu (Eng. “Ambassadors without a Diplomatic Passport”). By Linda Štucbartová ■
TO BE CONTINUED WITH OTHER AMBASSADORS WITHOUT DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT
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