Everyone ends up finding their idols, their heroes. They push us to do better, to be better. And while movies tell us that most of the heroes are men, they are not the ones that truly inspire me. Women are the ones who continuously show how to reinvent themselves, how to beat adversity, and how to stay strong and kind in this harsh world. They are my teachers, and they are my strength. They are the ones who challenge my worldview and constantly push my buttons knowingly or unknowingly. Seeing them succeed or at least go for their dreams shows or rather inspires me that I can do it, too. It helps me to believe that I don’t have to be extra [insert any verb] or that I should have been doing it for years to be able to take on [insert any challenge]. Without relatable stories, it might have taken even more years to venture out, be brave, and go for it.
And I realized that I have been collecting my heroes, their stories and building my life inspired by them. Some of them are big and fascinating names that are changing the world and breaking the rules. Others might be a bit more local, known to only a few people but equally important for me.
Great-grandma who gave me strength and kindness
There is a great-grandmother of mine who survived so much through her 90+ years. She lived through two independent Lithuanians, and spoke three languages even if she finished only four grades – she taught herself that from the ruins of the war (quite literally that one). She is my hero because she taught me persistence, authenticity, and, most importantly, kindness.
She taught me to never give up, commit with all my heart, and fight for myself every step of the way. She wouldn’t take any bullshit and was fearless. And yet, she carried herself with grace and kindness. She taught me the humanity and love for others no matter what. She taught me respect for others, for nature, for myself. She pushed me to be me and be brave while doing it. She was the one who stood up for me and protected me while teaching the skills and passing on the tools to fight for myself by myself.
Kate Rawles who unlocked the world of female adventurers
I love reading and I read without any discrimination. I pick books randomly and sometimes they completely change my world. I picked up Kate Rawles’s book on her adventures and observations while traveling on the bamboo bike through South America (I wrote a post about how freaking amazing that book was) and it gave me so much.
It made me rethink my relationship with nature and pushed me to explore climate writing and stories further. At the same time – and this is why she is on the list, – she showed me that it is never too late to go on adventure and anyone can and should do it. She also changed my view and piqued my curiosity about female adventurers. I was extremely stupid and naive and assumed that only men write and go adventurers. Guess what? There are so many badass women. Because of K. Rawles, I discovered a few of them, and I went into a new rabbit hole. And later this year I am actually cycling 300km to get to an island and, hopefully, kickstart my adventurer journey.
A friend teaching me the zest of life
I was so lucky to meet a lady who simply encompasses the love of life. She has so much energy, so much warmth, so much curiosity. She has been walking the Earth’s surface twice longer than I did and yet she never lost the energy and love for being alive. Don’t get me wrong, her life is not all roses and unicorns and despite that, despite the continuous push to reinvent herself, she takes on every challenge with the grace that I have never seen before. She has so much heart and kindness that every room she enters lights up. She is continuously teaching me what aging with grace means and that it is only in our minds the barriers and blockers that “I am too old for this”. I feel so fortunate and grateful to be a part of her journey through life. My only hope is that I will be there as long as possible and I will not only observe but also support her flourishing. Because she deserves that. The world needs more people like her. If you ever read this, thank you and I love you from the bottom of my heart.
The world-class marketeer showing what it means to believe in oneself
I discovered Bozoma Saint John a bit by accident and through another wonderful woman. There used to be a podcast hosted by Rebecca Jarvis that shed light on some brilliant female leaders in their respective fields. I listened to Bozoma’s story then and had been following her sporadically. And she is such an inspiration to me.
Aside from setting strategies and reinventing some of the most famous brands (she worked as CMO at Uber, Netflix, Apple, and more), she has built her success literally from nothing. She could have hidden in the pain, struggle, and loss, and yet Bozoma Saint John knows her worth and never settles for less than she is worth. I love that she trusts herself and her inner direction/calling. I can only hope that eventually, I will reach a point where I am at least half as confident or rather secure in myself and brave enough to stay me no matter the circumstances. And. Very important for my inner bookworm. She released a book! I can’t wait to read that one as well.
There are many more wonderful, inspiring women but one needs to finish somewhere. Maybe one day I will write one more because it is important not only to find one’s heroes but also to share stories about them. Who knows, maybe they will inspire someone else? I am grateful for them and the lessons they are teaching me. And I can only hope that one day I will be someone’s hero. For me, that would mean I had a life well lived. A life worth repeating.
But. For anyone reading – who are your heroes?
Life in Analog 