“If we want to see PNG become a better place to stay for our next generation, we need to focus on the good side of the country.”
Thise are the words of Author and Motivational speaker, Glen Burua in an interview with PNG HAUSBUNG.
He strongly believes and has voiced that there is hope in making our country a better place despite the amount of negativity that social media emits.
“There are many people who are trying to make this country a better place with the little things that they do in life.”
“Focus on the good side, we cannot be complaining or blaming our way to success.”
“Ask yourself what you can do or contribute to the positive impact of our country.”
He said he believes that if a good number of people asked that question, PNG would be a better placed in the near future.
Taking action with what they can do in their area of talents or skills to change this country bit by bit and ignites that urge to change within.
“Whatever you’re good at, project it in a positive way and be different. It all starts with oneself. If you want to change the country, start with yourself. If you want to change the nation, be the change.”
The 26-year-old from a mixed parentage of East New Britain and Morobe Province, is also a Movie Producer who represented the country in the USA as a Film Maker, one of his films made it internationally and a motivational speaker who travels around schools in the country speaking to students.
He has written three books –two of which are out and one still in the process of publication.
His first book titled ‘Turn Adversity to Advantage’ was inspired by the painful journey that he had experienced and wrote the book to encourage especially young ones who he believes are going through similar things that he had gone through.
“It’s so sad nowadays that a lot of young people don’t overcome their challenges, they get stuck in their pain-it kind of makes them stuck in life and a lot of young people don’t progress and then they turn to crimes and all these as a means for survival, but I believe there is always a way out based from my experience.”
“I can’t be everywhere for everyone so writing the book was my way of sharing the message with other young people and it has so far inspired a lot of young people to conquer their own challenges.”
Burua mentioned that his second book, ‘You are not your grades’ book was inspired by a grade 7 student who shared his experience about how he was a poor student academically whose life and grades took a drastic turn after reading his first book ‘Turn Adversity to Advantage’.
“It changed him, and he started performing better and rose to the top of his class. He introduced the book to a few of his friends and they excelled in their grades as well. So, I decided to write a specific book on how our grades do not define us.”
“I know how it feels to be a dux and I also know how it feels to be a failing student. What is measured on our report card is not who we are -it’s who we were.”
“For example, the grade 8s, 10s and 12, are going to see their results after the exams and some will start crying over those results but what we need to realize is that we cannot be crying over a result of our past performances.”
“If you are not happy with your result, you need to tell yourself that what you are seeing now is who you were. You have the power to change your grades. You can be tomorrow what you do today.”
He added that his third book is in the process of publication and is a collective story of Papua New Guineans who were once failures in their past.
“I wanted to put the stories together into one book to inspire the younger generation and other Papua New Guineans as well.”
Meanwhile Burua is greatly appreciative of his publishers, Shane Baiva Publications that has helped him publish his first two books with a third in the works.
“I would like to take this time to thank my publisher. The publishers always do the hard yards they sacrifice a lot to make sure the book becomes what it is supposed to be.”
“All you have to do is write and your editor does all the work. I really appreciate Shane Baiva Publications.”