American actor, bodybuilder and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger:
There’s an old saying: “Never meet your characters.” I think this is one of the worst pieces of advice I have ever heard. Mikhail Gorbachev was one of my heroes and it was an honor and a joy for me to meet him. I was incredibly lucky to be able to call him a friend. We can all learn from his fantastic life.
Imagine that you rise to the very top of any organization, and then gain the wisdom and courage to look around and say, “What is happening is not working for people, someone has to fix it. If not me, then who? If not now, then when?”
Mikhail Gorbachev did just that in the Soviet Union. He will forever be remembered as the hero who brought down the communist system, despite what it meant to his own power. Now he belongs to history and I know he is overjoyed to be reunited with his dear Raisa, having re-lived one of the greatest love stories of all time.
When you see a chance to make an impact, to leave a better world for the next generation, I hope you will think about Gorbachev and ask yourself: “If not me, then who? If not now, then when?” I know I will.