(Second of two parts)

THE MOVIE ?THIS IS IT? GIVES us a look behind the scenes of what should have been Michael Jackson?s swan song.

Aside from outstanding entertainment, the movie provides great lessons for all of us. Last week we discussed five of them: prepare well, be hands-on, attend to details, never stop learning, and learn from mistakes.

Here are five more lessons we can do well to take to heart.

Practice again and again

Near the end of ?Beat It,? Jackson performed a particularly strenuous routine?he jumped in four directions, lay down on the floor, kicked his heels up, beat his jacket around?all in a matter of seconds.

How someone his age could manage this and still have enough energy to belt out the words (without gasping for breath) was a feat in itself.

In fact, surrounded by world-class dancers half his age, Jackson proved to be even more flexible, supple and light on his feet than the young ones. His secret? Practice.

When Jackson felt that the timing of a single bar was off, he stopped in the middle of the routine to correct everyone.

?I will beat my jacket, kick it, beat it, then leave it, and let it burn,? Jackson said, and gave a certain cue.

?I got it,? said the director. ?You do not have to do it again.?

Of course, they did it again, and Jackson did the entire strenuous act once more, including getting down on the floor and kicking up his heels. This time around, things went perfectly.

Jackson was the consummate performer, and he was certainly one of the most hardworking. Most likely, his fans would still swoon and rave even if he made a couple of mistakes (which no one would probably spot), but Jackson did not want to cheat them. He was looking for perfection, which could only be attained by constant practice.

Jackson had talent, loads of it, but he honed his talent through diligence and persistence. And, oh yes, Jackson took breaks, but only for 10 minutes at a time.

Think of others

?It?s your time to shine,? Jackson generously told a female guitarist in the midst of ?Black and White,? urging her to aim for and hold the high notes. She tried doing so, and he repeated, ?It?s your time to shine. We?re here with you.?

No wonder this guitarist, famous in her own right, worshipped Jackson.

His kindness can further be seen in his riveting solo performance of ?Billie Jean,? which he did flawlessly, in front of his crew. True, this was only a rehearsal, but Jackson did not want to disappoint the back-up personnel who hollered and whistled at his every move. His rehearsals were concert-level. Whether it was for an audience of 50 or 50,000, Jackson gave his best.

At the end of his solo act, which had us in awe, Jackson modestly said, ?At least we get a feel of it.?

?It?s like church,? responded producer Kenny Ortega. ?The church of rock ?n roll. And I am a fan.?

Students should always do their best. They should do their best on mathematics problems, whether these are for their eyes only, or during an interscholastic competition. They should check their papers for syntax and clarity, whether these are to be read only by one teacher, or submitted to the Palanca Awards. They should give their best performance, whether it is only to be seen by their own group, or done on opening night.

As one poster puts it, ?Conscience is doing our best when only God is looking.?

Strive for excellence

Nothing was spared to put on the ultimate show. ?We got the best dancers in the world,? said the chief choreographer, ?and put them in a room.?

Selection was exacting, cut after cut was done, till finally, only the primary dancers were left on stage. (Not surprisingly, one was a Filipino.)

Technology was used to enhance the effects, such as a giant spider crawling up on stage during ?Thriller.? Technology was also utilized to drive home Jackson?s message, as for instance, when a huge bulldozer had the performer in its jaws at the end of the plaintive ?Earth Song,? Jackson?s paean to the environment.

Start with ourselves

Jackson urged his dancers, choreographers, singers and crew, ?Take the audience on a journey they have never traveled before. Show them talent that they have never seen before. Give your all.?

Change, said Jackson, started from the person staring back at us from the mirror.

Many students are idealistic, and want the world to be a better place. They complain a lot?about their schools, about the nation, about the environment. They have lost faith in the government, they do not trust the system, they want to leave the country.

But few take concrete action, and even fewer try to improve themselves. They do not try to develop their skills, they give up easily.

Jackson told us not to rely on other people to make things better. If we want the planet to survive, we should conserve fossil fuels. If we want good leaders, we should work for free and just elections. If we want to make society better, we have to start by improving ourselves.

In ?Man in the Mirror,? Jackson sang, ?If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and make that change.?

E-mail the author at blessbook@yahoo.com.