Greetings Rotarians, 

I am preparing to leave on Saturday for another working session (2 Weeks) in Chicago. I have been thinking about this past Rotary year and how the theme has been, “Be a Gift to the World”.  In a few more months we will be holding our annual Charter Night and will have an opportunity to look back on this year. In looking forward to that night I started thinking about our club and all of you. My thoughts are included below:
 
Do you know what your greatest gift to the world is? We all have so much to offer the world, if only we could see our own greatness. And yet, so many of us tend to hold ourselves back, in case we stand out too much. We don’t want our light to shine. But as Marianne Williamson said, "who are you not to let your light shine?" We all have greatness within us and the challenge most of us face is accepting and acknowledging that greatness.
 
Maybe not everyone has to become a Gandhi or a Mandela. Maybe it’s okay to just shine in our own world and make a difference in our own way, no matter how “small". If you have read The Alchemist by Paulo Coello, you will have read how the main character goes on an epic desert adventure, only to find that the treasure he has been seeking was in his home all along. In the same way, our greatness and ultimate happiness is within us and the clues are all around us. So ask yourself these questions:- What am I really, really good at? What’s my greatest gift to the world? Then, “Live your life in such a way that you make a difference to people whilst you sleep.” –Jaz Rasool
 
Ultimately when it comes down to it, your happiness comes from what you bring to the world and those around you. It’s not about the size of your house or the speed and engine capacity of your car. All that matters at the end of the day is what YOU bring to the world. 
 
What will it take to live my best life? What does living my “best” life mean to me? These are all life changing questions only you can answer. Take some time out and look within – you already have all the clues you need to find out just what your gift to the world is. Then go out and share your gifts with the world. And allow yourself to become the greatest gift to the world.
 
Thank you Rotarians for the gifts that each of you have been sharing this past year. It was great to gather together at our offsite on Wednesday evening and to have over 30 Club Members present. We all took time to enjoy each other and to celebrate Gordy’s being a new grandfather. This is what Rotary fellowship and community is all about. Many of you have taken time to reach out to Robin and to take things to her and to spend time visiting with her. This is another example of Rotary in action.
 
We have three months left in our Rotary year. I challenge each of you to make a decision this day to be a gift to someone and to do something for someone else. I look forward to hearing about each of your experiences and how you were a “Gift to the World”. All the best to everyone. The club for the next 2 weeks is in good hands with Mark and the board. I look forward to catching up with all of you when I return.
 
Cheers,
Dave Clements