Service Above Self

I was reflecting on our motto "Service Above Self" and the Four Way Test as I was wondering if we, as a club, truly strive to make these ideals part of who we are, or if we just pay them lip-service.

I found this article published last Saturday in the Redlands Daily Facts by Jennifer Dobbs: http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/ci_13128894. I enjoyed the read and I enjoyed her comment that "Being a Rotarian is not for sissies".

We certainly have many members who do outstanding community service and contribute a lot of talent and treasure towards "doing good in the world." And many of them do it quietly and joyfully.

When I hear of someone who is upset because they didn't get the public recognition they thought they deserved, it concerns me. Is it Self Above Service or Service Above Self that is important to them? Being a Rotarian is not for sissies.

Service Above Self is an ideal. Something we need to continually strive for. Our human nature is to look out for #1. But something magical happens when Rotarians join together to Serve...It's the Service that becomes important, not the individual Self. I saw it first-hand on the Medical Mission in Nairobi last fall. Any Rotarian that truly engages in a project for service will feel this magic, and can't help but to reach the Service Above Self plateau.

As Jennifer Dobbs wrote, "Being a Rotarian is not for sissies. It costs money. There is hard work involved at times. And there is character required. Along with trying to live up to the motto of Service Above Self, there is also the Four-Way Test to live by. "

I had someone tell me that when you exercise, the pain you feel is the weakness leaving your body. What if we apply that concept to Rotary? Don't be a sissy... pump up your character, be a Rotarian and strive for Service Above Self. The pain you feel is the weakness leaving your soul!