Blog Post #8
Blog Post #7
I was recently invited to Snowbird, Utah to speak to a group of Sigma Chi undergrads from around the country. Each summer there are five sessions of the Horizons Leadership program featuring about 50 young men who applied for the right to attend.
The week long sessions feature character building, team building, personal reflection and many more “life lessons” that will hopefully help mold the leaders of tomorrow through their involvement with this very special fraternity.
It was an honor to be invited to speak to this group at their closing dinner session on Saturday evening. Although my talk included some reference to my personal life and how I became a Sigma Chi, the essence of my remarks revolved around community service and the need to “give back.” It is my deeply help belief that service to our fellow man is one of the most crucial elements of “why we are here.” It is one of the reasons I enjoy talking to groups like this as they mature and evolve hopefully they will “give back” and the cycle will continue for generations.
Today we live in an all-consuming “what’s in it for me now” society. It seems we have lost respect for each other and perhaps our technology today prevents common sense and respectful discourse between humans. No matter the cause, it was so refreshing to see these young men learning the art of positive interaction and teamwork with men who were previously strangers.
Giving back is more than dropping a few dollars in the collection plate on Sunday or making a donation to a charity. Serving our fellow man is about helping to make the world a better place. It can be something as simple as helping an elderly woman cross the street or volunteering to help feed the homeless in a shelter. There are many ways we can serve each other but it takes a recognition of the need to do it and a giving and altruistic approach to doing so.
It is my fondest hope that speaking to these young men was as inspirational to them as it was to me. My inspiration comes from the joy of watching these very special undergrads grow, mature and develop into tomorrow’s leaders. That is why I will continue to support the fraternity in addition to the other charity work that I do.
We should all strive to make the world a better place and there is no shortage of ways to do so. We need more kindness, more empathy and more love in our fast-paced and sometimes bruising society. What are you doing to help make the world, your state, your town a better place?