Progress Not Perfection…New Regional President Judith Carder sets the tone for her Presidential year…
If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.Martin Luther King
My theme ‘Progress not Perfection’ is a very simple and true message. The goals we set must be achievable, but if we can focus on progress instead of perfection then we can motivate ourselves to keep going which gives us confidence to achieve even more. Reflecting on our progress can reinforce the belief that as Soroptimists we really do have the ability to make changes, even if they are only small ones.
In the words of Plato:
Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.
Sometimes we forget to look at and celebrate what we actually have achieved, which inspires confidence and an enthusiasm to do even more. Perfection should never be our goal because the outcome will always be failure. We can all try to set our standards high, but it doesn’t matter how slow our progress is, as long as we keep moving forward. When we accept nothing less than perfection, we actually do ourselves (as well as others) a disservice.
My main focus for the year will be centred around Modern Day Slavery. Several members took advantage of the free zoom training in July this year offered by Voice of Hope – a wonderful local charity which some clubs might choose to support.
Soroptimist International recognises that trafficking in persons is a heinous violation of fundamental human rights and must be strongly combatted. The consequences of human trafficking have a spill-over effect that touches every element of a society. The fact is that 71% of trafficked persons are women and girls. Covid-19 has made matters even worse, so our efforts to make essential progress in this area becomes all the more important.
My message to everyone this year is to keep moving forward with the word PROGRESS firmly in our minds. PROGRESS should be at the heart of everything we achieve within our clubs and as members of Midland Chase Region. As Soroptimists we really can continue to make a difference to the lives of women and girls.
Thank you for allowing me to become your Regional President for this year. Let’s work together for the remainder of 2021 and into 2022 to make as much PROGRESS as we possibly can through all the work we do as Soroptimists.