Thursday, January 08, 2009

Believe In Yourself To Make Dreams Real*

*Speech delivered by Megs S. Lunn, President, Rotary Club of Kalibo, RY 2008-2009 as guest speaker and inducting officer in the joint induction of the Supreme Student Council and Interact Club of Aklan National High School for Arts and Trades, October 6, 2008, ANHSAT School Ground, Andagao, Kalibo, Aklan.

Do you believe in yourself? Do you want me to share with you my dreams?

Before I do that, I want to tell you my short story as a student like you, long time ago.

When I was inducted as a student leader like you, I was very eager to do something. However, when I got no enough resources, I was limited on what I afforded. I believed the world’s problem was in my shoulder. Along the way, as I stepped in the world of bigger responsibility, I learned that change is not like instant noodles. It is like gourmet that has a process until I get the best taste out of it.

As a student, I was not lucky to have all the necessary things in the world, even a single book. But they said, if there’s a will, there’s a way. I learned the hard work while going to school. I did things for my classmates in exchange for lending me their books. I became a slave of my “barkadas” just for me to borrow their books and did my assignment. In high school, I was an Avon Lady. In college, I was a scholar and a student assistant at the same time. I worked as a tour guide outside of the school during my free time. I sacrificed in order to get the day over. I graduated with flying colors, but even my clothes and shoes were borrowed.

As club president of the prestigious international organization, it is the most stressful place on earth. Being the first woman Rotary club president before intelligent, successful and respectable Rotarians in the province of Aklan, is a position I have never dreamt of. I realized when I came across a passage in the bible that says: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”

This position my colleagues have entrusted on me, I offered to God. For I believed, God is working in a mysterious way. The ONE who promised is faithful.

If you can learn to believe in something simply because it matters to you, even when there are no promises or assurances that it will occur, and then act on what you believe, miracles occur.

MAKE DREAMS REAL! Our Rotary theme this Rotary Year 2008-2009 is for the world’s children. How can YOU make a difference?

Being inducted into office of a Youth International Organization is only the first step of your responsibility which your classmates who believed in you put you in that position because they know, you can make a difference.

How will you be able to contribute to make a difference? Join in our dreams for the world’s children. Support our LITERACY PROGRAM – your library is our library. I want you to use it, take good care of it as Interactors and student leaders. Be the steward of its importance. HOME READING PROGRAM for the day cares and elementary pupils – come, visit our adopted schools and read books for the children.

HEALTH LITERACY for our 286 adopted handicapped children. Come and play with gifted children and feel their presence. They too are God’s children. WATER FOR LIFE and FEEDING PROGRAM for our school based health and hunger program, come, help us feed the hungry.

I hope you know that your school is the luckiest one having received many matching grants in the history of our club. The latest is the $16,000 industrial equipments. The library was thru my advocacy in literacy that made it happen. It started with a birthday for a cause. I believed that when one gave something, one will gain more. Oh, not that I became richer in money, but I became richer in the love of friends and the respect of my community.
When we trust ourselves, we are more likely to take risks, and this is an essential quality for pursuing our dreams. Believe in your dreams that you can make a difference, so others will believe in you. Often, there is no evidence that your dream is a good idea. But when you believe in it and act on it, you can make it happen. Our beliefs are never neutral. They either move us forward or hold us back and we choose what we believe. We choose to MAKE DREAMS REAL.

To you, our to-morrow’s leaders, I believe in you that like me, YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Start within you, believe in yourself.

It is also powerful to share your dreams, which is the reason why I told you my dreams. What do I use to make it powerful? My faith, it is an act of faith that I act on my dream. You, tomorrow’s leaders, do you want to join me in my dreams?

Together, we can make a difference. Good morning! /MP

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