A New Year, a new week, a new day.
Newness always brings with it the positive energy of getting a new chance. A chance to do better, a chance to overcome the obstacles of the previous year, the previous week, even the previous day.
But by turning the page of a calendar are we really pressing a reset button to a better future?
The arrival of a new year will not magically solve problems, nor fulfil new ambitions. This is always in our hands and with it, how we cope with the expectations we set for ourselves and for others. It is in our power how we reach out to others to join our endeavours, to fulfil not only our own, but also other peoples’ expectations.
Nobody starts the year with a blank sheet in a new book. When turning the page, we cannot ignore the story told so far and, moreover, do not need to ignore it to do better or positively impact what we have set out to do now. At all stages in our life, we must deal with our past, with the expectations we set, and what we fulfilled or failed at. And there is only one way to take the best of what came before and successfully move forwards. It is not by immediately turning the page, it is by reading over the last pages, reflecting on them, and learning from them to move forwards with purpose and kindness to yourself and others.
Many Soroptimists are starting this year in a new role, with the change of presidents, and of boards in our Clubs and in Unions. With these changes come expectations. Those most successful in their new roles will not ignore the past, instead building on what predecessors achieved or tried to achieve, embracing change with respect for what came before.
We all know change is needed for the simple reason that the world is constantly changing. This does not mean that predecessors were wrong, it means that your reality today is different from theirs.
I invite you to embrace change and embrace raising expectations as we add another page to this fantastic book we are writing together.
Yours sincerely,
Carolien Demey
SIE President 2021-2023
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