OCT 14, 2014 ROTARY IN REVIEW:
Richard Leider, Life Reimagined

David Laird and Dennis Boom led the assembly in America the Beautiful; Carol Bufton provided thanks for our many blessings; Pam and John Chandler were thanked for serving as greeters; and Al Zdrazil facilitated introduction of two visitors from other Rotary Clubs, and one guest of a Rotarian.

President John announced that we are hosting the joint Minneapolis/St. Paul Rotary luncheon this program year – we will meet at the Doubletree on January 9 – and Minneapolis will have trouble topping us in 2016, as we have secured Rotary International President Gary Huang (from Taiwan) to speak!  (Put it on your calendar and bring guests and prospective members.)

John Chandler urged us to contact Sherry and sign up for a school to deliver dictionaries in the classrooms.  Dick Zehring promoted the District Foundation event on November 1.

New member Tom Marek was introduced by President John.  Tom is an attorney, and he lives and works in Minneapolis.  Mindee Kastelic introduced new member Jimmy Francis.  Jimmy is a corporate officer at Clean “n” Press, and is a transfer from the South Saint Paul Rotary.  He also proved he can do a Loon call!

 Jay Pfaender introduced our program; author and thought leader Richard Leider.  Richard spoke to our club 17 years ago, and since that time has had three national bestsellers.  Leider has been named one of the top five executive coaches in America, is featured often on many national media outlets, and he has spoken to more than 100,000 leaders from more than 50 different organizations.

His most recent book, “Life Reimagined”, hit the bestseller list in less than 30 days.  He focuses on the fact that each of us has choice – the ability to control our lives, and to change the course of our lives.  One in three people are in a life transition at any given moment, and are looking for guidance and direction.

This is exacerbated by the fact that 100 years ago, the average lifespan was less than 50 years.  Today, it is 50% more than that, so the opportunity to experience more life transitions, and opportunities for change, is significantly greater.  Society is and will also deal with this reality – as far more people are struggling with transition, or seeking change.  Retirement is being reimagined, as are health care and the concept of life purpose.

Leider calls them the three M’s – money, medicine, and meaning.

Leider’s organization, the Purpose Project, has to do with how people live in retirement, or how the answer the question, “what would you do differently if you did it all over again?”  Most people say they would be more reflective earlier in life.  Many say they would take more risks in their work or relationships.  At least 60% of our time is spent in work, and work-related relationships.  Many also say that they want to leave a deeper dent in the world when they are gone – to have had more of a lasting impact for those who follow.

Victor Frankl was a big influence for Leider.  Frankl’s book, “Man’s Search for Meaning” has been deemed to be one of the most influential books in history, and it was written in a space of nine days following Frankl’s survival of the Auschwitz concentration camp.  He, and Leider, believe that Choice is the last of the human freedoms to survive.  Life choices:  who to be and how to act.

How many of us fully exercise that freedom?

John Andrews, Scribe