Gratitude, Light, and Grit
As we enter this season of Thanksgiving and Diwali, we are reminded of the shared values that unite us across cultures and traditions — gratitude, renewal, compassion, and perseverance.
Thanksgiving invites us to pause and reflect on the abundance in our lives — the friendships, opportunities, and acts of service that give meaning to our work.
Diwali, the Festival of Lights, celebrates the triumph of hope over despair, light over darkness, and community over isolation.
Both remind us that kindness and empathy are the true currencies of human progress.
In our Rotary Action Group for Community Economic Development (RAGCED), these values come alive through action.
When we empower communities to build livelihoods, when we mentor entrepreneurs, or when we help rebuild economies after disaster, we are practicing empathy — not as sentiment, but as strategy.
We see the world through others’ eyes and respond with purpose.
Psychologist Angela Duckworth’s research on “grit” — the combination of passion and perseverance — reminds us that lasting change requires both heart and endurance.
RAGCED members embody this spirit every day. We know that transforming communities is not an act of charity, but a long journey of partnership, learning, and resilience.
This November, let us celebrate the light we each bring to the world — the light of gratitude, of empathy, and of grit.
Together, we can continue building economies that lift people, restore dignity, and create hope for generations to come.
In service,
Wally Gardiner
President (RY 2025-2027)