nnn...Kiwanis is a Verb....1/9/17

"Kiwanis Is A Verb"...No.25

What Makes Kiwanians Tick, (Continued)

Self Esteem is next in importance. Most people who join modern-day Kiwanis don't have particular Self-Esteem concerns either. They seem to feel reasonably good about themselves./

Only Maslow's final need, Self Actualization, goes un- met in many Kiwanians lives. Not a simple concept, Self Actualization (or self-fulfillment) touches upon the things in our lives that make us distinctly human. In part, Self-Actualization is what drives artists to paint, musicians to play, theoretical scientists to ponder the nature of the universe, and authors to write. It is the need that, when met, makes us truly human - - the need that, when met, takes us outside of ourselves and allows us, among other things, to work to make our world a better place to live in.

Self-Actualization is what successful Kiwanis clubs offer their members. It is what Kiwanis offers us all in Young Children.. .. ..Priority One and Sponsored Clubs, and in countless other programs, Kiwanis offers us ways to change the world and actualize ourselves.

So when a fellow Kiwanian asks you to make a commitment to a service effort, don't ask How little can I get away with doing? (usually worded What is my share?) Ask instead How much can I do? If you think about it, What is my share? addresses only our need for Belonging. How much can I do? addresses our need for Self-Actualization. And the essence of our humanity is in the difference.