Last Thursday, our club was treated to a truly memorable program from Farrell Middleton, who challenged each of us to examine where we are on the Bell Curve of Life. Farrell’s message was simple, honest, and incredibly timely: no matter where you stand — in your work, your relationships, your health, or your purpose — you still have the opportunity to move from a B or C-player to an A-player in any area of your life.

He reminded us that our life is not a status quo or even a decline unless we choose to make it one. Instead, it can be the most meaningful, most impactful, most service-driven phase we ever lived. Marcus Aurelius, writing nearly 2,000 years ago, wrote: “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”— Marcus Aurelius

Farrell’s challenge was to use that power intentionally. Improve your attitude. Sharpen your habits. Become someone people gravitate toward — not out of obligation, but out of admiration. He reminded us that most of us know people who, through pure self-improvement and discipline, have elevated every part of their lives. And we also know people who shrink from that work and become smaller as life gets bigger.

Let’s look at a powerful example of someone who moved from “average” to “impactful” through relentless self-improvement – Legendary painter and icon Bob Ross. If you don’t know who Bob Ross is then, google him. You know who he is……ha-ha! Before the hair, before the “happy little trees,” before he became a global cultural icon, Bob Ross was… a high-school dropout and a warehouse carpenter in Florida. Nothing about his early life suggested he would influence millions.

Everything changed when he enlisted in the Air Force. Ross eventually became a drill sergeant — known for yelling, not painting. But during long nights in Alaska, he began to teach himself to paint. He failed constantly. He improved gradually. He became obsessed not with talent — but with technique, discipline, and his attitude toward learning.

When he finally left the military, Ross made a quiet, powerful decision: He would never raise his voice again. He would make gentleness his brand. He would make encouragement his legacy. The rest is history. He went from a C-player craftsman, an average airman to a quiet soul who simply decided to improve. Bob Ross reinvented himself — and became one of the most influential artists in modern culture, teaching 400 plus million people how to see beauty in the world and in themselves.

So we ask ourselves-Where do we find that road map to reinvention and self-improvement?

The Four-Way Test: A Blueprint for Becoming Better

Rotary gives us one of the simplest, purest, and most actionable frameworks ever created: The Four-Way Test. When faced with decisions about our behavior, our relationships, and our personal growth, the Four-Way Test quietly asks:

Is it the truth?

Self-improvement begins with honest self-examination. The truth about where we’re excelling and where we’re falling short.

Is it fair to all concerned?

Are our actions lifting others? Or are we stuck in habits that unintentionally burden those around us?

Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

Becoming someone people gravitate toward is the natural result of choosing goodwill with intention.

Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

A person who grows — in patience, purpose, character, gratitude — benefits everyone in their orbit.

These four questions, when applied sincerely, nudge us toward Farrell’s call to become better, kinder, stronger versions of ourselves. As Robert Frost wrote, reminding us that growth is often a choice between the familiar and the brave: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”— Robert Frost. Self-improvement is the road less traveled. But it makes all the difference.

Our program last week arrived in the season of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah — a time that naturally turns our hearts toward gratitude. And gratitude, more than anything else, is the accelerant of self-improvement. Another quote from Marcus Aurelius: “When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive — to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” Gratitude lifts us from self-pity. Gratitude unlocks generosity. Gratitude pushes us toward service. It aligns perfectly with Rotary’s mission and our shared promise: Service Above Self.

Looking Ahead:

This coming Thursday, we welcome Governor Sonny Perdue, former Secretary of Agriculture and current Chancellor of the University System of Georgia. A leader who has himself walked multiple “second half” chapters and continues to serve with curiosity, conviction, and integrity.

It is fitting that he joins us now, as Farrell’s message still echoes: No matter where we are on the bell curve of life, we can still choose growth. We can still take the road less traveled. We can still use the Four-Way Test as our compass. We can still become someone people naturally gravitate toward.

If you have yet to sign up for our Christmas Holiday Party, please do so today. We are finalizing the list very soon. Thanks!

Sic Vos Non Vobis

Trummie Lee Patrick III