This Sunday, we celebrate the 234th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Enjoy the scene wonderfully portrayed below in the HBO mini-series John Adams:
I am always looking for lessons on how to live my life, market my business, teach others, and grow as a human being… Watching the clip above, and then reflecting on what I saw, I drew these lessons from what the 4th of July means to me:
1. Follow your heart. If you believe in something, follow that dream. Without question, without doubt. There was great risk in fighting for independence, a lot of suffering as a result, and very poor odds of success. But our young American nation, and the men who lead her, persisted and held strong. When you have goals and dreams, follow your heart until you achieve it, without giving up. You can do this, because it is something you believe in…
2. Gird yourself against the doubters, the status quo. As seen in the clip above, not all colonies were fully on board the concept of independence. Hard to imagine NOT being supportive of independence back then, but you must realize the men in that room were considered treasonous and traitors for rebelling against the crown. Not surprising that many in the 13 colonies were opposed to this idea. But, there were leaders who believed strongly, men including Jefferson, Adams, Franklin (as seen in the video). And their unwillingness to keep to the status quo is why were are here today…
3. Encourage and participate in debate, but once resolved, support the cause. Many people think our politics is mean and nasty today. But they don’t even compare to the bitterness and vitriol of those times. What makes our nation great is our ability to engage in serious debate. But once a decision has been made, it is important to support the cause and help it succeed.
4. Make sure your goal is a clear one. Avoid complexity. It was clear what our cause was…independence. Nothing more, nothing less. The Revolutionary War was simply to earn our right to set our own nation’s course, to govern ourselves as we saw fit. Many people in their lives and in running their business, needlessly complicate things. Remember the clarity of our purpose back then, and apply that to your life today. But as we experienced then, simple isn’t easy. It is, in fact, hard. But success is rarely achieved without clarity of vision.
5. Put it in writing. The Declaration of Independence, the document, is one of the most important written documents in the history of mankind. Talk about a mission statement! The colonists could have waged the rebellion without such a document, but honestly, it wouldn’t have been the same. You and I have read all our lives about the importance of writing down your goals and dreams. This commits it to your heart and soul. It was important enough for this nation to commit our ideals and aspirations to paper…it is important for you in achieving your own life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness!
Happy Birthday U.S.A! And God bless America!