What does the rebels' fight for #Independence tell us about what we are capable of doing today?
We give voice every July, extolling our founding fathers and mothers for their foresight and brilliance in fighting for our nation's #independence. Have you ever really stopped to think what that must have taken: a group of people, only loosely bound together by common frustrations toward their distant rulers, actually having the nerve and confidence to rise up and start to fight. Many among them must have considered it a dangerous, misguided folly, for if they had failed, the retribution might have been unimaginable.
Echoes from Yesterday Can Guide Us Today.
What made them think they could pull it off? How can a ragtag bunch with no real money or organization believe they can be victorious over the King's army? Somewhere back in history, their #parents taught them they could. Without knowing it, settlers from Georgia to Massachusetts reared their #children to not be afraid to speak up, to not hesitate to take action, and to not give up, even when all logic and Pennsylvania's unforgiving winter were stacked against them. Children of the #Revolution developed their gifts, shared their skills, and welcomed risks that lie ahead. Working together, they accomplished the miracle of #American #independence.
Independence Is a Deliberate Decision.
What does that long-ago fight for independence mean to all of us today? We celebrate what #freedom means for us as a society, but its example for our personal development looms just as large. To refuse to live in fear, to embrace action to bring about institutional change, to believe in one's ability to succeed, and to fiercely stare down obstacles put in one's way, are all personal characteristics that independent people, families and communities possess. They are not automatic, but grow when nurtured and challenged. #Independence is a deliberate decision and action that we choose to develop and employ. Thank you for a job very well done, Mr. and Mrs. Washington.
Content from this column was originally published in the Celebration News, July, 2017