As this Independence Day Weekend draws to a close, let us pause and give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy as free men and women in a land of freedom.
- In a world where other countries may celebrate their birth with parades that feature weapons and armies to show the citizenry their might, their power, and their ability to suppress all opposition, we live in a nation where families gather at picnics and barbecues; in parks and on beaches; or, in backyards.
- In a world where citizens in other countries must obtain permission from their rulers to travel from one place to another (if they are permitted to travel at all), we live in a nation where we come and go as we please, travel from one state to another when we choose and by whatever mode of transportation we elect.
- In a world where the authorities choose a person’s lifetime vocation and determine the education that he or she will be allowed to have, we are free to choose where we go to school, for how many years we will attend, what we will study, and the career we will pursue that allows us to put that education to its best possible use.
- In a world where many are forced to work for a specific employer, we are free to choose for whom we will work … even to choose to start our own businesses and succeed or fail by our own efforts. When we succeed, we are free to enjoy the fruits of our labors; and, when we fail, we are not forever branded as a failure but rather we are free to rise up and begin again, learning from the experience.
In a world where people are willing to risk their lives for a chance to live as we do, crossing oceans on questionable rafts and hiking through deserts where they risk dying of hunger, thirst, and heat exhaustion, let us never take for granted the liberties we enjoy. Take time today, and always, to give thanks and to vow to do whatever it takes to protect these liberties; to contribute to the nation that makes it all possible in the spirit of serving others rather than being takers. As President Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
Tom Hoisington is a speaker, trainer, and author whose goal is to provide leaders and potential leaders with tools that empower them to build teams that are creative and cost effective along with a clearer understanding of how personality types interact within those teams. He can be contacted at tom.hoisington@eagleoneresources.com