|
"If ever there was a holy war, it was that which saved
our liberties and gave us independence."
- Thomas Jefferson
|
|
~ |
 
The Truth about
Independence Day
By Craig Kitch
www.craigkitch.com
Independence Day is one of my favorite
holidays. It allows me to become temporarily irresponsible with my
finances, as I stroll through the local fireworks stand, and for a
couple of days, I feel (and act) like a nine-year old. It is also a time
to reflect on how precious our freedoms are in this country, remembering
the men and women who paid the ultimate price for that freedom.
That having been said, I would like to share with you a little-known
fact about Independence Day: we did not declare independence on July
4th, 1776. The truth is that the Continental Congress adopted the
resolution for the Declaration of Independence on July 2nd of that year
and the final language was accepted on July 4th. No one signed it until
August 2, and the last signatures didn't come until the end of November.
John Adams, the second President of the United States, was a delegate to
the Continental Congress representing the colony of Massachusetts in
1776. He wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail, on July 3, 1776, and
stated: "the second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch
in the history of America." Truth be told, we could be celebrating our
independence from Great Britain on any one of several days. It took
months for all of the signers to make their way to Philadelphia and
affix their names to the official document so there were many
significant dates throughout the process.
I am sure these are “fightin’ words” for someone, but I bring up the
issue to illustrate a very specific point. The actual date we celebrate
Independence Day is not as important as the spirit in which we
celebrate. What matters most is that the Congress of 1777 realized the
importance of memorializing a day in history, picked July 4th and
forever gave us a moment in time to reflect on the many blessings we
have in this country.
How much more successful would you be if you approached life with the
same attitude. I know people who seem to spend their entire lives in a
state of what I call: “fixin’ to get ready to”. Wonderful ideas and
great ambitions are brought to a halt waiting for the “perfect time” or
“right circumstances”. The men who founded this country and declared our
independence knew what was important and what was not.
Live your life the way our founding fathers did. Pursue your ambitions
and chase your dreams. Don’t wait for the right time or perfect
circumstances; they will never come. Work on what is important and make
the circumstances fit your plan. Our Continental Congress would be very
pleased.
For more information on how
you can reach your full potential and perform at your best on a daily
basis, visit
www.craigkitch.com
|
