Lessons From Our Founding Fathers
Happy 4th of July everyone! I hope everyone is having an amazing day with family and friends as they cook out and enjoy fireworks.
This 4th of July feels a little different to me this year. Not in a bad way, but in a gracious and humbling way. In this past year I have started the practice of journaling and truly taking the time to reflect each morning on where I have been, and where I am going. As I was sipping my coffee I kept thinking about what the founding fathers must have felt as they were signing the Declaration of Independence. Even though 1776 and 2016 are very different times, I think we can still take away from their experiences.
1. Have A Plan
In 1776, thirteen colonies came together and adopted the Declaration of Independence and were no longer a part of Great Britain. You can without a doubt know that these men had a laser focused plan on what they were accomplishing. Our founding fathers weren’t just starting a new business; they were starting a new nation!
Where is your life taking you? If you haven’t sat down and considered that, there is no better time than now. That can be a scary question to ask yourself as it really is up to you! We get conditioned through school that if we complete a certain set of tasks or tests that we get to move up a grade or graduated. We continually climb the ladder that is laid out for us and we know where we are going. We have a plan. Once we graduate whether it is from high school or college, the ladder ends and we must create our own path, which can be scary!
We must sit and reflect on where it is that we want to go. If this stumps you, take some time to get a pen and paper out and begin writing down what moves you. What is it that gets you fired up and ready to attack the day? Still stumped? I think we just found the first part of your plan.
2. Write it down
I never understood the power of writing down my goals and what I wanted to do until I actually started doing it. It makes it so much more real and it seems to free my head to figure out how to get there. It makes you clarify what you really want instead of having it be a mass of ideas floating around in your head.
The founding fathers wrote out their declaration. They put it in print and they all signed it. I would bet that if they all got together and had a general idea of where they wanted to go with the country without writing it down, that history would be very different!
When you write your goals down it allows you to see in black and white what you are waking up every morning to accomplish. This will provide you the motivation to get after it instead of being paralyzed to start.
3. Surround Yourself With Like Minded People
Jim Rohn was quoted as saying you are the average of the five people you hang around with most. One of my all time favorites Rocky Balboa puts it a little differently but with the same idea. “You hang out with nice people, you get nice friends, ya understand? You hang out with smart people, you get smart friends. You hang out with yo-yo's, you get yo-yo friends. You see, simple mathematics”
The founding fathers were a driven group of men with a similar goal. They all pushed relentlessly towards creating this new nation which we now get to enjoy. If you are having trouble getting started with where to go, find a mentor. Begin the process of surrounding yourself with people who are doing what you want to do!
If you want to eat healthy, eat with healthy people. If you want to be a body builder, hang out with bodybuilders. If you want to be a business owner, hang out with business owners. Surround yourself with people that will help pull you up and support you in your journey!
Happy 4th of July
The founding fathers left us some great tips on how we can be successful. Create your plan, write it down, and surround yourself with people who will help you get there! The forming of the United States was definitely not without struggle! Cherish the challenges that will inevitably come your way as they will be what help you grow!
Happy 4th of July!
Coach Ryan