For 4th of July this year, there are 4 words that came to my mind: free, independent, bold, and fair. Here’s why those traits are important in life and work.
Be Free
On this day, I remember my first 4th of July in the United States as an 11-year-old on her first summer in this land of the free, home of the brave. In particular, since those many years ago, I still celebrate my dual heritage: Haitian Independence Day on January 1st, and American Independence Day on July 4th.
The cause of freedom is never prettily tied up in a bow. Real blood was shed, and taking our freedoms for granted makes us susceptible to losing them.
We cannot cower in the face of intimidation of any kind: political, social, and those in the workplace. Each day that we have cannot be reclaimed. It is to be lived with as much integrity as we can muster, without hurting or disrespecting the dignity of others.
Be Independent
“The business of America is business.” That takes many forms for many people, and for me, I celebrate that as an entrepreneur.
This is not a “side hustle,” or something that I’m trying. It is a commitment. Likewise, when I was a regular employee, I gave my employers my best. How much more is my own company worthy of such a commitment to excel and meet the needs of my own customers today?
Only a small percentage of people ever get the privilege (and headaches!) of being their own boss. However, wherever you may find yourself in life, you can make it a point to serve your “customers” as if you owned he organization you work for. You will derive a sense of pride, simply for making sure that things are as good as they can be, to the extent that it depends on you.
Be Bold
For me, the very act of creating a blog is more bold than I ever planned to be in life. It exposes some of my personal thoughts to people who may want to do business with me. But no guts, no glory.
While I write to inform, educate, encourage others, writing has been a lifelong passion, and only recently have I decided to share some of my thoughts with the world. Will that make
Will blogging make me a lot of money? Maybe, maybe not. But I find personal satisfaction for doing this for my own pleasure and entertainment, as well. If someone gets no so-called “value” out of it, there are millions of alternatives for them.
But this little corner of the world is mine, and I will bask in it.
Be Fair
There is a tendency for people to look out for themselves first and foremost. As we grow older, we realize – or should – that not everything is about your own advancement in life. What will your life have mattered for someone else?
There is a proverb that says, “In all your getting, get wisdom.” It is that wisdom that we should seek above everything else. It is wisdom that will tell you to not rush to
It is wisdom that will tell you to not rush to judgment. It is wisdom that will compel you to figure out better ways of doing your job. It is wisdom that will allow you to place your ego aside in order to hear the point of view of someone else.