My Country ‘Tis of Thee
By Sean Wolfington
Yes, sweet land of liberty, America: one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, the land where my fathers died, the home of the free and the brave.
America, the beautiful, a sovereign nation built on the heroism of great leaders and the selfless sacrifice of thousands of unspoken heroes.
All of us have been influenced by heroic leaders at some point in our lives. We have been guided by great and infamous leaders, and we have been interiorly affected and formed through the witness of the profound acts of heroism of ordinary people unfolding before our eyes in the face of horrific tragedy. There are as many definitions of leadership as there are numbers of leaders, but to most people, a “hero” is readily defined as someone who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown great courage or strength of character, even at the risk of death or public humiliation, regardless of the sacrifices.
Much of what these perceived heroes have accomplished was for the welfare and good of others rather than for their own self-centered needs. Can you think of someone who possesses these characteristics?
It is important to provide colleagues with examples of positive role models and heroes, so that they may realize their own potential and develop their own strength of character. Recognizing how individuals display tenacity and courage in the face of adversity is vital to the development of ourselves as individuals and to the building of teams within an organization.
What enables people to become heroes? The journey begins from the moment we are born. We all receive some kind of a calling that moves us out of the ordinary world across a threshold into another realm. It is in this higher state of being that the virtues of our souls are unleashed, and we discover the fortitude and courage needed to make a difference in the lives of the people around us. True heroes are the people that do not think about being a hero; they just begin to do what is instinctive to them. True heroism simply means facing every day with courage and tenacity, no matter how extraordinary or perhaps unrecognized the task may be. It means doing the best you can with what you’ve got — to make morally responsible choices every day.
We are all drawn to stories about heroes – stories that grip us and bring us to tears -because we all have something written deep in our hearts. We realize that the greatest things in life come at a precious price – sacrificial love.
Join me in honoring this great country of ours, our founding forefathers, the countless heroes of the past, and the brave men and women of the present and future who continue to lay down their lives in the name of liberty and justice, letting freedom ring from sea to shining sea. God bless America.
Sean Wolfington is the general manager of BZResults.com, an ADP Company. He can be contacted at 866.802.5753, or by e-mail at swolfington@autosuccessonline.com.