Have you ever asked yourself why people look to this country as the land of opportunity? Why do people from all around the world keep coming here to make this country their home? And in particular, why Texas? I thought about these questions today and realized just how amazing a place this is to live and work.
When this country was imagined and created, a group of extraordinary men and women set out to build a nation like the world had never seen before. What our forefathers set out to do, at the time, had reverberations as far away as France and Russia. This small group of visionaries possessed a revolutionary outlook on such notions as the role of government, freedom, the rights of men and the idea that every person should enjoy the opportunity to realize his or her full potential as a human being. It has taken a couple of hundred years to pretty well translate that vision into what is now one of the really great countries in the world..
And we Texans have quite a heritage all our own. The spirit of Texas is audacious and bold. As Americans and as Texans, we live big and we dream big. That is the heritage that each of has inherited.
And yet, the news media only paints a picture of a people who is desperate and has lost the capacity to hope or even dream of a better future. We learn about major institutions like banks, whose greed has endangered the financial well-being of this great country. That is the reality that the newspapers and the television news anchors blast out day after day.
Well, that is not what I see. And the people with whom I am doing business with these days are hanging in there. They are optimistic and look ahead with confidence and hope. In this country, there are approximately 25 million small and medium sized businesses. For most of these companies, their doors are still open. They are still in business and fully intend to remain so. Why isn't anyone speaking out about this side of the coin. Listen well, because that is just what I am doing now.
Let's open our eyes to what good things are really happening in this country. We need to take a moment and give recognition to every business owner who has taken a stand that even this downturn is not going to defeat him or her... who is refusing to give up on his or her dreams or aspirations to create a great company and provide great products and services. Ladies and gentlemen, the American Dream (the real one) is alive and well right now, right here where we live.
People in other countries who aspire to make the USA their homeland easily see the full scope of opportunities here, even now. Many Americans, second and third generation Americans, have lost the ability to do that. Too many of us only see the problems and the contentious issues that divide us now more than they bring us together. Too many people sit and wait for someone else to create opportunities so that they can have a job too. As a businessman, I find this reality really distressing.
I own a small business that is thankfully growing. As I market my services and go to network mixers, I witness what can be accomplished when we take the initiative and create a new business... and therefore a job, for ourselves. Given that working for someone else is no more secure than working for yourself anymore, it now makes a lot more sense to strike out on your own and build your own company. It is a very challenging proposition, to be sure. But for a lot of unemployed people out there, it sure beats the alternative. And there is no better place to do that than right here in the USA, in Texas and in Houston.
The first Americans possessed great courage and were hugely self-reliant folks. Early on, the great Americans possessed great initiative and a strong work ethic. Back then there was no social safety net. You either worked or you essentially starved. They were innovative, focused and committed to the great idea of what this country represented in a world dominated by monarchs and despots. These values and these qualities are our most precious legacy.
Approaching life with a despondent attitude today, as a people we risk squandering this inheritance. Individually, we face the challenge of rediscovering these qualities and values in ourselves. Our challenge is to reincorporate these very ideas into our own thinking and our very being.
Let us cease being essentially professional consumers. Join me now. Let's set out to become more self-reliant, taking full responsibility for our own lives and our future. Let's live big and dream big once again. Let's dig deep down into ourselves and find the strength and the grit to take the initiative to put ourselves back to work, sooner than later... even if it means starting a business of our own. No matter how one slices the cake, life is going to be full of risks and uncertainties. In life, we get no guarantees of anything. But I can guarantee you one thing. If you own your own company, you are going to do everything humanly possible to be successful and the last thing you would ever do is to fire yourself.
If you had to live and work anywhere in the world today, there is still no better place to do that than right here in the United States of America. With all the problems this country has, the USA remains a place of hope and a place where there are infinite opportunities to realize one's potential, if one is willing to do what it takes to succeed. We still live in a place where one can pursue great dreams. I feel absolutely fortunate to be an American, a Texan and a Houstonian.
I hope all of you have a memorable 4th of July.
Kindest regards,
Howard Fireman
Editor and Publisher
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