Wednesday Words
To Go Where Your VisionPoints, a few inspiration points for you and your business.
I do not choose to be a common man, it is my right to be uncommon… if I can, I seek opportunity… not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the State look after me. I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed. I refuse to barter incentive for a dole; I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of Utopia. I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout.
I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat. It is my heritage to stand erect; proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself, to enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say: This, with God’s help, I have done.
All this is what it means to be an Entrepreneur.*
—Dean Alfange, American statesman
Grow and be well,
Kelly Erickson
*The original essay, published in This Week magazine, reads: “All this is what it means to be an American.” I’ll leave it as I’ve had it in my collected quotations but thanks to the astute James Chartrand for the help in correcting my incorrect attribution and funky quotation!
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16 December 2009, 5:20 am
You know… we have this creed framed at our home. My father put it up, long before I was born. The paper’s yellow and cracked, the words written in old script. When I was little, I didn’t know what this was – I thought my father had been given an award, or someone important had made this statement about him. I knew he upheld it – that was him, right there, on paper.
I think my decision to uphold that creed was made long, long ago, around the time I was just barely old enough to read. And every time I see this, I can’t help but think of him.
James Chartrand – Men with Pens´s latest blog… Taylor’s a Feminist – But So Is James
16 December 2009, 6:29 am
James,
Dang. You just gave me chills. No, of course I did not know that.
(Was your father secretly an admirer of our revolution and our patriots, hehe?)
Some beautiful words there. Dream and build, fail and succeed, enjoy the benefit of my creations and stand tall. Said during times when he had to believe them with all his soul just to have the guts to write any of it where people would read it publicly. Paine was a heck of a dude. This one certainly gives me something to aim for. I’m glad it does for you, too.
Regards,
Kelly
16 December 2009, 6:39 am
Well, at the bottom, it says “All this is what it means to be a Canadian,” and for my whole life, I believe it was written by and for Canadians.
Until two years ago when I found out all SORTS of people cleave to it, from all SORTS of countries and places.
Interesting that the guy who wrote it was from Constantinople (which I think is now Istanbul, but I could be wrong).
James Chartrand – Men with Pens´s latest blog… Taylor’s a Feminist – But So Is James
16 December 2009, 7:33 am
*coughs*
My goodness. Ignore all that “Paine was a heck of a dude” stuff.
But in my research I did discover that Alfange was, indeed, a heck of a dude. So I got something neat out of my boo-boo.
Thanks for your help with my misattribution. You’re right, looks like everybody takes this quotation and makes what they want of it. LOL.
Until later,
Kelly
17 December 2009, 10:13 am
Well then!
Kelly Like you I have always thought that was American. I learn something every time I come here!
I still love it just as much, no matter where it comes from. Thanks for sharing.
18 December 2009, 3:18 pm
Wendi,
Alfange was American, though born in Turkey, and fairly important to a lot of causes in his day… just not the guy I thought wrote it. Large error on my part. Ah, well. Just as wonderful no matter who said it—and I got to learn something, too!
Until later,
Kelly