The party's over.

We hope you had a wonderful and relaxing 4th of July weekend!

And now the party's over.

The grills have cooled down.

The fireworks shows have gone up in smoke.

The hot dogs, baked beans, chips, and watermelon have been eaten.

Now is a good time to reflect on this summer holiday that made us the country we are today....and hope to be in the future.

All organizations have a culture that defines them and they follow a mission and vision. And, the United States is no different.

Celebrating the 4th of July is part of our organizational culture.

It is an opportunity to reflect on our countries mission and vision.

The preamble of the Declaration of Independence states;

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness.

Separating from England, "the mother country," threatened American's sense of security, economic stability, and identity. Asserting our independence and securing it for posterity was the mission.

Are we living up to this mission?

Just like any organization, it is important to consider a vision for the future as well.

The founders refined our vision in the preamble of the United States Constitution. It states,

We the people of the United States, to form a more perfect Union....

Visions are aspirational, and young America was full of aspiration!

Our founders believed that growth and change was necessary.

Striving to know better, do better, and be better is part of who we are as Americans.

Are we living up to this vision?

In his 2018 book, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels, Jon Meacham writes,

To know what has come before is to be armed against despair. If the men and women of the past, with all their flaws and limitations and ambitions and appetites, could press on through ignorance and superstition, racism and sexism, selfishness and greed, to create a freer, stronger nation, then perhaps we, too, can right wrongs and take another step toward that most enchanting and elusive destinations: a more perfect Union.

On this week after our 4th of July holiday, where we celebrated our independence, our mission of equality, and vision to embrace change for the better, let's reflect if we are living up to what our founding fathers set before us - as individuals and a nation.