On this day in 1776, Thomas Paine’s immortal words inspired the revolutionary army…
‘These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.
What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated: Thomas Paine publishes “The American Crisis”
While I no longer believe in ‘american exceptionalism’ there is no doubt this is an exceptional example of words that inspired men to great deeds. You can read the entire pamphlet at no cost here (and I believe every American should read this at least once in their lifetime):
I was predisposed to dislike Ted Lasso — I love soccer but I don’t love the premiere league and I’ve never been much of a Jason Sudeikis fan — and yet Ted Lasso is the show I needed to see during the pandemic. Doing a little research, I discovered that Brené Brown is not only a soccer fan, but she also loves Ted Lasso. She breaks it down here with Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt and the resulting interview is amazing and sweet as Brené goes full-metal fangirl. She says…
“As the self-appointed president of the TLFC (Ted Lasso Fan Club), it was a blast to talk to Jason Sudeikis, the co-creator, writer and executive producer who plays Ted Lasso, and Brendan Hunt, the co-creator and writer who plays Coach Beard on the Apple TV+ hit series. The show follows the adventures of a small-time college football coach from Kansas hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer. We talk about the show’s interesting origin story, writers’ room inspirations, and why intention is critical to the creative process. It’s a fun conversation about a show that is unapologetically awkward, brave, and kind: Brené with Jason Sudeikis & Brendan Hunt on Ted Lasso | Brené Brown“
Click the link to listen to the episode…
Bonus!
“Sometimes we need a jolt to snap us out of a funk. It‘s been a long time since I smiled, laughed, or felt happy about something. Like many, my soul craved a defibrillating reboot. I discovered a shocking way to inject optimism back into…” — @JeffLivingMDhttps://t.co/Az0TaYDJEw
Burnham is famously quoted as saying, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will not themselves be realized.” This slogan has been taken to capture the essence of Burnham’s spirit.
Pssst. Until the end of the day tomorrow, you can subscribe for 1 year at 50% off…
We only make this offer once a year! ❄️ Calm Forever Membership: 60% off: https://t.co/F6FEetcb6Z ️️❄️ Calm Yearly Membership: 50% off: https://t.co/T42bKWL1VV Offer melts away by Sunday.
As we head toward a very different holiday compared to years past, we can reclaim the peace and joy of the season through mindfulness—one of the most powerful tools we have in the face of life’s twists and turns. With practice, we learn to work with our circumstance exactly as it is, and it’s from this grounded place of openness, that we can discover the beauty and possibility that lives in the moment: Mindful Holidays — Calm Blog
“In the midst of the intense struggle for civil rights, Thomas Merton insisted that Christians had a moral duty to address racism—on a personal and systemic level. His words were prophetic at the time and continue to be relevant to this day. In Seeds of Destruction, he writes:
The race question cannot be settled without a profound change of heart, a real shake-up and deep reaching metanoia [Greek for repentance or change of mind] on the part of White America. It is not just [a] question of a little more good will and generosity: it is a question of waking up to crying injustices and deep-seated problems which are ingrained in the present setup and which, instead of getting better, are going to get worse. [1]
The purpose of non-violent protest, in its deepest and most spiritual dimensions is then to awaken the conscience of the white people to the awful reality of their injustice and of their sin, so that they will be able to see that the Negro problem is really a White problem: that the cancer of injustice and hate which is eating white society and is only partly manifested in racial segregation with all its consequences, is rooted in the heart of the white people themselves. [2]”
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