Happy Fourth of July!

I love the 4th of July and everything it stands for. It is the pinnacle of summer. It’s family, it's friends, and it's fun.

From the celebration of the very first one, our forefathers new the 4th of July would be a date that would be celebrated indefinitely. As a matter of fact, John Adams, in a letter to his wife Abigail, said this about the 4th of July, once the declaration of independence was signed and passed by the continental congress. "I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore.”

Now I know that when we work in retail sales like we do, many of us will be working on the fourth. We may not get to participate in all of the festivities. But there is a way that we can still honor our forefathers and create our own festivities. That is by being the best we can be on that day. Hey, if you have to work, like millions of us will be doing, why not go for it? Lets be the best we can be, and by doing so, we can honor not only our forefathers, who gave it all so that we may have these freedoms, but all who have laid it all on the line, so that we may enjoy all that we enjoy.

Being a history buff, I have always felt indebted to all of those who came before us and have made the sacrifices they have, not just for themselves, but for future generations they would never know, and these people are not all people from the past. You are surrounded by them now. Think about it. The business owner you work for, at some point, laid it all on the line so that you'll have the employment opportunity that you now enjoy. They bought the land your business sits on. They built the building you now work in. They have it inventoried with thousands, if not millions of dollars worth of inventory. They have done their job. To do what they have done, at some point they laid it all on the line.

Likewise, your managers have done their jobs. They have advertised to get your customers to visit you. They have made phone calls, written emails, sent letters and worked social media to ensure that you have customers to work with. And now that that customer is here, and in front of you, it will be up to you to determine whether or not you will be successful with them or not. And that will be determined by how prepared you are. Do you know the steps to be successful? Do you know the word tracks? Do you have the desire that will create the needed persistence it will take to close the deal? Have you developed your skill to a level that will allow you to accomplish all of this in the utmost professional way possible?

Unfortunately, at this juncture in our country’s history, too many feel like they are being over taxed, by being required to work on days like the 4th, because they feel someone owes them something. This is a loser's mentality. If we know our country’s great history, then we know it is not us who are owed, it is us that owe! We owe it to our forefathers, the soldiers, and our business owners to be the best we can be at every turn, and especially on days like the 4th of July. By being the best we can be, we are telling them all, we respect what they have sacrificed. We are telling the world that we are proud to be free, and we are proud to be an American.

So if you are one of the lucky ones who get to enjoy all of the 4th of July festivities with your families, then do just that, enjoy it. If you are one of the many that will not to get participate in all of the celebrations, then make your own fire works, and light the world on fire with your success. Give yourself something to celebrate. Join the club of being one of the ones who make it possible for others to enjoy the freedoms we all will be celebrating this and every 4th of July.

Happy 4th of July! What you just heard here is how pro’s talk, think and act!

Jeff Cowan
automotiveservicetraining.com