Happy 4th of July
In the United States, we celebrate our independence on the Fourth of July — our annual recognition of nationhood. It commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
One of the main factors in the American Revolution was taxation without representation. The taxes levied on the colonies were considered excessive and unfair, in part because the colonists had no say in the matter. In other words, the English monarchy did not pay attention or listen to the colonists!
And, as I spend time with my family, I’m really focusing on the message of this week’s video. As counterintuitive as it may seem at first blush, perhaps the most important skill you could have as a speaker is listening.
We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.
– Epictetus, a Greek philosopher who spent his youth as a slave in Rome before gaining freedom after the death of Nero, under whom he served until around 60 AD.
