Labor Day - Declare your Independence

I've been thinking about Labor Day off and on today - and what it means to me.

I thought about the working poor who are making ends meet on minimal wages.
I thought about the history books where Governor William Bradford had a scriptural mandate, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat" when he was establishing the work ethic at Plymouth Colony. And I thought about how blessed I am to be at home working rather than commuting, doing what I love, surrounded by a great team of people and having the skill sets and capacity to learn from others on those things I need and want to know.

"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The History of Labor Day

Last, I was struck by the heart and soul of Pamela Slim who authors Escape From Cubicle Nation as she invites those who choose to do so to Declare Your Independence.



Her motivation?

"As soon as I started working for myself, I knew that something was RIGHT! Having my own business was totally liberating and intoxicating.

I have spent many years working with smart people in corporate environments that feel out of place, suffocated, in despair and with an intense desire to bust out and do something entreprenurial and creative. I have decided to use this next phase of my life to help these people escape from the confines of the corporate world and find the work that allows them to express themselves, be creative, speak their mind and reap the great rewards of living the life they have always wanted to live."

Download the Declare Your Independence Flash presentation - it's short and to the point. (look on the right sidebar)... You'll be motivated to unshackle yourself from an oppressive work environment with the encouragement found in this "Declaration of Independence."

As for me, I was motivated to count my blessings for what I have as unto God - I can testify of His goodness and His mercy, of His strength and His power, of His healing virtue, of His delivering hand. Its been thirteen months since I been back in Nashville, where I belong with my family. Thanks Lord for this 2006 Labor Day.