In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

In memory of Independence Day, here are a few Quotes and Sayings to share in celebration of our Country’s independence:

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” ~Thomas Paine

“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” ~Elmer Davis

“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.” ~Erma Bombeck

“Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.” ~Dwight D. Eisenhower

“In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

Freedom’s natal day is here.
Fire the guns and shout for freedom,
See the flag above unfurled!
Hail the stars and stripes forever,
Dearest flag in all the world.
~Florence A. Jones

“This, then, is the state of the union:  free and restless, growing and full of hope.  So it was in the beginning.  So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith.” ~Lyndon B. Johnson

“For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail?” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.” ~Albert Camus

“It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.” ~Author unknown, sometimes attributed to M. Grundler

“Liberty is the breath of life to nations.” ~George Bernard Shaw

“I prefer liberty with danger to peace with slavery.” ~Author Unknown

“I love my freedom.  I love my America.” ~Jessi Lane Adams

“Where liberty dwells, there is my country.” ~Benjamin Franklin

All we have of freedom, all we use or know -
This our fathers bought for us long and long ago.
~Rudyard Kipling, The Old Issue, 1899

“Liberty means responsibility.  That is why most men dread it.” ~George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, “Maxims: Liberty and Equality,” 1905

“The winds that blow through the wide sky in these mounts, the winds that sweep from Canada to Mexico, from the Pacific to the Atlantic – have always blown on free men.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

“What is the essence of America?  Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom “to” and freedom ‘from.’” ~Marilyn vos Savant, in Parade

“How often we fail to realize our good fortune in living in a country where happiness is more than a lack of tragedy.” ~Paul Sweeney

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” ~Abraham Lincoln

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

[Credit: QuoteGarden]

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“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” ~John Wooden

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“The only time you’ll find SUCCESS before WORK, is in the dictionary.”

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“LiFES T00 SH0RT to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get the chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it’d be easy, they just promised iT W0ULD BE W0RTH iT.”

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Today I want to talk about the seven most motivational quotes ever spoken (or written). Why? Because motivation is the key to success! I like what Zig Ziglar said about motivation, he said, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”

Motivation is something you need everyday. It’s motivation that pushes you forward when you want to collapse; it’s motivation that lights the end of the tunnel. If life is a road trip, then motivation is the engine that will take you to your destination. Nothing happens without motivation. Have you been motivated today?

Here are the seven most motivational quotes ever written or spoken, I’ve subtitled them, and given them some commentary, I hope you enjoy.

The 7 Most Motivational Quotes

1. Our Deepest Fear
   

   “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do” –Marianne Williamson, A Return To Love

   If not you, then who? We are taught as children that others are great, and that we are not, so I ask the question, “Where do the “great” come from?”
   I submit to you that the great arise from the most mundane of places; the great are those who refuse to remain as they are; the great are those who believe in their greatness.

2. You Will Become What You Think About
   

   “The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart, this you will build your life by, and this you will become.” –James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

   The thoughts that you harbor in your mind, the ones that you continually give your attention to, those thoughts will eventually become your life.
   If you see yourself as a success, then you will become a success; whatever you consistently ponder, you will become.

3. Your Life Should be an Adventure
   

   “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”–Helen Keller

   Whatever your dream, go after it; never settle for a life of quiet desperation, never become a realist. John Eliot said, “As soon as anyone starts telling you to be “realistic,” cross that person off your invitation list.” Your life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.

4. You Should Never Overestimate the Competition
   

   “The fishing is best where the fewest go, and the collective insecurity of the world makes it easy for people to hit home runs while everyone else is aiming for base hits. There is just less competition for bigger goals. If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is, too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.”– Timothy Ferris, The Four Hour Work Week

   Someone has to be successful, someone has to write the next bestseller, someone has to be number one, someone has to be on the best, why not you! As the famous poem goes, “You have all that the greatest of men have had, two hands, and two feet.”

5. Just Keep on Working
   

   “I do not have superior intelligence or faultless looks. I do not captivate a room or run a mile under six minutes. I only succeeded because I was still working after everyone else went to sleep.”–Greg Evans

   Keep working, and keep working, and keep working towards your goal, eventually you will get there. The key is to remain focused on your goal! I like what J.C. Penny said, he said, “Give me a stock clerk with a goal, and I will give you a man who will make history. Give me a man without a goal, and I will give you a stock clerk.”

6. If You Want It, Go Get It
   

   “You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you, you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”–Will Smith in the Movie: Pursuit of Happyness

   There will always be “little men” telling you “how you can’t, why you can’t, and how you’re going to fail when you try.” But if you have a dream, go after it; never let someone tell you what you can’t do. You can do whatever you believe you can do.

7. Remember: Success Always Starts Small
   

   “The greatest achievement was at first, and for a time, but a dream.” –Napoleon Hill

   The largest tree was once a tiny seed. There was a time when Microsoft wasn’t on any computers; there was a time when Michael Jordan had never scored in a basketball game. Never despise small beginnings, every success starts small. So stay focused, if your focus is steady, you will succeed!

Thank you for reading and be sure to pass this article along.

Written on 3/30/2010 by Mr. Self Development who is a motivational author that offers a practical guide to success and wealth; support him by visiting his blog at mrselfdevelopment.com or by subscribing to his feed.

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“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

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“The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible — and achieve it, generation after generation.” ~Pearl S. Buck

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“What you get by reaching your destination is not nearly as important as what you will become by reaching your destination.” ~Zig Ziglar

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