Rising to Greatness: Lessons from Our Founding Fathers

[00:00:00] America wasn't born great. Its founders weren't born great. Men aren't born great. They become great in the face of adversity. So you can too. I still believe that America is the greatest nation in the world, guys. We have had some rough years, and we're far from perfect in many ways. We have our problems.

We certainly have room to grow and rise again. We are still the greatest nation in the world because of what is possible here. Not because of what it is, but because of what is possible here for the people. The possibilities as people, as a nation, as an individual, are still greater than anywhere else in the world.

There's nowhere you can rise like you can in the United States. We're a young nation, and we've certainly had our black eyes. We've not always made the best choices. We're a nation born of rogues, criminals, rebels, and traitors. Men who were fallible, but stood their ground in the face of [00:01:00] what they saw was wrong.

This is the story of our nation, and of men in general. It holds the secrets to living your best life as a man. Here's the million dollar question. How do men like us reach our full potential, growing to the men we dream of becoming while taking care of our responsibilities, working, living, being good husbands, fathers, and still take care of ourselves?

Well, that's the big question. And in this podcast, we'll help you with those answers and more. My name is Brent and welcome to the Fallible Man Podcast. Happy birthday, America, or happy Independence Day, whatever you want to call it. I know I'm one day early, but I can't miss this incredible opportunity to share one of my favorite days of the year with you guys.

And I truly love the 4th of July. It is one of my, it's probably my second favorite holiday. You should know that the 4th of July is more than fireworks and barbecue. And so here's a short three minute history lesson all about the 4th of July, just for you guys. [00:02:00] Bullet points, I promise. It was kicked off by unfair taxation with the Stamp Act of 1765.

The Boston Tea Party wasn't until 1773 and the Revolutionary War started in 1775. On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence, declaring the United States independence from Great Britain, was created. On January 14th, 1784, the Treaty of Paris is ratified. Formulating the American Revolutionary War, recognizing the independence of the United States.

On March 4th, 1789, the United States Constitution went into effect, forming the United States as a sovereign nation. The nation was kicked off, and it still took a few years to get it all under a locking key, and start to build what we now call the United States. July 4th is just recognized as the launching point of our nation.

Today we want to focus on the men who rose to become great to help build that nation because they [00:03:00] answered a call to do so, and that applies to you because you can absolutely be great too and rise just like those men did. Let's Get into it. My name is Brent and welcome to the Fallible Man podcast.

You're home for all things, man. Big shout out to Fallible Nation. That's our longtime listeners. And I love you guys. You're here week after week, show after show. Warm welcome to our first time listeners. Hey, thanks for checking us out. There's a lot of competition out there and it means a lot that you're giving us a chance.

Be sure and connect with me at the foul man on most platforms. I'm expected back, especially active on Instagram. That's my main platform. You can reach me there. I'd love to hear what you think about the show. And if you really enjoy it, be sure and share it with a friend that helps us out. You can also leave a review and all that good stuff, but really share it with somebody who wants to hear it, man, somebody who needs to hear it.

If I started listing names. Like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Ben Franklin, Sam Adams, not the beer, John Hancock, you'd probably recognize them from history class as [00:04:00] some of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. More of the famous names that you're likely to hear more about besides they just signed the piece of paper.

They weren't just delegates, they did other things throughout that portion of history. So. Those are the names that you think of when you think of founding fathers. For all of you who did not do well in us history, George Washington was not a signer of the declaration of independence. He is considered a founding father, but he had nothing to do with signing it.

He was actually busy fighting at the time it was drafted. So. There's your hip part two of the history lesson. Sorry guys. I like history and this is one of my favorite holidays. Like I said, did you know that all of these guys were just men with jobs, families and responsibilities like you and me.

Jefferson was a lawyer, a scientist and a plantation owner. John Adams was a lawyer. Franklin was a scientist and a printer scientist by hobby printer by profession. Samuel Adams was a merger and so was John Hancock. [00:05:00] Everybody knows John Hancock because we have the saying put your John Hancock here. He's got the really big signature on there, like really flamboyant.

In fact, the signers range from doctors and lawyers to ministers and farmers. Let me rephrase that to a minister and farmers and other merchants and all kinds of professionals, men who were asked to represent the colonies interest, people's interests for a short time, not a long term appointment or even a career.

It was just something you were asked to do for a little while. And then somebody else was sent. Washington, we know his name, right? George Washington started as a land surveyor before starting his military careers in the early days of the French Indian Wars. All these men were considered malcontents, rebels, traitors, and criminals by the crown of the British Empire.

If they had lost, they likely would have been made an example of and certainly executed for their crimes. Quote unquote crimes. So what made these men so [00:06:00] extraordinary that we're talking about them 247 years later? There are people today in our culture who hate these men. They speak poorly of them. They desecrate the memorials.

They want them ripped down There are those who wish to remove and disassociate them from our history and from our country entirely Because we've learned and grown as people. And you know what we learned? Owning people is bad. You shouldn't own people. People aren't meant to be owned. Before you freak out at me and say that that should just be a given, right?

They shouldn't have had to learn that. We shouldn't have had to learn that. There was nothing to figure out. They should just know. Owning people is wrong. We live in a time in current world today. 100 percent factual. In the current modern world, there is more slavery at this point in history in the world than ever in history.

So yes, we should all know better. It's still wrong. It was wrong then it's wrong now, but we're [00:07:00] quick to judge people from the past based on our current beliefs, conviction, and values. And those current beliefs, convictions, values, obviously aren't entirely shared by the whole world. Trying to erase someone's contributions to the world.

And let me be really clear about that. Not just contributions to the United States. These men contributed to the bigger world to make it what it is today. They did some things that we now know we shouldn't do. They did some things we disagree with, but it doesn't take away from the contributions they made to the world.

And to try and erase it from history, A, dooms us to repeat history, and it's just honestly immaturity and cowardness on our part to try and just wipe that from history and pretend it didn't happen. These men chose to step forward at great personal risk, great personal risk, to stand against something they saw as wrong.

They were [00:08:00] literally ready to die on the hill they chose to stand on, and we need more men like this today. The amazing thing is, all of history testifies that men grow and flourish best in adversity. Keith Ellison said, What I know about my country is that when America is challenged, we rise to the occasion.

When we're fearful, we become divided. When we're courageous and have good leadership, we unite. In this moment, Allow me to have a little liberty with that and rephrase Mr. Ellison's quote. What I know about men is that when they are challenged, they rise to the occasion. When they are fearful, they become divided.

When they're courageous and have good leadership, they unite. So what can we learn from our founding fathers about achieving greatness? Well, that's kind of what I'm [00:09:00] trying to do today. So I've got five things that I want you to learn from our founding fathers today about achieving greatness because they were great men.

Number one, great men show up. Woody Allen is famously known for saying 90 percent of life is showing up. Now, depending on who's quoting it, that's like 75 to 80%. When people quote it, Woody Allen has actually said it multiple ways over the years because he quotes himself. Now, I've heard this from people I trust a heck of a lot more than Woody Allen because we want to talk about character flaws.

The man has them just like everybody else. So I've actually heard this from a lot more people that I trust, including several of our previous guests who are incredibly serious, excuse me, incredibly serious. You can be great just by showing up. That's the start of it right there. Because you can't be great if you never show up.

[00:10:00] That really is the first step to being great. Our founding fathers showed up and by you showing up, you are starting on the path to greatness. Number two, great men find their beliefs and they stand on that hill, ready to die because they hold firm to those beliefs. You can take a lot from men and life is going to demonstrate this to you over and over and over again.

It's if to just cruelly reiterate that point, life will never let you forget that. They can. It can take a lot from you. Men's beliefs are unique though. Men can suffer in the worst ways and as long as they can clinging to those beliefs, they can persevere through it. It's incredible. Uh, I, I love to just cite things for you, but all you have to do, listen, listen to stories from POWs.

Who had to hold on are people who are wrongly in prison, holding onto your [00:11:00] beliefs will carry you through. I had a great conversation with a man who did almost three years solid in solitary confinement and holding onto his belief about God is what carried him through. And Steven is absolutely amazing.

But holding onto your beliefs, those beliefs are so uniquely important to you. hold you through everything else being stripped away from you. I've shared in my, in the past, my belief that you must know what your core is, your foundations, your foundational beliefs to have any chance of flourishing as a man.

Martin Luther King Jr. said the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in talent and times of challenge and controversy. Guys, if you want to stand and show up and be great, You have to know what your core beliefs are and what those beliefs are that you are ready to carry to the grave and die over if need be.

What is that hill you're [00:12:00] willing to die on? Plant that flag. You've got to have that core and that foundation if you want to be great. Number three. Great men are men of thought and action. The dot dot dot and action. That's important. You see our forefathers didn't just get angry about their taxes and go start some shit.

That would have been really stupid. The crown would have crushed them. That The British army was phenomenal while they did. Okay. Great Britain had conquered large portions of the world and had colonies all over the world. They were great at this. And if our forefathers had just gotten angry and started some shit, it would have ended very quickly and very badly.

They examined what was going on. They examined their concerns. They examined their beliefs, their situation, their options and what they wanted for their lives. But then, then they took action. In 2424, there are a lot of people dreaming about their [00:13:00] best life, just sitting on their ass in front of a streaming service or scrolling through their phone on social media.

They hate their lives. They hate their jobs. They hate their situation. And so they stew and they get angry and they become depressed and they become bitter or they simply check out via their favorite substance. Great men, great men. Act on their plans. They don't get paralysis by analysis or any of those good catchphrases.

Great men decide what their plan is, decide what their situation is, and they take the action to move forward. Thank God. We'd still be speaking the Queen's English. If the guys that got it back wrong, all got it wrong a long time ago, back when our forefathers were going, you know what? We don't want to play pay these guys taxes anymore.

We're kind of our own thing. Great men. Take action on their plans. Number four, great [00:14:00] men fight for what they want and what they believe in. What are you ready to throw hands over? Just like, like legitimately, which, what are you ready to throw hands over? At 44, I found out there's not much I care about enough to throw hands over.

I was a bit of a hothead when I was younger and reasonably talented at physical conflict. But I had enough of it to know as an older, I don't want to call myself a folder. Uh, I've had enough of it at 44 to know that the high cost for the low value is not worth the time. There isn't much worth fighting for these days in my life.

Now. Let me make this really clear. That doesn't mean I'm mellowed. It means I matured. It means that I know precisely what the line in the sand is for me, what things are that I believe in and that I care about to the [00:15:00] point that I would get physical over if I had to. It means that I know that my response when pressed into that physical altercation would be swift, brutal, merciless.

As Jordan Peterson says, a harmless man is not a good man. A good man is a very, very dangerous man who has it voluntarily under control. Do you know what your line is and are you ready, willing and capable? Because great men, if that's what we're aspiring to be in our lives, know what they want and what they believe in and they know what they're willing to fight for and what's worth fighting for.

Number five, guys, great men are normal men who step up when they're called. Great men aren't flying around with a Cape. I love living in the time of Marvel movies, even though Disney has basically just ring the entire franchise. But the early ones were really good. Great men [00:16:00] aren't flying around in a cape.

They aren't billionaires with expensive toys. I'm still kind of holding up out hope for Elon Musk to build himself like an Iron Man suit or maybe grab a bow like the green arrow or, you know, become the world's greatest detective like the dark night. But, you know, I, I probably don't honestly really want those things.

I'm not sure. I, I like Elon Musk. I think the guy's generally on the level most of the time, not always, but. I'm not sure I want billionaires flying around in armored suits that can evaporate tanks. Captain America, he was a good man. They just brought his body up to the level of his person, right? That's why they chose him.

But we can't wait for that either. And I'm really kind of against, you know, military testing on soldiers because they usually don't get asked. They get voluntold. One of my favorite quotes absolutely applies here. You know, sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane [00:17:00] courage. Just literally 20 seconds of embarrassing bravery.

I promise you something great will come out of it. Quote was the character, Benjamin, Benjamin, me played by Matt Damon. In the movie, we bought a zoo. Yes, I have children. Your greatness is 20 seconds of insane courage away. It really is. Martin Luther King Jr. didn't set out to be one of the most celebrated civics leaders in history.

Winston Churchill defied his own staff because what he believed it was right was more important than having their support. And thank God he did. Nelson Mandela stuck to his beliefs and the cost was incredibly high. Not so many years ago, some passengers on a plane learned that America was under attack for the worst attack since Pearl Harbor.

They died in a field, making sure a bunch of other people [00:18:00] didn't die. 20 seconds of insane courage. God bless them. Who knows how much worse the catastrophic catastrophe would have been if they hadn't taken action. That 20 seconds of insane courage. Our forefathers show us greatness is found every day. By everyday men.

It's not someone who was born with superpowers greatness. Is everyday men who show up, stand firm and take action, even in the face of adversity, because that's where great men are forged. 20 seconds of courage. Most of the time, people don't ever take action. We're talking about men who just aren't happy with their lives.

Most people never take that first step. You need that 20 seconds of insane courage to take that first step and you're on your way. And there you have it, gents, technical difficulties and all, light going [00:19:00] out. I need to recharge that light. Apparently. The story of our four founding forefathers isn't just a history lesson.

It's a blueprint for greatness. These men who were once considered rebels, traitors. It rose to the occasion. They stood firm in their beliefs and they took decisive action. They weren't superheroes. They were ordinary men who chose to show up and make a difference. Their legacy teaches the greatness is within reach for anyone willing to face adversity with courage and determination.

As we celebrate Independence Day, let's honor their memory by striving to be the best versions of ourselves. Let's rise to the challenges before us, unite in the face of adversity and lead with conviction and purpose. Remember, greatness isn't bestowed upon us. It's something we achieve through perseverance and action.

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Kaizen was designed for you. Embrace the spirit of our founding fathers and invest in your journey to greatness today. Guys for the Fallible Man podcast, be better tomorrow because what you do today and happy Independence Day, America. Enjoy your celebration. Do yourself a favor and don't wake up with less digits than you started with.

That's a really crappy way to move into the second half of the year. Have fun. Be safe, guys. God bless. And we'll catch you on the next one. This [00:21:00] has been the Fallible Man podcast. Your home for everything man, husband, and father. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss a show. Head over to www.

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