Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Entrepreneurship The Declaration of Independence reminds us why going out on your own is a worthwhile endeavor.
By Adam Toren
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
In July 1776, our founding fathers joined together and signed this country's Declaration of Independence, declaring every American citizen's access to certain inalienable rights. The document was adopted by the Continental Congress on the fourth.
The spirit of that message and the rights to which we're all entitled seem particularly embodied by entrepreneurship. While the landscape of America has changed in ways those men could never have imagined, they still had at their core the same principles that mark the entrepreneur of today.
Related: This Business Has Been Fiercely Independent Since 1776
Here are three declarations of independence that make entrepreneurship spectacular.
Life.
While no one is arguing that entrepreneurship is hard work, it also allows you the right to your own desired life. Entrepreneurs don't wait for permission to live their dream -- they do it!
When the founding fathers declared America's independence from Britain, it was metaphorically in many ways like the severance so many employees choose in favor of entrepreneurship. The entrepreneur no longer feels life within a corporation fits their idea of the kind of life they want. They are no longer satisfied with the status quo. They declare their independence from a steady paycheck and known way of living for the chance to live the life they choose.
As an entrepreneur you have the ability to shape your future through your own vision and hard work. You create your life by taking the risks and doing the tasks necessary to achieve your goals. The right to a life of your own choosing is the spirit of entrepreneurs, as is the ability to help shape and form better lives for others through your leadership and business.
Related: Use Entrepreneurship to Reinvent Yourself
Liberty.
Long days and working weekends are all part of the routine of an entrepreneur, and yet even with that demanding work schedule comes the liberty to arrange your day the way you like and to do the work you choose to perform. There's a freedom to entrepreneurism that is both immense and bewildering.
Sometimes all that freedom can feel overwhelming, even downright scary. Every choice and decision comes down to you and that requires a huge amount of responsibility and discipline. But when you can sever your old ways of being in favor of your calling as an entrepreneur, you'll also enjoy the incredible freedom of living the life of your own liberty.
The pursuit of happiness.
Even the founding fathers knew 238 years ago that people want and should have the right to pursue what their unique talents and skills are -- those things that make them both successful and happy.
The pursuit of happiness is a somewhat vague term the founding fathers declared that can mean many things from rights to property to pursuing employment and income. Ultimately, however, I believe it means the ability and right to live the life and create the work that makes you truly happy.
Related: 18 Things to Do Right Now to Be a Happier Small-Business Owner
Note: This article was originally published on July 4, 2014.
