A few weeks ago, Ross Perot Jr. joined me and the Spirit of America team during our annual Team Week. It is the week each year when the entire Spirit of America team, coming from around the world, gets together. Ross offered great insight, encouragement, and advice. We talked a lot about Spirit of America’s entrepreneurial operations and what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur. Ross emphasized “you have to win every day.”

Ross’s great advice led me to reflect on a big ongoing question: Is America exceptional?

The idea of America, and the service of those who have defended it, have led to freedom, peace, and prosperity unprecedented in human history. That is exceptional. Absolutely. No doubt.

But what about today? America’s values and ideals are exceptional. They always will be. But we Americans need to earn exceptional every day. We need to win every day. Winning every day is hard work. It is hard work done by generations of Americans to secure our liberty, live up to our founding values, and work toward a more perfect union.

Tomorrow is the 249th anniversary of our beloved America. We get to pause the hard work. We get to celebrate the things that make America exceptional. We get to rejoice in the miracle of the idea of America. I love it.

On behalf of all of us at Spirit of America, my very best to you and yours for a joyous celebration of America and the sacrifices of those who came before us that give us the opportunity to be exceptional.

Jim Hake
Founder & CEO

PS: What America stands for is not only exceptional, it is beautiful. I think you might enjoy this Ray Charles rendition of “America the Beautiful.”