Honored to connect with Ambassador Bill Burns, a statesman who brought decency and dignity to the practice of diplomacy โ and carried those same values with him as Director of the CIA. One of the greatest American diplomats of the modern era, he has masterfully bridged diplomacy and intelligence, earning bipartisan respect while remaining as humble as ever. A reminder that one can be both kind and effective.
๐
๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐. It’s not just a right – it’s the ability to ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐.
In the ๐.๐. (๐
๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐๐๐):
“Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble…”
This protection is ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ.
๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง (๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐):
“Freedom of assembly and association as well as speech, press and all other forms of expression are guaranteed. No censorship shall be maintained…”
This guarantee ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐.
Across cultures, the ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ค, ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง is more than a legal principle โ ๐ข๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ. Free speech is how ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ, ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐.
Don’t spend your life chasing someone else’s dreams. Go after yours!
It is natural for people to want to lead a life of comfort and ease. Most people do not seek out hardship for hardship’s sake. Hardship is difficult and often painful. However, it leads to growth. No hardship, no growth. No growth, no fruit. A successful life, therefore, is not a life without hardship. It is one with hardship. Success dies with the person. The fruit you bear, however, lasts even after you’re gone. Now that’s the kind of legacy worth leaving, a generational one. Each of us decides our own legacy. Don’t wait to make yours.
Throw away laziness like seeds from a summer watermelon, you don’t need it!
