Thomas Paine

 "What we obtain cheap, we esteem too lightly."

These were words written in a pamphlet entitled American Crisis way back in 1776 by a man named Thomas Paine.

Thomas Paine... a man considered by many to be one of the lowest profile of our founding fathers, a true American Patriot and one the greatest early American ideologists and writers. Thomas Paine inspired this post tonight. It's funny that I can convey my idea over this medium, an online blog, and yet for Thomas Payne in the 18th Century, they were using moveable type printing presses that took hours and hours of hard labor.

My writings will likely never have the impact of Thomas Paine's, and yet that inspires me. How did he reach tens of thousands of Americans and British during the American Revolution, and inspire so many, and yet I can only reach hundreds online? If he can do it, so can I.

And yet, almost 250 years later, his words still ring true. They spoke to me when I heard them. What we obtain cheap, we esteem too lightly. The literal interpretation is that we, as human beings, value to some degree expensive items. We all have our prized possessions that we secure, because so many of us do live in excess.

But Paine wasn't being literal with his theology. He was speaking to the American colonists, struggling through a cold winter, losing their war for Independence, close to the edge of giving up. His message was that if it was easy or "cheap" for us to get what we were after, what we wanted, we wouldn't savor it and value it as much. Fighting for something, overcoming the challenges, winning despite a superior opponent, paying the highest prices, these things give value to success.

We don't all always succeed. But I believe it's through the little failures that we learn to appreciate our victories. In modern day culture, we reference these same ideals. The game hasn't changed. Chris Brown has lyrics, "Work your own way to the top, because if they put you on a pedestal they can take you off." That's amazing to me, that these concepts transcend the ages. They keys to success are as old as time, it's amazing.

So, I hope that Thomas Paine's words speak to you as much as they speak to me. Life can be a struggle. But keep paying the price everyday. Fight, scrape, claw, prove yourself, sacrifice, promote your cause, stand up, sweat, bleed, cry, invest. It's not cheap. But for me, the thought of one day getting there makes it all worth it. I will always look back and appreciate the struggle.

No short shots tonight, but as always, thanks for reading. Share this post with your friends and family. Remember to wake up tomorrow and live in your own reality. Work to get better tomorrow. Keep fighting, keep climbing the hill.

- TP
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