Happy New Year! From the Tennessee Valley to the Mobile Bay, millions of Alabamians are making New Year’s resolutions. We promise to eat better, work harder, or finally start that small business. But by the middle of February, most of those promises will be broken. Why? Because we are waiting for a date on a calendar to change our lives. Instead, we need to change our own minds.
To have a real "unchained year," we must understand two things: how to protect our freedom and how to use it.
The Battle of Two Ideas
In my book “Douglass vs. Marx,” I show that there is a battle for the American mind. One side (Marxism) wants you to be a victim, dependent on the government. The other side – the Douglass side – wants you to embrace your God-given rights.
Douglass knew that the most dangerous chains aren't made of iron; they are the mental chains of the lie that you can't succeed on your own. He proved that when you stop waiting for a "system" to save you, you become powerful.
Breaking the Mental Chains
Once you choose liberty over dependency, you must start the climb.
“Achievement begins when excuses end,” I note in “Unchained Ascent,” which explains how to rise and prosper once liberty is secured. “This is the best advice for anyone starting a New Year. If you are still making excuses for why you aren't where you want to be, you are still wearing 'mental chains.'”
Douglass lived by this rule. He famously said that we can explain success with one word: WORK! WORK!! WORK!!! WORK!!!! He didn't believe in luck. He believed that if you want to see a "crop" of success – whether on a farm in the Wiregrass or in a tech firm in the Rocket City – you must be the one planting the seeds.
Some people think being "self-made" is just a nice story. But for Douglass, it was a financial reality. When he died in 1895, he had a fortune that would be worth millions today. How does a man go from a slave cabin to an multi-million dollar legacy?
First, he defended his liberty, rejecting the Marxist-style dependency of his era.
Second, he mastered his character. He controlled his habits, so his habits didn't control him.
Finally, he embraced responsibility. He knew that if his life was going to change, he had to be the one to fix it.
Our Alabama New Year's Challenge
The problem with most New Year's resolutions is that they are about "getting." But Douglass taught us that success is about "becoming."
So stop waiting for permission. You already have God-given rights. Instead, start taking ownership. If your life isn't where you want it to be, look in the mirror. That is the only person who can fix it.
And finally, practice "the ascent." Every day, try to rise a little higher – spiritually, mentally and morally.
"I prayed for freedom twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs," is a variation of a quote often attributed to Douglass. Such a statement indicates that that we should ask for help, but we also better be moving while we do so.
This year can be the one in which you finally break your mental chains. But it won't happen just because it’s Jan. 1. It will happen because you decided that the excuses are over. Your liberty is the fuel, but your actions are the climb.
Welcome to the ascent.
KCarl Smith is the author of Frederick Douglass Republicans, Telling Conservatives the Truth, Douglass vs. Marx, and its companion guide, Unchained Ascent. A leading authority on the modern application of Frederick Douglass’ philosophy, KCarl equips audiences to turn God-given liberty into personal achievement. To book KCarl or find resources, visit the Frederick Douglass Republican Store.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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