“History shows us what courage looks like; art reminds us why it’s worth it.” — Unknown
This week, I had one of those rare experiences that stays with you long after the moment ends, the kind that shifts your breathing, settles something in you, and wakes something up at the same time. It reminded me how important it is to pause and practice gratitude for history and art, and the way both shape our understanding of what it means to be human.
I spent the beginning of the week in Philadelphia. Since I arrived early for my program, I gave myself the gift of a long, unhurried walk through the heart of the city. The weather was perfect – crisp but gentle, the kind that invites you to wander instead of rush. So I wandered.
Within a mile of my hotel stood Independence Hall, and off I went. I stood before the Liberty Bell, walked through Washington Square to the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier, and stood among the graves of five signers of the Declaration of Independence, including Benjamin Franklin.
It’s impossible to stand in places like that and not feel the weight of what happened there. The courage it took. The risk. The vision to imagine a country that didn’t yet exist and then commit to it anyway. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t theatrical. It was steady, deliberate, human courage.
I didn’t expect it to hit me like it did, but it did. Hard.
Those moments forced me to pause, breathe, and appreciate the people who came before us. People who had no guarantees. No playbook. No blueprint except belief. That’s the part of history I’m most grateful for: the reminder that courage isn’t loud or showy; it’s often quiet, costly, and breathtakingly brave.
The Unexpected Beauty Just Around the Corner
After being immersed in history, I kept walking, and stumbled into something completely different.
Just a few blocks away sits The Dream Garden in the Curtis Publishing Building, a massive Tiffany glass mosaic designed by Maxfield Parrish. Light. Color. Imagination. A full wall of art that feels like it’s breathing.
One moment, I was honoring sacrifice.
The next, I was celebrating creation.
Both built by human hands.
Both born from hope.
This contrast – courage and creativity – struck me deeply. And it reminded me why gratitude for history and art matters so much. History teaches us where we come from. Art reminds us where we can go. Together, they create a fuller picture of who we are.
Leadership is the same way.
You need courage to make the decisions that matter.
And imagination to create the future those decisions lead to.
Why This Matters for Our Lives Today
We get caught in the speed of work and life. We forget to step into spaces that inspire us, challenge us, or reconnect us to something bigger than our own to-do list.
But standing in front of the Liberty Bell did something to me.
Standing in front of the Dream Garden did something too.
Both told the truth in different languages.
History said: “Remember what this cost.”
Art said: “Imagine what’s still possible.”
Both messages are worth hearing. Both matter. And both are anchors in a world that moves too fast and asks too much.
A Question for You
Where have you stood that reminded you how much one day or one place can hold?
A battlefield.
A museum.
A hometown street.
A classroom.
A worksite from your early career.
Sometimes the places we stand end up standing inside of us. If you’d like more reflections on gratitude, leadership, and connection, explore my preview videos.
