Why do we have this very human need to honor those who have served before us?

Lest you think I’m just talking about our civic culture, I’m not. I see this need also in companies and other organizations.

It’s a need we shouldn’t ignore in our efforts to constantly be looking forward.

Designing a better future is great, especially since we can’t change the past. And we get to that better future by taking action in the present.

Honoring the past, and those who made a contribution, is important because it helps us realize that our actions DO make a difference. I don’t want a statue of me to be erected in the town square, but I do want to know that what I do matters. That I made a difference in my little corner of the world.

That’s why it’s important to recognize those who have served before us, in ways large and small. It inspires us to have the courage to do something important today.

And realize that the obstacles I face are largely temporary, and smaller than I currently think.

Maybe those obstacles are just an illusion.