"My dream is of a place and time where America will once again be seen as the last great hope of Earth."
– Abraham Lincoln

On this 4th of July, let us remove our focus from the fear, mean-spiritedness and ugliness that infects too much of this nation these days and fix our eyes, hearts and minds instead on its potential – our potential – for hope, optimism, compassion and resilience.

However challenging the journey may seem, it is those qualities – our qualities – that will restore true greatness. For true greatness, whether it be in an individual or in a nation, always comes from the heart.

Photo: I shot this image on a Lake Powell boat tour a few years ago and only just now noticed that the flag is a bit frayed at the edges. Yet the light still shines through it...