As America celebrates its Independence Day this weekend, we wanted to reflect on group of people who had the foresight and leadership to shape the nation: our Founding Fathers. These political leaders and statesmen were passionate, dedicated and innovative—qualities we still value today in our leaders.

And while most of us will celebrate by firing up the grill and watching fireworks light up the sky, we wanted to leave you with these inspirational words from some of the brightest minds in our history.

There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.

John Adams, the second president of the United States, knows how important a well-rounded education can be. Work shouldn’t consume all of our time and energy; sometimes you have to put just as much effort and dedication to enjoying life as well.

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

Benjamin Franklin was the Renaissance man of his time—a scientist, inventor, activist, politician, author, and so much more. The key to his success: preparation. Plan to succeed and you'll find that it's much easier to accomplish your goals!

“Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.”

Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the Treasury, was responsible for creating the nation’s financial system. He valued integrity above all things, a noble and rare quality, especially among people who work so closely with money.

I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.

Thomas Jefferson, primary author of the Declaration of Independence, was no stranger to hard work. During his presidency, he doubled the size of the United States. Sometimes success is all about working hard so that you can capitalize on lucky opportunities when they come along.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!