Monday, February 12, 1996

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was born on this day in 1809. He was one of the greatest leaders the world has known, and there are many things we can learn from his life.

First on the list is persistence. A look at Lincoln’s life finds that he:

Failed in business at age 21
Was defeated in a legislative race at age 22
Failed again in business at age 24
Overcame the death of his sweetheart at age 26
Had a nervous breakdown at age 27
Lost a congressional race at age 34
Lost a congressional race at age 36
Lost a senatorial race at age 45
Failed in an effort to become vice-president at age 47
Lost a senatorial race at age 49
Was elected President of the United States at age 52

Once he was elected President he faced the challenge of a nation at war with itself. Lincoln was not a leader when he took office. He was tempered by the enormous challenge set before him, and rose to the occasion to become a great leader.

The life of Abraham Lincoln shows us what is possible, even in the continual face of adversity. Lincoln teaches us that there is no such thing as failure, and how we can excel by meeting challenges head on.

— Ralph Marston

If only . . .

Copyright ©1996 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.