Persistence = Lincoln

I was reminded of a good life lesson today in the book The Winners Manual by Coach Jim Tressel. It is about times when you feel like quitting. When you truly want something, you must never give up on it. President Abraham Lincoln is the true definition of persistence. Here is an excerpt from the book:

Whenever the going gets tough, encourage yourself with the following example of persistence:

• He failed in business in 1832
• He ran for the state legislature in 1832 and lost
• He tried business again in 1833 and failed
• His sweetheart died in 1835
• He had a nervous breakdown in 1836
• He ran for state elector in 1840, after he regained his health
• He was defeated for Congress in 1843, defeated again for Congress in 1848, defeated when he ran for Senate in 1855, and defeated for vice president of the United States in 1856
• He ran for the Senate again in 1858 and lost

Even after all his failures, this man refused to quit. He kept trying, until in 1860 he was elected President of the United States. By now you know that this man was Abraham Lincoln.

It is easy to get caught up in the "woe is me" attitude when things haven't gone the way you planned or wanted them to go. But chances are you haven't faced anything like Abraham Lincoln did, so take about 5 minutes to sulk, then GET OVER IT and TRY AGAIN!