| Never give up! | | | | Re-elected to the Illinois Gen. Assembly, becoming |
| What type of person are you? How many times | | | | Whig floor leader (speaker) twice more at ages |
| do you have to be denied, come across a | | | | 29 and 31, but files for bankruptcy in the same |
| set-back, an obstacle or seemingly insurmountable | | | | year. Suffers another bought of depression. |
| odds for you to say "enough is enough, I've tried | | | | Unsuccessful in try for the Whig nomination for |
| my best but my best just isn't good enough"? | | | | U.S. Congress at age 34. |
| Once, twice... maybe three times? Yeah if you | | | | At 37, elected to the U.S. House of |
| stuck it out and got three rejections that's a | | | | Representatives |
| pretty good effort... don't you think? | | | | He then has a major down turn in his "luck" as |
| Let's look at the life of a man you've probably | | | | over the next 7 years he: loses re-nomination for |
| heard about and see if you think the same at the | | | | the senate, his father dies, his son dies, loses |
| end: | | | | running for the senate twice and is defeated for |
| At age 3 his younger brother dies | | | | vice-president. |
| Age 9 he is kicked in the head by a horse and | | | | But at the age of 52 Abraham Lincoln is elected |
| thought dead. Same year his mother dies. | | | | as the 16th President of the United States. |
| Does 'work for hire' for neighbors at the age of | | | | What does that tell you about persistence and |
| 16 to help support his family. | | | | unshakeable self-belief? |
| At age 19 his sister dies in childbirth. | | | | Many junctures in his life would have been |
| At age 23 the village store he works in goes | | | | justifiable for Abraham Lincoln to say "I've tried |
| broke. In the same year he is a losing candidate | | | | my best but it's just too hard", but he didn't. |
| for Illinois General Assembly. | | | | So when do you know enough is enough? |
| The next year his own grocery store business | | | | You really don't, but what you do know within |
| fails. | | | | yourself is that you are on the right path. |
| At 24 he is elected to the Illinois General | | | | If the goal is clear, keep your sight on it at all |
| Assembly. | | | | times. Through the good and the bad, know that |
| His love interest dies at age 26. | | | | you are heading in the right direction and will make |
| Re-elected to the Illinois Gen. Assembly at age 27, | | | | it in the end if you strive and make the effort. |
| but suffers severe depression at the end of that | | | | So next time things seems tough ask yourself |
| year then turned down in a marriage proposal at | | | | "what would Abe do? |
| age 28. | | | | |