A Story of Persistence

To those of you that have set out to accomplish great things in you life...if it doesn't happen the first time you try, never give up. Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way whether you win or lose. You will get to where you're supposed to be if you continue to try and don't let anything deter you from it. Here's a story about someone that never gave up....

"At the age of seven, a young boy and his family were forced out of their home. The boy had to work to support his family. At the age of nine, his mother passed away. When he grew up, the young man was keen to go to law school, but had no education.

At 22, he lost his job as a store clerk. At 23, he ran for state legislature and lost. The same year, he went into business. It failed, leaving him with a debt that took him 17 years to repay. At 27, he had a nervous breakdown.

Two years later, he tried for the post of speaker in his state legislature. He lost. At 31, he was defeated in his attempt to become an elector. By 35, he had been defeated twice while running for Congress. Finally, he did manage to secure a brief term in Congress, but at 39 he lost his re-election bid.

At 41, his four-year-old son died. At 42, he was rejected as a prospective land officer. At 45, he ran for the Senate and lost. Two years later, he lost the vice presidential nomination. At 49, he ran for Senate and lost again.

At 51, he was elected the President of the United States of America.

The man in question:



Abraham Lincoln."

Happy New Year!!!!!

Progression

the past
remains in my rear view
not to haunt
or
hinder me
but to
serve
as a reminder of
where I've been
in contrast to
where I am now

although
there's
still a lot of road
for me to travel
I
am grateful
for exactly where i am

all of
the trials i've encountered
have prepared me...
taught me...
built me up...
from my soul
outward...
so
with my
new-found strength
and my
will to persevere
I will
stand up and
make a joyful noise
so that everyone around me
can hear it
loudly and clearly
when I praise God
for all He's done for me

Happy New Year

from yours truly,

-Don Savant, Poet Extraordinaire

©2011 Don Savant