Be Ready When it Comes

"I will prepare and some day my chance will come."
- Abraham Lincoln
(1809-1865) Former President of the United States

Every person on the road to success has faced a time when they feel that nothing is working for them.  They have done all they know to do, yet they have not achieved the success they seek.  For some, this battle goes on for years.  Take the example of one of the greatest Presidents in the history of America, Abraham Lincoln.
1816: His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
1818: His mother died.
1831: Failed in business.
1832: Ran for state legislature - lost.
1832: Also lost his job - wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in.
1833: Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
1834: Ran for state legislature again - won.
1835: Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
1836: Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
1838: Sought to become speaker of the state legislature - defeated.
1840: Sought to become elector - defeated.
1843: Ran for Congress - lost.
1846: Ran for Congress again - this time he won - went to Washington and did a good job.
1848: Ran for re-election to Congress - lost.
1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state - rejected.
1854: Ran for Senate of the United States - lost.
1856: Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party’s national convention - got less than 100 votes.
1858: Ran for U.S. Senate again - again he lost.
1860: On the 6th of November, he was elected president of the United States.

                Like many of you, Lincoln knew what he was born to do - lead.  No matter how many times he lost on the outside, on the inside he knew his destiny and refused to accept anything less.  For the success-minded person, this is the life you must build in yourself.  Know what you were created to do, go for it, and never accept anything less.

                Most people who suffer failure in their lives and never achieve their dreams do not fail because they could not make it, they fail because they give up.  It is always the ones who quit that suffer the loss.  Those who keep fighting; keep coming back each and every time, are the ones that achieve their dreams in life.  The great Thomas A. Edison said, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."

                Success-minded people not only succeed, they make sure they are ready to succeed.  Learn from each failure or challenge you face.  Grown and develop personally from your life experience.  Never give in to self-pity, negative thinking or laziness.  Every day when you start off, start with the determination that TODAY will be your day!  Today you will achieve your dreams and be ready for that to happen.  You never know when your day will come, so simply decide that every day will be that day.
 

To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

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