"ON BEING DISCOURAGED"

Ever get discouraged?

The next time discouragement hits you, remember the case of one young man of limited background, possessing little more than a self-administered education.

Upon completion of military service, he decided to enter politics by running for a seat in the state legislature. He was soundly defeated.

He retired from politics to try his hand at the storekeeper's trade. The store went bankrupt, and he spent the next 17 years of his life paying off his debts.

He fell in love with a young woman...and suffered the heartbreaking experience of watching her die from typhoid fever.

He again entered politics, this time as a candidate for Congress. He was elected by a narrow margin, but when he ran for re-election, was defeated.

He sought a position with the United States land office. He failed to get the job.

He became a candidate for the United States Senate -- and was defeated.

He was nominated for the Vice Presidency at the Presidential convention of a major political party. He lost to a political unknown on the final ballot.

Running again for the Senate, he waged a campaign which captured the attention of the nation, but which netted him only defeat.

You might say, this was a man who had a right to feel discouraged. But he did not dwell upon failure and defeat.

Instead, he continued to dedicate himself to the ideals and principles in which he believed.

His eventual reward is familiar to everyone. For Abraham Lincoln, although often discouraged during his lifetime, attained undying fame: He led the United States through one of our darkest hours, a time when many were convinced our country would not survive through.

President Abraham Lincoln
1865

© 1961 By Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. Los Angeles, California

Recipient of 8 "Excellence in Media" Angel Awards