picture of poster hanging in Craig’s office
Thank You Mr. Lincoln For Your Lesson in Perseverance
He failed in business in ‘31
He was defeated for state legislature in ‘32
He tried another business is ’33. It failed
His fiancée died in ‘35
He had a nervous breakdown in ’36.
In ’43 he ran for congress and was defeated.
He tried again in ’48 and was defeated again.
He tried running for the senate in ’55. He lost.
The next year he ran for vice-president and lost.
In ‘59, he ran for the senate again and was defeated.
In 1860, the man who signed his name A Lincoln,
Was elected the 16th President of the United States.
The difference between history’s boldest accomplishments, and its most staggering failures is often, simply, the diligent will to persevere.
You Can’t Touch The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
Perseverance is one of my all time favorite words. And when Ira asked me to write a little piece on my Abraham Lincoln poster which I have in my office, I gladly accepted.
Perseverance is often the difference in business between those that succeed and those that do not. You can’t touch the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s too far away and the road is too long. You must travel the entire road, picking up valuable lessons along the way. The journey itself is as rewarding as the achievement of success, and the right journey will transform that success into a lasting legacy.
Here’s my business story on perseverance.
Perseverance is about picking yourself up every time you fall down.
It’s about starting a new business with the attitude that failure is simply not an option. You must succeed.
It’s about making the big presentation, acing it, not getting the account, and then trying even harder the next time around.
It’s about making a plan and sticking to it.
It’s about joining a group or organization, and then participating constantly.
It’s about networking, and constantly trying to connect other people without regard to their referrals back to you.
It’s about trying new things, failing, and then trying different new things.
Let me end with another presidential reference.
“A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.” – Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States
Craig Strent
Apex Home Loans, Inc.
www.apexhomeloans.com
Photography Source: Craig Strent photography of his perseverance poster
