What Federal Employees Can Learn From the Failures of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln’s life story at a glance:

• Failed in Business – Bankruptcy, 1831

• Defeated for Legislature, 1832

• Sweetheart/Fiancee Dies, 1835

• Nervous Breakdown, 1836

• Defeated in Election, 1836

• Defeated for U.S. Congress, 1843

• Defeated again for U.S. Congress, 1846

• Defeated once again for U.S. Congress, 1848

• Defeated for U.S. Senate, 1855

• Defeated for U.S. Vice President, 1856

• Defeated again for U.S. Senate, 1858

• Elected President, 1860 (Success!)

As you can see, Abraham Lincoln failed at many things, but what is the one thing and I dare say the only thing you remember. Exactly, he was the 16th president of the United States. Here are a few more exciting facts:

He held office during the Civil War, which broke out on the eve of his inauguration, and he saw the nation restored to unity in 1865. In 1863, he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the Confederate states, and pressed for the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States. He was a brilliant orator whose famous speeches include the Gettysburg Address in 1863, honoring fallen soldiers of the Civil War. Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth five days after the end of the war.

How grateful are you that Abraham Lincoln did not give up early in life when he met with defeat. The world would not have known him. What a disappointment that would have been.

As federal employees we will be defeated and fail time and again. We may not get that promotion. We may be passed over for that assignment. But like our 16^th president, we do not give up.

Life is all about lessons. What lessons can you learn from your setbacks in life? What lessons can you learn from our 16^th president?

Looking for more inspiration, check out: http://careersavvyfed.com/52-ways-to-get-paid-more-promoted-faster/