When Britain's great Prime¹ Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, was young, he attended a public school called Harrow. He was not a good student, and as matter of fact, had he not been the son of a famous leader, he probably would have been thrown out of the school for his offences. However, he completed his work at Harrow, went on to the University, and then had a successful career in the British Army, touring both Africa and India. He later was elected prime minister and brought great courage to Britain though his speeches and other work during the dark days of World War II.

 

Toward² the very end of his period as prime minister, he was invited to address the young boys at his old school, Harrow. In announcing the coming of their great leader, the headmaster said, "Young gentlemen, the greatest speaker of our time, our prime minister, will be here in a few days to address you, and you should obey whatever sound advice he may give you at that time."

 

The great day arrived, and the prime minister appeared at Harrow. After being introduced, Sir Winston stood up - all five feet, five inches and 107 kilos of him! He gave this short but moving speech: "Young men, never give up. Never give up! Never give up! Never, never, never, never! "

 

Personal history, education, situation - none of these can hold back a strong spirit. Think, for example, of Abraham Lincoln, who was elected president of the United⁴ States in 1860. He grew up on a small farm at what was then the edge⁵ of the settled⁶ part of the United States. He had only one year of regular education. In those early years, his family hardly had a penny⁷ and he only read about half a dozen books. In 1832 he lost his job and was defeated when he tried to get elected to the Illinois government. In 1833 he failed in business. In 1834 he was elected to the state government, but in 1835 the woman he loved died. In 1838 he was defeated when he tried to become a leader in the Illinois government, and in 1843 he was defeated when he tried to enter the U.S. Congress⁸. In 1846 he was elected to Congress but in 1848 lost a second election⁹ and was forced out. In 1849 he was refused a job with the national government, and in 1854 he was defeated for the U.S. Senate¹⁰. In 1856 he was defeated in the election for vice³ president, and in 1858 he was again defeated for the Senate.

 

Many people consider Lincoln to be the greatest president of all time. Yet it should be remembered how many failures and defeats marked his early life.

 

Some of the world's greatest men and women have met huge problems and difficulties¹¹ at some time in their lives, but have gone on to do great deeds.

 

Lock him in a damp prison, and you have a John Bunyan.

 

Bury him in the snows of Valley Forge¹², and you have a George Washington¹³.

 

Make a musical genius unable to hear, and you have a Ludwig van Beethoven.

 

Have him born black in a society filled with bitter¹⁴ hate between races, and you have a Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Have him born of parents who survived a Nazi¹⁵ death camp, destroy his ability to walk when he is four, and you have the concert violin player, Itzhak Perlman.

 

Call him slow to learn, and write him off as stupid, and you have an Albert Einstein.

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