What I learned this morning: Abraham Lincoln was slandered, libeled, and hated perhaps more intensely than any man ever to run for the nations highest office. He was publicly called just about every name imaginable by the press of the day, including a grotesque baboon, a third-rate country lawyer who once split rails and now splits the Union, a course vulgar joker, a dictator, an ape, a buffoon, and others. The Illinois State Register labeled him the craftiest and most dishonest politician that ever disgraced an office in America.... Severe and unjust criticism did not subside after Lincoln took the oath of office, nor did it come only from Southern sympathizers. It came from within the Union itself, from Congress, from some factions within the Republican party and initially, from within his own cabinet. But through it all, Lincoln was a man of principle.He once stated, When I lay down the reins of this administration, I want to have one friend left. And that friend is inside myself. Yes, INTEGRITY was Lincolns best friend while he was in office because he was criticized so viciously. Anytime you compromise your integrity, you do yourself an incredible amount of damage. Thats because integrity is really your best friend. It will never betray you or put you in a compromising position. It keeps your priorities right. When you are tempted to take shortcuts, it helps you stay the right course. When others criticize you unfairly, it helps you keep going and take the high road of not striking back. And when others criticism is valid, integrity helps you accept what they say, learn from it, and keep growing. Remember, Many succeed momentarily by what they know; Some succeed temporarily by what they do; BUT Few succeed permanently by what they are. The road of integrity may not be the easiest one, but its the only one that will get you where you ultimately want to go. ~Excerpts from How to Influence People by John C. Maxwell
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 12:38:36 +0000