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Abraham Lincoln’s rise from the log cabin to the White House has inspired generations of Americans. Here are some tips from our 16th president on some of the virtues and ideals that will help you succeed in life.
work
Lincoln learned the value of work early on. He writes that his father acquired an ax when he was eight years old, and that by the age of twenty-three he was “almost always with the most convenient tools.”
He worked hard on what he wanted to do. As a budding politician, he went from farm to farm looking for votes. As a lawyer, he drove from court to court, pumping up his business and filing lawsuits.
Abraham Lincoln once said that America is a wonder of the world. that’s what he did.
A young schoolteacher once sent him a letter asking for advice. “Work, work, work is the main thing,” Lincoln wrote back.
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independence
Self-reliance was another virtue that Lincoln developed on the frontier. If you want to stay warm, chop your own firewood. He has learned to tap into his inner strength.
When he decided to study law, there was no law school for him to attend, so he obtained a standard textbook of the time, Blackstone’s Commentary on English Law, and sat on a tree stump. I studied until I learned. he became a lawyer.
He once said that the United States is a wonder of the world. that’s what he did.
majesty
Long before he became president, Lincoln had a reputation for integrity. When he was 24, the small general store he co-owned went bankrupt, leaving him in debt. He vowed to pay back even one yen. It took him several years, but he made it.
He became a successful lawyer because people knew he would treat them fairly. His colleagues and clients called him “Honest Abe”.
![abraham lincoln](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2018/09/640/320/Abraham_Lincoln_by_George_Peter_Alexander_Healy.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
abraham lincoln (whitehouse.gov)
“Resolve to be honest no matter what,” he advised young people considering a career in law.
ambition
Lincoln’s legal partner, William Herndon, said his ambition was “a little engine that never rests.” I also had the ambition to
“It is said that everyone has unique ambitions,” Lincoln wrote when first running for president. “There is nothing quite like being truly respected by your fellow men by presenting yourself in a way that deserves their respect.”
![Abraham Lincoln's early home in 19th-century Gentryville, Indiana.](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/02/640/320/GettyImages-463987801.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Abraham Lincoln’s early home in 19th-century Gentryville, Indiana. (Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)
As a young man living in Springfield, Illinois, he told his best friend Joshua Speed that he didn’t want to die until he did something to remind the world of him and make it a better place. Years later, as president, he told Speed that signing the Emancipation Proclamation was the fulfillment of that youthful ambition.
This day in history, February. Abraham Lincoln is born in Kentucky on December 12, 1809
willingness to learn
Lincoln had less than a year of schooling, but he loved learning. “My best friend is the one who gets the books,” he said, walking miles through the Indiana woods to get them.
While living on the frontier in Illinois, he realized he needed to learn more grammar to be a good speaker and writer. He walked several miles to get a textbook called “Kirkham’s Grammar.” result? Today we have the Gettysburg Address.
![Abraham Lincoln delivers his Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, as depicted in a painting by Fletcher C. Ransom.](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2019/02/640/320/Lincoln.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Abraham Lincoln delivers his Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, as depicted in a painting by Fletcher C. Ransom. (Library of Congress/Getty Images)
“On the issue of education, all I can say is that I see education as the most important issue we humans can tackle.”
Perseverance
Lincoln’s road to presidency was rocky. Although he achieved success, he also experienced setbacks. He lost his first election in the 1832 Illinois legislative election, but won a second try two years later, and was elected to Congress for four terms.
He served one term in Congress, but it was not particularly noteworthy. I thought he might be beaten as a politician when it was over. He lost two hard-fought Senate elections before being elected president.
![Abraham Lincoln is one of a series of seven debates on slavery with his rival Stephen Douglas in the Senate. (Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2020/09/640/320/GettyImages-513680463.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Abraham Lincoln is one of a series of seven debates on slavery with his rival Stephen Douglas in the Senate. (Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)
Along the way, he learned the value of perseverance and determination. “Always keep in mind that your own determination to succeed is more important than anything else,” he advised.
family and friends
Independence was key to Lincoln’s success, but so was his family and friends. On the frontier, the pioneer relied on his neighbors to build huts, build barns, and shell corn. Again and again, friends stepped forward to help Lincoln.
“I owe everything to this place and to the kindness of the people,” said Lincoln as he left Illinois for the White House in 1861.
![Mary Todd Lincoln](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2018/09/640/320/MTLincoln.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Marriage played a big part in Lincoln’s rise. Mary Todd Lincoln used to tell her friends, “Mr. Lincoln will one day be president.” She apparently believed it before he did, pushing him when he needed a nudge.
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blessing of freedom
Lincoln grew up with one of his greatest blessings: freedom. Life on the frontier in Lincoln’s youth was often difficult, but people generally did their best and lived freely. That’s what Lincoln did, and that’s the main reason he valued freedom.
It was also the main reason he hated slavery. Lincoln never lost his faith that the country he loved so much would live up to its promise of freedom. That’s why, as president, he called America “Earth’s last best hope.”
![Lincoln Memorial](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/12/640/320/DSC2240.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Lincoln Memorial (Fox News Photo/Joshua Cummins)
work. Independent. Majesty. ambition. Patience. Willingness to learn. family. community. love of country. blessing of freedom.
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These are some of the virtues and ideals that have made America great and improved the lives of millions.
Lincoln knew little about them. In honor of President’s Day, let’s remember the good they have done to him, raise them into youth, and celebrate together as a nation.
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