Tell Me Who This Is

***** ****** didn't find a career until late in life. He didn't marry until well
into his thirties, and before that he tried a variety of jobs and ventures,
including farming and selling men's clothing. His clothing store went
bankrupt and he referred to himself as a 'failed haberdasher' for the rest
of his life. Because of poor eyesight, he barely made it into the Army, but
served with distinction and courage in World War I. In his 40's and 50's he
drifted into politics and served as a county commissioner, mainly dealing
with road repair.
"He never had money and he and his wife spend most of their married life
living upstairs in his mother-in-law's home. When he was elected to the U.S.
Senate, he was seen as a party hack and given little respect. In 19#4,
******* ******* selected him to run for **** ******** after the 'better'
candidates were all rejected. ***** thought so little of him, they never had a
serious conversation and ****** was told nothing about the **** ***** until
several days after he was sworn in as the new *******.
"And yet this 'common man' is often viewed as one of the greatest ********
of the 20th century. How can this be? *** himself often said that there
'are probably a million people more qualified than me to be *********, but
I'm the one with the job, and I'll do my best.' Throughout his life, he was
always known for doing his best, and often astonished people by exceeding
their expectations. Here are some of my observations about how he did it.
1. First, he out-worked everyone around him. **** rarely got to work before
10:00 AM, but ****** was usually up by 5:30 and worked all day long. In his
first days as *********, the change caught the White House staff off-guard.
From the butlers to members of the Cabinet, they had never seen anyone who
worked so hard and demanded such from them. One key to his amazing success
was simple hard work.
2. Second, he was decisive. Where **** delayed and avoided decisions, *******
listened to advice, read the reports, made decisions promptly, and once they
were made, he rarely changed his mind. He made bold decisions and once made,
he knew how to hold a steady course.
3. Third, his personal integrity was beyond reproach. At the Potsdam
Conference after the war, he went into Berlin and a staffer suggested they
could go drinking or get some 'women of easy virtue,' to which ******* coldly
responded that he loved his wife and didn't mess around on her. He kicked
the staffer out of his car and never spoke to him again.
4. Fourth, he knew the value of loyalty. He was famous for his life-long
friendships and personal warmth. He knew the names of staffers in the White
House, and remembered their families. When members of his staff came under
political fire, he ignored the newspapers and kept his team together.
5. Fifth and most important, he knew who he was. In the face of enormous
pressures and criticism, ****** knew his goals and purposes, remained firm
in his beliefs and seldom wavered. He had enormous personal courage and
quiet confidence in his own judgment.
"Sooner or later, life confronts each of us with problems that seem beyond
our abilities and asks us to meet them anyway. Whether from illness or
business gone bad, or in some other form, eventually we must dig deep to see
what we are made of. These 'impossible' challenges reveal our character and
give us the opportunity to surprise ourselves. ******** ****** did it, and
so can we."
Finally remember, 1 John 4:4 (KJV) Ye are of God, little children, and have
overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the
world.