Lincoln’s Wisdom: A Legacy of Dignity
Abraham Lincoln's Lasting Lesson
Be Proud Of Your Work And Master Of Your Words!
On his first day in office as President, one man stood up when Abraham Lincoln began to deliver his inaugural address.
He was a wealthy Aristocrat.
He said, “Mr. Lincoln, you should not forget that your father used to make shoes for my family.” The whole Senate laughed, thinking they had made a fool of Lincoln.
But certain people are made of a different mettle.
Lincoln looked at the man directly into his eyes and said,
“Sir, I know that my father used to make shoes for your family, and many others here are beneficiaries of his work because he made shoes the way nobody else can.
He was a creator. His shoes were not just shoes; he poured his soul into them.
I want to ask you if you have any complaints because I know how to make shoes myself.
I can make you another pair of shoes if you have any complaints.
But as far as I know, nobody has ever complained about my father’s shoes. He was a genius.
I am proud of my father and his work.”
The whole Senate was struck dumb. They could not understand what kind of man Abraham Lincoln was.
He was proud because his father did his job so well that no complaint had ever been heard.
Remember, “No one can hurt you without your consent.”
What happens to us does not hurt us; instead, it is our response that hurts us.
Let us do good in the world and be proud of every job done. Let us be a captain of our fate and a master of our words.
