Abe Lincoln Never Gave Up & Was "Enough" - And You Are Too!

0:00 This is Growing Uncomfortable, the podcast that explores techniques that will improve your life. Growing Uncomfortable with Stephanie Lee starts right now. Now, Hello, this is Stephanie and this is Growing Uncomfortable. Hey, you know what, I am growing uncomfortable every day and every way, and I want that for you too. Get out of that comfortable situation that you hate and get a little uncomfortable, grow a little uncomfortable so that you can get the results you want. And that is what I want for you. If you are a new listener here at Growing Uncomfortable, I want to welcome you and thank you so much for tuning in. It means the world to me. I hope that you enjoy this podcast and this episode. So now everybody, sit back, relax, listen, and enjoy this episode on not giving up and being enough. Hey, let me ask you. Do you feel disappointed, frustrated, or defeated by the way things are right now in the United States, in your job, with your children, or with life in general. And do you at times ever feel like giving up or feel like saying that's enough, I give up. Well, I have a little story about me that happened that's kind of like that you see. Back

1:31 in twenty eleven, I was in a terrible spot. I had a terrible shoulder injury and couldn't do anything without being in pain. That included working out, that included walking around, It included doing work, doing all kinds of things. One day, I remember walking from the CBS pharmacy to my car and I was in extreme pain. I shouted at the top of my lungs, I give up, and I meant it. My life as I knew it was over and I had had enough for the next year. I retreated to an armchair that was in the living room, where I sat for the most part of every day. At the time, I never thought about pushing through the pain, or trying to make it better, or getting help. I only knew.

2:25 I woke up in pain, couldn't do anything all day, and went to bed in pain. Finally, after many months in agony, the horrible situation wasn't getting better, so the solution was actually surgery. There was a doctor, believe it or not, three doors down from where I lived, and he saved my life. He gave me a new life. After that surgery, I wrote a book, I got a speaking gig. I on my way out of a terrible relationship, and I started to travel to podcast conferences and to self development conferences all over. I began to see myself as more than enough and I was never again going to give up. So now you're going to hear one of the greatest stories of perseverance in overcoming defeat in American history. This story, I'm going to tell you will not only bring you hope and inspiration, but also the courage to keep going in the face of difficulties. There is a saying it's always darkest before the dawn. This quote is by Thomas Fuller, and it means that whatever that is always seems the worst right before it improves.

3:52 We all will have a joyful life when we overcome difficulties and hard times where we all feel like calling it quits and giving up. Do you know who it was in American history who never gave up? Abraham Lincoln. Americans have President Abraham Lincoln to thank for never giving up. He is not just anything. He is not just the sixteenth President of the United States. He is not just a statue in Washington, d c. He is not just a politician. He served our country as best as he knew how And that is the key. Even though he had been defeated time and time again, he had the tenacity to keep coming back because he believed that he could make a difference in the country. He would not accept being just enough, and he never gave up. Let me tell you a bit more about good old Abraham Lincoln. Well, Abraham Lincoln lost eight elections before becoming the sixteenth President of the United States. Did you know that? Oh? It's so true. But here are only a few of Lincoln's most notable defeats. Well. In eighteen thirty two, he ran for a seat in the Illinois State Legislature and lost, but two years later he won and was re elected

5:23 three times. In eighteen thirty eight, he aspired to become Speaker of the state legislature and lost. In eighteen forty he sought to become an elector in the Electoral College and lost. In eighteen forty three, he ran for the House of Representatives and lost, but when he ran again in eighteen forty six, he won. In eighteen fifty four, he ran for the US Senate and lost. In eighteen fifty six, he sought the vice presidential nomination for his party at the National Convention and got fewer than one hundred votes. In eighteen fifty eight, he ran for the U. S.

6:08 Senate again and lost again. Finally, finally, he ran for president in eighteen sixty and he won, and the rest is history. Well. President Lincoln was a private citizen, not a career politician, but he had something within him, a spark, a tenacious attitude to keep going, never giving up, even though plenty of friends, colleagues, and pundits said he should. Abraham Lincoln kept loyal to his ideals, his beliefs, and his vision for America. What if he had stopped after his first defeat, and what if you stop after your first defeat? What if he had said, Okay, that was interesting, but I give up. I've had an enough. You know what.

7:02 Lincoln believed in himself, and you must believe in yourself. Lincoln never accepted giving up or being note enough, and neither will we. You and I. Lincoln, like most of us, inventors, the entrepreneurs, the self employed, the uneducated, the still married but wanting a divorce, the person that is re entering the job market, et cetera, et cetera, whatever you consider your lot in life to be will no longer accept the concept of having an unattainable dream, desire, or result. We will no longer have the attitude of giving up tenacity and the drive to make it through what is called the quote unquote terror barrier is our new way.

7:50 But what is the terror barrier? This might be a new concept for some of you, but believe me, it's as old as a blinkin and I do believe it's older than Abe Lincoln. It is your willingness to move ahead with your actions, and so you do, despite the inner voice that screams you're not enough, You don't deserve this give up. But the only problem is that you get to a certain point where, because you are trying new things and getting out of your comfortable situation that you don't like, you get terrified. Thus the name terror barrier.

8:36 And what happens when you reach that terror barrier You fall completely back into your comfortable situation that you hate, and you are terrified to move ahead. We, you and me and everybody else that's listening here cannot and must not be afraid. We, like good old Abe Lincoln, I just gave you the story. Must move on up that hill through the terror barrier if we are to get to our results. That's the truth. He had a terror barrier as well. He could have given up, that is the big takeaway, but he didn't. He had a presidency with a lot of success. You must, like a Blincoln, know that there is nothing that is impossible. That's my motto and I use it when I run into a terror barrier. Believe you are smart enough, resourceful enough, powerful enough, likable enough, hard working enough, capable enough, worthy enough, You are enough. An affirmation along the lines of I am enough or I am blank enough, like I am strong enough is a great idea. After all I have always said, and I have witnessed with others and experienced it for myself.

10:06 Affirmations otherwise known as repetitions or auto suggestion, is a powerful tool to get you past that dreaded terror barrier. But it does take not giving into that terror barrier and saying yes, I am enough. And it is an uphill battle, but with the smallest amount of effort, like an affirmation, you will eventually see the results you want. So, like Abe Lincoln, you must really want it. And here's the caveat Are you ready for it? Are you sitting down It might not happen right away, but guess what, continue on because now you know that you will not give up and that you are enough. So don't give up because you are still fast enough, you are determined enough, you are persistent enough, you are relentless enough to get everything you want, any result you want. Be like many, many people all over the world who proclaimed consciously that they are not giving up and that they and you and me are indeed enough. If you enjoyed this episode of Growing Uncomfortable, that's great. Go to Growing Uncomfortable dot com to get to all my episodes, my social media links,

11:37 and there's a little bio on me. If you're wondering what I'm all about, my email address is Growing Uncomfortable at gmail dot com. And you know what, if you've enjoyed Growing Uncomfortable, you may very well enjoy Talktails and Trivia, my second podcast. Go to talktalesintrivia dot com to get to all my episodes, social media links, and that buyo on me is there if you're wondering what I'm allbat. But also don't forget that you can subscribe for free subscribing to Growing Uncomfortable and Talk Tales and trivia. It gives you the notifications of when new episodes come out, and that is so cool and I want that for you. But let me tell you there are plenty of resources on the internet about Lincoln. Some of them will be in the show notes if you would like to follow up on anything that I'm talking about here on this episode. Hey, you know what, I got to get out of here, but I will see you next time. I'm growing uncomfortable, Okay, bye bye,