--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From time to time, life as a leader can…" description: "\"From time to time, life as a leader can look hopeless. To help you, consider a man who lived through this: Failed in business at age 31. Defeated for t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/anonymous-1_age_from-time-to-time-life-as-a-leader-can-l_2562080.jpg" --- # From time to time, life as a leader can look hopeless. To… ![“From time to time, life as a leader can look hopeless. To help you, consider a man who lived through this: Failed in business at age 31. Defeated for the legislature at 32. Again failed in business at 34. Sweetheart died at 35. Had a nervous breakdown at 36. Defeated in election at 38. Defeated…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/anonymous-1_age_from-time-to-time-life-as-a-leader-can-l_2562080.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/anonymous-1_age_from-time-to-time-life-as-a-leader-can-l_2562080.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/anonymous-1_age_from-time-to-time-life-as-a-leader-can-l_2562080.jpg) > “From time to time, life as a leader can look hopeless. To help you, consider a man who lived through this: Failed in business at age 31. Defeated for the legislature at 32. Again failed in business at 34. Sweetheart died at 35. Had a nervous breakdown at 36. Defeated in election at 38. Defeated for Congress at 43. Defeated for Congress at 46. Defeated for Congress at 48. Defeated for Senate at 55. Defeated for Vice President at 56. Defeated for Senate at 58. Elected President at age 60. This man was Abraham Lincoln.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership often feels hopeless after repeated failures, yet perseverance can lead to ultimate success. **In simple terms:** Repeated setbacks can precede great achievement. Key Takeaway Persist despite setbacks. Themes perseverance leadership resilience Mood determined reflective Type inspirational historical When to use this quote - business ventures - political campaigns - personal loss - mental health - election races Key Concepts Historical perseverance political ambition Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to keep trying after many defeats? - How can you reframe failure as progress? A Different Perspective Success may still be distant despite effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Defeated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated/) [Defeated Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated-congress-1614960/) [Defeated Legislature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated-legislature-1614961/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-leader-1614959/) [Nervous breakdown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nervous-breakdown/) [President Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-age-896416/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-life/) [Vice president](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice-president/) ## Related quotes > [“At the age of  21 Lincoln failed in business... at age 22 he was defeated in a legislative race... at age 24 he failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-newton/at-the-age-of-21-lincoln-failed-in-business-at-age-22-he-was-defeated/) [Dave Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-newton/) > [If you want a safe, comfortable, easy life...be another flunky. If you want an extraordinary life, be a leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-a-safe-comfortable-easy-life-be-another-flunky-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thomas Jefferson once said. He said , "We should never judge a President by his age, only by his works." And ever since he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/thomas-jefferson-once-said-he-said-we-should-never-judge-a-president/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Thomas Jefferson once said, 'We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.' And ever since he told me that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/thomas-jefferson-once-said-we-should-never-judge-a-president-by-his/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I take mentoring very seriously. Even when I was a young girl I felt called in my life to be a leader. 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He was rejected for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lincoln-failed-in-business-he-failed-as-a-farmer-he-lost-running-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And then she started picking up trash behind the dumpster. It was ankle deep back there, blown in from all over the city to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-then-she-started-picking-up-trash-behind-the-dumpster-it-was/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One stifling summer afternoon last August, in the attic of a tiny stone house in Pennsylvania, I made a most interesting discovery: the shortest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-stifling-summer-afternoon-last-august-in-the-attic-of-a-tiny/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we don't learn lessons at the right time, life will teach us the same lessons at the wrong time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-we-don-t-learn-lessons-at-the-right-time-life-will-teach-us-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-now-there-was-never-a-time-when-your-life-was-not-now-nor/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. 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I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. 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