Two people who made a big impression on me celebrated their birthdays today. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was born 144 years ago on November 30th, 1874. The author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, was born on the same day in 1835, 183 years ago.
Winston Churchill taught me that failure is the way. He said, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” He also reminded us that, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
The courage to continue.
Mark Twain reminded me to think outside the box when he said, “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” And he taught me that I have all I need when he said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
Another literary giant died on November 30th. Irish writer Oscar Wilde passed away 118 year ago today at 46… my age. He taught me about living with joy and authenticity when he said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” And, “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
All three of these game-changers are tied to this day. May we be inspired to make mistakes, embrace chances, take action, be ourselves and see the bright side. Today and every day, may we never forget to look at the stars.