With President’s Day rapidly approaching, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some famous presidential quotes for inspiration.  After searching Google for a while, I came up with three favorites, all of which have practical application in business and life for all of us….

“My Great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” Abraham Lincoln

Starting a business, and running a business can be rough work.  Challenges abound and failure is more common than you may have anticipated going in.  According to the SBA, something like 30% of new small businesses with at least one employee fail within the first 2 years, and by the five year point, about half of the businesses will have closed their doors.  It takes perseverance and a willingness to start over after failure in order to succeed.  And speaking of perseverance…

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.  The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Calvin Coolidge

If you started a business to follow a dream, keep this thought front of mind.  Nothing can prepare a person for the stresses, disappointments (and fortunately successes and validation) that running a business of your own can bring.

My final selection feels especially timely in these, the first timid days of optimism following the recession:

“In the emerging global economy, everything is mobile: capital, factories, even entire industries. The only resource that's really rooted in a nation--and the ultimate source of all its wealth--is its people.” Bill Clinton

Americans are made of some incredibly stern stuff.  Our capacity for innovation has always made us a great nation.  Let’s celebrate our presidents on Monday, but let’s celebrate ourselves as well.