It's a story of Abe Lincoln. I found it in Elder Marvin J. Ashton's talk "The Word is Commitment."
"Most of us who have ever heard of the great American leader Abraham Lincoln will recall what he said of his mother: “All that I am, all that I hope to be, I owe to my Angel mother.” But how many of us know what his mother’s last words to him were? They were “Be something, Abe.”
Aren't those simple terms, but, oh, so powerful? "Be something." I think it is interesting that she didn't say, "Be someone." She said, "Be something, Abe." There is a significant difference. In the dictionary someone is defined as "an unspecified person," while something is identified as "a person or thing of importance."
I love this because it shows that true happiness comes from becoming something. I've realized how much I really value accomplishment. I love to set goals and then try my hardest to accomplish them. Doesn't that just feel so good? It brings me so much happiness to know that I worked hard for something and lived up to my true potential. Running a half marathon, for example. I never pictured myself accomplishing something like that. When the opportunity came up, I realized it was something that I really wanted to do and that it would be a real challenge. So, I committed to it. The next thing I know i'm crossing the finish line. It's so important to be committed to everything we do. We can't become something without commitment.
Just one of my little life lessons :)
"To be a winner, all you need to give is all you have."
