In addition to a difficult childhood during which he lost his mother, Abraham Lincoln experienced depression throughout his life. In spite of his depression, which was poorly understood at the time, Lincoln managed to educate himself and enter a career in politics. Lincoln viewed his personal challenges as preparation for the dilemmas he faced while in office. Holiday argues that Lincoln’s previous hardships helped him develop patience, compassion, and a strong will, all of which were necessary to help him lead the US through the civil war. He claims that a strong will is a kind of “fortitude and wisdom” and is “the one thing that we control completely” (130). According to Holiday, by developing a strong inner will, people can protect themselves from the unpredictable nature of life and meet new challenges confidently.

Theodore Roosevelt overcame adversity in his childhood, such as severe asthma, through determination and effort. Holiday credits Roosevelt’s early challenges with helping him learn how to build up both physical and mental strength in tandem; he had to exercise to build his frail body into a strong one while also becoming more mentally resilient. Holiday claims that by enduring hardship people can build an