Throughout the span of two World Wars and a world going through a repugnant, complex crisis, Winston Churchill served as the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Despite his failures as well as controversial standings on issues, Churchill resonated as one of the most influential, inspirational leaders of the 20th century. In our current world, we pay attention to political leaders such as Paul Ryan, Vladmir Putin, and John Boehner, yet we fail to appreciate and acknowledge the strength that past political leaders have held in shaping the mentality of individuals in our modern world.
Winston Churchill taught me resilience.
When he stated:"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts", it made me feel like I could do anything I wanted in this world, as long as I kept going. There are many points in my life that are defined by two extremely different locations:heaven and hell. Heaven can be defined as having two large ice cream cones from Kilwin's, whilst hell is dealing with a recent hospitalization, and recovering from it over time. Often times, are society has taught us to romanticize our times in hell, and to rely on those times as a form of excuse for growth both physically and spiritually. Winston, on the other hand, told me most famously:"If you're going through hell, keep going.", because there will always be a way out of almost anything.
Winston Churchill taught me to appreciate my self worth.
Whether it be as a joke or real life, I constantly say I hate myself. And I've said it enough times to know that it probably isn't true. Winston Churchill, taught me that "My tastes are simple: I am easily satisfied with the best.", to show that I deserve so much more than what I currently deal with. In academic life, I deserve to be in classes that make me happy. Geographically, I deserve to live in a home that makes me happy. Relationship wise, I deserve to be with a man who treats me right and appreciates me for me. Anything less than "the best" is deemed as not worth it. Therefore, we as a society ought to strive to be "the best" in all that we do, around people who truly make us feel like "the best".
It is 2017, and we care more about the Kardashians than political leaders who have enlightened us with the inspiration to carry on. I hope that you will "Never, never, never give in" (Winston Churchill) to the influences of "leaders" in this modern day world. Always remember-"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm."
I hope you find a leader that makes you want to change your attitude, your way of life, and makes you want to do more in a society that is slowly crumbling by the minute.