We Won the War Didn't We?

When discouraged by the battles of everyday life remember—there's a war to be won.

As a young man I attended a lecture by World War II general Omar Bradley. He was weathered by age and frail compared to the old newsreels I had seen.

At the end of the lecture he opened the floor for questions. One man asked, "Of all the mistakes made by the Allies during the war, which one was the worst?"

The old solider stood up straight, his voice filled with the authority: "I don't know what you mean sir; we won the war didn't we?"

His simple answer drove home the point that any meaningful undertaking in life takes work, suffering and sacrifice. For the old general the work, suffering and sacrifice endured by the Allies saved the world from Nazi tyranny. The mistakes made along the way weren't important.

When your mistakes cause a setback in your life, take responsibility, learn how not to make the same mistake again, and move on. When discouraged by the battles of everyday life remember—there's a war to be won.