By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea that will inspire you to prevail in tough times.

Woe is me! You hear that lament a lot these days. The Pity Party is alive and well and threatens to rob you and me of our spirit, our conviction, our hope -in essence our leadership.

Not so fast Pity Mouth! Let’s scan the history books to recall how other leaders prevailed in tough circumstances, in times of illness or injury. Let’s rekindle our fortitude in frustrating times.

Whenever I’m tempted to attend the Pity Party, I think of Patty Duke playing Helen Keller in the Broadway play and later in the movie The Miracle Worker. What an amazing portrayal on screen and on the Broadway stage of a truly inspiring life. Helen Keller turned her personal adversity into a personal triumph. Consider the facts:

1. As a two-year-old, Helen Keller lost her sight and hearing.
2. By age seven, Helen Keller could not see, hear or speak.
3. By age 25, Helen Keller spoke English, French and German. She read Latin and Greek and she graduated with honors from Radcliffe College (in four years).
4. Still blind and deaf, Helen Keller became the first woman to earn at Honorary degree at Harvard University.
5. Helen Keller went on to write 12 books.
6. Helen Keller became an accomplished public speaker for nearly 50 years.

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