A Tip of the Hat to Honest Abe

February 12th, 1809...

This may seem like any other day in the grand scheme of things, but it was a special day that we celebrate every year with its own holiday--President's Day. Why? Because it's Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

We all know him as the 16th President of the U.S.A., but he was so much more than just a person filling a seat in the oval office.

His 2 incredibly famous speeches have gone down as some of the best, if not, the best speeches given by a President to date.

1. The Gettysburg Address. We know the beginning of it, 'Four score and seven years ago', and that 'all men are created equal' but what is the rest? Well, here is a full transcript of it to read through at your leisure: The Gettysburg Address Full Transcript

Trust us, it's worth the read.

2. The Emancipation Proclamation. This is vitally important as it opened the door to ending slavery.

For a full transcript of it, head here: Emancipation Proclamation Transcript

In addition to these, it has been written that Lincoln's own experience with debilitating 'depression—melancholy' (as it was called then) probably contributed to his unique abilities as a leader. He came to embody the Stoic maxim: sustine et abstine, which means Bear and Forbear. Acknowledge the pain but keep on pushing forward, not allowing it to stop you from completing the task at hand.

It just goes to show that depression doesn't discriminate and can impact anyone, including the President of the United States. Something to think about...

He's also been credited with these 3 amazing quotes (and much more):

1. 'Whatever you are, be a good one'. It doesn't matter what or who you are--be the best version of that as you can be. You owe it to yourself and the world around you to do so.

2. 'My Best Friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read'. Not to be taken literally, we love this quote because it speaks to the idea of providing value through words and the recognition of how important that is.

3. 'Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.' So True! We can be our own best friend or own worst enemy--it all depends on what our outlook is on life.

So, with all of this said, let us tip our hat's to show respect for Honest Abe today.