…carry on

…carry on If you’re looking for motivation this Monday, crusaders, then you need look no further than Winston Churchill, which seems only right, as today we celebrate National Winston Churchill Day.

I know you’re probably thinking, why are you celebrating what must certainly be a British holiday? Well, firstly, why not? And, secondly, Winston Churchill day is actually an American day of recognition.

On April 9, 1963, President Kennedy made Winston Churchill an Honorary Citizen of the United States. He was the first to receive the honor. Others have included Mother Teresa and the Marquis de Lafayette (post-mortem).

But as I was saying, if you’re looking for motivation this Monday, there’s plenty to be gained from Churchill, a man practically synonymous with the sentiment of keeping calm and carrying on.

That phrase, of course, was not actually a Winston Churchill quote, but then again, he probably said it…at some point…given that the phrase actually comes from a famous WWII poster.

The bolstering sentiment has of course since gone on to be adapted for more occasions than you could possibly imagine, and Winston Churchill has gone on to be attributed as saying a library’s worth of truly remarkable quotes he (probably) didn’t actually say, like this one…

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

Not Winston Churchill (probably)

Or this one…

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

Also Not Winston Churchill (probably)

And I’m a particular fan of the value this one places on knowing our history…

“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see.”

Still Not Winston Churchill (probably)

But he did say this…

“The longer you can look back, the farther you can look forward.”

Winston Churchill

So, this Monday there’s plenty of wisdom to be drawn from this great man who accomplished extraordinary things. Just always remember and never forget…