1. Abraham Lincoln experienced many failures and defeats early in his career such as losing his job, failing in business, and losing several elections. 2. He lost contests for speaker of the legislature, nomination for a political party, land officer position, Senate seats twice, and vice presidency before being elected President of the United States two years later. 3. The document discusses various examples of successful people who overcame difficulties and disabilities to achieve great things, such as Beethoven, Demosthenes, Einstein, and Helen Keller.