Embracing the Franklin Spirit:
Lessons in Persistence, Self- Improvement, and Influence for Modern Entrepreneurs
By Don Miller
background. In fact, his family was lower middle-class at best. Still, his father, Josiah, ingrained in Benjamin the morals and spirit of hard work that motivated him throughout his life. Josiah was born to a blacksmith in England and naturally took up his father’s trade. Upon arriving in the New World at age 25, Josiah found that supply had already met demand in the smithing business. He wasted no time in switching vocations to a very different medium – working in tallow (or animal fat), from which he made candles and soaps. Comparably, Benjamin became a true Renaissance man and a Bellwether who assumed various trades and business ventures as opportunity permitted. Not every endeavor was successful, but like his father, he was never afraid to dive
into a new situation that was full of potential and then adapt to it.
Few names stand so tall in the annals of American history as that of Benjamin Franklin. His life embodied the essence of pure ambition and accomplishment. The accolades he achieved are so many as to make the man seem almost otherworldly. Though some have cast aspersions on the legitimacy of his greatness, none can argue that he left an enduring legacy on his country and the world at large. What is there to learn from the life of Benjamin Franklin that can enable us to be more successful individually and as a society?
Here, we see how Benjamin Franklin learned the time- honored values of hard work and persistence. Beyond that, these characteristics emboldened him to successfully apply what wise figures have called “the Law of Adaptation.” No creature is as resilient and adaptable as the human being. Under duress and backed into a corner, people can achieve monumental tasks. Franklin assumed that same intrepid spirit his father and other colonists had and pushed it to its pinnacle. For example, as a teenage apprentice to his older brother, young Benjamin began to bristle under the limitations placed upon him. He found his way onto
The Need for Persistence, Diligence, and Adaptation
Like other noble individuals in history, Benjamin Franklin did not come from a prestigious
| The Bellwether |
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