“Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the “hero” within us is revealed.” Bob Riley

The Father of our Country, George Washington, is revered for his leadership, stoicism, and wisdom. It is inspiring to focus on his strength in times of trouble. Before the battle of Trenton in 1776, Washington experienced a seemingly insurmountable low. In just three months, the British captured 4,500 American soldiers. The British also confiscated 3,000 muskets, 250 cannons, and 17,000 cannonballs. There were three main armies which suffered staggering attrition. More than three quarters of his soldiers in the main army perished, deserted or suffered injuries.  To compound all these struggles, Washington’s right hand man and personal secretary, Adjutant General Joseph Reed, was plotting behind Washington’s back to overthrow him. George discovered this by opening correspondence between Reed and Major General Charles Lee.

Imagine fighting a war where your soldiers were dying, deserting, and quitting left and right. Think of your right hand man reporting to you but secretly jockeying to have you fired all along. Imagine battling without proper equipment because the enemy has managed to steal your guns and ammo. Despite all this, George Washington remained strong. One of Washington’s famous quotes is “Real men despise battle but will never run from it.” He believed and practiced standing your ground. He also did not believe in excuses, tough it out. George Washington remarked “It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” He stood firm and tried. He did not always win. He lost many battles but he never gave up. In the end, his strength endured.

It is helpful to focus on strong leaders who prove that strength is in persistence. Strength, like muscle conditioning, gets stronger through routine and practice. We all face times in our lives that test our strength and resolve. This particularly happens when we make mistakes. George Washington, too, made mistakes. Some say that Washington was no military strategist. He lost a lot. What Washington excelled at was never giving up, keeping hope and faith alive, and maintaining the course. He kept the struggling, colonial army and militia together. He inspired them to fight another day. We must all remind ourselves of Washington’s strength, give ourselves forgiveness, patience and understanding and remember as Leon Brown said, “You cannot travel back in time to fix your mistakes, but you can learn from them and forgive yourself for not knowing better.”

We all make mistakes. Imagine had Washington lived in today’s times and received a DWI. Based on his strength of character and mantra of no excuses, it is safe to say he would have forgiven himself. No one is perfect. Don’t run from your mistakes, learn from them. As for the DWI and criminal defense legal issues, that is a whole different story. We, at the Coffey Firm, can help you with this. A DWI conviction is based on what the State can prove. Move forward in your personal life and know we are here for you.

More about Mimi Coffey

When people look for a Top DWI Attorney or Best DWI Attorney, they look for experience, certification, and respect in the legal community. Mimi Coffey is a nationally-renowned trial attorney, board-certified in DWI by the NCDD. She has been practicing for over 24 years and is an author of multiple DWI Defense textbooks. She is also a national and state-wide lecturer on the law.

The Coffey Firm handles a wide variety of cases, including Unlawful Carrying Weapon (UCW), Assault (including family violence), Theft and Possession charges.

Mimi is also listed on several “top” directory listings such as DWI Lawyers for Wise County, DWI Lawyer Tarrant County, DWI attorney Dallas County, DWI attorneys Collin County and DWI attorneys Parker County. Mimi is a caring DWI Lawyer in DFW, She is also involved in the Texas Tech School of Law foundation and enjoys using the skills she has developed to give back to the community.

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