Serving With a Smile
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For those of you who have already read the hardback version of "More Than Money," you know a common thread among those I profile — from the world of politics, sports and business — is this: Not a one takes him or herself seriously and they all have a killer smile.
I don't think that's coincidence.
What's got me remembering the power of both is remembering the power of one Franklin Roosevelt. He's been all the rage lately. There's a big special on him on the History Channel and a sappier one on HBO.
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Yet in both, we see the essence of the man, particularly as a young man, long before his fame.
Riddled with polio, almost giving up on life "because" of that polio, young Franklin somehow found the will to smile, even laugh. It's a famous smile and a hearty laugh.
Winston Churchill, no stranger to joke telling himself, once said FDR made him feel like anything was possible. High praise, considering both were fighting a World War and a depression.
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It matters not their policies, but their steadfast optimism that they would succeed with their policies.
I think belief in one's character often shows up in the upward curve of one's mouth.
JFK knew it and survived the Bay of Pigs.
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Lyndon Johnson didn't know it and couldn't survive Vietnam.
Ronald Reagan appreciated it and won a Cold War.
His predecessor, Jimmy Carter, never grasped it and got the political cold shoulder.
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Proof that if you want to ultimately win out, it doesn't exactly hurt to smile, even laugh throughout.
Watch Neil Cavuto weekdays at 4 p.m. ET on "Your World with Cavuto" and send your comments to cavuto@foxnews.com