I spent two years in the Army. And my older brother, who was

The words of George J. Mitchell — “I spent two years in the Army. And my older brother, who was also a great positive influence on me, encouraged me to think about law school, and I said — well, I didn’t have any money.” — reflect the journey of a man shaped not only by discipline and hardship, but also by the unseen strength of family and guidance. His words remind us that destiny is often born at the meeting point of struggle and encouragement, when a hand extended in faith lifts us toward a future we could scarcely imagine.

The years in the Army forged endurance, humility, and sacrifice, qualities that would later serve Mitchell in the halls of law and diplomacy. Yet it was not the Army alone that set him on this path. It was the counsel of an elder brother, whose faith in him became a lamp in the darkness. This is the power of kinship: to see in another what they cannot yet see in themselves, and to speak words that turn doubt into direction.

Mitchell’s admission of lacking money speaks to a truth known by countless dreamers: that the path to greatness often seems barred by poverty. Yet history reveals again and again that those who endure such beginnings often rise with the deepest wisdom. Abraham Lincoln, born in a log cabin with scarcely an education, read law by candlelight until he became the president who preserved a nation. What wealth denied him, perseverance and encouragement supplied. So too, Mitchell’s rise from modest means to the heights of statesmanship shows that material lack need not bind the spirit.

The positive influence of his brother is itself a lesson for the ages. For greatness is rarely the fruit of solitary effort; it is nurtured by voices that call us higher, by loved ones who lend vision when our own eyes are clouded by doubt. Just as Aristotle shaped Alexander with teaching, or as mentors guided saints and poets, Mitchell was guided toward law not by chance, but by faith given to him as a gift.

Let the generations remember: the journey of a man is not defined by wealth or ease, but by discipline, encouragement, and the will to rise above limitation. When the world seems to close its doors, let the counsel of loved ones be the key. George J. Mitchell’s words stand as a testament that even from humble beginnings — forged in the Army, lifted by a brother’s influence, challenged by the absence of money — one may yet ascend to leave a legacy of justice and peace.