1. Year He had to work to support his family after they were forced out of their home. 1816 His mother died. 1818 Failed in business. 1831 Was defeated for legislature. 1832 Lost his job and couldn't get into law school. 1832 Declared bankruptcy, and spent the next 17 years of his life paying off the money 
he borrowed from friends to start his business. 1833 Was defeated for legislature again. 1834 Was engaged to be married, but his sweetheart died and his heart was broken. 1835 Had a nervous breakdown and spent the next six months in bed. 1836 Was defeated in becoming the speaker of the state legislature. 1838 Was defeated in becoming elector. 1840 Was defeated for Congress 1843 Was defeated for Congress. 
He got through most of this by believing himself and pushing forward to know he can get through anything if he pushed through. He worked hard for everything he had gotten or tried to get. 

Link: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_obstacles_did_Abraham_Lincoln_overcome_and_how_did_he_get_through_them


2. Kim Petras. Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Kim — who lives in Cologne, Germany — said: "There never was a defining moment when I thought, 'I'm not meant to be a boy'. I lived my entire life as a girl. "There wasn't ever a moment when I decided not to be a boy any more. I was just always a girl." Ever since she was two, Kim's parents Konni, 48, and Lutz, 51, were faced with the fact their youngest child — and only boy — insisted on being called a girl.


She had always been made fun of as a child. For being a "boy" but wanted to be a girl. She worked so hard because she wanted to be a girl. She worked at it till she had turned 16, got rights and had a dramatic sex change. It had changed her whole life, and a lot of other peoples.
Link: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/2528710/Pop-star-Kim-Petras-had-a-sex-change-at-the-age-of-16.html