IF
Note:
For the weekend, I would like to post a poem that has been an inspiration to me as I have gone through my journey of Life’s Lessons.
I have this taped next to me as I work, and I use it as part of my guiding values. Enjoy, and a huge thank you to all of the readers who are coming here. I am very grateful for you all.
IF
If you can keep your head when all about you
are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowence for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch and toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
and never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except theWill which says to them: “Hold on!”
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of a distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And-which is more-you’ll be a Man, my son!
Rudyard Kipling
Tags: distance, dream, kings, love, Poety, Rudyard Kipling, talent, The Inspired Life, triumph, virtue
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March 30, 2008 at 6:51 am
Wendi – thanks for sharing. This is awesome. Nothing I can write can add to it.
Brett
March 31, 2008 at 1:24 am
Excellent poem, Wendi. I’ve loved Kipling since college. I had a professor who was waaaay too into him, British imperialism and all.
Thanks for stopping by Writing Journey, too!
March 31, 2008 at 7:59 am
always good to read that one!
Time is a weird thing
goes slow when yer waiting for the bell to ring
goes fast on christmas and sunny days
and when you’re in love it compresses and strays
time is elastic and sometimes like glue
but it’s never wasted when I talk to you!
May 7, 2008 at 4:20 am
Wendi, what a powerful powerful poem!! If we all strive to live like that, the world will be a much better place!
This reminds me of a good friend and inspirition of mine that recently passed away. I dedicated my blog to him because he lived like this.
May 7, 2008 at 4:30 am
I just dugg this post.
May 7, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I love this poem. I have seen graduation cards with this in it, and if I need one, I always pick a card that has this poem. Can you imagine if a young person learned these life lessons early? That would be awesome.