Friday, February 29, 2008

Rudyard Kipling's - IF

After getting straight A's in 9 courses, I stumbled with a score of 67 in Econometric Statistics. Harvard Blues!!! Now that's humbling, but at the same time I don't want to beat up on myself for not doing so good. I need to take wins and losses the same and I am just again reminded of Rudyard Kipling's poem 'IF'. I have kept this poem in my Bible for couple of years now its been like Psalm encouraging and renewing fresher starts for life. I want to pen this down here again and may you also take encouragement reading it.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yoursefl when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tried of waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated dont't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, not talk too wise.

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master.
If you can thik - 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 all your winnings,
And risk it one one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your begninnings,
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 the Will 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 of distance run.
Yours is the earth and everything thats in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

- Rudyard Kipling

2 comments:

Rachel Dawn Kornfield said...

Wow, Sam, that's an amazing poem! And I'm learning all kinds of things about you that I didn't know! Such as that you are in college and have two kids! It makes me wonder how you have time for it all! It's nice to get to know you better. Blessings on you and Hannah.

Rachel Dawn Kornfield said...

Wow, sorry, I got the names mixed up. I meant to say "blessings on you and your wife". But on Hannah and Isaac too of course!