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 allowance 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 impostors 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 all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath 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’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And–which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son!
Blogposts
Hi Varun, this is Payal (a friend, LCCA). I am a reasonably(!) regular reader of your blog
. Happy to see you doing well professionally and personally(yeah?). Cya…
Hey Payal! Thanks for dropping by. I am doing fine… enjoying life and work. Where are you nowadays and what are you up to? Keep in touch.
Varun, the bookmark buttons indeed are looking really nice and blends very well with your theme. Cheers!
Great Poem, Kipling wrote it for his 11 year old son. Not sure if you have seen this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEeLh5ItQcY
I am working in eInfochips, as a software engineer. Have worked in .NET, C++ and am now in Java. On personal front, life is cool and comfortable as of now!
Hey Varun!! Howz Life.. You know, this poem is a great inspiration source..BTW suddenly ‘If’..Everything ok??
@Pankaj – Life is good
Everything is fine… came across a reference to this poem while I was reading something else, read the poem itself, liked it so blogged it.
son’s teacher as well. Such inspiring things…it’s hard enough to
inspire oneself and then to be able to inspire hoardes of men is
spectacular.
@Pavitra – I think it is easier to inspire others that oneself. I’m
a big fan of John Maxwell, one of the key authorities on
leadership, and he says that his biggest challenge has always been
leading himself! … think about it this way, is it easy to have
self-discipline or easier to tell others what to do?
John Maxwell says that?!? Everybody steals my best lines
I know Varun, but the good news is “like minds think alike”
therefore speak alike!
Hey Varun.. I just ended up visiting your blog somehow n just
wanted to say that “good work” n IF is one of my favorite poems:)
keep up the good work.. Au Revoir!