Today, I had a lenghty discussion with a lady. We had talked a number of times. I had been on the recieving end of her thoughts, ideas and passions, even though we had never met. I saw her for the first time today, no!, not in the flesh, on yahoo :). Strange world, you can talk to someone, see the person, share ideas, laugh together, plan ahead, without haven met. Back in the days, if you sat and spoke about it, the world would fear that you were going mad. Today, it’s only natural.
As I paid close attention to the details of her life, quizing her on to get something motivating and inspiring for you to read (Watch out for her Interview), little did I know that the interview was more than just for you, but even me as well.
When I asked her for her parting shot, she asked me to google “Poem If”. I did, and must have read it so many times since. It was the work of Rudyard Kiplin – IF. I have a copy of it for you down here. Read it, digest it, and read it again. It’s a master piece. She gave me the gift of this poem, I’m giving it to you too. There is however something I got from it, that you can’t be given, you only have to get it too.
I remembered! Can you think back now, and conciously think about things you used to do so well that you suddenly stopped? Can you remember things that make you wonder why you left so much potential hanging? Some things ought to be written down and pasted all over your room, so you don’t forget. I remembered my love for poetry -writing, reading and sharing.
I also remembered, that the words we speak and write today, could be the master pieces of tomorrow. We must daily perfect our acts, for words spoken with pen or with action are the masterpieces of years ahead. In the words of shakespear, action is eloquence.
I read the life history of the author, saw that the poem presently holds the world record of being the most reprinted poem in more anthologies than any other. I remembered that some of the best that history has produced where not rated as best by the best. Patience and persistence score a lot more points than skill.
Before you get restless…please read this poem, it’s the kind of poem you print and keep close to where your eyes can see.
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 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 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 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!
–Rudyard Kipling
What is your take on this piece…do you have any of such genius in you? Don’t take your gift to the grave. Let us have it!
14 thoughts on “IF…”
Still consistent with the them you’ve been raising in here for sometime.
Grave you meant to say instead of grace??
We have the courage and we will optimise our potentials.
Thank you
IF! one of the greatest poems ever written. I always have this tremendous surge of self-belief & inner strength whenever i read this poem. Thanks for sharing it with me once again.
This is the first time , I will be commenting on this site, also the first time i’ll be reading the poem -IF.
I feel more strength in me to keep beliving in me,and continue reaching out to others.
hi deolu,
thanks for always sharing with us.
great poem it is,i’m reading it for the first time and will keep reading for it to stick in there,if you read it it should certainly bring out the hidden/unutilised part of you.
rosemary
Deolu,
Thanks for sharing this with us on Saturday. I’ve come across it before but over the years lost track of it, it was recessed into the annals of “cute poetry”, but in the past few weeks, I have come to the realisation that my life, like it or not, is hinged on these words.
Without really realising it, I had come to some conclusions and made some decisions, for which hitherto, I had no name and all of that and more were brought to the fore on saturday.
This piece was just the Coup de Grรขce.
Great poem! I had to slowly take in the details of the poem the first time i read it. It’s heavy, and provokes one to think and live with maturity.
I actually intended posting it on my blog today, anyways, it’s something i’ll keep before my eyes and read over and over again.
Welldone!
IF. for me, reminds me of how much I need God and the enabling of the Holy Spirit in my life, cos nothing in that poem is sustainable by just human strength.
One of my favourite lines that God knows I am still working on is
“If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same”
Let nothing shake you!
thank you
Hmn, this poem really provokes thought. Given all the conditions, if one still stands tall, dignity intact and the world impacted, that person would have contributed quite some to making the world better. I’ll sure print this out and ‘keep it before my eyes’.
If….If we could keep all the Ifs, we will all be better people from it.
Thanks for sharing it, i’ll keep it close to heart.
Thanks for sharing this. Great poem.
the poem is great. i have lready copied it out. how do you meet all these people?
โIf you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the sameโ
waoh! this looks very impossible but it is a choice to live positively.
when others are saying there is a casting down i shall say there is a lifting for me.
IF…….has changed my attitude towards the certainties and uncertainties life has got to offer.
the poem is very powerful.it tells to a great extent about temparament, character and humility which are chore values a person ought to have.