“IF”by Rudyard Kipling – cheerful 2013!!

At times, the words “If” and “But” carry a negative connotation indicating doubt, skepticism, lack of confidence, finding an excuse etc. like in “if only I had this”, “if I could say it’; “but for this”, “I can take it up, but………”. Therefore we are advised to banish them from our mind’s dictionary if we have to reach our goal, achieve something and be successful. But here is “IF”, a positive and insightful poem by Rudyard Kipling that makes us sit back, think and of course propels us into action into the New Year 2013 !!

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!

Wishing you all a very cheerful, peaceful, healthy and prosperous New Year 2013 !! Let’s get it right together !!