"If" by rudyard kipling

If - Rudyard Kipling

' 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, dont 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 have your life to broken
And stoop and build 'em up with worn up tools;

If you can make one heap of your winnings
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 kinds - not 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 thats in it,
And -which is more- you'll be a man, my son!'

I've read this poem since i was in .. Sec school? Its from bridget jones' diary (the book). Im never sick of the book. Its the poem mark gave her (by accident) and kept her going in prison. Lol. when i read it at 16, i didnt understand a shit. I read it again in poly, i got about half the meaning. Now, i get it. But it feels hard to attain though. Hope u've been inspired too.

Btw, this is bridget's reaction to the poem, "not sure about sixty seconds' worth of distance run anyway, or if actually want to be man. Also, is a bit hard to treat this disaster (her being in thai jail) the same as triumphs as have not had any triumphs that can think of, but still. Will force heart and nerve and sinew to serve turn etc in manner of first world war or jungle soldier or whatever Rudyard Kipling was and just hold on."

Hahahhahaah. I love her despite her being a fictional character. My role model, really. Lol!