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 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!

–Rudyard Kipling

In fourth grade we had to memorize poems to recite before the class.  I learned two: Little Boy Blue by Eugene Field, and this one.  I can still largely recite Little Boy Blue, not so much If.  However, to this one I have turned many times over the years to check my progress in life.  Even after trying for 20+ years to reach "manhood," I still haven't arrived.  Sometimes I do much better than others, but I often slip and have to get back up again. 

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,

This I can do, I have done.  Most recently I conquered this obstacle when trying to get my book published.  Some friends and family doubted, as did I at times, but I kept trying.  It turned out I do have a some talent, even if only a bit.

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

I can't do this one, and I may never do it.  I do wait, but usually I wait impatiently, hoping for the wait to end soon.  Sometimes it feels like the waiting will never end, but I really am tired of it.  I don't want to wait to buy a house.  I don't want to wait for my book to be released.  I don't want to wait to win the lottery.  Okay, so I never play it and will be waiting forever... I'm still tired of waiting.

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

This one I have down.  I can be fairly intelligent and offer wise words from time to time.  But on occasion I say something downright stupid or do something terribly embarrassing to humble me and remind others that I'm not all that great.

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same

I haven't mastered this one, but I'm working on it.  I do get excited by my triumphs, and I want to proclaim them to the world.  I want to proclaim my disasters, too, but they do get me down.  On the other hand, my innate timidity often tempers my excitement and the sharing of my triumphs, and my fairly optimistic personality does help me to stop dwelling on the misfortunes that life brings.  So, while I may not treat those two impostors just the same, I'm getting close.

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;

I'm not much of a risk taker, at least not when there is really something to lose.  I don't think I'll ever be able to do this, but I don't think I really want to either.

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!”

I think that I can do this.  However, I can't do it on my own.  This is one point where I have to rely on God.  And there have certainly been times when it seemed like there was nothing left to hold on to, but somehow I did hold on with many heart-wrenching cries for strength and grace from above.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings–nor lose the common touch,

I'd like to think I could do this one.  However, if I'm going to be honest, I don't think I can walk with kings.  I can talk with crowds and not be swept up in immorality.  And I'm pretty sure I can hang on to the common touch.  But as much as I've always dreamt of being sophisticated, elegant, witty, and intelligent enough to walk with kings, I think I fall short... short according to my standards, at least.

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

I am no where near to mastering this point.  Both foes and loving friends can and do hurt me from time to time.  I try not to hold onto the hurt for too long, but it's not always easy to release.  There was a boy from school, who tormented me from junior high through high school.  When I heard how bad his life was a few years ago, I felt glad for his misfortune.  A sure sign that I was still holding on to the pain he had inflicted.  On occasion, I still think about how mean he was, but I no longer revel in his misery.  It took quite awhile, but I have moved on.

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Finally, this one I struggle with every minute!  I do want to live life to the fullest, but I have a problem with wasting time and procrastinating.  Some days are better than others.  Indeed, some minutes are better than others.  Sometimes, I just wish the minutes would slow down and give me a chance to catch up, use them fully, and enjoy them.

Here's to growing up and living the best life we can!