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Creating my ideal figure, one workout and one meal at a time.

Monday, October 31, 2011

If--

Why is it that moms always know exactly the right thing to say?  My mom is particularly talented at this; it would seem that raising 6 kids, teaching special needs students, and teaching piano have given her a lot of experience in giving pep talks over the years!

When I called my mom yesterday to tell her my results, she shared with me a poem by one of her favorite authors.  The poem, as I interpret it, is about striving to be the best that you can be, while maintaining your humility.  It's about facing the constant cycle of building, tearing down, then rebuilding of one's character, and doing so with courage and virtue.  As my mom pointed out, the line about meeting with Triumph and Disaster are particularly relevant for competitive athletes ;)  I thought it was a really inspiring poem, so I thought I would share it.


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!

(by Rudyard Kipling)

3 comments:

  1. Well, if ever there was someone who could force their heart and nerve and sinew to serve their turn long after they were gone, and also fill an unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run, it is you. It has taken many months, but you have achieved your goal of building your body. Your determination, courage and will power is inspirational. And damn, you look good!
    Looking forward to journeying with you as you set new goals. I would love to be there when you compete in the spring! Love always, mom.

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  2. thank you for sharing this tess! just what i needed to hear after this weekend!!!
    **HUGS***

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