poem

[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

Just rediscovered this poem - a very good poem for right now.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

(The infamous Pita Chip Incitident)

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

(Stupid Other Soprano telling me I don't deserve my track and making me feel all weird about Mrs. Pearce)

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

(OH! Waiting for those magical phone calls!)

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

(Sound board op telling everyone I'm having mad kinky sex with him)

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

(The mean people)

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

(Just good advice all around)

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,

(oh - Phelim...and the dream that will never be)

If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;

(everything I SAY I'm going to do but then never DO - action is eloquence!)

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

(gotta do it. Callback no callback - phone call - no phone call - criticism - praise.)

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

(Oh - so many)

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

(every audition one doesn't book)

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;

(Again - auditions - amongst MANY other things)

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!"

(the antidote to exhaustion isn't necessarily sleep - it's whole heartedness)

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,

(I have walked kings - kind of MY world - and I've had to learn to not let that be the first thing out of my mouth - people don't really respond well. Well - And I was in the same room as Prince Charles once! lol!)

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

(But if I love myself enough then loving you won't be so rough)

If all men count with you, but none too much,

(Gotta let go of this hero worshipping thing!)

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!

(SO TRUE!)

--Rudyard Kipling