For the youngsters: 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 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 gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout 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 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!

Bump, because everyone should read this at least once in their life.

Thumbs up for Rudyard.

Bump for tootsie.

bump for a good read

i will print this and put in front of my office.

Ha!!!!

Great read, thanks for sharing baddog

I was given his book of poetry as an 8th grade graduation present, primarily for that poem.

lots of wisdom in that poem - what he's describing though is a perfect human being character and temperment wise, good to keep all those virtues in mind as a goal but i sure don't know anybody who can talk that talk and walk that walk ... my dad was pretty close to living his life that way but he had his weaknesses

Nothing wrong with striving to be that person. No one said it would be easy.

Bump....

My grandmother printed this out for me when I was younger and gave me a copy of it. I keep it folded up in my wallet and read it from time to time.

Also, I'm guessing you saw The Daily Show last night. :)

Funny when Baddog calls people youngsters.. it's like .. suddenly everyone younger than 50 years old is a youngster...

reading that drivel makes me wonder "what is the point?" and "why bother?" :2 cents: