A poem my dad would quote (and still does) to me as a kid:
If you want a thing bad enough
to go out and fight for it,
Work day and night for it,
Give up your time and your peace
and your sleep for it,
If only desire of it makes you mad enough
never to tire of it,
Makes you hold all other things
tawdry and cheap for it-
If life seems all empty and useless without it,
And all that you scheme and you dream is about it,
If gladly you'll sweat for it,
fret for it, plan for it,
Lose all your terror of God and man for it,
If you'll simply go after that thing that you want,
With all your capacity, strength and sagacity,
Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity,
If neither cold, poverty, famished and gaunt,
Nor sickness nor pain of body or brain
Can turn you away from the thing that you want,
If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,
YOU'LL GET IT !
Work day and night for it,
Give up your time and your peace
and your sleep for it,
If only desire of it makes you mad enough
never to tire of it,
Makes you hold all other things
tawdry and cheap for it-
If life seems all empty and useless without it,
And all that you scheme and you dream is about it,
If gladly you'll sweat for it,
fret for it, plan for it,
Lose all your terror of God and man for it,
If you'll simply go after that thing that you want,
With all your capacity, strength and sagacity,
Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity,
If neither cold, poverty, famished and gaunt,
Nor sickness nor pain of body or brain
Can turn you away from the thing that you want,
If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,
YOU'LL GET IT !
I guess this can be viewed as a little late Father's Day tribute to my great father. He always is quoting inspirational poems and people, and this is one of my favorites. Lately this poem has gotten me through some tough times and has inspired me to reach my goals. Failure is not an option!
