Talent and Circumstances

I recently came across this poem by Edgar A. Guest and thought, I’d repost it.

Equipment

Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You’ve all that the greatest of men have had,
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,
And a brain to use if you would be wise.
With this equipment they all began,
So start for the top and say “I can.”

Look them over, the wise and great,
They take their food from a common plate
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes,
The world considers them brave and smart.
But you’ve all they had when they made their start.

You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if only you will,
You’re well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have legs and arms and a brain to use,
And the man who has risen, great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.

You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place,
You must say where you want to go.
How much you will study the truth to know,
God has equipped you for life, But He
Lets you decide what you want to be.

Courage must come from the soul within,
The man must furnish the will to win,
So figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You were born with all that the great have had,
With your equipment they all began.

Friends and Legacy

Last Tuesday, I had the privilege of hearing my friend, Brad say that he wants all of his friends to be better than him in every way possible. This really rocked my world. I used to think that friends, good friends, were the ones that accepted me as I am. Now, I understand how dangerous that statement is. My dry cleaner doesn’t care about me, she accepts me just as I am. A good friend should want you to be better than they are, and a really great friend will proactively help you to become that way.

It’s taken quite some time for me to realize that when it’s all said and done, when I am giving the accounting of my life, the only thing that’s going to matter is how many lives are better because I had the privilege of breathing on this good earth.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3usKV2qy-c]

I am extremely proud to be associated with these people. They are magnificent people.