My mom gave me a card for my 17th birthday.

 

It was one of those nice, elegant-but-fun cards created by Hallmark.

 

I got a bunch of cards that day and because the one my mom gave me was dense with text I set it aside to read later.

 

Lying in bed that night I read mom’s card and something exploded in my soul!

 

The card’s cover was adorned with “If” by Rudyard Kipling and this was the first time I had ever read this amazing poem.

 

I read the poem over and over.

 

Next, I got out of bed and found my big, square cassette recorder and read “If’ into the attached microphone.

 

The next day I listened to my own voice reading this poem on my way to school.

 

I burned it into my brain and throughout my life whenever things get hard I find Kipling’s words coming back to inspire and guide me.

 

Our new JumpStart series is my take Kipling’s classic poem “If.”

 

Come along with me as we explore this beautiful, synopsis of success written 123 years ago.

 

Today let’s consider…

 

“If you can keep you heard while all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you.”