Be the Best of Whatever You are!

What a wonderful poem! Really, I can tell you- it was so easy to google about this poem. It’s simply available in the net. But really, I want to post it on my blog this time.

The first time I read this poem, it was –  in a book called “Dare to Fail” by Billi PS Lim. That time I was nine (as far as I could remember) but still, I was touched reading that poem. I still remember, when I was small, I loved to read so much especially my sisters’ history, science, literature as well as gossip magazines!

My childhood time was not as exciting as others ( I guess) but I really enjoyed that time. Most of the time, I was at home- watching tv ( HK drama, almost all the time), doing housework and reading my sisters’ books. The things that I disliked were- doing my schoolwork, as well as memorizing the multiplication. Those were two things that I disliked the most. And now, I still dislike the multiplication- and even right now, being a 20 year-old student- I still can’t memorize the multiple of three. But since I could use calculator during exams in secondary school and college time, so I guessed it’s OKAY!

Okay, I think it’s enough about reminiscing the old days. OK. Here's the poem that I told just now. Do read it- and till now, I think it’s really a great piece of poetry. It can give me inspiration and boost my motivation. Thumbs up!

                If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill

Be a scrub in the valley--but be

The best little scrub by the side of the rill;

Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,

And some highway some happier make;

If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass--

But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,

There's something for all of us here.

There's big work to do and there's lesser to do,

And the task we must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,

If you can't be the sun be a star;

It isn't by size that you win or you fail--

Be the best of whatever you are!

This is a wonderful masterpiece by Douglas Malloch. Even if you don’t like literature, you can understand the meaning of this poem pretty easily. To be the best, it’s not necessary to have something great. Just by doing you best, give what you can contribute, it’s just good enough. For me, even if I could contribute something, even a small one- I feel good enough because I know that I was doing my best as I could. You don’t have to be sad if you fail or something bad happens, as long as you know you were doing the best you won’t regret. And we need to remember, things happened - and it happened for reason!