Dare To Be

Dare To Be by Steve Maraboli

When a new day begins,
Dare to smile gratefully.
When there is darkness,
Dare to be the first to shine a light.

When there is injustice,
Dare to be the first to condemn it.
When something seems difficult,
Dare to do it anyway.

When life seems to beat you down,
Dare to fight back.
When there seems to be no hope,
Dare to find some.

When you're feeling tired,
Dare to keep going.
When times are tough,
Dare to be tougher.

When love hurts you,
Dare to love again.
When someone is hurting,
Dare to help them heal.

When another is lost,
Dare to help them find the way.
When a friend falls,
Dare to be the first to extend a hand.

When you cross paths with another,
Dare to make them smile.
When you feel great,
Dare to help someone else feel great too.

When the day has ended,
Dare to feel as you've done your best.
Dare to be the best you can -
At all times, dare to be!

Motivating words that may may challenge how you act and what you do.
What type of world would it be if everyone acted as you do?

The Question

Were the whole world good as you – not an atom better –
Were it just as pure and true,
Just as strong in faith and works;
Just as free from crafty quirks;
All extortion, all deceit;
Schemes its neighbors to defeat;
Schemes its neighbors to defraud;
Schemes some culprit to applaud –
Would this world be better?

If the whole world followed you – followed to the letter
Would it be a nobler world,
All deceit and falsehood hurled
From it altogether;
Malice, selfishness, and lust,
Banished from beneath the crust,
Covering human hearts from view
Tell me, if it followed you,
Would the world be better?

A poem to encourage you to pick which side of life you will live on!

Life Is

Life is a strange, two-sided thing...
A dirge to chant, or a song to sing;
A sad, cold world, or a thrilling place,
A tough, old grind, or an exciting race.
A drudge-filled chore, or a challenging dare,
A thorny bush, or a flower fair.
A task to do or a chance to give,
A day to spend or a life to live!

Brave, famous words of inspiration from the 26th president of the United States.

Daring Greatly

It is not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again,
because there is no effort error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds;
who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls
who neither know victory nor defeat.

Dare

Dare to think, though others frown;
Dare in words your thoughts express;
Dare to rise, though oft cast down;
Dare the wronged and scorned to bless.

Dare from custom to depart;
Dare the priceless pearl possess;
Dare to wear it next your heart;
Dare, when others curse, to bless.

Dare forsake what you deem wrong;
Dare to walk in wisdom’s way;
Dare to give where gifts belong;
Dare God’s precepts to obey.

Do what conscience says is right;
Do what reason says is best;
Do with all your mind and might;
Do your duty and be blest.

Dare To Do Right

Dare to do right! dare to be true!
You have a work that no other can do,
Do it so bravely, so kindly, so well,
Angels will hasten the story to tell.

Dare to do right! dare to be true!
Other men's failures can never save you;
Stand by your conscience, your honor, your faith;
Stand like a hero, and battle till death.

Dare to do right! dare to be true!
God, who created you, cares for you too;
Treasures the tears that his striving ones shed,
Counts and protects every hair of your head.

Dare to do right! dare to be true!
Keep the great judgment-seat always in view;
Look at your work as you'll look at it then -
Scanned by Jehovah, and angels, and men.

Dare to do right! dare to be true!
Cannot Omnipotence carry you through?
City, and mansion, and throne all in sight -
Can you not dare to be true and do right?

Dare to do right! dare to be true!
Prayerfully, lovingly, firmly pursue
The path by apostles and martyrs once trod.
The path of the just to the city of God.

Service

To the cause one man gave gold,
Then withdrew into his den
From the battle line, and told
How he served his fellowmen.

When they came and begged for aid,
Gladly from his purse he gave,
And he hoped that those he paid
Would continue being brave.

"To the cause,'' another said,
"I've no gold that I can give,
But I'll fight for it instead.
Just so long as I shall live."

Day by day and night by night,
He that hath no gold to spare,
In the thickest of the fight
Fought and cheered his fellows there.

There are hundreds here to share.
For the principle, their pelf.
But he better serves who'll dare
To a cause to give himself.

This world does not need your coin
Half so much as it needs you,
What it wants is men to join
In the work it has to do.

Take A Chance

If you never take a chance
You may never get to dance.
Life is full of ups and downs
Bringing smiles and some tears.
But if you always play it safe
You may find out too late
That life is meant to be
Lived each day happily.

You don't want to wonder "what if"
An opportunity you did miss
So take a chance
In order to advance
And you will find
You will not be left behind.
Playing it safe does not always pay
You may regret it when you're gray!