Start Where You Stand
An encouraging poem to remind you to let go of the past and move forward today. Start taking action where you are, don't look back, look ahead. Wise and motivating verses by Berton Braley!
"Start where you stand and never mind the past, the past won't help you in beginning new."
Updated February 18, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer.
I'm sure you know of a lot of other people who have crossed your path in life who have experienced one failure and then never tried again. As Braley states, however, "Start where you stand and never mind the past, the past won't help you in beginning new".
The past is simply a time that has gone by. It is not a predictor of the future unless that is what you believe. So many people have had a dream and then made an attempt to accomplish it only to find that they hit a roadblock of some sort or another. These are the types of people who seem to think that one attempt is all that is required in order to succeed. The real facts are much different.
Throughout the ages, those who have not experienced failure and have become hugely successful are difficult to find. In fact, I have not personally found any successful person who has not experienced failure, and, in some cases, many failures before they managed to reach their goal.
And, to those who believe that every one of your friends will always recount your failures even after you have succeeded, let the words of poet Berton Braley ring true when he pens, "The world won't care about your old defeats". To experience a defeat or failure in your life is to join the ranks of many famous people who demonstrated that some of their greatest failures lead to some of their greatest achievements. The secret to greater achievement, it seems, often occurred after great defeats. Therefore, when you experience failure or defeat, this does not become an excuse to stop and never try again. It should become your mantra for success: failure teaches what not to do in order to reach achievement using the lessons of the past.
Start Where You Stand
Start where you stand and never mind the past,
The past won't help you in beginning new,
If you have left it all behind at last
Why, that's enough, you're done with it, you're through;
This is another chapter in the book,
This is another race that you have planned,
Don't give the vanished days a backward look,
Start where you stand.
The world won't care about your old defeats
If you can start anew and win success,
The future is your time, and time is fleet
And there is much of work and strain and stress;
Forget the buried woes and dead despairs,
Here is a brand new trial right at hand,
The future is for him who does and dares,
Start where you stand.
Old failures will not halt, old triumphs aid,
To-day's the thing, to-morrow soon will be;
Get in the fight and face it unafraid,
And leave the past to ancient history;
What has been, has been; yesterday is dead
And by it you are neither blessed nor banned,
Take courage, man, be brave and drive ahead,
Start where you stand.
Key Messages in this poem:
- Begin today, right where you are.
You do not need perfect timing or perfect conditions. The best step is the next step.
- Leave the past in its place.
Yesterday cannot build your future. Let it teach you, then let it go.
- Failure does not define you.
Old defeats do not matter as much as the courage to try again.
- Focus on what you can do now.
Today is the day for action, effort, and steady progress.
- Be brave and keep moving forward.
Success often comes after setbacks. Keep going with faith and determination.
Popular Pages:
If these verses encouraged you, these popular pages offer more poems and quotes to help you let go of what was and take a stronger step forward.
Conclusion
Berton Braley reminds us that we do not have to be trapped by yesterday. The past can teach us, but it cannot lead us, and it cannot do the work that today requires. When we start where we stand, we choose progress over regret and courage over fear. If you have been knocked down, take heart, get back up, and take one good step forward. Small steps, taken with purpose, can turn into real change.
More Berton Braley Poems to Inspire
"Do not wait for the perfect moment or the perfect past. Stand where you are, trust what you have learned, and take one brave step forward today."