Oh! Tell Me Not

Be encouraged by this poem by Mary C. Ryan. She expresses thoughts of what makes a person successful. This is not a poem that lacks words of encouragement but pours them out lavishly. The verses reflect the use of our time and how we work will determine what the future holds for us.

So, one can ask, how is it that some people seemingly have time to accomplish what we cannot? Is it because they have nothing else that requires their effort and commitment? Is it that what they have accomplished has been due to luck or good fortune? Unfortunately, thousands upon thousands of people believe that "luck" is the most significant aspect that eludes them thus preventing them from being successful or attaining their dreams. Is this really true?

The answer may not be what some people may wish to hear but the truth is that "luck" is what one makes not gets. It is also true that everyone has the same amount of time; not a second more nor a second less. The difference between a person who seems to have more time and the person who seems to have less time, cannot be in relation to some variation in time. So, what is the difference?

The variance in what is accomplished has to do with how a person uses their time. While one person moves through life spending many waking hours investing their time towards the securing of a goal, another person squanders available time by watching T.V., or some other activity that consumes time but not uses effectively.

On the other hand, as Ryan writes:
"And we to carve its features fair
Must use our time aright,
We have no days nor hours to spare,
But work we must with might."

In order to use the time the right way, one must also learn to avoid wasting time, or procrastinating, or starting and then stopping before the goal is achieved. So many people have fantastic dreams but never put a plan in place that details how they are going to accomplish their dream. And, it is also true that while some people may devise an appropriate plan, get close to the finish line, but quit when they run into an obstacle. To those who achieve their goal, these are their qualities: dedication, perseverance, steadfastness, and willingness to go the extra mile when their pathways are challenging or fraught with obstacles. Nothing ever achieved came by dreaming; nothing accomplished wasn't realized without hard work, and nothing became reality without overcoming failure. Do you possess these qualities?

Short Poems / Famous Poems / Mary C. Ryan Poems / Oh! Tell Me Not - in Poems Of Encouragement

Oh! Tell Me Not
by Mary C. Ryan

Oh! tell me not of love grown cold,
Nor of departed hopes;
These tales are sad and often told
By every heart that weeps.

But tell to me what good you'll seek
From this great world to gain;
Though fortune frowns and earth looks bleak,
You'll cherish no dull pain.

The future stands before us now
A mass of unhewn stone,
Which will into an image grow
Beneath time's hand alone.

And we to carve its features fair
Must use our time aright,
We have no days nor hours to spare,
But work we must with might.

All man can do. The greatest fame
Is e'er by trifles won,
Success's the meed of well spent time,
And peace, of tasks well done.
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