The Recipe
This famous short poem, by Berton Braley, could be considered a recipe for success in order to live a fulfilling life.
"Success is not built in a single day, it is built by choosing what is right, and then doing it again tomorrow."
Updated February 16, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer.
Success has many elements depending on one's orientation, life experience, and career background. To some, success is simply measured by how much wealth has been obtained; to others, however, success in life can be much more elaborate than the accumulation of wealth, in and of itself, to also be measured beyond how much money one has in the bank. It is our hope that every person reading these poetic verses will find new horizons of success to consider, or to applaud what already has been described.
The Recipe
It's doing your job the best you can
And being just to your fellow man;
It's making money - but holding friends
And true to your aims and ends;
It's figuring how, and learning why,
And looking forward and thinking high,
And dreaming little, and doing much.
It's keeping always in closest touch
With what is finest in word and deed;
It's being thorough, yet making speed;
It's daring blithely the field of chance
While making labor a brave romance,
It's going onward despite defeat
And fighting staunchly, but keeping sweet;
It's being clean and playing fair;
It's laughing lightly at Dame Despair;
It's looking up at the stars above
And drinking deeply of life and love.
It's struggling on with the will to win
But taking loss with a cheerful grin;
It's sharing sorrow and work and mirth
And making better this good old earth;
It's serving, striving through strain and stress;
It's doing your noblest - that's Success!
Key Messages in This Poem:
-
Do your work well and treat people fairly.
The poem reminds us that effort matters, but character matters too. When you do your best and you act with respect, you are already living a kind of success.
-
Balance achievement with relationships.
Making money is not the whole story. Holding onto friends, staying true to your aims, and living with purpose are part of a life that feels complete.
-
Dream, then act.
It is good to think high and look ahead, but the poem pushes us to do the work. Small steady actions often do more than big plans that never start.
-
Keep going through defeat without becoming bitter.
A setback does not have to be the end. The poem encourages courage and cheer, even when the outcome is not what you hoped for.
-
Make the world better as you go.
Success is not only personal gain. It also includes helping others, sharing in both hard times and happy times, and leaving things better than you found them.
Quotes From The Poem, The Recipe:
The above verse contains two essential elements of achievement. One of these elements clearly states that success in a job, or career, is completing the assigned task to the best of one's ability. This means that there is no better position or more lofty position or calling than any other. It means, for example, that a president of a company has the same duty to perform to his/her ability as does a janitor in the same company. Each person, in order to be successful, is measured not by the amount of their paycheck but, instead, is measured by how well and diligently the job tasks are completed each day of the week. The second element, reflects the "moral" level expected of each human being. That means, for example, that fair play is paramount no matter if one deals with a work colleague or a street beggar. Each person is deserving of respect and dignity.
These verses outline several key themes. The first highlights the significance of leaving the past in the past; what happened yesterday, in fact, need not have any bearing on the future. The only thing the past may declare is what not to do but never specifies that the past be lived again in the present or the future. The second theme means that thoughts of what to do should not control what needs to be done. Or, in other words, while dreaming can play a role in looking to the future of what may or could be done must be supplanted by dedicated and planned action leading to a new result or a different way of doing something that propels greater insight or achievement.
How often have you heard that one defeat has derailed many a dream? Far too often I'm sure. Defeat embraced is a life not lived. Defeat can rob people of a fulfilled life rather than being seen as an opportunity to try again. The greatest of leaders in this world have suffered defeat before achieving; the greatest business people have suffered setbacks before moving onward to great success. For example, Walt Disney had been defeated but rose to create an empire. Abraham Lincoln experienced defeat after defeat but became, through perseverance, one of the greatest statesmen in history. Thomas Edison is often been noted as a man who showed hundreds of times how not to create the light bulb but championed onward to become one of our most notable inventors.
Let not a loss or setback be mired in doom and gloom as bespeaks the first line of this stanza. Loss may be experienced, maybe a huge setback but it need not be broadcast within or to others as a meeting conveyed of all "nay sayers" who said you should give up your lofty ideals. It is not a time to surround yourself with others who have failed to achieve only to celebrate and commiserate in despair. It is, however, a time to re-muster, to review what happened, and to charge forth again with renewed vigor in celebration of another chance offered in life's cycles of hills and valleys. It is more about embracing life's upsets with a smile knowing that when you are knocked down getting up is but a single step forward. All in all, no matter the issue, the circumstances, the defeats, or the hills that are climbed, one's quest in this life resounds merrier when you have made the world a better place than when you started out in your life's journey.
Popular Pages
If you enjoyed this poem, take a moment to explore our Popular Pages below where you will find more poems and quotes to encourage you and brighten your day.
Conclusion
Berton Braley reminds us that success is not only what we gain, it is also how we live. It is shown in honest work, fair choices, steady effort, and a hopeful spirit when things do not go our way. If we keep serving, keep learning, and keep making life better for others, we will find a kind of success that lasts.
More Berton Braley Poems to Inspire
"Real success is living with purpose, doing your best, and bringing good into the lives of others."