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Have you ever felt that everyone else is moving ahead while you are struggling to find your way? "You'll Strike Your Stride" by David V. Bush is an encouraging poem about perseverance, determination, and finding your own pace in life.
The poet reminds us that success does not come at the same time for everyone. Some people find their stride early, while others take longer. What matters is that we keep trying, learn from our setbacks, and refuse to give up. May this poem encourage you to keep moving forward, even when progress seems slow.
Updated October 23, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer.
All men, like horses, have a stride —
To find it, they have often sighed.
And feared themselves withheld by Fate,
From falling in their proper gait.
But many heroes, holding fast.
Have found the cherished gait at last;
So never quit the race, for you
Will strike your stride if you push through!
The stride we have, our running gait.
To some comes soon, to some comes late;
Nor should the one who lags behind
Despair that he the stride will find.
He has the power with pluck and grace
At length to win the toilsome race;
For in each one there rests the stride
That to the brave is ne'er denied.
If then your proper stride you seek
Curse not your fate in accents weak.
But be a man, and in the strife.
Plunge with the strength of all your life.
The man who has the nerve and grit
Will like the bulldog, never quit.
But win the race and pass the wire —
He's found his stride and cannot tire!
We each have our own pace and way of moving forward. The poem reminds us that we are not meant to copy someone else’s timing, but to discover what fits us.
Some people find their rhythm early, others later. If you feel behind, do not assume you have failed. Keep going and your stride can still come.
The poem speaks to the worry that we are held back by circumstances. It encourages us to stop blaming and start stepping forward with purpose.
Winning is not only about being fast. It is about staying in the race, holding on through the hard parts, and refusing to quit when it gets tough.
The poem calls us to put our strength into the struggle, not shrink back. When you act with grit and heart, you build the confidence to keep going.
The poem encourages us to push through challenges rather than give up too soon. Every effort gives us another opportunity to learn, grow, and move closer to finding our stride.
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This poem reminds us that we all have a pace we can grow into. Some find it early, some find it later, but it is not out of reach. Keep showing up, keep trying, and keep pushing through. In time, you will strike your stride.
Today, choose one small step and take it, even if you do not feel ready.
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