Inspiration

Start where you stand

start where you stand

by Berton Braley

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

Do you or don’t you give the vanished days a backward look?  

{photo credit here}

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  • Renee at Mummy, Wife, Me

    I can’t help myself but give the vanished days a backward look. I don’t think it hurts to do this every now and then though because it reminds me of my mistakes and bad times and how good I have it now :)

  • http://www.sakuraharuka.com/ Ai Sakura

    So often we’ll look back and wonder what if or I should have… This is a lovely poem to start where we stand, especially with the new year coming and a chance to start anew :)

    Ai @ Sakura Haruka

  • Jody Scott-greer

    Lovely and very timely in my life right now. Thank you.
    Jody at Six Little Hearts

  • http://essentiallyjess.com/ EssentiallyJess

    I try not too, but somedays those past failures just sneak up on me.
    Beautiful poem. I never think to look o read poetry, but I really should, cause there is some amazing stuff out there.

  • Lisa

    A great reminder to not live in the past. I think we should always be mindful of our mistakes but learn from them and move forwards. Thanks for sharing x

  • Kate

    I love that line, ‘start where you stand’. We can definitely learn from our past but sometimes you just need to forge ahead into the unknown anyway. My new motto :-)

  • http://mumstakefive.blogspot.com/ MumsTakeFive

    I look back but dont linger back there. gotta go forward. now will be back there way to fast :) x

  • Brenda @ 13 Acres

    what a lovely poem to read on a friday night to inspire me for the weekend ahead x

  • Travelling Macs

    I look back, good or bad it shapes us in some fashion. In my opinion we cant deny who we are or how we got to be there.

  • http://www.snippetsandspirits.blogspot.com/ Sarah@SnippetsandSpirits

    A lovely poem. I really do not think I dwell on the past, it is about the present for me mostly. That sentiment is easier with kids however as they teach you to live in the moment. Thank you for sharing !

  • meandmyreadymadefamily

    I definitely look back. I make a promise to myself not to regret the past, so perhaps it is more of a glance backwards just to reminisce in the good times and learn from the bad times.
    This is a really beautiful poem.

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