If you would rise above the throng <br />And seek the crown of fame, <br />You must do more than drift along <br />And merely play the game. <br />Whatever path your feet may tread, <br />Whatever be your quest, <br />The only way to get ahead <br />Is striving for the best. <br /> <br />'Tis not enough to wish to do <br />A day's toil fairly well; <br />If you would rise to glory, you <br />Must hunger to excel. <br />The boy who has the proper stuff <br />Goes into every test, <br />Not seeking to be 'good enough,' <br />But eager to be 'best.' <br /> <br />Aim high! And though you fail today <br />And may tomorrow fail, <br />Keep pounding steadily away, <br />Some day you'll hit the nail. <br />At no half-way mark ever pause <br />n smug content to rest, <br />Who would win honor and applause <br />Must want to be the best. <br /> <br />The best must be your aim in life, <br />The best in sport or work, <br />Success in any form of strife <br />Falls never to the shirk. <br />The crowns of leadership are few, <br />The followers move in throngs, <br />If you would be a leader, you <br />Must shun the 'drift alongs.'<br /><br />Edgar Albert Guest<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/ambition-42/
