ख्वाब की कहानी

टहलते-टहलते आज फ़िर चल निकले यादों के गलियारों में
अकेली रात थी, सर्द सा मंज़र था, उदासी थी छायी बहारों में

शौल लाना भूल गए थे, याद आया जब पहुंचे यादों के गलियारों में
वो भी न मिली गरमाने को, आंसू भी जम गए गालों कि कतारों में

कांपते किटकिटाते सी करते, आगे बड़े यादों के गलियारों में
कोई हमदम मिल जाता कि कुछ पल हाथ सेक लेते अंगारों में

कुछ और आगे चला तो एक आवाज़ गूंजी मन के गलियारों में
मेरा नाम लिया था किसी ने, सासों के तले, हौले से पुकारों में

चेहरा धुन्दला सा, काया छाया सी, थोडी रौशनी कम थी गलियारों में
तुम तो चली गयीं थी, आज कैसे आना हुआ, पूछा मैंने अहंकारों में

क्यों हैरान होते हो अब देख, जब तुमने ही बुलाया मुझे इन गलियारों में
नज़र में शोले, हाथ में अंगीठी कि गर्माहट, दिल कुछ कहने लगा दहाडों में

सुबह हो चली थी, दरवाज़े की कड़ी खुली थी, पर वो नहीं थी दूर तक गलियारों में
नींद खुली तो फ़िर वही तन्हाई थी, फ़िर कुछ बूँदें जमी थी, आंखों की किनारों में

If you think

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't
It's almost a cinch you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you've lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will:
It's all in his state of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are:
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You'll ever win that prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.

Attributed to Author Napoleon Hill circa 1973

Don't you quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with it's twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worse,
That you must not quit.

...Edgar A. Guest

Men called it luck

He worked by day,and toiled by night,
He gave up play and some delight,
Dry books he read new things to learn
And forged ahead success to earn,
He plodded on with faith and pluck
And when he won men called it Luck.

- Anonymous