The Journey

Everyone has to choose a goal,
About what to do in our life?
Everyone has to choose a path,
That will take us to our goal.

Some will choose easy goals,
Many will decide not to make any choices,
Some will take what others has chosen for them,
For they lack zeal and zest for life.

A few will choose challenging and lofty goals,
Goals that are hard and difficult to achieve,
Goals that require sacrifices and risks,
These are the chosen few; the few who will make a difference.

If you want to be among the chosen few,
You should aim high and choose big.
Your task will be hard and difficult,
Your path often dangerous and treacherous.

When you dream big and aim high,
You will have to work harder and journey farther.
You will have to take paths less traveled or
Travel through uncharted waters and unknown lands.

You have a great responsibility; a great burden to shoulder.
As, you are the few on whom the progress of mankind rests.
You are the pioneers, innovators, inventors, and explorers,
Your findings and inventions will benefit humanity.

You are the trailblazers and pathfinders who,
Find objects others can use and places others can visit,
Invent things that can protect, cure, comfort, and support others,
Make new paths, comfortable and protected, so others can follow.

The life you have chosen is not easy,
The burden that you shoulder is not light,
The task that you have to accomplish is not simple,
You have a hard, dangerous, and arduous journey ahead.

Many have gone astray and got lost,
Many others have failed and died,
While trying to achieve,
What you are trying to accomplish.

But that should not discourage you,
Nor should it depress or sadden you.
It should harden your will and resolve,
It should inspire and motivate you to succeed.

Because, if you stop, turn back, or even slow down,
You will be doing an injustice to all those souls,
Who have tried and strived bravely and valiantly,
But couldn’t make it to the end.

When going becomes tough and the path becomes rough,
When travelling becomes hard and the journey looks dangerous
When destination looks distant and the task seems impossible;
Don’t stop; remember the brave men before you and move forward.

When you are drenched in sweat and you’re dead tired,
When muscles ache and burn and thirst and hunger tear your innards,
When your feet won’t move and the arms won’t lift,
Don’t stop; remember your predecessors and struggle ahead.

You might not reach the goal; but fall by the wayside,
But that should not stop you from dreaming big and aiming high,
That should not stop you from striving hard and toiling ahead,
Even if you fail; you will inspire and motivate millions to try and succeed.

Success and failure are separated by a very thin line,
The result doesn’t matter if you have done all you can,
The journey is more important than the destination,
You will be remembered for your journey and your legacy will be your travelogue.

16 Comments

  1. Paresh said,

    September 5, 2011 at 1:59 am

    Wow! What can I say… You’ve put your life in verse. Keep the flame burning & inspiration coming. Thanks 🙂 God bless you

  2. Vandana said,

    September 5, 2011 at 9:00 am

    Wonderfully inspiring; i especially loved the line ” success and failure are separated by a very thin line” – so true, and the lines that follow are inspirational too, for those who might have fallen short after giving their all…

  3. leni saji said,

    September 5, 2011 at 10:10 am

    Inspiring…….God bls u…

  4. Alexis Leon said,

    September 5, 2011 at 11:51 am

    Paresh: Thanks buddy…Hope you are well and writing. Wrote this as an exercise after reading the book “Writing The Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read and Write Poetry” by Sage Cohen.

    Vandy: I completely agree with you. I know you have been there and know how it feels 🙂

    Leni: Thank you Leni.

  5. Rahul said,

    September 5, 2011 at 12:04 pm

    Alexis, you should do it more often. I completely agree with Paresh. You write really well and your lines strike a chord in one’s mind. I should get the book–Writing the Life Poetic. Where did you buy it from? Also I am waiting for another story like ‘The Kiss.’ You have not written stories/memoirs for quite some time.

    Wish you all the very best in all your endevors. And wish you a happu Onam.

  6. Tomy said,

    September 5, 2011 at 12:21 pm

    That is a nice poem Alexis. It is really inspiring. Please do write more. I have read a book by Sage Cohen. It is called The Productive Writer. Is it the same author?

    I wish you a Happy Onam. Take care buddy…

  7. Maya said,

    September 5, 2011 at 12:28 pm

    Alexis, a post after a long time. You should write more frequently. At least once a week.

    Wonderful poem. Really nice. If you wrote this for an exercise in a book, I am sure you could write exceptionally well. Please do keep practicing and post what you write.

    BTW I saw one of your books with my cousin. A big (more than 1000 pages!) red book about IBM Mainframes. He says it is his reference cum textbook. I couldn’t make head or tail of it, except look at the figures which was also like abstract paints to me. He is with TCS. I said I was your blog pal and he looked at me with a new respect 🙂

  8. Alexis Leon said,

    September 5, 2011 at 1:40 pm

    Rahul: Thanks Rahul. Will try to write more. I bought the book from Flipkart (www.flipkart.com). Happy Onam to you and your family.

    Tomy: Thanks Tomy. Yes, Sage Cohen is the author of both the books. She also has a third book–a book of her poems–Like the Heart, the World. Happy Onam to you and your family.

    Maya: Thanks Maya. I will try. My target is one post per week, but that hardly happens 🙁 Regarding the IBM Mainframe Handbook, yes it is mine. In which branch of TCS, your nephew is working? I was with TCS, in Madras, from 1992 to 1997 (before and after my accident). I wish you and your family a happy Onam,

  9. Vikram Singh Gurjar said,

    September 5, 2011 at 3:19 pm

    Dear Mr. Alexis,

    You are the most inspiring personality, I have ever come across.

    These days I am facing a lot of hardships and your photograph, which I have affixed in my study, provides me strength to face these.

    Thanks

    Vikram Singh Gurjar

  10. Tme said,

    September 6, 2011 at 6:55 am

    Simply amazing ……Alexis……Superb…….!

  11. Alexis Leon said,

    September 7, 2011 at 8:33 pm

    Vikram Singh Gurjar: Thanks and I wish you all success.

    TME: Thanks Thulasy.

  12. Sheeba said,

    September 8, 2011 at 1:12 am

    As everyone said, it is an inspiring post, Alex. Congrats..
    I too have a personal goal to achieve..

  13. Alexis Leon said,

    September 8, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    Sheeba: Thank you comrade… I wish you and family a very happy and prosperous Onam

  14. Sreejith Panickar said,

    September 9, 2011 at 11:30 am

    Brilliant!

    A very happy Onam sir!

  15. Alexis Leon said,

    September 9, 2011 at 11:56 am

    Sreejith: Thanks buddy; I too wish you and family a happy and prosperous Onam.

  16. Sheeba said,

    September 26, 2011 at 2:29 am

    I read this poem once again.
    Its so soothing..