The Man Who Almost Made It

Graduation has correctly come to be called commencement, for the completion of one objective should mean the commencement of another. And both those who have graduated and those who have not, still have unfulfilled purposes to pursue. And this we should like to say to you who are still struggling with the problems of preparation: It isn’t unexpected that you should become discouraged at times. Everyone becomes weary with long effort. Almost everyone becomes irked when his wants and needs outrun his earnings and allowances. Preparing for a profession, or preparing for anything worth while, is a long pull, and almost any of us at times might be tempted to quit before we finish. But you had just as well know now that there isn’t any easy way to any highly desirable destination. Anyone who reaches eminence, or even competence, in any endeavor has to make some considerable sacrifice. And it is a great day in the life of any boy or girl, or any man or woman, when he decides on some good goal⎯and stays with it in spite of any passing discouragement or inconvenience. When you arrive at where it is you want to go, it will seem as natural to you as having arrived at where you now are. And you’ll be grateful that you didn’t quit before you got there. You wouldn’t want to be the man who just missed being what he might as well have been. You’ll want to set before your children, and before your family, an example of seeing things through. Family traditions are strong factors in shaping the future. And you wouldn’t want to be the one to start a family tradition for quitting too soon. And so before you quit, ask yourself if it will ever be any easier; ask yourself if you’ll ever be any younger. Before you quit, ask yourself if you’re honestly going to be satisfied to spend all your life doing what you are now prepared to do. And if the answer is “No,” hang on. Don’t quit now. In the minds of others (and in our own minds also) there is much difference between the man who made it and the man who almost made it. Don’t be the man who almost made it.