In the 1970s I wrote a little whimsy essay called “DO IT.”  

I ran across it the other day while poring through a box of “Carole’s Writings,” and thought it to be good advice for starting any project... minor or major.

So, of course, it became a poem.

For the August 2025 poem of the Month, here is the new poem, based on my 1970s essay, “DO IT.”

Hope you like it… and remember this… whatever the question, love is always the answer.

DO IT

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act.”
(So said Amelia Earhart in 1935.)
“The rest,’ she said, “is merely tenacity.”
Once you take the first step, you’re more likely to arrive.

Putting things off until the timing is right
Is a bad habit. Another word for it is “procrastinate.”
ZIg Ziglar, a motivational speaker, once put it this way:
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
(The wisdom of an ancient Chinese sage.)
Your future is created by what you do today.
Don’t wait to begin your own pilgrimage.

The subject is timeless:
The slogan “Just Do It” was created for Nike in 1988, 
by their advertising company, (Wieden and Kennedy). 
Nike holds the trademark.

A few years ago, a good friend introduced me to the poetry of Constantine P. Cavafy (Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis), a Greek poet, journalist and civil servant from Alexandria, Egypt (1863 - 1933).

Considered the most distinguished Greek poet of the 20th century, Cavafy’s “Ithaka” was inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, focusing on the journey rather than the destination. The poet uses the story of Odysseus’s return to Ithaka as a framework for a philosophical statement about life. The island of Ithaka becomes a symbol for the goals and ideals for which we strive.

The poem’s theme is “enjoyment of the journey of life, and the increasing maturity of the soul as that journey continues.” The journey itself is what is important, not the destination.

Please, do take a moment, and on your computer, phone, tablet or other magic device, look up “Ithaka” and C. P. Cavafy, and read for yourself his wisdom. 

Your life, I promise you, will be richer for it.

Here, then, is my take on the subject of success for the September 2025 Poem of the month. I hope you enjoy it.

SUCCESS

Owning yachts, airplanes and fancy foreign cars
Are for some, the ways to demonstrate their success,
While others might travel extensively…
Or buy fine homes. (Oh, how they dress!)

“The road to success is always under construction!”
So said Lily Tomlin (as she managed a scowl).
The struggles along your path are meant to shape you,
Not break you, so don’t throw in the towel.

Your journey and your path are for you to decide.
You can make it a burden or you can make it fun.
And, while others may accompany you on your path,
No one can walk it for you. (That’s NO ONE!)

Your journey will be easier, far easier (it is said)
If you don’t carry your past with you, my friend.
What you learn on your journey is far more valuable
Than what you achieve at the end.

Your journey will teach you about your destination.
It’s the journey that matters. Do you comprehend?
As Steve Jobs said, “The journey itself Is the reward.”
Your success is the quality of your journey. You transcend!

If you travel far enough, you will meet your true self.
You are destined to become the person you decide to be.
The doing is more important than the outcome.
Success is defined as the quality of your journey.

You might still own the yachts and the exotic cars,
But YOU know you have something MORE:
You have the satisfaction of having experienced 
SUCCESS from the “inside,” and you keep the score.

July 2025’s Poem of the Month, LIVE PURPOSEFULLY sounds like such an enormous assignment… one that only a noted spiritual person might hope to attain…

But, in reality, finding one’s purpose is open to us all!! And, the best way to find your purpose, and live it, is to find and follow your passion. Your passion will lead you to your purpose.

In the meantime, don’t lie, keep your word, don’t make promises you can’t, or have no intention to, keep…

… and Follow Your Dream! 

I hope you enjoy the poem. And… remember that whatever the question, the answer is always love.

LIVE PURPOSEFULLY

It’s said that a person without a purpose
Is like a ship without a rudder.
He might appear as if he’s going somewhere;
(The unknowing of his destination makes me shudder.)

Our lives are short. Our time is limited;
Finding a purpose is essential to do.
It’s not enough to have simply lived,
But to live for something. The onus is on you.

If your purpose grows dim, figure out your passion.
Your passion will lead you to your purpose in life…
A purpose to serve, not a lifestyle to live.
Don’t waste your time living someone else’s life.

Mark Twain said it best and, I think, summed it up
When he uttered these words (what a guy!):
“The two most important days in your life
Are the day you were born, and the day you find out why.”

“The meaning of life is to find your gift.
The purpose of life is to give it away.”
Picasso is credited with sharing this wisdom.
(What interesting art he put on display!)

If your path is hard it’s because your purpose
Is bigger than you thought.
Your purpose is not to maintain personal comfort;
It’s to grow your soul. Use what you’ve brought.

And finally, learn the words of the Dalai Lama:
“People take different roads seeking their own [perfection],
And just because they’re not on your road
They’re not lost, [but on their own path to their own selection]"