Born Equipped for Success

Figure it out for yourself, my lad,

You've all the greatest of men have had,

Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,

And a brain to use if you would be wise.

With this equipment they all began,

So start for the top and say, “I can.”

Look them over, the wise and great,

They take their food from a common plate,

And similar knives and forks they use,

With similar laces they tie their shoes;

The world considers them brave and smart,

But you've all they had when they made their start.

You can triumph and come to skill,

You can be great if only you will.

You're well equipped for what fight you choose,

You have legs and arms and a brain to use,

And the man who has risen great deeds to do

Began his life with no more than you.

You are the handicap you must face,

You are the one who must choose your place,

You must say where you want to go,

How much you will study the truth to know.

God has equipped you for life, but He

Lets you decide what you want to be

Explanation

Stanza 1 Explanation

“Figure it out for yourself, my lad” means that you should make decisions about your life yourself and not depend on others. The phrase figure it out means to understand something and decide carefully. My lad refers to a young boy whom the poet is advising. “You've all the greatest of men have had” means that you also have the same strength that great people have. “Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes” refers to the basic parts of the human body. These words show that God has given every human being the necessary tools to work and succeed. “And a brain to use if you would be wise” means that if you want to be wise, you must use your mind and intelligence. “With this equipment they all began” means that this natural strength and ability is the equipment given to every person. “So start for the top and say, ‘I can.’” means that you should move toward success and believe in yourself.

Stanza 2 Explanation

“Look them over, the wise and great” means to look at those people who are considered wise and great in the world. “They take their food from a common plate” means that they also live like ordinary human beings. “And similar knives and forks they use” means that their basic needs and daily life are also the same as others. “With similar laces they tie their shoes” shows that great people also start with ordinary things. “The world considers them brave and smart” means that the world sees them as brave and intelligent. But “But you've all they had when they made their start” shows that at the beginning, they also had limited resources just like you. The central idea of this stanza is that success is not magic; it is the result of hard work and determination.

Stanza 3 Explanation

“You can triumph and come to skill” means that you can win and gain skill or mastery. “You can be great if only you will” means that you can become great if you truly decide to do so. In other words, strong willpower is the first requirement for success. “You’re well equipped for what fight you choose” means that you already have enough ability for whatever goal you choose to achieve. “You have legs and arms and a brain to use” again points to human strength and ability. “And the man who has risen great deeds to do” means that the people who are doing great things today were once ordinary people like you. “Began his life with no more than you” means that their beginning was no better than yours. This stanza gives the message of self-confidence and hard work.

Stanza 4 Explanation

“You are the handicap you must face” means that your biggest obstacle is yourself, your fear, discouragement, and weak will. “You are the one who must choose your place” means that you must decide and build your own position in life. “You must say where you want to go” means that you must choose your own goal. “How much you will study the truth to know” means how much effort and search you will make to understand reality. “God has equipped you for life, but He” means that God has already given you all the necessary resources for life. “Lets you decide what you want to be” means that in the end, the choice is yours. The most important message of this stanza is that a person’s destiny is shaped by his own decisions.