Invictus

unbound. unconquered. undefeated.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

This is a poem by William Ernest Henley written in 1875. He wrote this while suffering through the agony of his leg being amputated as well as various other physical ailments that were all trying to keep him down. This has been cited by many, many people over the last 150 years as being a major influence on how they view the vicissitudes of life. The most famous invoker of this poem was Nelson Mandela who memorized it and used it daily through his many years of servitude in prison. Life will throw curveballs at you, it will do everything it can to get you down. Life is not easy, and friendships and relationships that are truly sublime take a lot of work and commitment. People will let you down and disappoint you to a degree you cannot even comprehend. Things will happen that will make you want to give up. Pick yourself up, forgive, do not close your heart to love, keep moving forward and do not ever give in.