“If” You Can Be OK – Regardless of Circumstance

Jamie Butler
Apr 21
3 min read

Some poems last because they touch something eternal.

Rudyard Kipling’s "If "is one of those.

Written in 1895, it still speaks with striking clarity to leaders, parents, teams, and anyone walking the uncertain road of growth and responsibility. It’s often quoted — but rarely lived.

And there’s one line that especially connects to the work we do on our courses. The challenge and invitation to:

"Be OK, regardless of circumstance".

But before we dive into that, take a moment to read — or re-read — the full poem below. Let it settle.

IF

by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Let’s go back to just the first two lines:

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you…

This is where true leadership and inner strength begin. It's easy to be calm when things are calm. It’s easy to be kind when people are kind. It’s easy to be focused when life is going your way.

But the real test? Can you be OK when it isn’t?

That’s exactly what we help people explore in our courses.

"Be OK, Regardless of Circumstance".

This isn’t just a nice idea — it’s a powerful skill. And it’s one we believe can be learned, practiced, and embodied.

We help people experience what it’s like to:

Stay grounded when stress flares up
Remain confident when uncertainty appears
Choose focus over frustration
Discover that being OK doesn’t depend on things being perfect

It’s not about “keeping a stiff upper lip” or suppressing emotions.It’s about developing real tools — emotional, psychological, and somatic — that help you reconnect to your centre… no matter what’s happening around you.