Tim Tebow's favorite poem

I came across a Denver Post article by a reporter who asked Tim Tebow what he reads. Tebow mentioned The Bible of course, and Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life. And he said he reads books with motivational quotes. Then Tebow surprised the reporter by saying he often looks at a poem called "The Guy in the Glass" by Dale Wimbrow.

I looked the poem up.  Here it is:

The Guy in the Glass
by Dale Wimbrow, (c) 1934


When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.

The best judgment isn't provided by media hype or those who give "pats on the back as you pass," but from the man who quietly reflects on his own values and convictions.

Well said, Dale Wimbrow.