I am from the Caribbean and I was taught these lines in school in the 1970’s at about eight (8) years old. But it was taught to me as a poem or limerick and it seemed to have had more lines that this, but I just can’t seem to remember them all.

Dianne from NY
April 19, 2024

I used to tell my students this every day! And I still do!

TMB from North Carolina
February 28, 2024

It is very good song

Hitseh from Goa
August 4, 2021

This is such a great saying. Easy to remember and a great reminder for each day.

Tony Parker from Paris, France
June 30, 2021

Inspiring

Anonymous
June 17, 2021

My teacher taught our class of Primary 1 in Ghana in the 70s. But the second line was “May I never rest”.

Pat from UK
December 20, 2020

My high school baseball coach repeated this quote often to his players. Every young man who played for Marvin McCollum in Hamilton, Ohio heard this quote and remember it to this day.

Gary from Arizona
March 2, 2020

I learned this quote from my grandfather willie Bentley in 1959. He learned it from his grandfather in 1901

Anonymous
May 13, 2019

survive, thrive

Cody
March 1, 2018

My Gr.7 math teacher made us recite this quote everyday. It has stuck with me for 38 years.

Myriah from BC, Canada
January 28, 2017

This quote was spoken/written about by St. Jerome who lived between 347 and 420AD. He is responsible for many more fine quotes, a very learned man.

Richard from Hartlepool, England
September 1, 2016

Also, we learned it as, "until your good becomes your better, and your better becomes your best".

Evita from Alabama
November 29, 2015

I was born in 1986 and I learned this quote in elementary school.

Evita from Alabama
November 29, 2015

I also learned this in elementary school in the 1960's. Apparently the quote is by St. Jerome, although in that version the last "your" is omitted. I like the version with the last "your" the best.

Janet from Silver Spring, MD
July 25, 2014

I remember learning this quote in about the 5th grade in the early 50's. Our teacher taught it to us.

FNP from North Carolina
July 24, 2014

As a baby boomer born in 1948,this quote was always in recited to me by my father whenever I got a report card. He always wanted to see improvement. This became my mantra to students in my Art classes during my 37 year teaching career.

M. Werner from Oconto, WI
May 15, 2013

This is not an original quote of Tim Duncan. I remember knowing it all of my life. I never had to learn it, but just knew it because it was quoted often. I was born in 1953, therefore the quote is MUCH older than Tim Duncan.

R Easter from Chester, VA
March 2, 2013

This was one of my great grandfather's favorite sayings to his students. He taught school from 1872 until his death in 1924.

Janice L. from Federick, Maryland
February 9, 2012

My dad said this to me all my life -- starting in the 1950s. Somehow I don't think this can be attributed to a basketball player born in 1976. Good quote, though!

Valerie N from Rapid City, SD
December 3, 2010

This quote is much older than Tim Duncan. (My mother used to repeat it to me when I was growing up.) A brief search shows that the original author was most likely St. Jerome (circa the 4th or 5th century).

Laura W from Indiana
December 2, 2010

Adlai Stevenson used this quote years before Tim Duncan's Mother shared it with him. My own mother quoted this line to me back in the late 50's/early 60's.

Virginia P. from SC
December 1, 2010