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What Will Your Verse Be?
There's a scene in “Dead Poets Society” that's stuck with me for years:
Robin Williams' character, Mr. Keating, stands before his class and reads Walt Whitman's "O Me! O Life!" The poem ends with the line: "That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse."
Keating then asks his students: "What will your verse be?"
It's a question that hits differently as we wind down another year. Not because we need another set of resolutions or KPIs (though those have their place), but because it invites us to examine something deeper: who we want to be and what mark we want to leave on the world.
Write Your Part
Think of life as Whitman did—a "powerful play" unfolding on the world's stage. Each of us has our own unique role, our own story to tell. The question isn't just about delivering the perfect performance—it's about what scene, what moment, what meaningful contribution we want to add to this grand production.
In Dead Poets Society, we watch as students like Todd Anderson and Neil Perry grapple with finding their authentic voices amidst the pressure to conform. Their journey reminds us that discovering our verse isn't about meeting others' expectations—it's about daring to speak our truth, even when our voice shakes. Even when we’re scared no one wants to hear it.
Go deeper
When I work with clients or connect with others in my network, I often notice a pattern: we tend to focus on the what before the who. We set goals about what we want to achieve before understanding who we want to be. It's like trying to write a song without knowing what emotion you want to convey.
But the good news is that you don’t need to wait to write your part—to be who you want to be. It’s not found in your accomplishments or at the finish line. You can do it minute by minute, fleshing out your role on the page of life with each move you make.
A Work in Progress
This isn’t to say I’ve nailed it. I’m grappling right now with the reality that who I am and who I want to be may need fine-tuning on a micro-level, not just how I build a company or even how I lead my team and clients, but how I live day to day, moment by moment.
Here are some questions I've found helpful in diving deeper:
What stories do you want people to tell about you?
If you had all the security in the world, what would you do differently tomorrow?
What values do you want to embody, not just espouse?
What problems keep you up at night that you feel uniquely positioned to solve?
Find Your Stage
Your verse isn't just about what you say—it's about where and how you choose to say it. Maybe your stage is a boardroom, or maybe it's a community center. Perhaps your verse is best delivered through writing, or through building companies, or through mentoring others. Maybe it’s how you prepare dinner for your family or hold the door for the person rushing up behind you.
The key is understanding that your verse doesn't have to look like anyone else's. Just as Keating encouraged his students to stand on their desks to see the world from a different perspective, we too must find our unique vantage point.
This isn't about crafting the perfect plan. It's about getting clear on your voice, your values, and your vision for how you want to show up in the world at every scale.
Remember, your verse isn't a one-time performance—it's an ongoing contribution to the greater story. Just as the Dead Poets Society members found power in sharing their verses together, we too are part of a larger narrative.
So I'll ask you what Keating asked his students: What will your verse be? Not just for next year, but for right now, and tomorrow, and the day after that?
The world is waiting for your contribution. Make it count.
