To have striven, to have made the effort, to have been true to

In the quiet yet noble words of Sir William Osler, one of the great physicians and teachers of the modern age, we hear a truth that rises above the ambitions of men: “To have striven, to have made the effort, to have been true to certain ideals—this alone is worth the struggle.” It is a saying forged not from the pride of achievement, but from the humility of purpose. Osler, a healer of both body and spirit, knew that the true measure of a life is not in victories won or riches gained, but in the faithful striving toward what is good and right, even when the path is hard and the end unseen.

William Osler lived in a time when medicine was transforming from superstition to science, when old certainties were being questioned, and new discoveries demanded courage, patience, and faith. He taught his students that the physician’s calling was not merely to cure but to serve—to uphold the ideals of compassion, integrity, and perseverance even in the face of suffering and failure. In his eyes, to strive was already to triumph, for in striving we declare allegiance to the best within us. His words are a hymn to effort, a reminder that the worth of our struggle lies not in its outcome but in its fidelity to truth.

In the ancient traditions, this belief has ever been the mark of the noble spirit. The Stoics taught that virtue is the only true good, and that external success is but shadow and wind. The Bhagavad Gita echoes the same truth: “You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work.” To strive faithfully is to act in harmony with the divine order, to do one’s duty without attachment to reward. Osler’s wisdom, though modern in tongue, springs from this eternal source—he calls us to measure our worth not by what we have gained, but by the purity of the struggle itself.

Think of the life of Florence Nightingale, who walked through the filth of war hospitals, tending to the dying and forgotten. She was not driven by hope of fame, nor by the certainty of success. Her task was endless and her strength often failing, yet she struggled faithfully for the ideals of mercy and care. When asked what sustained her, she might well have answered in Osler’s spirit: “To have striven, to have been true—this alone is worth it.” Her life became the proof that dedication to ideals, even in darkness, shapes the soul more deeply than any crown of worldly praise.

The meaning of Osler’s words lies also in their quiet defiance of despair. For in every life there comes a time when effort seems wasted, when dreams wither before reaching fruition. Yet he reminds us that failure in the service of truth is nobler than success in the service of falsehood. The struggle itself, undertaken with sincerity, ennobles the heart. To strive for justice, for wisdom, for kindness—even if the world resists—is to live as the soul was meant to live. For the one who strives faithfully has already won a greater victory: mastery over apathy and fear.

There is a kind of sacred beauty in effort, unseen by the eyes of the careless. The mountain climber who fails to reach the summit still knows the majesty of ascent; the artist whose work remains unfinished still touches eternity through creation. What Osler teaches is that life’s worth is not in the destination but in the devotion. The ideals we serve are the compass of the soul—guiding us through storms, giving meaning to pain, and shaping our humanity. To live without ideals is to drift without purpose; to live with them, even in struggle, is to walk in light.

The lesson for all who hear these words is this: do not measure your life by triumph or recognition, but by faithfulness to your calling. Whether you heal, build, teach, or love—let your effort be wholehearted, your intention pure, your work guided by ideals that uplift the spirit. Success may come or not, but the one who strives with honesty has already fulfilled the highest purpose. Strive, therefore, not for ease, but for excellence of heart. For in the end, the gods judge not by how far you have climbed, but by how steadfastly you walked the path.

So, O seeker of meaning, take courage in your labor. Know that even if the world does not applaud your struggle, the act of striving itself ennobles you. To have tried, to have remained true, to have endured for the sake of what is right—this is the quiet triumph of the soul. And when your days are done, it shall not matter how many victories you have won, but that you can say with peace: “I have striven. I have made the effort. I have been true to my ideals.” For that alone, as Osler said, is worth the struggle.