Are you living on the sidelines or striving valiantly in the arena?

Today’s question is inspired by an amazing quote by Theodore Roosevelt. It’s a long quote, but read carefully because it’s very powerful. He said…

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Wow!

This is such a powerful and evocative statement.

Strength

For me, when times get tough, and they do from time to time… when I worry what people will think or say, or they actually do criticise… this gives me the strength to carry on.

It reminds me that there’s valour in getting out there, into the game, showing up, and doing your best…

There’s honour in being a person who is brave enough to give it a go, rather than sitting on the sidelines afraid to participate.

Criticism

It allows me to put the criticisms of others (both real and imaginary) into their proper place.

To only accept “feedback” from other warriors who are in the arena with me, and to ignore the “criticism” from people not willing to stand up and take action.

Motivation

It motivates me because I’m inspired by the thought of spending my time on a “worthy cause”… living my life enthusiastically devoted to something great.

Because I’ve spent times in my life where I felt like I was living on the sidelines, without a passion to light my fire, and it does not compare.

So, I know from experience, as most of us do, the difference and although we do get “marred with dust and sweat and blood”, it’s worth it to live life to the full, to spend ourselves in a great endeavour, to discover our best self as we rise to the challenge.

Because in the end it’s not what we have achieved, it’s how we have lived and who we have become that matters.