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.
Excerpt from the speech "Citizenship In A Republic"
delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910
Theodore Roosevelt
What I love about Roosevelt's speech is there is no mention of fear or overcoming it. Fear and bravery is not even considered. Every man experiences these feelings as much as every man experiences breathing. Fear and bravery is so common amongst us that it is irrelevant. What is important and relevant is what you devote these feelings to. What is your worthy cause? and Why?
We spend so much time avoiding the arena because we are afraid of failure that by the time we get there we haven't even addressed the problem of significance...Which Arena should I be in?
The sooner we start making work and striving through the experience of the deed, as Roosevelt describes, the sooner we can move through the arena's of learning and discover the arena where we can thrive.
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