Teddy Roosevelt gave an epic "Citizenship in a Republic" speech that became known as "The Man in the Arena." Here's a passage worth tattooing on our consciousness.
Quick recap: It’s April 23, 1910. Fifty-two year-old Teddy Roosevelt has already served two terms as the U.S. President.
“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.”
Brené Brown wrote a book, Daring Greatly, inspired by that speech.
She says: “Going back to Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech, I also learned that the people who love me, the people I really depend on, were never the critics who were pointing at me while I stumbled. They weren’t in the bleachers at all. They were with me in the arena. Fighting for me and with me.
Nothing has transformed my life more than realizing that it’s a waste of time to evaluate my worthiness by weighing the reaction of the people in the stands. The people who love me and will be there regardless of the outcome are within arm’s reach. This realization has changed everything.”
Here’s to standing wholeheartedly in our worthiness (as Brené would say), appreciate our loved ones in the arena who have our backs, and have compassion for those who are struggling with their own vulnerability as we DARE GREATLY.
Today.
