“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.”

– Theodore Roosevelt, The Man in the Arena Speech

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I first heard Roosevelt’s words during a speech that Brene Brown gave. As Brown noted, “It’s not about winning. It’s not about losing. It’s about showing up and being seen.” 

Roosevelt originally shared The Man in the Arena speech in Paris in 1910. His words were directed at the cynics – the ones looking down on those trying to make the world a better place. It could be easy to gloss over the depth of what Roosevelt shared. Instead, let’s dissect this one section at a time…

“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.”

There will always be people on the sidelines who have never stepped foot on the field, played the game, or fought the fight – all eager to share their opinions and call out the risk-takers for their stumbles. It will always be easier to point out what others do wrong than to show up and do something yourself. The takeaway here is simple. Those voices from the sidelines and the cheap seats don’t matter. Until someone has stepped into the battle or onto the field, their opinion is meaningless to the one in the arena.

“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;”

Dust, sweat, and blood. Here’s the second takeaway from Roosevelt’s speech… Stepping into the arena is going to come with challenges. Expect them and confront them. We’re often tempted to quit when the struggles rise up. Instead, when things get uncomfortable, lean into the challenges. What we do in those moments is often what separates success and failure.

“who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;”

Soak that in for a moment. “There is no effort without error.” Said another way, you will make mistakes and experience failures in the arena. The third takeaway from Roosevelt’s speech helps us to see those mistakes and failures through a different lens. Instead of being the end of our journey, they are simply stumbling blocks along the journey. You’re going to make errors and shoot shots that miss the mark. As the one in the arena, embrace them as part of the process. 

“but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause;”

When you think of a “worthy cause,” there’s something that your mind rests on – something that you’ve always wanted to do, pursue, or create. There’s something that lights a fire in your soul, gets you excited, and stirs you up. The man in the arena actively fights for those things. He “actually strives” and “spends himself.” Everything in our lives begins with a thought. What we do with those thoughts is up to us. The man in the arena does not rest on thinking about doing things. Instead, he does them.

“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,”

Success is never guaranteed. At best, you will enjoy success in reaching your goals. At worst, you will take risks and fail. It would be easier to face all of the challenges along the way knowing that success was on the other side. Unfortunately, you may end up marred by dust and sweat and blood and still face failure, but here’s the good news…

“so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Those that dare greatly, taking the big risks and making the bold moves, guarantee themselves one thing above all else… They will never be added to that group of timid souls that never tried, never took any risks, and always wonder, “What if?” There’s a moment we will all experience, as we stare death in the face, where we’re confronted by the things we should have done and could have done. The man in the arena eliminates these future regrets before they grow roots.

The Takeaway

The goal is simple… Step into the arena and dare greatly. 

The rest will take care of itself. 

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