"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 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 and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for 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 he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
- Teddy Roosevelt, "Citizenship in a Republic,"
I am just finishing Brene Brown"s book, Daring Greatly. If nothing else, the fact that the title of her book comes from the (totally rad) quote by Teddy Roosevelt is worth the price of admission. (Really, wherever you are in your life - her TED talk is great. Brene Brown explains the basic premise of the book in this talk on vulnerability. It is fantastic. If you have 15 minutes in your day, this is worth watching.)
It is a great read, and has been eye opening for me at times. For most of my life I struggled mightily with my own vulnerability. I was always attempting to create, be adventurous, and come out on top. I did not respond to criticism, and was most often blinded by my own ambitions. I still regret that I did not play soccer during my Junior year of high school - a decision I made due to my fear of failure. I was simply afraid that I would not make the cut that year, and that fear of rejection paralyzed me. I was scared to be in the arena. I was scared of "Daring Greatly."
I like to believe that I have overcome much of this approach in my life, and I am now significantly more adjusted to my own limitations. But if I am honest, I still struggle with my fears and insecurities daily, in some form or another - though I can name my fears now - and try to dive straight in.
If nothing else, I live my life in deep gratitude for all of the advantages and luck that I have enjoyed. I am deeply aware that I am surrounded by inspirational people. I want to wake daily and just scream "Thank You" at the top of my lungs. I just feel that I can not say it enough, or loudly enough, for all of the people who have touched my life to hear.
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