In the middle of discussion years ago, a comment was made. “You are acting as the man in the Arena.” At the time I did not understand the remark. In following up, I found out that it was a reference to a speech by Theodore Roosevelt. I was recently reminded of a key excerpt.
“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.” (1)
I hear a compliment and description of individuals I want to be with; “I have my eye on salt-of-the-earth people – they’re the ones I want working with me; Men and women on the straight and narrow – these are the ones I want at my side.” (Psalm 101.6)
I want to work with one who has scars and battered hands. The individual who has tried against the odds to achieve great things.
I want to embrace the failures, others as well as my own, and work to achieve what many think cannot be done.
I want to struggle with the hungry and eager. Without an insatiable longing and thirst, we will give into the temptation to be complacent.
So much to be done. If not us, then who?
(1) Excerpt from “Citizenship in A Republic” delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910. http://www.theodore-roosevelt.com/trsorbonnespeech.html
