"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."
- "The Man in the Arena", Theodore Roosevelt
Lately, I've taken to reading speeches of great men, especially those who spoke during uncertain times, like Churchill's famous WWII speeches. I have a fear of public speaking and frequently find myself tongue-tied and with jumbled thoughts when asked to give a speech or a presentation. This happens even thought I am well prepared for it. It is comforting to know that some of the greatest speech givers struggled to keep their nerves from showing.
Zen Pencils did a wonderful comic based on Roosevelt's "The Man in the Arena" and that brought me back to reading the speech once again.
It is a great reminder to be a doer and to not worry about falling short. And yes, that is what I will do.
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