It's not the critic who counts

This is one of my favorite quotes of all times:

“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 and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, 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 he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”  

Theodore Roosevelt

I've used the quote used with leadership groups, volunteer organizations and recent graduates entering the world as a kick in the pants to get in the game, get involved. Finding your place in the world has a lot to do with finding your niche, finding that path that God has laid out for you and staying focused. It's also about getting involved, even if it's a little uncomfortable at times. Whether that means your job, a volunteer or civic group or your church (inside the building or out).


I find this quote to be very compelling. I don't think I need to recap it, it speaks for itself. What are you doing in the arena?


P.S. I was reminded of this quote by Jack Weinzierl in a Twitter post. He wrote an interesting blog post about the quote on his site JackWeinzierl.com, check it out. Thanks Jack!