Last week, I talked about my desire to chase after my biggest dream. I have to admit that it took me a while to reach this place in my life, a place where I am more focused on doing what I believe I can do rather than listening to the naysayers. The day it all changed was when I was reading Daring Greatly by Brené Brown. She introduced me to a speech by Theodore Roosevelt, and from there, I have never been the same.
“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.” –T. Roosevelt
I want to be the woman in the arena. I want to have the strength to step into a place where success isn’t guaranteed, where there are people watching who are trying to tear me apart, where I could easily get knocked down more than I find myself standing. I want that because it will mean that I am daring greatly.
Too often, we settle. We settle for where we are and for things that we don’t want because there is a great fear of failure; however, my greatest fear in life is looking back when I am old and being disappointed that I didn’t have the courage to go after what was in my heart. Open the door, step into the arena, and go after your worthy cause.
The average American has 28,000 days on this earth. I urge you to spend those days going after what truly makes you happy. Life will begin when you dare greatly and walk into the arena. Begin living your life the way you’ve always dreamed. You will inevitably suffer setbacks and be knocked down. You may not even get what you want, but that’s not important. What’s important is that you were brave enough to try. Sometimes we triumph, and sometimes we fall. Just always—always—get back up.
Go and enter the arena,
EP
Please tell me what your biggest dream is!! If you have a few minutes, check out this Brené Brown video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqgAA2WJ2is