This quote from Theodore Roosevelt has inspired me time and again over the past 5 years.
“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.”
It’s given me the confidence to step out, try new things, and take on challenges that scare me. It’s helped me realise that it’s only when we’re in the ring that we have a fighting chance at success.
I also love how the friend who shared this quote with me—back in 2014—had a dream to start a company that made the world a better place.
I’m thrilled to see him living out this quote, as he co-founded and is now leading a renewable energy company in Australia. He’s in the ring, and daring greatly.