On the Field.
By
For a long time, it’s been one of my favorite quotes. It truly fires me up:
“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 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 up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming. But who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for 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 knew neither victory nor defeat.” – Teddy Roosevelt, April 23, 1910
Wins and Losses. Touchdowns and fumbles. They’re both part of the game.
And they’re both proof you’re IN the game.
I want to be in the game. On the field. Where it’s dirty, difficult. Where there is RISK. Of failure, of heartache. But where there is also POSSIBILITY. Of impact and winning. Of kicking the enemy in the teeth.
Mistakes are part of the process. I’ve made them – too many to count. I’ve come up short again and again. And like you, I have critics who want to remind me of them.
Too bad for them. To bad for all those who sit on the sidelines. Is it excuses? bitterness? doubt? lack of passion? distraction? Whatever it is – it’s sad. Often they’ll invest energy in pointing out flaws, even celebrating failures. “Monday morning quarterbacks”, they’re content to mock from the stands, never experiencing the rush of being on the field. And their voice can be so loud, so distracting.
Ignore them. Those “cold and timid souls” don’t count.
Get dressed and get out there. The whistle is blowing. It’s game time. Spend yourself for a worthy cause. Pour out who you are and what you have for something bigger. Your team is waiting for you. The Coach is calling you.
See you on the field.