On April 24, 1910, exactly 107 years ago today, President Theodore Roosevelt delivered one of his most powerful speeches and set the tone for resiliency in all of us.

President Roosevelt was speaking to a large crowd at the Sorbonne in Paris.  In many ways, it was a standard diplomatic address, praising the people of France for their leadership in establishing a democracy and honoring the right to citizenship.  But the speech, a 35-page masterpiece titled “Citizenship in a Republic”, contained one passage that has resonated across the globe as an anthem for taking action and following through on your goals.

Popularly referred to as “The Man in the Arena”, Roosevelt delivered this gem:

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. 

Amen, Teddy!  107 years later, this still rings true with resilient workers across the world!

Life is not meant to be a spectator sport. 

We all have intriguing ideas. We all have some remarkable talent. We all strive for greatness in some aspect of our lives.  But what is an intriguing idea if it only stays in our head? What is talent without action? What is greatness if it is only based on potential? We cannot theoretically contribute to making this world a better place. At some point, we must put that theory into action.

We must climb into the arena and go to battle.

An old saying in Hollywood goes something like this:

“There is no such thing as a bad movie.”

This always struck me as ridiculous.  Have they not seen the latest Adam Sandler flop? Is the industry really that clueless?

I never truly grasped the significance until I spent some time grinding it out in the Dream Factory.

Once you step into the arena, you realize how difficult it is to put a movie together.  You realize there is constant rejection.  There are incredible obstacles in your path.  The chances of success are infinitesimally small.  If an idea actually makes it into the theater, it is a minor miracle.  The critic can crush the movie for its shortcomings, but have they ever stepped into the arena and put their dreams to the test?

Who would you rather be?

It is so easy to criticize.  It requires incredible courage to take action.

We can criticize our leaders, but it is not easy to manage in the spotlight of naysayers.  We can criticize our athletes, but they have paid their dues and accomplished more than most people could dream.  We can criticize our military, but they are putting their lives on the line every day.

On a local level, it is easy to criticize someone else’s parenting.  It is easy to criticize someone else’s lifestyle.  It is easy to criticize someone else’s coaching, teaching, or playing.  But have they ever walked a mile in someone else’s shoes?  Have they ever saddled up and stepped into the arena?

What Happens When We Fail?

But just stepping into the arena does not guarantee success.  What happens when we jump in and fail?

We risk our savings and our business crumbles.  We follow our gut instinct but our investment tanks.  We execute a perfect sales pitch and they go with the competition.  We discipline our children but they still make mistakes.  We try a new concept but our students don’t grasp it.  We institute an innovative game plan but we come up on the losing end.  We work hard for playing time but flounder in the spotlight.

It is incredibly difficult to fail.  We certainly don’t wish it upon our children or our loved ones and we don’t wish it upon ourselves.  But the reality is that if you fail while daring greatly, you cannot lose! 

Because there is no greatness without failure and embarrassment.  There is no celebration without the tears.  There is no victory without defeat.

The only failure is sitting on the sidelines and pointing out other people’s failures! 

It is natural, and even healthy, to mourn a loss or feel dejected and discouraged after a stumble.  When we put so much of our heart into a task, failure can drain us emotionally and physically.  But, after a short period of reflection, we must quickly turn back to action.  And we must continue to believe in our own abilities, even in the face of doubt and criticism.

Resilience is not for the weak or the faint of heart.  It takes courage.  It takes energy.  And it takes a firm belief in our own abilities.  But nothing worthwhile comes without a price.

Life is about victory and defeat.  But there are no winners if you stop playing the game.

And if you can power through your darkest moments and still passionately pursue your goals, you will know the power of high achievement in the end. 

Dare to win!  Dare to fail!  And dare to pick up the pieces and do it all over again!

Teddy Roosevelt was on to something.  Let’s step back into the arena and get it done!

Until next week, keep smiling!