Are you “In the Arena?”
“As a young wife and mom, I battled fears and insecurities; I struggled with how to handle my mistakes with grace and acceptance.
I sought counseling along with inspiration, truth, and encouragement from the Bible. I also gathered words of wisdom and quotations.
As a recovering perfectionist, one of my favorite quotations is about being willing to be in the arena: sweaty and tired from genuine, intentional effort; bloodied knees from failed attempts; bright, hope-filled eyes; daring to risk in order to create something worthwhile:
“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 up 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.” —Theodore Roosevelt
These words still inspire and embolden me!
You can be one of the brave ones who choose to invest yourself in the worthiest of causes: the people in your life. Real victory and results come by showing up, being in the trenches, and making an effort to improve your relationships. Doing so communicates more than you can imagine, because most people long to know they are worthy of your efforts – even clumsy, awkward, or messy ones.
I encourage you to jump in. It’s okay to be scared and feel awkward, and unsure. It’s not okay to wimp out. It takes more courage to take action when we are afraid and uncertain —
I call it “jumping scared!” If we wait for 100% confidence, we will never jump. We will miss the thrill of trying and the wonder of exponential returns on our heartfelt efforts.”*
Have your jumped scared?
How are you daring greatly and actually in the arena in your relationships?
Share your thoughts below and let’s chat!
*An excerpt from Listen, Learn, Love: How to Dramatically Improve Your Relationships in 30 Days or Less!
