There are lots and lots of critics in the world. We see them on social media, we watch them in politics, we sit next to them at restaurants, and we become them the moment there is judgement of another. It is so easy to stand on the outskirts of an experience and judge everyone on the inside. We can always look at how someone else has handled something and say that we could've done it much better. However, the only way we will truly know what we are capable of doing is through action.
Life can be like a boxing ring when you really go for it and live your truth. It takes guts and courage to follow your heart and not someone else's agenda for you, and get into that ring of possibilities. That step that is taken toward one's dreams is considered getting into the "arena" of life. That alone is a huge gift to the soul, and the path of fulfillment, happiness, and success. There are a lot of people who live their entire lives outside of this arena, or in complete fear of it. On the journey, we get punches thrown at us all of the time. There is duality - the yin and yang of life - that challenge us. Getting into the ring means that we might get bruised up and even severely hurt. It is not easy. There are many landmines that we can fall into, traps set that we can get caught up in, and disappointments that can leave us disheartened. We can also be our greatest enemy at times by getting in our own way as we make our human mistakes, fall short of excellence, or even fall flat on our faces. No matter how difficult, how challenging, and how painful the journey may become, it all somehow seems completely worth it in the end. It feels like we just climbed the highest mountain and have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful view from the peak, once we have attained our goals or have simply tried to. With all the pain and suffering along the way, even if we fail at the end, we know that we tried. Just the effort alone is an act of success. The ability to get into the ring of life is bold and in motion toward our dreams and visions for our lives. The only great failure comes by not getting into that ring. At least we know we have given it our best. Where is the meaning in a life where no risks are taken to attain these goals and dreams? With one life to live in this body, and with the cards that we have been dealt, we owe it to ourselves to at least try.
Living life without taking risks, and allowing our fears of failure to lead the way, will only result in our inevitable failure. Running away from fears cause our fears to run faster toward us. When we face our fears of failure (or success), we develop strength, endurance, and perseverance. That thing we were once so afraid of becomes disempowered, and we take all of the energy that it had over us away from it. Our fears stop having power over us, and we give energy to our ability to resolve our own conflicts. This ultimately help us in moving forward in a positive way. It is a great gift that we can give to ourselves when we decide to go for it, while not allowing anything to stop us. The "arena" is a place of transformation, evolution, and alchemy. It is where we face ourselves and the many faces of life, while taking steps to reach our greatest dreams. If we never step into the arena, we have no chance of knowing what is possible.
Theodore Roosevelt said it best when he gave a speech at the Sorbonne in Paris in 1910....
"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."
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