How often, out of fear of what others may think or say or do, do we hold ourselves back from taking inspired action?  Actions that our hearts are encouraging us to take, begging us to take, even!  Have you noticed that when we hold back, it feels as though a part of us dies a little. Maybe it’s that we’re giving our power, our life force, away to those others.

 

Double Damage

Giving WAY too much life force to others over the years has done double damage when I then criticized myself for having been too scared or too timid or just not bold enough. I’d like to say I’ve overcome the tendency to care too much what others think or that I no longer judge myself mercilessly, but that would be a lie!

Instead, I’m learning, slowly, to remind myself that what matters is not how I’m coming across, how I look, or what others think.  Rather, it’s  whether I’m in the arena, playing my heart out. When I’m doing that, I celebrate!

Brene’ Brown has recently popularized the following quote by Theodore Roosevelt, which is a great reminder of who to listen to:

“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.” – Theodore Roosevelt

 

So rather than feel bad about having come up “short again and again,” I can recognize that just means I’ve been in the arena.  Getting bruised but fighting on!  And that’s to be celebrated!

What are things you’re doing that we can celebrate?