Discouragement is a dam to progress. 🦫
This past week, I’ve been aiming high—pursuing opportunities that could lead to real growth. But as I prepared, practiced visualizing myself succeeding, and thought about the change that would come, I felt an unexpected weight. Despair and insidious thoughts crept into psyche and whispered:
“You’re wasting your time.” ⏰
“Do you really want this?” ❤️🔥
“Why mess with what’s already good?” 🛌
These voices of self doubt and fear, are viruses and they are wrong. Aiming high brings meaning, growth, and new opportunities.
To push back against that internal negative self-talk, I’m reminded of Teddy Roosevelt’s incredible speech: The Man in the Arena. It’s a rallying cry for doers. One passage always inspires me, and it says:
“It is not the critic who counts… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena… who errs and comes short again and again… 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…”
This is quote is a mindset. Whether it’s in sports, work, relationships, or family, the arena is where we grow. And showing up in the arena means we’ll face doubt, imposter syndrome, and fear. But like the Japanese saying goes:
“Nana korobi, ya oki” — Fall down seven times, stand up eight.
We fight on, take hits, get knocked down, and get back up because we must. ✊
Another quote that hits home comes from Rocky Balboa (watch the recording here)
“It ain’t about how hard you’re hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”
That’s what it means to be in the arena.
When I think about this, I picture gladiators at the Colosseum. Many were slaves—but stepping into the arena gave them a choice: submit to fate or fight for their lives. They faced terrifying odds: wild animals, chariots, and other gladiators. It was dangerous. Bloody. But it was also freedom.
The alternative? A life outside their control.
We too have that choice. To live on the hedonic treadmill 💻 📱 💼 repeating each day, chasing comfort 🛌 or to enter the arena of our lives, take risks, and pursue what matters.
So to anyone reading this:
Jump in.
Fight for your dreams.
Fight for what’s right.
Fight for those who count on you.
See you in the arena. 😎
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