By Ernie A. Cevallos
A person dealing with challenges that require leadership, skill, persistance, and courage is referred to as "The Man in the Arena." The phrase is a tribute to most of humanity and doers of deeds who in the pursuit of goals know victory and defeat as well. The famous passage comes from a speech given by Teddy Roosevelt at the Sorbonne in Paris, France on April 23, 1910. The speech was published in his book "Citizenship in a Republic."
The achievement of any worthwhile goal requires discipline, execution, and fortitude. Daring to be great is a desirable mindset in 2007 as it was in 1910, and will be decades from now. Clearly, great words do become everlasting and stand the test of time well. The 97 year old speech became memorable over the years for the virtue of the message. The biggest failure is timidity and not trying! The below excerpt is just as applicable today as it was then:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
(Paris Sorbonne,1910)
