In the Arena
Today you went, stepped into the arena of strangers and faced ‘the giant’. You did not know his tactic, armor, or agenda. You came prepared as best as you knew how, knowing he wanted a kill. And so did you.
We were sitting in the ringside seats, looking on and cheered. We know our man – what is inside, your strength and challenges. You had a good chance. We believe in you and are your true supporters.
He was fierce standing there, on known turf, home crowd cheering. Their cheering over-powered ours. But we were there.
You stood your ground, spoke, presented, defended. Then the one hard unfair blow. You fell down, gasping for air, covered in dust and sweat, bleeding frustration, pain. You got up, felt defeated, humiliated and left the arena.
We are here – still knowing, still believing, dusting off, giving something to drink, cleaning up, encouraging and helping to get you back on track and going again, as best we know how.
This is one battle of many more to come. Please, always, reserve a few ringside seats for us whenever you enter an arena, any arena. We will be there. (So will all your other critics.) Cheering whether you win or lose because we know and believe in you. Believe in the critics who loves, who cares, who sees, who would help you up, who would always be there for you. That’s us.
Don’t accept defeat. Rest, prepare and dare to get back into the arena – face the giants and the strong men. You did not lose. You learnt skill and trained the muscle. You will become strong and know victory!
This is for you:
“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
You’re our man.
With all our love.
