What If I Had Shown Up?
"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."~ Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
Entering the arena is intimidating. If you enter you may get hurt. You will feel pain, grief, and shame. But you will also know love. We’re hardwired for belonging and loving. To deny ourselves love and belonging is to deny our own humanity.
By entering the arena you may lose, but by forever remaining in the stands you ensure you never win. Vulnerability can be terrifying, but it’s far less so than getting to the end of your life and wondering “what if”? What if I had shown up?