This morning I am purging and organizing some of the files on my computer. What I tend to do is bookmark, copy/paste, and create Notepad files that contain quotes, ideas, thoughts, and articles that I find worth saving for future reference.

Over time my bookmark list and Notepad file becomes a few miles long and overwhelming…at that point, purging and review are necessary.

Here is one quote that I found as I was reviewing all of my saved content. This may sound sappy…but I’m a believer that good quotes can inspire great things.

To the Man in the Arena

It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points how the strong man stumbled 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 knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows 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 know neither victory nor defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

What this quote means to me…

No matter what you do, people will always be ready to criticize. Either you sit back and are afraid to do anything for fear of being criticized, or you conquer that fear, go after your goals and do what you deem is the right thing to do.

So often I see many people (myself included) that don’t achieve great things because they can’t overcome the fear of being criticized, or the fear of failure. There are many of us who have a great desire to be successful, but the fear of criticism and failure prevents achievement.

Conquer that fear and excel in your business and life. Start this process by going outside of your comfort zone. You’ll be nervous and apprehensive…get over those worries and fears and you’ll be on your way.

Don’t be one of “those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”