“It is not the Critic who counts…”

Extraordinary quote by former President Theodore Roosevelt in his Citizenship of A Republic Speech delivered at the University of Sorbonne, Paris April 23, 1910.

“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.”

My advice:

Take this words to heart and allow them to influence everything you do and say! Be a risk taker! Be an entrepeneur! , Try new things!  Do not allow the critics and spectators to influence you! Be yourself! Tap into your inner gifts and creativity! Be willing to fail!

Don’t be a “cold and timid soul”.  It is only if you dare greatly and are willing to launch out and try new things that you will know the reward of high achievement and you will be able to realize your dreams!