I'm In It (With You)

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When I launched this blog, (de)liberate, I received a big compliment from a trusted acquaintance. I told her that I had launched the site and, after reading my mission statement, “Hello World,” she said, “I like how you keep yourself accountable.” She was referring to my stated intention of publishing once a week. For the most part, there has been a piece published every Monday morning. I did this, so that you would know when to expect a piece and also give myself a deadline that I will do everything possible to fulfill.

There was, also, something else that happened after launching the blog. I was at work and one of my teammates was complaining about something or was annoyed. I responded, “You need to remember what you can control, what you can’t and remember the difference.” (The Serenity Prayer). She looked at me with a smile and said, “Oh, José, you are so optimistic.”

For the record, I’m not naturally optimistic. It’s something that I’ve had to work hard towards building into my mindset. On certain days, it’s a bigger struggle. Speaking for myself, I made the decision to do everything that I can to remain realistically optimistic and control my reactions rather than let them control me.

I say this to her and I say this to you in the truest, most honesty way that I can. I don’t have all the answers. I know some things and I’ve come across some great resources that I won’t hesitate to share. I don’t perfectly apply everything what I write about. There will be days, when I fall short of the goals that I set or let my feelings get away from me. When I write, it’s intended not just for you, but for me, as well.

Do you know what I’ll do, if I do fall short? Dust myself off and resume my journey. I won’t beat myself up over these setbacks or view myself as a failure. I will keep on keepin’ on. With each day, I will become just a little bit better as a person and towards the people that I come across each day. Not only do I hope to know what I can control, what I can’t and hope that I know the difference, I wish the same for you, as well.

Recently, I came across President Theodore Roosevelt’s “Citizenship in a Republic” speech popularly known as “The Man In The Arena” speech. Here is a key passage:

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.

When I first read this, I thought to myself, “This is who I want to be.” I want to be the person “in there” working to do things. Thinking about inspirational pieces like this is what made me start this blog, which will only get better with time. At least, I’m out there creating something and putting it out into the universe.

If there is something that you’ve dreamt about doing, but aren’t sure if you’re “good” enough, I would say to go out there and try. If you don’t try, you can then be sure not only that you won’t fail but that you won’t succeed either. However, if you attempt even imperfectly, there might be that chance that you will “make it” and thrive. As the passage above says, “if he [she] fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”

DARE GREATLY AND KEEP GOING.

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