An "unstoppable" insight!

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out 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 errs and comes short again and again; 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 timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.
- Theodore Roosevelt

For those of us who have been hurt, annoyed, unsettled and have had the urge to quit.

Hi (((Tomi))):

This used to be one of my very favorite sayings; that is until I dropped 'out of the arena' because of the anxiety/panic .

I guess I'm still in it in other ways, but it has been a long, hard adjustment to get to "that was then, this is now"..., and I still am not really all the way there.

Anyway, I DO still really think the quote you posted is very inspiring and important!

As ever,

Jillers

i have to come out of my closet, briefly, for this one.

tomi, i started photographing Indian rodeo several years ago. i would be the only "anglo" within miles and i was a WOMAN.(and scared out of my wits that i'd do something wrong due to the unknown cultures) ....well, i started getting some really good shots and i showed some of them to a male photographer,in Oklahoma, who was a bit of a snert, and he began criticizing them right off the bat. i started to be intimidated and then i remembered the above. so, i stood up to my full five feet and told him, "the day that you go out and do what i've been doing, you are more than welcome to critique my prints".....

it was a turning point for my "action rodeo photography" and i never looked back. and guess who's book is almost finished?

if i had listened to him, i would have quit that day. but i pulled through because of the quote you posted. love ya, woman....... so, til they walk a mile in your moccasins.......horsepuckey!!! xxoxo

Well, you two Amazing Women have validated it for me, then. This is the first time I've seen it... but then, it must have been it's time because I have never set my sights on anything like I have at this point in my life.

I'll keep the saying and the two of you in my heart and mind when I start to stumble!

you won't stumble. you might skip a step or so.....but you ain't gonna stumble. you've got what it takes......that's an old song line.........Brook Benton

Thank you so much for your faith in me, Pat!! I'll keep that in mind, too!

yyyyYYYeeeeEEEEEE hhhhHHHHHaaaaAAAAAA

LMBO What was that Rebel Yell for?? I'd like to join you!