Mr. Roosevelt

"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." Theodore Roosevelt

I came across this quote in an old journal, copied it and put it on my mirror in my bathroom. I think Mr. Roosevelt knew what he was talking about. I guess that is why I do the things I do. I know my move to Austin did not make sense to a lot of people after 9 years in Orlando, I know that leaving the world of Mickey Mouse & full time entertainment to go work for a non-profit certainly didn't make sense to a lot of people. I know that cycling 100 miles on a given weekend, racing 70.3 on another seems absolutely crazy. But i do it because when my time is done on earth I want to know I lived it.....that I am entering the grave totally worn out!! (as my other favorite quote says)

I guess we all have our ways of doing that. I have friends that dwell on what they don't have and it makes me sad (for them). The world at time can tell us that in order to have some kind of significance we have to have a spouse, 2 cars, the house, the kids and a savings account by a certain age. hmmmm....I am really sick of what the world says. It is said that many good things come to those who wait....but in my life the best things have come when I have seized the moment and made it my own!!!

In truth there are times when I have doubted in HUGE ways that God doesn't know what He is doing with me. And there has been disappointment....but today I learn to anticipate. I wish, I wish that I could know the places I have yet to go, the ways I will change and the things I will get to do! (and in that all the good music I will add to my collection!)

Crazy that looking back to those words I read as a child ...... teach me more today:

"The more things that you read, the more things you will know. The more things that you learn, the more places you'll go." Dr. Seuss