Who Is The One That Counts?
¿Quién es el que cuenta?--por Theodore Roosevelt
No es el crítico quien cuenta; no es quien señala cómo tropieza el hombre fuerte, o dónde quien realiza las hazañas podría haberlo hecho mejor.
El mérito pertenece a quien está realmente en la arena, con el rostro manchado de polvo, sudor y sangre; quien se esfuerza valientemente;
quien yerra, quien se queda corto una y otra vez, porque no hay esfuerzo sin error y deficiencia;
pero es quien realmente se esfuerza por realizar las acciones; quien conoce los grandes entusiasmos, las grandes devociones;
quien se entrega a una causa digna; quien, en el mejor de los casos, conoce al final el triunfo del gran logro,
y quien, en el peor de los casos, si fracasa, al menos fracasa con gran osadía, para que su lugar nunca esté entre esas almas frías y tímidas que no conocen la victoria ni la derrota.
Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Qué te parece la idea de que el verdadero mérito pertenece a "quien realmente está en la arena"? ¿Podrías compartir una historia personal que refleje una ocasión en la que te atreviste a lo grande y aceptaste la posibilidad tanto de la victoria como de la derrota? ¿Qué te ayuda a cultivar el hábito de esforzarte con valentía en tus esfuerzos, invirtiendo en "causas dignas" con gran devoción y entusiasmo?
Theodore Roosevelt fue el 26.º presidente de los Estados Unidos.
Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: What do you relate to the notion that true credit belongs to ‘the one who is actually in the arena’? Can you share a personal story that reflects a time when you dared greatly and embraced the possibility of both victory and defeat? What helps you cultivate the habit of striving valiantly in your endeavors, investing in ‘worthy causes’ with great devotions and enthusiasms?
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13 Past Reflections
On Dec 24, 2025 Ulka wrote :
I feel so acknowledged here
I have fail and failed and failed many time times in my effort to be creating / being living in eco-friendly place that are right for me and align
I have failed to save a pond in Kharghar did everything in my capacity and understanding to save it and felt so so miserable and every day I see and set of buildings being built there, I have failed to bring people together for long term commitment for environment...and I use to feel terrible about doing nothing
As always from childhood I had and still have this craving to do and be something for nature and now( as I realised anything will change only via people) for humans ( they are also major part of nature) .
I crave this feeling of community of doers who truly commit and make things happen however imprefect.
And then I use to think may be I was not enough
Now I think , I am enough I did ..I was in dust and heat ..put in efforts and emotions not only arm chair philosophy..so I take credit of failu... [View Full Comment]
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On Dec 24, 2025 Judy Thierry wrote :
The Victory defeat arena - failure and the either or world with bravado and physical “can do” or a shame bearing, weak, fumbling tumbling act. Neither are inclusive. One out one in. The arena is spectacular-ness “look at me” How about the bedridden who can’t make it down to the field, janitorial staff for the colosseum, the street vendors, those boycotting.
Teddy, head long into life, charging and what is the point. Where is prayer and meditation,
What would compassionate space look and feel like.
Teddy, head long into life, charging and what is the point. Where is prayer and meditation,
What would compassionate space look and feel like.
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On Dec 23, 2025 Lynn Miller wrote :
A man of his time, Theodore Roosevelt did engage with and push the limits in all areas of his life. Yes, he was a supreme egotist, but he is correct in that success often comes from focusing on the elements of total engagement and commitment. It also applies to the idea of the spiritual warrior in our time. In my humble opinion, the alchemy of possibility might not develop otherwise.
I cannot predict where fate and fortune will will rise up to meet me. I try to never underestimate the value of hard facts and realistic evaluations, but unforeseen helpful elements, and what feel sometimes like outright miracles, cannot occur unless you are there, totally engaged in the process. Hopefully, the process contains more than one person. Multiple people allows multiple talents for perspective, and more windows for solutions to enter, as long as they don't fight. For me, compassion is the element that holds people together and soothes the pain of the inevitable disappointments and bump... [View Full Comment]
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On Dec 23, 2025 Docfitzy wrote :
I think that Teddy is saying is face our trials as best we can with the resources we have. Don't shirk responsibility, but address them with the idea that all our crises and the efforts to deal with them are learning opportunities.
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On Dec 23, 2025 James wrote :
This approach is even at a mundane level not right edfort
It is replete with protestamt self sacrifice and is not worthy of this once in a lifetime life.
Find another narrative located in self care and humility.
And I say this as one who has fallen hard on the hubris of valiant struggle.
It is replete with protestamt self sacrifice and is not worthy of this once in a lifetime life.
Find another narrative located in self care and humility.
And I say this as one who has fallen hard on the hubris of valiant struggle.
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On Dec 23, 2025 Jeanne Missey Osgood wrote :
A while back, I gave my heart and soul and sinew to a small business that crashed and burned... I thought I would never recover, but a friend sent me this piece from Austrian poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, "Whoever does not, sometimes or other, give his full consent, his full and joyous consent to the dreadfulness of life, can never take possession of the unutterable abundance and power of our existence; can only walk on its edge, and one day, when the judgment is given, will have been neither alive or dead." It was these words that started my transformation. Roosevelt and Rilke's words are healing though our hardest trials!
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On Dec 23, 2025 Eva wrote :
The glimpse of falling into nothing. Not feeling. Not doing. Not being. Letting the tide of otherness carry me through. And each time, stepping away from that edge to endure the pain, to give breath to another option, another try at a different kind of living, to choose continuously; me.
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On Dec 21, 2025 Jagdish Dave wrote :
When someone makes a mistake or a blunder, there are two ways of dealing with the consequences: One way is pointing a finger of criticism towards that person, blaming and condemning him or her; the other is to feel for that person, appreciating and admiring such a person for taking a firm, upright and courageous position. They dared to embrace the possibility of both victory and defeat.
I have witnessed the heroic and courageous stand both in India and in the USA. In India Mahatma Gandhiji and his freedom fighters fought nonviolently against the British people's unjust occupation and possession of India. In the USA, black Americans fought against racial discriminating policy and action done by white Americans. The black Americans under the leadership of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr fought nonviolently against the prejudice positions held by the White leaders. It takes time, awareness, devotion , courage and action to be free
from the oppressors. It takes time and bold actions to ... [View Full Comment]
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On Dec 19, 2025 David Doane wrote :
I agree that true credit belongs to the person that goes into the arena -- that person took the initiative, stuck his neck out, risked failure. I have often avoided being the person in the arena. When I have dared, I did it to a great extent due to being tired of holding back when I feel I have something worthwhile to offer, and yet I jumped in with much fear of not doing well and failing. I have been my own worst critic, even when my going into the arena went well. What has helped me cultivate striving and investing is believing what I have to offer is worthwhile, believing that pushing myself to get into the arena pushes my growth no matter what happens, and knowing that holding back and playing it safe is self stunting and dissatisfying.
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On Dec 19, 2025 Pat Hardy wrote :
Within every "failed attempt," something good comes forth, whether we realize it or not.
It often takes a little time to manifest itself, but it is there in ways we can't fully understand at the
time. In other words, no sincere effort is ever wasted.
It often takes a little time to manifest itself, but it is there in ways we can't fully understand at the
time. In other words, no sincere effort is ever wasted.
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On Dec 18, 2025 Fiona wrote :
I was just walking on the grounds and beach of Teddy Roosevelt’s Long Island Country home and the woods down to the beach are lovely. I was trying to imagine the family enjoying the orchard, trails and views across the Long Island Sound and the marshes and birds. I picked up a few crystal tumble stones that glistened in the sun, edged with snow. I was ruminating about how presidents in the past were proud to represent their promising young country. They acted with integrity and exemplified leadership with morals and generosity, strength and conviction, that there was a just and noble way to build a country that felt like freedom from oppression and fascism.
I was pondering what he would think of the USA today. I’m Canadian, visiting friends whose son just passed suddenly of a virus. I wondered what Teddy (his nickname and where we started calling plush toys Teddy Bears) would have thought of the pandemic also, or what the administration might have done afterwards to commemorate t... [View Full Comment]