There is an inspiring quote that we keep posted on the office wall. It comes from a speech that Theodore Roosevelt gave in Paris on April 23, 1910. I’ll share it with you in a moment, but before I do, I’d like to point out that if Roosevelt were around today, he would address comments like these to women as well as to men. Times have become less sexist, and I believe that Teddy would have changed too. But here’s the quote

“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 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 up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for 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 he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” – Teddy Roosevelt

That is powerful stuff. I cannot think of another quote that so clearly describes what it takes to achieve a dream or how important it is to turn a deaf ear to people who tell you that you don’t have what it takes to become successful.

We live in a world where too many “experts” focus on telling other people that they can’t achieve their goals. I’ve heard those negative words as I’ve pursued my dreams, and I bet that you have too. Too many people are all too eager to tell us that we don’t have the experience, the money, the connections or the know-how. The only piece of advice they have to give is, “Wait . . . wait . . . wait some more.”

Of course, taking action offers no guarantee of success. But one thing is certain – not taking action ensures failure.