Wednesday, January 9th, 2019
The Positive Spirit of Teddy Roosevelt
The Man in the Arena:
As luck would have it, I actually bumped into Teddy Roosevelt this past weekend while out on a run. What a great experience. Positive energy, enthusiasm and vigor. Please enjoy this short video – 1.33 minutes – that TR and I spontaneously created. The message celebrates ‘The Man in the Arena’
– As TR says:
“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.”
Volunteerism:
if you’re going to make something good happen in your community, it sure helps to have community spirit and volunteerism shared by each and all. That is certainly the case in my hometown of Newport. We have been struggling with an outdated Recreation Center first put into service in 1967, and now the town Is reawakened – and in pursuit of a new, modernized Community Center facility that will be a gathering place for young and old – creating a positive environment for citizens throughout the town. To make this a reality, The Newport Sunshine Initiative and volunteers from every corner of the town are raising funds and gaining support to help defray the cost and burden on taxpayers. What a tremendous success in the making. Striving to reach our goal of $3 million – and nearly half way there already!
Getting into the Game:
As Teddy Roosevelt says, ‘the credit actually belongs to the man in the arena…’ Here I would like to salute two such men and a wonderful woman. Governor Chris Sununu pictured below, is like Cincinnatus, a businessman and engineer who has stepped into the public arena to guide the State of New Hampshire to a successful future. The young man in the photo is my son Gates, who like the Governor, comes from a background in business –successfully campaigned for a seat in the Legislature and is devoting himself to public service even at a relatively young age. And, of course, the greatest credit goes to Valerie Sununu who has the toughest job of all – providing support while also balancing the demands of a growing family. Not sure what the Governor is saying in the photo as he is introducing Gates to Valerie…. But looks like a moment of mutual admiration amongst some great folks who have chosen to be in the arena.
Quotes of the Week:
Theodore Roosevelt
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month.”