Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” – The Water Rat, The Wind in the Willows
“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.” – Teddy Roosevelt
Affirmation for 2025: I do not compare my work or accomplishments to those of others; I compare them to what I was capable of achieving in the past. Growth, personal satisfaction, and persistence in acquiring new skills are all more important than trying to be “as good as” or better than someone who has traveled an entirely different life path.
