the man in the arena

episode 27 · better. podcast

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Summary

Theodore Roosevelt, the man in the arena. it is not the critic who counts. credit belongs to the man whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who errs, who comes short again and again because there’s no effort without error. who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

1. so I’m asking. are you a creator or a consumer. a creator operates in flow, abundance, positivity, gets lost in thought and still musters the energy to make something. a consumer reacts. and consumption without an outlet loops back into negativity.

2. consuming and creating both is fine. only consuming is not. in 2020 at the start of the pandemic, I didn’t know what to think or trust, and for the first time I was just a consumer. the flame of creativity went out in me for a stretch and it was a horrible experience.

3. if you’re not creating right now, the cure isn’t complex. 100 words a day. typed or written. doesn’t have to be published. doesn’t have to go anywhere. just release the thoughts that have nowhere else to go. when you create, you formalize thought, get smarter, practice using your brain.

4. morning pages is the version I use. write for a set time with no rules, no topic, no edits. let your mind bounce. it will be a jumbled mess at first because your brain isn’t used to focused introspection. over time the writing sharpens because your thinking sharpens.

5. don’t only be a consumer. be a creator. try harder.

Transcript

roosevelt’s words

The most impactful business is the business that genuinely improves another human, a better human business. And to grow a business like this, you have to continually improve yourself. This podcast is a documentation of that thesis, scaling businesses and also personal growth. My goal is for you to shortcut this journey.

So if you’re ready to try hard, subscribe. If you like what you’re hearing, please share and enjoy. 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.

creator or consumer

The Man in the Arena by Theodore Roosevelt. Today I’m asking you, are you a creator or are you a consumer? A creator creates, they operate in flow, they rely on positivity, abundance, they get lost in thought and they still muster enough energy and focus to create something amazing, something different, something inspirational.

A consumer consumes, they operate in reactions. Their consumptions lead to negativity and no outlet for their challenging thoughts leads to more negativity. If you’re a creator, that’s great. If you are a consumer and a creator, that’s also great, but if you are only a consumer, that is not good. In 2020, when the pandemic happened, I really, especially at the start, I did not know what to think, I did not know who to trust, it’s very hard to know where good information was, bad information, and for the first time in my life, I found myself as only a consumer.

the pandemic and the flame going out

I was trying to consume as much information as I could from a place of fear and it put the flame of creativity out in my life for a short time. I eventually came out of that, but it was the first time I’d ever experienced what it was like to only be a consumer, to not create, to not write, to not build, and it was a horrible experience.

So I’m recording this for those of you today who may not be creating as much as you would like or who may not be creating at all. If you are only consuming the creations of others, you have opinions, you have thoughts, you have ideas, and when you cannot express any of those things, it leads to frustration and anger and negativity.

100 words a day

So I want to urge any one of you who thinks that they should be creating more to create more, to do more, and if you’re new to this game, it doesn’t have to be complex. A simple 100 words per day typed out on your computer or written by hand is all you need to release some of that creative thought that’s bottled up and it will be so good for you.

You don’t have to publish this, you don’t have to hand it out, you don’t have to put it anywhere as a blog post or social media, you can just create for you for now. But it’s so much better to be a creator than only a consumer. When you are creating, you’re formalizing your thoughts, you’re actually getting smarter, you’re practicing thinking, you’re using your brain.

morning pages

A great way to do this is called morning pages where you simply write, you can write for a designated time and you have no rules, you have no regulations, you just write. Whatever thought comes to your head, write. It is one of the most freeing experiences you will ever have. Let your mind bounce from topic to topic, don’t try to write about any particular thing, whatever your brain is thinking about, you write, you create.

As someone who’s done this, I can tell you that for a while, it will be a jumbled mess. As your brain is not accustomed to formalizing thought, to focused, deep introspection. But do it anyway. Over time, this will become more formalized. You’ll get better at thinking, you’ll get better at formalizing thought and your creations will become better and better and better.

You’ll have an outlet for everything that’s bottled up inside of you and you will be better for it. Do not only be a consumer, be a creator. Try harder.