The man in the arena
Was way back when I first heard this quote.
And it was powerful then.
And it is still just as powerful to me today.
The whole point of this quote is just to see how you separate yourself from those that are unwilling to do the work you're willing to do.
It's like the players in the stands and the players on the pitch.
The players that are in the stands have played the game.
The players on the pitch are playing the game, the two of them have the same frame of reference, even though they are coming from two different places, one playing one watching.
It's completely different when you take into account the spectators in the stands, that have never been players.
The man in the arena, quote, for me, signifies this more than anything else.
If you're in the stands and you've never played the game, you're more likely to criticise because you have no frame of reference.
It's no different from what I used to do, and probably would do again, when at football matches.
Having never really played the game at any high level, watching games I would criticise certain actions.
And when you watch football commentators who are ex-footballers.
Sometimes it can seem they're not as harsh on the players themselves as maybe football writers, or fans.
This could be because they have a frame of reference.
There's something in them that says, "as much as I don't agree with that. I've done that before or can see why he's done that, and if I try to explain it to you why he's done that, or why I've done it before, you will not understand, because you have no frame of reference".
So, if you are being criticised or motivated by players of the same game as you,
then that is feedback and potentially valuable feedback at that, but...
If you're being criticised by spectators, who have never played the game you're trying to play.
That is not feedback and could be criticism just for the sake of criticism.
In the GolfMob, we play a game where you focus on 4 things per day.
These four simple actions you need to do every day to stay on target to win the game you are playing.
In Unbreakable Golfers, you have the "Unbreakable Front 9", which are the nine things you need to do, per day to stay on course and accelerate the results you want in the targets you set.
Anyone not playing the game or not doing those things, (or similar things) has no frame of reference.
So they will tell you that you can't do it, or that you can't keep it up, or that it's too hard or any weak excuse to justify THEIR lack of results.
They're not players, they're spectators.
You take advice from the people that are doing what you're doing or have done what you want to do.
Taking advice from people that don't want what you want,
Wouldn't have the balls to put the work in required, and
Wouldn't make the sacrifices that you are willing to make to get what you want,
Have ZERO frame of reference and has as much value as an I.O.U note from dumb and dumber..
Here's the full 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 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."
And for me, that whole quote can be summed up (once you know it) in the first line and the last line.
"It's not the critic who counts,"
"those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
So if there's anything you want to do.
And you're worried about what people that are unwilling to do the work that you're willing to do will say,
then you're being held back by spectators, rather than helped by the players, wanna know more click the link below.
https://www.unbreakablegolfers.com
John Seton