Weekly Spark #186: Man in the Arena
This quote has always spoken to me and I was reminded of its power the other day. When you read the “man in the arena quote,” what does it mean to you? How does its message resonate with you?
One application that I’ve seen in my life is that it helps to really identify the voices you should listen to, particularly externally. Your internal voice is always going to be there, but how much noise do we allow to creep in from the outside? There’s ALWAYS going to be a peanut gallery. There’s ALWAYS going to be people that have something to say about the way you go about your life. Whether it’s your personal choices, professional choices, relationships, clothing choices, social media, or whatever, people will always have something to say. How much stock do you give to that noise? I hope not much. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there still living to please other people, and the people that they’re trying to please don’t even have their best interests in mind. How sad is that? Easier said than done, but these people should have zero influence over how you live your life. They should have no mental real estate in your head and for every ounce you grant them, they’re winning and taking the upper hand. Can’t happen.
As you think about who’s REALLY in the arena with you, the numbers are far slimmer than you might first think. I’m talking people that are fighting with you shoulder to shoulder, not the endless peanut gallery. Sure, you’ll always have friends and family, but are they all REALLY in the arena with you? In the trenches? Fighting the battle shoulder to shoulder with you? My hunch is no. Therefore, sure their voice and reason is worth something, but is it worth as much as you’ve been allowing it to be worth? Should it influence your actions in the arena THAT much? That’s for you to answer for yourself. I can’t answer that. Be careful who you listen to and when, as everyone has their roles, but we need to be prudent to keep them in the right places. Far less people have your sincere best interests in mind than you think. At the end of the day, most people only care about themselves so remember that when considering who you let in the arena.
Now let’s flip the application. We want to be really shrewd about who we let in our arena, but how often do we find ourselves talking about, criticizing, or judging other people when we aren’t even in the arena with them? For myself, I’d say far too often. This is a great reminder of the importance of empathy. If we want to be so protective of our own personal space, and be prudent about who’s in our arena, there can’t be a double standard. We need to be respectful of the other arenas out there and let people live their lives. How can we really comment or understand what’s going on in that arena if we clearly aren’t in it? The more I think about it it really is challenging to comment until you’ve walked a day in someone’s shoes. Something that I want to take with me and carefully work on.
As you mar your face with dust, blood, sweat, and tears on this journey of life, keep fighting your journey. Attack and embrace your battles in your own respective arenas, but be selfish with who is fighting with you. Pay no attention to the peanut gallery in the stands, who will always something to say. And focus on your journey, not inserting yourself into others’ arenas for no reason.
Mental Diet
Quote of the Week:
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then YOU win.” - Mohatma Gandhi
I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Until next time… Take care of yourself and take care of each other. 🙏
Nathan