By Rusty Potter
I recently read a poem by Teddy Roosevelt called The Man in the Arena. Roosevelt honors the man who steps up to the plate – the one who steps into the fight, faces challenges head-on, and refuses to be defined by fear or failure. It reminds me of something important: every community has a man in the arena, a man who chooses action over excuses, progress over comfort.
The man in the arena isn’t the one watching from the sidelines or criticizing from a distance. He’s the one showing up every day, leading with his actions, and making a difference where he stands. He’s the father teaching his kids the value of hard work. He’s the coach pushing young athletes to believe in themselves. He’s the neighbor checking on the elderly, the mentor guiding the next generation, the man who sees a need and doesn’t wait for someone else to fix it.
Roosevelt wrote, “ It is not the critic who counts – The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.” That means the man in the arena will have battle scars. He will face challenges. He may stumble and fall, but he will rise again and again because he knows that real change – real impact, only happens through action.
I ask you today: Are you the man in the arena? Are you stepping forward when others hesitate? Are you leaving things better than you found them? If not, why wait? The world doesn’t need more spectators; it needs more men in the arena, willing to stand up, show up, and make a difference.
If you see the man in the arena, appreciate him. If you are the man in the arena, keep going. And if you’ve been waiting for a sign to step up, this is it.
