God Bless, the Climber

I find so much joy in observing human behavior and articulating it from my perspective.

Lately, I have been observing beautifully talented people losing heart in their talents, losing heart in their businesses, and unfortunately, some losing heart in their own gifting.  At first glance, I felt a heaviness and a sadness watching these situations and the men and women walking out these trials.  Talent being criticized, talent being belittled, talent being pushed to the curb and heartless individuals believing they are right in behaving so poorly.

But after a much deeper look, I am realizing that our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt said it best about such critics, when he said:

"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 and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, 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 he fails while daring greatly.  So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

So, to the cold, timid souls who are afraid - to these cowards, I would like to say:

You may use your words, you may use your positioning and your credentials, you may even lie, cheat and steal to get your way - but at the end of the day you live a spineless human existence.  You will not know the valiancy of seeing dreams become a reality.  You will not know what it feels like to have those who believe in you stand by your side as you fail and urge you to get up.  You will not know the steady steps that lead to a finale - a victory.  You live dead.  You live only able to criticize to cover your inept ability to invent.  My hope for you is a look in the mirror and a change.  My heart breaks for you because you are quickly becoming numb, and your numbness will someday bring you an anguish you cannot imagine.

And to those beautiful souls that are taking a beating, I would like to say:

You are my hero.  Aside from having the talent, you have the understanding of the weight of bitterness; therefore, you continue to forgive your critics.  You may have stopped listening, but you have forgiven for the sake of your continued soar.  Right now, you may be knocked down, but you are only perplexed. You are not defeated.  You will climb to the mountaintops.  You will climb because you are a climber and that is what you do - who you are.  Those of us who love you will hold your cord as you climb.  We cannot prevent a fall, but we will break it because you are our friend.

God Bless, the Climber.