In honor of President’s Day (February 20), this week’s quote comes to us courtesy of our nation’s 26^th president, the quintessential Rough Rider himself, Theodore Roosevelt.  Aside from advocating the use of “big sticks” as a source of conflict resolution, President Roosevelt, an avid boxing fan and star of such films as Night at the Museum and Night at the Museum II, also recognized the role that boxing played in developing character, courage, and accountability.  He also respected and appreciated anyone with the willingness to climb between the ropes and subject themselves to the potential violence contained therein, and the following quote wonderfully captures that sentiment of admiration.       

“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.”