“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 at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” —Theodore Roosevelt

Joel Groen's (our Sound Technician) dad made these comments following the TR quote, which I thought deserved repeating. It resonates with who I think we want to be as a community.

"Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable, or to dare greatly. Whether the arena is a new relationship, an important meeting, our creative process, or a difficult family conversation, we must find the courage to walk into vulnerability and engage with our whole hearts."

After all, vulnerability is not weakness, but rather our clearest path to courage, engagement, and meaningful connection (Dr. Brown in her book Daring Greatly).