The Dad in the Arena - Episode: 020
Have you listened to the Man in the Arena speech recently?
And have you applied it through the lens of being a dad? 🤔
This week's episode of the Durable Dad podcast is going to use that speech to empower you.
And it’ll point out some areas where you can start to take some action. đź‘Š
Speaker 1
This is the Durable Dad podcast. I'm your host, tommy Geary. This show is going to give you the skills and tools you need to be a rock solid man for your work, your community and, most importantly, your family. Alright, what's up guys? Today I'm just going to dive right in. Today I'm going to read and reflect on the man in the Arena speech by Teddy Roosevelt, and it's a speech that is motivating. It was given in the early 1900s and people are still quoting it, using it as inspiration today. I know that I get fired up when I listen to it and it's come up a few times with the guys that I coach, and my buddy, craig, named his podcast after the speech and I wanted to kind of explore it a little bit. So the first thing I'm going to do is I'm just going to read it, and it's actually not the whole speech.
Speaker 1
Teddy Roosevelt was given a speech in Paris called Citizens in a Republic, and it was about growing a successful society, in a way. I read a little bit more before this podcast and it's pretty interesting, but what's really been pulled out of it is this part, and it's been called the man in the Arena. So here we go. It's not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how strong men stumble 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, sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes up short again and again because there is no effort without air and shortcomings, but who does actually strive to do the deeds. The man who knows great enthusiasm, 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. So that's the segment of the speech. I want to take that and look at it through the lens of a man, a father in this world. I'll say real quickly I know there's women that listen to this podcast too. So this totally could be the woman in the arena, women too.
Speaker 1
This podcast I talk to the guys. So guys, like I said before, this speech always inspires me and when I was thinking about doing this podcast I was kind of Lost, like why does it inspire me? What does being in the arena look like? So I brought it to my workout group and this morning I let a workout and Towards the end of it I read this speech and I just asked them what does being in the arena mean to you? What's an example in your life of being in the arena?
Speaker 1
And the first couple guys brought up work and, I think, dad's men. We do a really good job putting on that work face, diving in, being confident in the professional life that we have, and Then, when we get home, as being a dad, it's not always as easy and there's this Transition in between the two. They're both different arenas. There's the arena at work and there's the arena at home, and this free class that I'm teaching is Talking about this transition and it what it looks like to go from your work mode to your dad mode, so that all that information is on the website. I'm not going to talk about the transition so much as what it looks like to be in the arena as a father.
Speaker 1
And when I was at the workout this morning, this one dude brought up falling on his face with the arguments with his daughter. He was just like. I have these arguments that are very unreasonable. Between a 35 and 11 year old they shouldn't be happening. But they kind of keep happening. And he's still there. He's still showing up as a dad.
Speaker 1
Being in the arena is a huge accomplishment. We can go all in 100% dad mode and it looks like being vulnerable and Acknowledge the lack of confidence you might have as a dad. Right, we have so much confidence at work outside of the home and then, when it comes to being a dad, we question ourselves. I was talking to one buddy before I had kids and just asked him what it was like being a dad and he said I thought I would be a much better dad than I am and and that kind of landed surprised me. I think we get into being a dad and Think we're gonna have kids and it'll come naturally to me I can be a dad, and then that's not what happens.
Speaker 1
So I just want you to notice what your brain is saying. You can even notice right now what's your brain saying. Where is it placing judgment on yourself on this speech? Where are you telling yourself you're in the arena playing hard? Where are you telling yourself that you could step it up? And when are you sitting on the sidelines. All right, we're gonna have some drinks, we're gonna eat like shit. Once in a while we're gonna skip workouts that's part of it. We're gonna yell at our kids.
Speaker 1
You know this guy that said I'm arguing more with an 11 year old and it's unreasonable. He's in the arena, he keeps showing up. He knows that he messed up, feels a little guilty about it, but he's not gonna beat himself up into Spin of checking out and that part of the speech. The man who airs, who comes up short again and again because there is no effort without air and shortcoming, and Instead of checking out or zoning out on your phone or pouring a stiff drink, you pay attention to your family. The man in the arena is the man who knows great Enthusiasm's, the great devotions, who spends his time on a worthy cause like.
Speaker 1
The great Enthusiasm's are the small moments when you actually see your kid, when you Celebrate something with them, when you laugh with them, when you look them in the eye and you actually see them.
Speaker 1
Those are the Enthusiasm's, those are the exciting times. You watch them work hard and accomplish something and get to feel proud of them, proud of yourself and that worthy cause that you're fighting for, I mean, nothing is more worthy than our families. That is a cause the health of our family, the success of our family, driving our family to a place that we haven't been before, and we want to make our kids life, our family life, better, different than the one that we had. And the way to get there is to continue to motivate ourselves and whatever that looks like, and if it's Reading a speech like this, like it is for me sometimes, then you know what it is and then you put that shit into action. So that's what I'm throwing out there for you guys. Appreciate you listening. I really really do. These things about being a dad are such an awesome opportunity For us to have a really positive impact on the world. So, thank you, thank you for listening. Go to the durable dad calm, check out that free course that's coming up and have an awesome week.
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