It's Not The Critic Who Counts

"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."  ~ Theodore Roosevelt
 

You don't belong on the sidelines.  You were created with a purpose.  Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  Theodore Roosevelt said it best in the quote above.  I live by these words.  As far as the critics go, I believe there are two kinds:  the critic who fears you will succeed because he or she will be left behind and the critic who can't bear to see you get hurt because he or she loves you.  Your destiny is waiting for you.  Getting hurt is part of the process.  The dust, the sweat and the blood on your face is your war paint that tells the critic you belong in the arena.  You are not afraid.  Tell your loved ones not to worry;  it's not the critic who counts, it's you.