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 knows victory nor defeat. Theodore Roosevelt, The Man in the Arena. “Citizenship In A Republic”, delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France, on 23 April 1910

Jaycine interviewed me on the podcast this week.  She asked me four questions:What is one defining moment in your life where you’ve been face down in the arena?   How did it feel? What gave you the courage & strength to get up and Rise Strong? What was the Grit, and what was the Grace?

As I sat with my husband, recollecting and trying to answer her questions, I told him, “I’ve really not had any face many ‘in the dirt’ moments.  I’ve led quite a charmed life.”  But then we started making a list together of the things we’ve done over the past almost 45 years together..…..

For me, it looked like this: Marrying Troy, joining organized religion and committing my life to God, having babies 1-10 and birthing them at home, homeschooling all of them, running a small farm, learning homeopathy and herbs: home-based medicine, bringing my folks to live with us in their final years, getting incredibly sick and being guided back to health through learning to do emotional release with God’s help, the deaths of loved ones, starting a coaching business, moving through that growth process for myself as much as the business. Being here and willingly being interviewed. (I am a private person and not real excited to talk in front of groups.  Jaycine & ‘coach n clear’ are helping me with that.) 

So, no truly face down in the dirt moments.I have always had my Creator there supporting me. I just did things as they came because I knew it was the right thing to do – I always knew the next right thing, felt it in my soul, and went with it. It has been a full life of BFOs- moments when I had a “blinding flash of the obvious” and followed it.

It almost always followed the same pattern: A new idea. That’s crazy! I could never do that. That’s such a weird idea. (BFO- Blinding flash of the obvious- V8 Moment). That resonates as truth. God confirmed.  Let’s do it. I’m so excited!  Mom always said I would jump into the pool and then ask how deep it was. 

Looking back, all those things Troy and I listed really needed grit. Being brave in home birth? Check. Homeschooling before it was legal in Texas? Check.  Adding to my already full life two people who could no longer care for themselves? Check. Check. Finding my way out of being bedridden for a year? Lots of grit there. Starting my own business? Sure. Trusting my Creator for all of those solutions? Check, check, check.  It all takes grit.

What gave me the courage to get up and rise strong? Faith. Trust in my Creator.  Plus, it was the right thing to do.  My 96-pound, 5-foot-tall grandma used to pound her fist on the table in defending the right and exclaim, “It’s the principle of the thing!”  My folks taught me to do the right thing.  My Creator expects me to do the right thing.  I trust in that.

How did it feel? SCARY! Every.single.time I was afraid.  I still get scared almost daily. My heart and head would fill with ‘what ifs’ and run around in circles until I could not sleep.  But my kids and life were a grace- I was too busy doing to do too much thinking.

And then there was God’s Grace.  The ability to think better and do better than I could have done alone.  The physical, mental, and emotional strength to do what is required when it is needed. Grace was given to teach Algebra in the form of a tutor. Inspired midwives gave grace in home birth. As it always is, Grace was given in home-based medicine through friends and mentors. Grace strengthened all the sleepless nights, sick kids, errands, and training and teaching moments…and stretched the paycheck to cover all of our needs.

Grace was consistently given by my Creator, until, like all wise, modern women, I could say,

 “I know stuff.”  My life is Creator-based®. Grit and Grace.

What about you?

All my love,

Beth