Welcome to the Arena

I will never judge those in the arena.
Sweat trickling down your face,
grit in your palms,
every inch of you straining to hold the line.
I don’t care if you look crazy,
how you contort with effort,
how ungraceful your struggle may seem—
you chose to be here.
In it.
The arena of life.

You are creating.
Contributing.
Loving.
Living.
Reaching for something more.

You refused a lifetime on the sidelines,
jeering from the shadows.
You are not the critic,
not the commenter,
not the spectator who risks nothing.
You don’t hide behind
the safe blue glow of judgment,
fingers tapping out cynicism
while your soul remains untested.

You are not the one
collecting splinters
on the bench of inaction.

So if you catch my eye
while we’re both here—
fighting to create,
to love,
to stay authentic in a world built on masks,
to build,
to contribute,
to rise with purpose—
you’ll see it:
the fire in my eyes that says welcome.
I’ll cheer you on.
I’ll fight beside you.
I’ll be in your corner.

The jeering crowd will never stop.
The cackling din,
the criticism,
the comments—
they will misunderstand,
they will misconstrue,
they will keep yelling,
offering opinions no one asked for.

As the wise ones in the arena have said:
Let them.
Let them roar.
Let them consume this live film
of those brave enough to live.

From those in the arena
who have long felt
the blood, the sweat,
the heartbreak and hope—
I will gladly take advice.
Show me how to grow.
Make me better.
Make me stronger.
Tell me what you’ve learned.
I will listen.
I will glean.
I will rise.

But I will not
lose sleep
over the angry words
from seat number 675—
the anonymous critic
who creates nothing,
risks nothing,
and offers nothing
but his ceaseless drone of unsolicited advice.

Yet should the day come
when he, too,
steps down into the dirt—
soul exposed,
hands shaking,
heart full of hope—
I will turn to him and say:

You’ll have sweat streaking your face,
grit on your hands,
and your soul laid bare in its vulnerable glory.
And I won’t care if you look crazy,
if you fall and fall again
before rising.

Because I will never judge those in the arena.
You chose to be here.
You chose to get out there and create.
Contribute.
Love.
Live.
Reach for something more.

Welcome to the arena.