Your Future, Theodore Roosevelt And A Little Maiden

Why you should NEVER be afraid to explore your curiosities and try new things.

No matter where you are in life, you should NEVER be afraid to explore your curiosities and try new things.

Because of a few reasons…

1. You never know where they might lead.
2. It’s a much more exciting way to live.
3. You always have a good story to tell.

So, in this post, my goal is to get you to get to work on that project you’ve been putting off or to try something new.

The Look On Their Faces

Ever since I published my post on what I learned from having 19 jobs, it has been fascinating to see people’s reactions.

The looks are a mix of “WTF is wrong with you?” and “What happened? Are you OK?”

My favorite is, “Your work history is a lot like mine.”

And the funny thing is, it doesn’t even include my music and entrepreneurial adventures, like;

• Writing and recording two albums in my early 40s.
• Performing over 100 shows solo and with my band in my late 30’s early 40’s (after I was “too old” to start).
• Starting dozens of internet businesses in dozens of different niches.

But that is nothing compared to…

The Man, The Myth, The Legend

One of the reasons why I’m not afraid to try new things is because of a guy named Theodore Roosevelt.

I read his biography back in my early thirties, and it made me feel like I hadn’t accomplished anything.

To say his story was inspirational is an understatement.

It lit a flame thrower under my ass.

The guy did SOOO much. I had to remind myself that I was reading non-fiction.

Check this out; here’s a list of everything Theodore Roosevelt was in his lifetime:

• Boxer
• Sheriff
• Explorer
• Naturalist
• Marksman
• Taxidermist
• State Legislator
• Conservationist
• Rancher/Cowboy
• Governor of New York
• Published Ornithologist
• Nobel Peace Prize Winner
• Medal of Honor Recipient
• Civil Service Commissioner
• President of the United States
• Assistant Secretary of the Navy
• Police Commissioner of New York
• Vice President of the United States
• Soldier (Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel)
• Author (35 books, countless magazine articles)
• Historian (President of the American Historical Society)

See what I mean?

And a large majority of the things on this list were accomplished before his 40th birthday.

Crazy that one human being could’ve done so much in one lifetime.

Question For You

So, what does your list look like?

Ask yourself if it is long enough.

If so, great. Rinse and repeat.

If not, ask yourself what’s missing and start thinking about how you’re going to add it.

And then…

Enter The Arena

I can’t talk about Teddy Roosevelt without mentioning one of his greatest quotes.

Check this out…

“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

And one more for good measure…

“Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt

So get started so that sometime soon you can tell me all about how you did it.

And I can’t wait to hear it because I LOVE success stories.

Wasted Years

And now for the soundtrack for your entry into the arena.

The song “Wasted Years” by Iron Maiden.

I have two versions for you.

The first version is the original. It’s the version that makes you want to drive faster when you’re listening in your car.

The second version is an acoustic cover by Ryan Adams. It’s the more introspective version you can listen to when you’re mulling over your future.

Key lyrics…

So understand
Don’t waste your time always searching for those wasted years
Face up, make your stand
Realize you’re living in the golden years

Iron Maiden, “Wasted Years”

Alright, time to listen…

And there you have it. Another post in the books.

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