I emailed JD yesterday. I sat in a Seattle apartment and looked out over a grey city and admitted to being awkward and shy. I was surrounded by wildly talented photographers and while they each picked up their cameras and shot for fun, I watched from a safe distance. At the core of it, I was intimidated. I sat in front of the cheese platter and commiserated over brie and camembert. I hated admitting this.

I woke up this morning and found my favorite Theodore Roosevelt quote. If you're feeling frustrated, intimidated, afraid to get into the arena and face your fears, this one is for you…

    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

Happy Friday, friends, I hope that if we fail, we also dare greatly.