☀️ The Nicole Magnusson Newsletter

A fresh hot cup of inspiration delivered straight to your inbox every morning.

📆 Daily Issue 52 | ⏱️ Read time: 2 min

You Are Already Great

One of my favorite Brene Brown quotes is:

“If you are not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, I am not interested in or open to your feedback. There are a million cheap seats in the world today filled with people who will never be brave with their own lives, but will spend every ounce of energy they have hurling advice and judgment at those of us trying to dare greatly.”

I have a love/hate relationship with this quote because I’ve been in both camps. I’ve been daring greatly, and I’ve also been the one silently judging during seasons when things weren’t going my way.

While I agree with her that you should not take any feedback from people who are not following their own dreams, I disagree that only some of us are “in the arena”.

We are all in the arena of life. Battling it out- day in and day out.

It's a beautiful battle. I’ve grown to appreciate the carnage. I’ve grown to love the exhaustion. And I’ve grown to feel like a Viking simply for rising again each morning to face the day.

I think every person who chooses to wake up every morning is in the arena to the degree that they are capable of being in the arena.

Everyone is following their dreams to an extent. Even if it's just listening to your favorite podcast. You are adding value to that community. You are a part of something bigger than yourself.

You are ALREADY following your passion.

I don’t believe “following your passion” is some badge of honor that only those who are professionals get to wear. It’s ALL of us.

Everyone who has liked an Instagram photo, watched a TikTok video, or read a book is following their passion.

Today’s world loves to create imaginary red tape around some “special” life experience on the other side of living our dreams that only some exclusive group is privy to.

It’s ridiculous.

The world is trying to make you feel bad about yourself for no reason: DON’T FALL FOR IT.

If all you do the rest of your life is exist and consume content: you are still a passionate person. You are still in the arena.

You are energetically adding value to the world just in this act. Just in EXISTING, you give so much.

By waking up every day, existing, and enduring: YOU ARE ALREADY GREAT.

Never feel bad about where you are in life and how much capacity you have to contribute.

And never, EVER give up.

Keep inspiring,

Nicole