Book 284 - A Year of Magical Learning

Reflection Title: The Strenuous Life!

Book – The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard

Book Description:

The River of Doubt—it is a black, uncharted tributary of the Amazon that snakes through one of the most treacherous jungles in the world. Indians armed with poison-tipped arrows haunt its shadows; piranhas glide through its waters; boulder-strewn rapids turn the river into a roiling cauldron.

After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil’s most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever.

Reflection:

What an interesting adventure!

I knew very little about the Amazon River Basin or Theodore Roosevelt’s life before embarking on this adventure…not anymore. The River of Doubt made you feel like you were almost right there with the group of pioneers as they battled their way down the uncharted river only without all the deadly snakes, wildlife, pesky insects, interpersonal conflict, and threat of native inhabitants. I can safely say that a river cruise in the heart of the Amazon Rain Forest is not something on my future bucket list after consuming this book.

What I found most interesting about this book was the seemingly deep love, admiration, and connection that people expressed for Theodore Roosevelt if they spent any amount of time in his presence during his lifetime.

Theodore had a way of living that wasn’t for everyone. His values and purpose had been forged out of the pain of enduring a sickly childhood. During this time in his life, he battled and discovered a way of life that gave him balance, strength, and the resolve to fight. This mindset would serve as his guide for the rest of his days.

He called his philosophy of living “the strenuous life”.

Here is how Theodore Roosevelt described his meaning behind these words, “I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.”

Theodore Roosevelt didn’t just preach the doctrine of the strenuous life, he embodied it. Each day that he was blessed with another day of life on this Earth, he sought ways to bring his philosophy and purpose to life and people loved him for it.

His lifestyle, purpose, and values aren’t for everyone, but that the point.

While he lived this philosophy for himself, others certainly took notice, and it forged a connection with almost everyone he came across it seems. The author had some negatives to mention about almost all the members of the expedition, but I don’t ever recall hearing a single one about Theodore himself.

Theodore Roosevelt got it! He understood what this life was really all about and brought his values to life and shared them with the world. In doing so, he created meaningful connections everywhere he went.

While “The Strenuous Life” isn’t for me, living for 2 is. My greatest hope is that someday, after a lifetime of living for 2, that I will have fulfilled my purpose and people will remember me in a similar fashion to the old Lion, Mr. Roosevelt. It is my greatest dream to leave a lasting memory with others I encounter as someone who embraced who they were and inspired others to do the same, because that will have meant I kept my promise to my daughter.

Question: Think about someone you admire most; what can you learn from how they lived their lives?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Coming Soon

YOML Bookstore - The River of Doubt by Candace Millard