Former US President Teddy Roosevelt struggled with severe depression. 

He was “hypomanic on a mild day,” per historian Kay Redfield Jameson. 

Both his brother and son committed suicide. 

To manage his depression, Roosevelt sought “action.” 

And he sought it constantly. 

• He swam
• Rode horses 
• Hunted wild game
• Climbed mountains
• And practiced martial arts

In 1913, at the age of fifty-five, he embarked on his most perilous odyssey: a two-month canoe trip down the River of Duda (River of Doubt), an uncharted tributary of the Amazon. He almost died on that journey and lost nearly a quarter of his body weight. The Duda was eventually renamed in his honor. Today, it’s known as Roosevelt River.

As president, he participated in boxing matches at the White House. 

In those matches, he’d regularly challenge his competitors to hit him in the face as hard as they possibly could. 

He reportedly suffered multiple concussions.

So…

Roosevelt was insane.

But he led an extraordinary life. 

And he died of natural causes at the age of sixty, unlike his son, brother, and many others in his family who died by suicide.

Bipolar disorder was the Roosevelt “family curse.” But because Teddy stayed in motion — constant motion — he was able to channel his energy, quell his depressive tendencies, and become one of the most significant figures in American history.

I’m not advising anyone to pick fistfights or navigate uncharted river tributaries. Rather than seeking action of the extreme and insane variety like Roosevelt did throughout his life, we can simply aim to become a little more active.

At least, that’s what I’m aiming to do.

To get action, I can:

• Run
• Jump
• Swim
• Play
• Row
• And go
• On trips

Only people of a certain age will pick up on the references in the above list…

And I’m not in the advice-giving business. 

But if I were, I might say this to you:

Get out of your cushy office chair, couch, or whatever. 

At least for a little while. 

And get some ACTION. 

Today. 

Or, now is even better. 

Of course, you can leave a comment first (but only if you want to). 

What type of “action” are you presently seeking? 

Let’s keep it clean, folks. 

Below is the full quote from Teddy.