Week 10: Courage

Confronting life's challenges with daring

To see a complete overview of The Path, click here.

"Dream always of a peaceful, warless, disarmed world."

— Robert Muller

Daring to respond with enthusiasm.

Yesterday was Robert Muller’s 100^th birthday. He is no longer on the planet with us, however a multitude of people paused for a moment to remember one of our most beloved, unsung heroes. I only met Robert for a brief moment, but that moment was stretched as I had the honor of being the Editor of Peace Community Magazine which was begun by his wife and my good friend Barbara Gaughen-Muller to honor his legacy and 40 years serving the United Nations.

Click here for a free digital, flip book of this commemorative issue.

For the past year, it has been a delight to get to know this man through his books, videos, and the stories told by his many friends and fans. He cast a long shadow and an amazing number of people were inspired to follow him in his efforts to make the world a better and safer place.

One of my favorite stories during this year of remembering him was how he and Barbara met, fell in love, and traveled the world for seventeen years in service of a more peaceful world. Barbara was part of a committee that invited world leaders to a retreat held at the Casa de Maria Retreat Center in Santa Barbara. Robert accepted with a phrase he used often … “with enthusiasm.” Those words connected with Barbara’s enthusiasm and life view and they almost instantly became a matched pair.

I heard this story many times during the past year but it wasn’t till yesterday, when I awoke thinking about him and his remarkable life that the phrase “with enthusiasm” sunk into a deeper place and sparked a commitment within me.

I thought about the many invitations I’ve received in my long life and the many projects I’ve begun. What bothered me was how few I could remember accepting with my full enthusiasm. Too often, I held back … cautious, tempering my enthusiasm, not wanting to be disappointed or thought over-eager. Suddenly, I realized I don’t want to be cautious; I want to spend the rest of my days “with enthusiasm” for every thing I choose to do in these years remaining in my wild and precious life.

Robert was a popular speaker and he always ended his talks by playing “Ode to Joy” on his harmonica. Click here to hear him playing … with enthusiasm, of course.

Here’s a question Robert might ask:

What do you want to do … today … tomorrow … the rest of your life … with enthusiasm?

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Gratitude Miracles, a 52-week journal filled with inspiring quotes and the science behind 13 amazing benefits of gratitude. Available from amazon.com:

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