Virtue as the solution to challenge
Roosevelt says that there is something that citizens can do about their challenging lives. He says that by learning to grow in virtues, like working hard and sacrificing for one's family, a person can discover that although before, the challenges of life seemed overwhelming, after virtue, The Strenuous Life is also the meaningful one. He is encouraging those who look to him to try and fight for ethical goodness and success.
Work and flourishing
By working a little bit, perhaps it may seem completely impossible to get ahead in life, and although Roosevelt admits that the fates that befall us are all different, and the challenges that face each person are unique—however, he also says that in every situation, learning how to work wisely, with patience and endurance, he feels that through these strategies, real economic success is available to those who want it. This is a reaffirmation of the American Dream in some ways.
Community and power
Alone, Roosevelt feels that the challenges of life will likely overwhelm even the most avid, earnest worker. However, by participating in community, there is a pooling of resources that encourages flourishing in a community. He is calling for leaders to be role models of successful habits and attitudes in their community. This is how patterns of powerlessness can be broken, because role models can pass along knowledge to young people who benefit from that as a kind of inheritance.
