OPTIMIZE with Brian Johnson | More Wisdom in Less Time: Recent Episodes
Brian Johnson
OPTIMIZE with Brian Johnson features the best Big Ideas from the best optimal living books. More wisdom in less time to help you live your greatest life.
Today’s wisdom comes from Unstoppable Teams by Alden Mills.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Self-Theories by Carol Dweck.
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Today’s wisdom comes from 10-Minute Toughness by Jason Selk.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Excuses Begone! by Wayne Dyer.
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Today’s wisdom comes from An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Choose the Life You Want by Tal Ben-Shahar.
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Today’s wisdom comes from As a Man Thinketh by James Allen.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Wooden on Leadership by John Wooden & Steve Jamison.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Metabolic Approach to Cancer by Dr. Nasha Winters & Jess Higgins Kelley, MNT.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Born for This by Chris Guillebeau.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi.
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Today’s wisdom comes from How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere by Larry King.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Conquest of Mind by Eknath Easwaran.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Coaching the Mental Game by H.A. Dorfman.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell.
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Today’s wisdom comes from A Daily Dose of Sanity by Alan Cohen.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Discourses by Epictetus.
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Today’s wisdom comes from An Iron Will by Orison Swett Marden.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Breathe by Belisa Vranich.
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Today’s wisdom comes from 212° The Extra Degree by Sam Parker, Mac Anderson.
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Today’s wisdom comes from An Audience of One by Srinivas Rao.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Daring Greatly by Brené Brown.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Buddhism Day by Day by Daisaku Ikeda.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Elite Minds by Dr. Stan Beecham.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Attainment by Troy Bassham.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Counterclockwise by Ellen Langer.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Bounce by Matthew Syed.
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Today’s wisdom comes from A Complaint-Free World by Will Bowen.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Courage Under Fire by James Stockdale.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Drive by Daniel H. Pink.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Be Quick -- But Don't Hurry by Andrew Hill and John Wooden.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Brain Rules by Dr. John Medina.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Black Hole Focus by Isaiah Hankel.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Noble Purpose by William Damon.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Influence by Robert Cialdini.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Be Unstoppable by Alden Mills.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Body Mind Mastery by Dan Millman.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
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We are living in a world where millions wake up every day exhausted, anxious, and disconnected—stuck in cycles of burnout, distraction, and despair.
- 250 million people are suffering from anxiety/depression (😳)
- Another billion have metabolic challenges
- 77% of the U.S. workforce is burned out
- And, most humbling (and catalyzing), 1 in 4 teenagers don’t have hope for their future
The challenges we face today aren’t new. For thousands of years, ancient wisdom traditions have taught us how to cultivate virtue, develop resilience, and live with meaning. Modern science has validated the fundamental truths about human flourishing.
But today, these challenges are amplified like never before. Social media algorithms hijack attention. Ultra-processed food destroys metabolic health. An always-on, hyper-distracted world makes deep work, real relationships, and inner stillness harder than ever to achieve. Instead of helping people build resilience, modern society has made it easier than ever to escape, numb, and drift through life. The result? More people are struggling with focus, discipline, and purpose—not because they lack potential, but because they lack a system to counteract these forces and take control of their lives. That’s where Heroic comes in.
Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and structured action to help people bridge the gap between who they are and who they’re capable of being.
Learn more about Heroic: https://heroic.us/
We're raising our Series A - learn more here: https://heroic.us/go/invest/
Today’s wisdom comes from EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey.
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Today’s wisdom comes from A Joseph Campbell Companion by Joseph Campbell.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Anxiety Free by Patrick McKeown.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Path to Purpose by William Damon.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Love, Medicine and Miracles by Bernie Siegel.
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Today’s wisdom comes from #ASKGARYVEE by Gary Vaynerchuk.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Always Hungry? by David Ludwig.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Leaders: Myth and Reality by General Stanley McChrystal, Jeff Eggers, and Jason Mangone.
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Today’s wisdom comes from 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari.
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Today’s wisdom comes from A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzennegger.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Your Life is Your Message by Eknath Easwaran.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Letters from a Stoic by Seneca.
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Today’s wisdom comes from A Better Way to Live by Og Mandino.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Call Sign Chaos by Jim Mattis and Bing West.
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Today’s wisdom comes from 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself by Steve Chandler.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Die Empty by Todd Henry.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Spark by John Ratey.
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Today’s wisdom comes from 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management by Kevin Kruse.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Trying Not to Try by Edward Slingerland.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Wisdom of the Bullfrog by Admiral William H. McRaven
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Today’s wisdom comes from Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Falling Upward by Richard Rohr.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Why We Do What We Do by Edward L. Deci.
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Today’s wisdom comes from On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Are You Fully Charged by Tom Rath.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Peak by Anders Ericsson.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Mastery by Robert Greene.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Love: What Life Is All About by Leo Buscaglia.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Rumi Daylight.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Learn How to Lead to Win by Mike Manazir.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Telomere Effect by Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Mini Habits by Stephen Guise.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Great Work of Your Life by Stephen Cope.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Coleman.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Dhammapada edited by Eknath Easwaran.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Second Mountain by David Brooks.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Dark Side of the Light Chasers by Debbie Ford.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Unbeatable Mind by Mark Divine.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Principles by Ray Dalio.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Power of Full Engagement by James E. Loehr and Tony Schwartz
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Today’s wisdom comes from Getting Things Done by David Allen.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Road to Character by David Brooks.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Bhagavad Gita edited by Eknath Easwaran.
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Today’s wisdom comes from How Champions Think by Dr. Bob Rotella.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Healthy Deviant by Pilar Gerasimo.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Effective Executive by Peter F. Drucker.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Power of Ideals by William Damon and Anne Colby.
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Today’s wisdom comes from How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Inner Citadel by Pierre Hadot.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Confident Mind by Dr. Nate Zinsser.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Leadershift by John C. Maxwell.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Circadian Code by Satchin Panda, PhD.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman.
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Today’s wisdom comes from 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Awareness by Anthony De Mello.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Wooden by Coach John Wooden.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Forever Strong by Gabrielle Lyon.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Mastery by George Leonard.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Motivation and Personality by Abraham Maslow.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Gratitude Works! by Robert Emmons.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Procrastination Equation by Piers Steel.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Analects by Confucius.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Mindset by Carol Dweck.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. If you’re loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Loving What Is by Byron Katie.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Art of Taking Action by Gregg Krech.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Eat Move Sleep by Tom Rath.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky.
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Today’s wisdom comes from So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Flourish by Martin Seligman.
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Today’s wisdom comes from On the Shortness of Life by Seneca.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Tools by Barry Michels and Phil Stutz.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Love 2.0 by Barbara Fredrickson.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Brain Energy by Chris Palmer.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Confidence Gap by Dr. Russ Harris.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The ONE Thing by Gary Keller.
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Today’s wisdom comes from 10 to 25 by David Yeager.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind by Georgia Ede.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Practicing Stoic by Ward Farnsworth.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Grit by Angela Duckworth.
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Today’s wisdom comes from Deep Work by Cal Newport.
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Today’s wisdom comes from The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman.
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And finally: Know someone who’d love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with
them, and let’s grow together in 2025!
Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →
Today’s wisdom comes from The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp.
If you’re loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.
And… Imagine unlocking access to the distilled wisdom form 700+ of the greatest books ever written.
That’s what Heroic Premium offers:
- Unlimited access to every Philosopher’s Note.
- Daily inspiration and actionable tools to optimize your energy, work, and love.
- Personalized coaching features to help you stay consistent and focused
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Or, ready to go next level?
Join Heroic Elite, a 101-day training program designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve real, measurable results.
- Optimize your energy, work, and love with a proven system for transformation.
- Become the best, most Heroic version of yourself.
Join Heroic Elite →
And finally: Know someone who’d love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with
them, and let’s grow together in 2025!
Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →
Today’s wisdom comes from Lead Yourself First by Raymond Kethledge and Michael Erwin.
If you’re loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.
And… Imagine unlocking access to the distilled wisdom form 700+ of the greatest books ever written.
That’s what Heroic Premium offers:
- Unlimited access to every Philosopher’s Note.
- Daily inspiration and actionable tools to optimize your energy, work, and love.
- Personalized coaching features to help you stay consistent and focused
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Or, ready to go next level?
Join Heroic Elite, a 101-day training program designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve real, measurable results.
- Optimize your energy, work, and love with a proven system for transformation.
- Become the best, most Heroic version of yourself.
Join Heroic Elite →
And finally: Know someone who’d love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with
them, and let’s grow together in 2025!
Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →
Today’s wisdom comes from Outlive by Peter Attia.
If you’re loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.
And… Imagine unlocking access to the distilled wisdom form 700+ of the greatest books ever written.
That’s what Heroic Premium offers:
- Unlimited access to every Philosopher’s Note.
- Daily inspiration and actionable tools to optimize your energy, work, and love.
- Personalized coaching features to help you stay consistent and focused
Upgrade to Heroic Premium →
Or, ready to go next level?
Join Heroic Elite, a 101-day training program designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve real, measurable results.
- Optimize your energy, work, and love with a proven system for transformation.
- Become the best, most Heroic version of yourself.
Join Heroic Elite →
And finally: Know someone who’d love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with
them, and let’s grow together in 2025!
Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →
Today’s wisdom comes from How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson.
If you’re loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.
And… Imagine unlocking access to the distilled wisdom form 700+ of the greatest books ever written.
That’s what Heroic Premium offers:
- Unlimited access to every Philosopher’s Note.
- Daily inspiration and actionable tools to optimize your energy, work, and love.
- Personalized coaching features to help you stay consistent and focused
Upgrade to Heroic Premium →
Or, ready to go next level?
Join Heroic Elite, a 101-day training program designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve real, measurable results.
- Optimize your energy, work, and love with a proven system for transformation.
- Become the best, most Heroic version of yourself.
Join Heroic Elite →
And finally: Know someone who’d love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with
them, and let’s grow together in 2025!
Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →
Today’s wisdom comes from Lessons for Living by Phil Stutz.
If you’re loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.
And… Imagine unlocking access to the distilled wisdom form 700+ of the greatest books ever written.
That’s what Heroic Premium offers:
- Unlimited access to every Philosopher’s Note.
- Daily inspiration and actionable tools to optimize your energy, work, and love.
- Personalized coaching features to help you stay consistent and focused
Upgrade to Heroic Premium →
Or, ready to go next level?
Join Heroic Elite, a 101-day training program designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve real, measurable results.
- Optimize your energy, work, and love with a proven system for transformation.
- Become the best, most Heroic version of yourself.
Join Heroic Elite →
And finally: Know someone who’d love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with
them, and let’s grow together in 2025!
Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →
Today’s wisdom comes from Atomic Habits by James Clear.
If you’re loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.
And… Imagine unlocking access to the distilled wisdom form 700+ of the greatest books ever written.
That’s what Heroic Premium offers:
- Unlimited access to every Philosopher’s Note.
- Daily inspiration and actionable tools to optimize your energy, work, and love.
- Personalized coaching features to help you stay consistent and focused
Upgrade to Heroic Premium →
Or, ready to go next level?
Join Heroic Elite, a 101-day training program designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve real, measurable results.
- Optimize your energy, work, and love with a proven system for transformation.
- Become the best, most Heroic version of yourself.
Join Heroic Elite →
And finally: Know someone who’d love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with
them, and let’s grow together in 2025!
Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →
Today’s wisdom comes from Happy Together by Suzann & James Pawelski.
If you’re loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.
And… Imagine unlocking access to the distilled wisdom form 700+ of the greatest books ever written.
That’s what Heroic Premium offers:
- Unlimited access to every Philosopher’s Note.
- Daily inspiration and actionable tools to optimize your energy, work, and love.
- Personalized coaching features to help you stay consistent and focused
Upgrade to Heroic Premium →
Or, ready to go next level?
Join Heroic Elite, a 101-day training program designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve real, measurable results.
- Optimize your energy, work, and love with a proven system for transformation.
- Become the best, most Heroic version of yourself.
Join Heroic Elite →
And finally: Know someone who’d love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with
them, and let’s grow together in 2025!
Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →
Today’s wisdom comes from The Creative Act by Rick Rubin.
If you’re loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.
And… Imagine unlocking access to the distilled wisdom form 700+ of the greatest books ever written.
That’s what Heroic Premium offers:
- Unlimited access to every Philosopher’s Note.
- Daily inspiration and actionable tools to optimize your energy, work, and love.
- Personalized coaching features to help you stay consistent and focused
Upgrade to Heroic Premium →
Or, ready to go next level?
Join Heroic Elite, a 101-day training program designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve real, measurable results.
- Optimize your energy, work, and love with a proven system for transformation.
- Become the best, most Heroic version of yourself.
Join Heroic Elite →
And finally: Know someone who’d love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with
them, and let’s grow together in 2025!
Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →
Today’s wisdom comes from Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink.
If you’re loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.
And… Imagine unlocking access to the distilled wisdom form 700+ of the greatest books ever written.
That’s what Heroic Premium offers:
- Unlimited access to every Philosopher’s Note.
- Daily inspiration and actionable tools to optimize your energy, work, and love.
- Personalized coaching features to help you stay consistent and focused
Upgrade to Heroic Premium →
Or, ready to go next level?
Join Heroic Elite, a 101-day training program designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve real, measurable results.
- Optimize your energy, work, and love with a proven system for transformation.
- Become the best, most Heroic version of yourself.
Join Heroic Elite →
And finally: Know someone who’d love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with
them, and let’s grow together in 2025!
Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →
Today’s wisdom comes from Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.
If you’re loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.
And… Imagine unlocking access to the distilled wisdom form 700+ of the greatest books ever written.
That’s what Heroic Premium offers:
- Unlimited access to every Philosopher’s Note.
- Daily inspiration and actionable tools to optimize your energy, work, and love.
- Personalized coaching features to help you stay consistent and focused
Upgrade to Heroic Premium →
Or, ready to go next level?
Join Heroic Elite, a 101-day training program designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve real, measurable results.
- Optimize your energy, work, and love with a proven system for transformation.
- Become the best, most Heroic version of yourself.
Join Heroic Elite →
And finally: Know someone who’d love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with
them, and let’s grow together in 2025!
Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →
Today’s wisdom comes from The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday.
If you’re loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.
And… Imagine unlocking access to the distilled wisdom form 700+ of the greatest books ever written.
That’s what Heroic Premium offers:
- Unlimited access to every Philosopher’s Note.
- Daily inspiration and actionable tools to optimize your energy, work, and love.
- Personalized coaching features to help you stay consistent and focused
Upgrade to Heroic Premium →
Or, ready to go next level?
Join Heroic Elite, a 101-day training program designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve real, measurable results.
- Optimize your energy, work, and love with a proven system for transformation.
- Become the best, most Heroic version of yourself.
Join Heroic Elite →
And finally: Know someone who’d love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with
them, and let’s grow together in 2025!
Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →
Today we’ve got an announcement on a new series: Heroic Wisdom Daily!
365 Books. 365 Days. 1 Minute a Day.
Every day, starting January 1, we’ll deliver THE most powerful insights from THE greatest self-development books of all time—straight to your inbox. (Or podcast feed!)
Sign up and invite your friends at heroic.us/go/heroic-wisdom-daily
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Seneca and Nassim Taleb.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Seneca and Nassim Taleb.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Nassim Taleb.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Caroline Adams Miller.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom on how to optimize our FOCUS in order to increase our soul force.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom on how to optimize your life with the Soul Force Equation: (Energy * Focus * What's Important Now) ^ Consistency.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today. The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr..
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr..
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from a day Brian spent with CAPT Dave Pollard.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom on how Heroic Elite can help you get your HRV > RHR.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom on the importance of getting your HRV higher than your overnight RHR.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom on what to do when you're pushing yourself hard in life and work.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
https://heroic.us/elite ← Learn more + join Heroic Elite Yesterday we hosted an EPIC Heroic Elite Discovery Call (with nearly 500 heroes attending live!), breaking down exactly how this 101-day program will help you unlock the best version of yourself—elite energy, clarity, and confidence. This episode is the full recording of that call. YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for and that the world needs now more than ever. It’s time to activate the most elite version of yourself so we can change the world, together. Welcome to your training program. Ready to Change Your Life in 101 Days? Join Heroic Elite: https://heroic.us/elite Read all the Elite updates: https://heroic.us/elite-overview
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from George Bernard Shaw.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from George Bernard Shaw.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Phil Stutz.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And…
Quick question for you:
What if you could transform your energy, focus, and relationships in just 101 days—and become the most Heroic version of yourself?
The 101-Day Heroic Elite training program is your invitation to a life-changing journey:
(1) Optimize Your Energy: Master the fundamentals—Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing—so you wake up energized and ready to conquer the day.
(2) Achieve Peak Productivity: Train your focus and align every action with What’s Important Now (WIN). Create before you react and get more done than ever before.
(3) Deepen Your Connection: Strengthen your relationships with yourself, your loved ones, and your purpose.
(4) Track Your Progress: Flourish in measurable ways, from energy and productivity to biomarkers like VO2 max, body composition, and more.
Heroic Elite isn’t just another program—it’s a forge for transformation. With elite coaching from Brian and Alexandra, the Heroic Elite Field Guide, and a supportive community, you’ll create unshakable habits that last a lifetime.
🎯 101 Days. 10.1 Targets. 1 Heroic Life.
Your only job? Show up 101% every day. Miss a target? No problem—as long as you +1 and recommit, your streak stays alive.
This is your chance to feel more energized, productive, and connected than ever—and create a future you’re proud of.
👉 Head to https://heroic.us/elite to join Heroic Elite today.
The journey begins January 11th, 2025.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom on what to do when we miss the mark on our habits.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from John Hale and Doris Kearns Goodwin.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from John Hale and Peter Attia.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from John Hale, Donald Robertson and David Brooks.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from John Hale and Gandhi.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from John Hale, Donald Kagan and David Yeager.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from John Hale.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Donald Robertson and Socrates.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Brian's recent travels from Athens, Greece after the Athens Heroic Activation Event.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And… It’s the final day for Heroic’s Cyber Week Specials. 🎁
→ Join Heroic Coach and save save $2,051 (41%) at heroic.us/coach
→ Save $2,051 (41%) on Heroic Workshop Instructor Training in Austin heroic.us/austin-training
→ Save $1,000 on the Rome Activation Experience at heroic.us/rome-event
→ Create custom bundles to save even more! (Reply to this email.)
Get the specials at heroic.us/cyber-week before end of day December 7th!
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Brian's recent travels from Athens, Greece after the Athens Heroic Activation Event.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And… It’s the final week for Heroic’s Cyber Week Specials. 🎁
→ Join Heroic Coach and save save $2,051 (41%) at heroic.us/coach
→ Save $2,051 (41%) on Heroic Workshop Instructor Training in Austin heroic.us/austin-training
→ Save $1,000 on the Rome Activation Experience at heroic.us/rome-event
→ Create custom bundles to save even more! (Reply to this email.)
Get the specials at heroic.us/cyber-week before end of day December 7th!
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Brian's recent travels from Athens, Greece after the Athens Heroic Activation Event.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And… It’s the final week for Heroic’s Cyber Week Specials. 🎁
→ Join Heroic Coach and save save $2,051 (41%) at heroic.us/coach
→ Save $2,051 (41%) on Heroic Workshop Instructor Training in Austin heroic.us/austin-training
→ Save $1,000 on the Rome Activation Experience at heroic.us/rome-event
→ Create custom bundles to save even more! (Reply to this email.)
Get the specials at heroic.us/cyber-week before end of day December 7th!
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Brian's recent travels from Athens, Greece after the Athens Heroic Activation Event.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And... we're in the final week for our Heroic Holiday strength-for-two specials! 🎉
Until December 7th, when you join Heroic Premium, Heroic Coach, or the upcoming Heroic Activation & Workshop Instructor Training (Austin)… you’ll get to BRING A FRIEND with you at no extra cost! 👥 🙌
It’s time for each of us to answer the call to step up and into that next best version of ourselves.
Not just for ourselves, but for those we care about most.
Heroes have strength for two.
Their secret weapon is love.
Plus, the hero’s journey is more fun, powerful, and effective with friends. 🤠
So whether you choose to…
- Upgrade to a Premium Heroic Membership and get unlimited access to theory, practice, and social… - Step into your personal and professional potential with our 300-day Heroic Coach Training & Certification Program — mastering Heroic performance, practicing the fundamentals of coaching excellence, and creating Heroic coaching prosperity, and/or… - Join us live in Austin for the Heroic Activation, Heroic Workshop Instructor Training, or both…
Join by December 7th and bring a friend for free!
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Brian's recent travels from Athens, Greece after the Athens Heroic Activation Event.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And... we're in the final week for our Heroic Holiday strength-for-two specials! 🎉
Until December 7th, when you join Heroic Premium, Heroic Coach, or the upcoming Heroic Activation & Workshop Instructor Training (Austin)… you’ll get to BRING A FRIEND with you at no extra cost! 👥 🙌
It’s time for each of us to answer the call to step up and into that next best version of ourselves.
Not just for ourselves, but for those we care about most.
Heroes have strength for two.
Their secret weapon is love.
Plus, the hero’s journey is more fun, powerful, and effective with friends. 🤠
So whether you choose to…
- Upgrade to a Premium Heroic Membership and get unlimited access to theory, practice, and social… - Step into your personal and professional potential with our 300-day Heroic Coach Training & Certification Program — mastering Heroic performance, practicing the fundamentals of coaching excellence, and creating Heroic coaching prosperity, and/or… - Join us live in Austin for the Heroic Activation, Heroic Workshop Instructor Training, or both… Join by December 7th and bring a friend for free!
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Brian flying home from Athens, Greece after the Heroic Athens Activation event.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And… Exciting announcement: Heroic Holidays strength-for-two specials are now live. 🎉
During this holiday season, when you invest in your own growth, goals, and actualization, you get to share the love with others and BRING A FRIEND for FREE! 👥 🙌
Check them out at heroic.us/holiday-specials.
It’s time for each of us to answer the call to step up and into that next best version of ourselves.
Not just for ourselves, but for those we care about most.
Heroes have strength for two. Their secret weapon is love.
Plus, the hero’s journey is more fun, powerful, and effective with friends. 🤠
So whether you choose to…
- Upgrade to a Premium Heroic Membership and get unlimited access to theory, practice, and social…
- Step into your personal and professional potential with our 300-day Heroic Coach Training & Certification Program — mastering Heroic performance, practicing the fundamentals of coaching excellence, and creating Heroic coaching prosperity, and/or…
- Join us live in Austin for the Heroic Activation, Heroic Workshop Instructor Training, or both…
…you’ll get to bring a friend for free!
Get the specials at heroic.us/holiday-specials before end of day December 7th.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Brian in Athens, Greece during the Heroic Athens Activation event.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And… Exciting announcement: Heroic Holidays strength-for-two specials are now live. 🎉
During this holiday season, when you invest in your own growth, goals, and actualization, you get to share the love with others and BRING A FRIEND for FREE! 👥 🙌
Check them out at heroic.us/holiday-specials.
It’s time for each of us to answer the call to step up and into that next best version of ourselves.
Not just for ourselves, but for those we care about most.
Heroes have strength for two. Their secret weapon is love.
Plus, the hero’s journey is more fun, powerful, and effective with friends. 🤠
So whether you choose to…
- Upgrade to a Premium Heroic Membership and get unlimited access to theory, practice, and social…
- Step into your personal and professional potential with our 300-day Heroic Coach Training & Certification Program — mastering Heroic performance, practicing the fundamentals of coaching excellence, and creating Heroic coaching prosperity, and/or…
- Join us live in Austin for the Heroic Activation, Heroic Workshop Instructor Training, or both…
…you’ll get to bring a friend for free!
Get the specials at heroic.us/holiday-specials before end of day December 7th.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Brian at the Aegean Sea during the Heroic Athens Activation event.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And… Exciting announcement: Heroic Holidays strength-for-two specials are now live. 🎉
During this holiday season, when you invest in your own growth, goals, and actualization, you get to share the love with others and BRING A FRIEND for FREE! 👥 🙌
Check them out at heroic.us/holiday-specials.
It’s time for each of us to answer the call to step up and into that next best version of ourselves.
Not just for ourselves, but for those we care about most.
Heroes have strength for two. Their secret weapon is love.
Plus, the hero’s journey is more fun, powerful, and effective with friends. 🤠
So whether you choose to…
- Upgrade to a Premium Heroic Membership and get unlimited access to theory, practice, and social…
- Step into your personal and professional potential with our 300-day Heroic Coach Training & Certification Program — mastering Heroic performance, practicing the fundamentals of coaching excellence, and creating Heroic coaching prosperity, and/or…
- Join us live in Austin for the Heroic Activation, Heroic Workshop Instructor Training, or both…
…you’ll get to bring a friend for free!
Get the specials at heroic.us/holiday-specials before end of day December 7th.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Joe De Sena.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And… Exciting announcement: Heroic Holidays strength-for-two specials are now live. 🎉
During this holiday season, when you invest in your own growth, goals, and actualization, you get to share the love with others and BRING A FRIEND for FREE! 👥 🙌
Check them out at heroic.us/holiday-specials.
It’s time for each of us to answer the call to step up and into that next best version of ourselves.
Not just for ourselves, but for those we care about most.
Heroes have strength for two. Their secret weapon is love.
Plus, the hero’s journey is more fun, powerful, and effective with friends. 🤠
So whether you choose to…
- Upgrade to a Premium Heroic Membership and get unlimited access to theory, practice, and social…
- Step into your personal and professional potential with our 300-day Heroic Coach Training & Certification Program — mastering Heroic performance, practicing the fundamentals of coaching excellence, and creating Heroic coaching prosperity, and/or…
- Join us live in Austin for the Heroic Activation, Heroic Workshop Instructor Training, or both…
…you’ll get to bring a friend for free!
Get the specials at heroic.us/holiday-specials before end of day December 7th.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Michael Easter and Casey Means, MD.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And… Exciting announcement: Heroic Holidays strength-for-two specials are now live. 🎉
During this holiday season, when you invest in your own growth, goals, and actualization, you get to share the love with others and BRING A FRIEND for FREE! 👥 🙌
Check them out at heroic.us/holiday-specials.
It’s time for each of us to answer the call to step up and into that next best version of ourselves.
Not just for ourselves, but for those we care about most.
Heroes have strength for two. Their secret weapon is love.
Plus, the hero’s journey is more fun, powerful, and effective with friends. 🤠
So whether you choose to…
- Upgrade to a Premium Heroic Membership and get unlimited access to theory, practice, and social…
- Step into your personal and professional potential with our 300-day Heroic Coach Training & Certification Program — mastering Heroic performance, practicing the fundamentals of coaching excellence, and creating Heroic coaching prosperity, and/or…
- Join us live in Austin for the Heroic Activation, Heroic Workshop Instructor Training, or both…
…you’ll get to bring a friend for free!
Get the specials at heroic.us/holiday-specials before end of day December 7th.
In this powerful interview + coaching session (recorded live for our Heroic Coach program now featuring over 130+ luminary guest faculty sessions), renowned Positive Psychologist, executive coach, and author Caroline Adams Miller helps us what SCIENCE says about how to set and achieve BIG GOALS.
Learn more about Caroline's work at https://www.carolinemiller.com/ Get Caroline's new book "Big Goals: The Science of Setting Them, Achieving Them, and Creating Your Best Life" here: https://amzn.to/4eeq1oX
And learn more about Heroic Coach here: https://heroic.us/coach
P.S. Did you see the Heroic Holiday Specials? https://heroic.us/holiday-specials
CHAPTERS:
-
Welcome back, Caroline! (00:00:00)
-
Being In Pursuit of Goals (00:02:09)
-
Learning Goals vs. Performance Goals (00:05:19)
-
Doing Hard Things (00:10:02)
-
Finding Goals that are "High and Hard" For You (00:16:52)
-
Start With “What's New?” (00:19:47)
-
Check the Feedback You’re Getting (00:27:11)
-
Good Grit vs. Bad Grit (00:37:49) - Q&A: How Can I Best Create Hard Goals? (00:42:39)
-
Q&A: How Can I Know When It’s Time to Adjust a Goal? (00:46:07)
-
Q&A: How Can I Adjust This for My Kids? (00:52:16)
-
Q&A: How Can I Support Women in My Field? (00:54:16)
-
Q&A: How Can I Improve My Quitting Criteria? (01:00:33)
-
Q&A: How Can I Better Support Women as a Business Leader and as a Father of Two Girls? (01:03:24)
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Robert Lustig and Peter Attia.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And… Exciting announcement: Heroic Holidays strength-for-two specials are now live. 🎉
During this holiday season, when you invest in your own growth, goals, and actualization, you get to share the love with others and BRING A FRIEND for FREE! 👥 🙌
Check them out at heroic.us/holiday-specials.
It’s time for each of us to answer the call to step up and into that next best version of ourselves.
Not just for ourselves, but for those we care about most.
Heroes have strength for two. Their secret weapon is love.
Plus, the hero’s journey is more fun, powerful, and effective with friends. 🤠
So whether you choose to…
- Upgrade to a Premium Heroic Membership and get unlimited access to theory, practice, and social…
- Step into your personal and professional potential with our 300-day Heroic Coach Training & Certification Program — mastering Heroic performance, practicing the fundamentals of coaching excellence, and creating Heroic coaching prosperity, and/or…
- Join us live in Austin for the Heroic Activation, Heroic Workshop Instructor Training, or both…
…you’ll get to bring a friend for free!
Get the specials at heroic.us/holiday-specials before end of day December 7th.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Casey Means, MD and Robert Lustig.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe!
And… Exciting announcement: Heroic Holidays strength-for-two specials are now live. 🎉
During this holiday season, when you invest in your own growth, goals, and actualization, you get to share the love with others and BRING A FRIEND for FREE! 👥 🙌
Check them out at heroic.us/holiday-specials.
It’s time for each of us to answer the call to step up and into that next best version of ourselves.
Not just for ourselves, but for those we care about most.
Heroes have strength for two. Their secret weapon is love.
Plus, the hero’s journey is more fun, powerful, and effective with friends. 🤠
So whether you choose to…
- Upgrade to a Premium Heroic Membership and get unlimited access to theory, practice, and social…
- Step into your personal and professional potential with our 300-day Heroic Coach Training & Certification Program — mastering Heroic performance, practicing the fundamentals of coaching excellence, and creating Heroic coaching prosperity, and/or…
- Join us live in Austin for the Heroic Activation, Heroic Workshop Instructor Training, or both…
…you’ll get to bring a friend for free!
Get the specials at heroic.us/holiday-specials before end of day December 7th.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Robert Lustig and Casey Means, MD.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
Heroic Holidays strength-for-two specials are now live! 🎉
For the next TWO WEEKS (until Dec 7th), when you join Heroic Premium, Heroic Coach, or the upcoming Heroic Activation & Workshop Instructor Training (Austin)… you’ll get to BRING A FRIEND with you at no extra cost! 👥 🙌
It’s time for each of us to answer the call to step up and into that next best version of ourselves.
Not just for ourselves, but for those we care about most.
Heroes have strength for two.
Their secret weapon is love.
Plus, the hero’s journey is more fun, powerful, and effective with friends. 🤠
So whether you choose to…
- Upgrade to a Premium Heroic Membership and get unlimited access to theory, practice, and social…
- Step into your personal and professional potential with our 300-day Heroic Coach Training & Certification Program — mastering Heroic performance, practicing the fundamentals of coaching excellence, and creating Heroic coaching prosperity, and/or…
- Join us live in Austin for the Heroic Activation, Heroic Workshop Instructor Training, or both…
Join by December 7th and bring a friend for free!
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Robert Lustig and Casey Means, MD,
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Robert Lustig and Casey Means, MD.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Peter Drucker and Robert Lustig.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Barbara Fredrickson.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Fred Rogers.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from a recent trip that Brian took with his kids to San Diego.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Ronald Reagan.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Captain Daryle Cardone.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Joseph Campbell.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from a conversation with Brian and his son Emerson.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from David Yeager.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from a conversation between Brian and his son Emerson.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Eric Butterworth.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Walt Whitman.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Eric Butterworth and Todd Herman.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Eric Butterworth.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Michael Singer.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Richard Rohr and Desmond Tutu.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Abigail Adams.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom on showing up powerfully in the face of great challenges.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Yuval Noah Harari and Max Fisher.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Jonathan Haidt.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Jonathan Haidt.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Jonathan Haidt.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Steven Hayes and Vernon Howard.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Musonius Rufus.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Steven Hayes.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Steven Hayes and Marsha Linehan.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Steven Hayes.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Steven Hayes, Steve Chandler, Phil Stutz and Kristin Neff.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Steven Hayes, Marsha Linehan, Jon Kabat-Zinn and Donald Robertson.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Bill Beswick and Mark Divine.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Bill Beswick, Tal Ben-Shahar, Brian Cain, Tony Robbins, and Ben Bergeron.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
In this powerful live session (recorded live for our Heroic Coach program now featuring over 130+ luminary guest faculty sessions), renowned Stoic philosopher and psychotherapist Donald Robertson helps guides us through the intersection of Stoicism and Socratic thinking as we strive to master our emotions en route to activating our potential.
Learn practical tools to spot the early signs of anger, manage your emotional responses with clarity, and navigate life’s challenges with calm confidence. Donald brings timeless wisdom into today’s world, helping you build resilience, stay grounded, and live with purpose.
Learn more about Donald's work at https://donaldrobertson.name
Get Donald's new book 'How to Think Like Socrates' here: https://amzn.to/4hjkEaq
And learn more about Heroic Coach here: https://heroic.us/coach
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Bill Beswick, Dr. Nate Zinsser, David Goggins, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Michael Phelps.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Bill Beswick, Matt Fitzgerald and Joe De Sena.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe.
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Bill Beswick, Jocko Willink and Bill Belichick.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Peter Drucker and Paulo Coelho.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Marsha Linehan.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Kristin Neff, Rainer Maria Rilke and Marsha Linehan.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Tony Horton.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Peter Attia and Tony Horton.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Peter Attia and Mark Hyman.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Peter Attia, Thomas À Kempis, Bishop Desmond Tutu, John F. Kennedy and Sir John Templeton.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Peter Attia, Twyla Tharp, Coach John Wooden, Admiral William H. McRaven and Thomas à Kempis.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Ralph Waldo Emerson.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Carol Dweck and David Yeager.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom on practicing gratitude for everyday conveniences.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from John Eliot, Marie Forleo and Bruce Springsteen.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom on embracing excitement as fuel for success.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Admiral William McRaven.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Hi, this is Brian, and today we’ve got another Heroic +1 for you featuring wisdom from Greg Harden and Lanny Bassham.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to subscribe
And if you’re really enjoying it, I think you’ll love checking out all of the other ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools you need to activate your Heroic potential and change the world, together.
Head to heroic.us to check out all of the goodness. You can download free Philosopher’s Notes, master classes, and our scientifically-proven app that was built by the same team who helped create Slack, Tinder, and Uber Eats.
It’s time to forge excellence, activate your heroic potential, fulfill your destiny, and change the world with us.
YOU are the hero we’ve been waiting for!
Welcome to your new training platform.
Today's +1 features wisdom from Ralph Waldo Emerson, Steven Hayes and Phil Stutz.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Ralph Waldo Emerson and John Wooden.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Steven Hayes and Russ Harris.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Peter Attia and Steven Hayes.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on being great wingmen and women.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Marsha Linehan, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Steven Hayes and Russ Harris.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Sam Walker.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Sam Walker, Richard Davidson and Matthieu Ricard.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Sam Walker, Carol Dweck, Angela Duckworth and Josh Waitzkin.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Sam Walker.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Sam Walker.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom that reminds us there are no perfect people or relationships and that's perfect!
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Sam Walker.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Abraham Maslow and Walt Whitman.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on flipping the switch and playing your roles well.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Josh Waitzkin.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on using AI to help YOU optimize YOUR life.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dr. Casey Means, Dr. David Ludwig and Peter Attia.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dr. Casey Means and Dr. David Ludwig.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dr. Casey Means and Dr. David Ludwig.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dr. Casey Means.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Peter Attia and Casey Means.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Marsha Linehan, David Reynolds, and Dan Millman.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Marsha Linehan and Peter Attia.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Marsha Linehan, While Churchill, David Goggins and Steve Chandler.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Marsha Linehan, Winston Churchill and David Goggins.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Marsha Linehan and Phil Stutz.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Marsha Linehan, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Ellen Langer.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Marsha Linehan, Abraham Maslow, Daisaku Ikeda, and Dr. Allen Frances.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Marsha Linehan, Phil Stutz, Michael Singer, and Paramahansa Yogananda.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Marsha Linehan, Phil Stutz, and Byron Katie.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Vernon Howard.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on showing up for the people in your life.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dave Alred and Lanny Bassham.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dave Alred, Timothy Gallwey, and Jim Loehr.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dave Alred, Darrin Donnelly, Matthew Walker, Jonathan Haidt, and John Ratey.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dave Alred and Darrin Donnelly.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from on making a connection between the choices we make and our future wellbeing.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Sam Walker.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on working hard and leading by example.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Peter Attia.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Peter Attia and Seneca.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on taking things as granted instead of for granted.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on creating micro moments of awesome.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Arnold Bennett, Rosamund (Roz) Zander, and Ben Zander.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Arnold Bennett, Eknath Easwaran, and Gregg Krech.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Arnold Bennett, Ray Dalio, and Tal Ben-Shahar.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Arnold Bennett and Todd Henry.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world."" — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Arnold Bennett, James Clear, and Dale Carnegie.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Phil Stutz.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from A. A. Long, Epictetus, George Leonard and Gabriele Oettingen.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Ryan Holiday and Epictetus.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from General Stanley McChrystal, Harriet Tubman, and A.A. Long.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from General Stanley McChrystal, Harriet Tubman, and A.A. Long.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from General Stanley McChrystal and Harriet Tubman.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from General Stanley McChrystal.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from William James and Josh Waitzkin.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on creating micro moments of awesome.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom on gratitude and supporting the people who support us.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Dr. Nate Zinsser.
Dr. Nate Zinsser is an expert in the psychology of human performance who consults to individuals and organizations seeking a competitive edge.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/go/heroic-chat-with-dr.-nate-zinsser
Overview: Welcome, Dr. Z! (00:00:00) Dr. Z’s Heroic Journey (00:03:46) Definition of Confidence (00:11:35) The Importance of Repetition (00:21:15) Confident Mind for Parents (00:28:11) Start With Why (00:36:47) Physiology (00:43:10) Main Guides (00:50:11)
Connect With Dr. Nate Zinsser on: Website: https://www.natezinsser.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathaniel.zinsser/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-zinsser-35349010/
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Rick Rubin, Joseph Campbell, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Rick Rubin.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Rick Rubin and Joseph Campbell.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Carol Dweck.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Epictetus.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Stephen Covey.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Stephen Covey.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Stephen Covey and Jocko Willink.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Steve Siebold and Sonja Lyubomirsky.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Steve Siebold, Joe Manganiello and Joseph Campbell.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dr. Nate Zinsser and Jocko Willink.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Satchin Panda, PhD.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on breathing through your nose.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Patrick McKeown and Pierre Hadot.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Patrick McKeown, Pierre Hadot, and Marcus Aurelius.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on using the talents you possess to spiral up.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Caroline Adams Miller and Steven Pressfield.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Caroline Adams Miller, Martin Seligman, Angela Duckworth, and Phil Stutz.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Deion Sanders, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Daniel Coyle.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Deion Sanders and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Deion Sanders, Dr. Nate Zinsser, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Deion Sanders and Aristotle.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Deion Sanders. Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Deion Sanders, Tim Kennedy, Dr. Nate Zinsser, and John Maxwell.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Tim Kennedy. Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Tim Kennedy, David Goggins, Adam Brown, Stephen Covey, and Jocko Willink. Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Tim Kennedy, David Goggins, Jocko Willink, and Nims Purja. Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dr. Nate Zinsser. Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dr. Nate Zinsser, Trevor Moawad, and Alden Mills. Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dr. Nate Zinsser. Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dr. Nate Zinsser.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Dr. Nate Zinsser.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Maurice Ashley.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Maurice Ashley.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on making connections and changing behaviors.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Dr. Nate Zinsser and Sun Tzu.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Alden Mills, Dr. Nate Zinsser, and Sun Tzu.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Alden Mills and Lanny Bassham.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Alden Mills.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Alden Mills.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Alden Mills.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Alden Mills and Mark Divine.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Alden Mills and Mark Divine.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Alden Mills.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Maurice Ashley.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Maurice Ashley and James Clear.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Maurice Ashley and Kobe Bryant.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Maurice Ashley.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on not cheating yourself and doing what you say you will do.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Phil Stutz.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Phil Stutz.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Benjamin Elijah Mays.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom on turning up the heat and committing.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Kelly McGonigal.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from George Leonard.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Phil Stutz and John Wooden.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Mike Manazir.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by John Assaraf. John Assaraf "The Brain Whisperer" is one of the leading high performance and success coaches in the world. He is a behavioral neuroscience researcher who has appeared numerous times on Larry King live, Anderson Cooper and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. John has written 4 books including 2 New York Times best sellers that have been translated to 35 languages. He is the creator of the “Innercise” movement and has been featured in 11 movies, including the blockbuster hit “The Secret” and “Quest For Success” with Richard Branson and the Dalai Lama.
Overview: Welcome, John! (00:00:00) Areté Levels Up Your Thinking! (00:01:28) Why People Are Stuck (00:03:27) Your Inner Critic (00:16:21) We Can Do Whatever We Want 1000% Faster (00:25:00) Being a Great Coach (00:29:58) The Why Is The Emotional Reason (00:45:44) We Want More (00:51:50)
Connect With John Assaraf on: Website: https://www.johnassaraf.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnassarafpage Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnassaraf/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnassaraf/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnassaraf Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnAssaraf
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Phil Stutz and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Phil Stutz.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Phil Stutz and Nassim Taleb.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Today's +1 features wisdom from Seneca, George Leonard, and Albert Einstein.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
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Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from John Wooden and Andrew Hill.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on using process goals to reach outcome goals.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Marke
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Rick Rubin, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Steven Pressfield and John Maxwell. Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Phil Stutz, Michael Gelb, Marcus Aurelius, and Morihei Uesheba.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on the power of checklists.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Steven Pressfield and Ryan Holiday.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on the importance of Focusing our Energy on What’s Important Now—all day every day.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on using data to spiral up and improve.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from a recent chess tournament with Emerson.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom on what to do when we fall short of our standards.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features a celebration of all the Heroic Women in our lives, in honor of International Women's Day.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Brian's recent travels.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Michael Singer.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Admiral William H. McRaven, Stephen Covey, and Nathaniel Branden.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← ""Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world."" — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Anders Ericsson and Sara C. Mednick.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← ""Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world."" — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Today's +1 features wisdom from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Phil Stutz, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← ""Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world."" — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Patricia Ryan Madson.
Patricia Ryan Madson is the author of Improv Wisdom: Dont Prepare, Just Show Up and a professor Emerita from Stanford University where she taught from 1977-2005. In the Drama Department she served as the head of the undergraduate acting program and developed the improvisation program.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/heroic-chat-patricia-ryan-madson
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores!Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://heroic.us/store Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian
Email: support@heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
Want access to more wisdom in time? Get access to over 1,500 +1's (just like this!) and 650+ Philosopher's Notes (distilling life-changing big ideas from the best self-development books ever written) and a LOT more with our Heroic Premium membership. Learn more and get 30 days free at https://heroic.us
P.S. Interested in getting personal support to reach your next level in Energy + Work + Love?! Join the waitlist to work with a certified Heroic Performance Coach here: https://heroic.us/1on1waitlist
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Lanny Bassham.
For the past 34 years, Lanny has been teaching Mental Management® to Olympians, business owners, Fortune 500 Corporations and the elite of sport and business community.
He is the author of Parenting Champions, and With Winning in Mind.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/heroic-chat-lanny-bassham
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://heroic.us/store
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
P.S. Want personalized support to become the best version of yourself and make 2024 THE greatest year of your life?! Join the waitlist to work with a Heroic Performance Coach here: https://heroic.us/1on1waitlist
Today's +1 features wisdom from Peter Drucker, Bob Rotella, Jim Collins and Confucius.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
P.S. Want to work 1-on-1 with a Heroic Coach to reach the next level in every aspect of your life? We'll be launching soon. Join the waitlist here to be the first to know! https://heroic.us/1on1waitlist
- Team Heroic
P.S. Want to have a Heroic Performance Coach personally support YOU to be the best version of yourself and make 2024 THE greatest year of your life?! Join the waitlist here! https://heroic.us/1on1waitlist
Today's +1 features wisdom from General Bryan P. Fenton.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
P.S. Want to work 1-on-1 with a Heroic Coach to reach the next level in every aspect of your life? We'll be launching soon. Join the waitlist here to be the first to know! https://heroic.us/1on1waitlist
- Team Heroic
Today's +1 features wisdom from Brian's recent trip to the USSOCOM First SOF Truth event on Resiliency.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← ""Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world."" — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
P.S. Want personalized support to become the best version of yourself and make 2024 THE greatest year of your life?! Join the waitlist to work with a Heroic Performance Coach here: https://heroic.us/1on1waitlist
- Team Heroic
P.S. Want personalized support to become the best version of yourself and make 2024 THE greatest year of your life?! Join the waitlist to work with a Heroic Performance Coach here: https://heroic.us/1on1waitlist
P.S. Want personalized support to become the best version of yourself and make 2024 THE greatest year of your life?! Join the waitlist to work with a Heroic Performance Coach here: https://heroic.us/1on1waitlist
P.S. Want personalized support to become the best version of yourself and make 2024 THE greatest year of your life?! Join the waitlist to work with a Heroic Performance Coach here: https://heroic.us/1on1waitlist
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market P.S. Want personalized support to become the best version of yourself and make 2024 THE greatest year of your life?! Join the waitlist to work with a Heroic Performance Coach here: https://heroic.us/1on1waitlist - Team Heroic
P.S. Want personalized support to become the best version of yourself and make 2024 THE greatest year of your life?! Join the waitlist to work with a Heroic Performance Coach here: https://heroic.us/1on1waitlist
Today's +1 features wisdom from Patricia Ryan Madson and David Reynolds.
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
P.S. Want to work 1-on-1 with a Heroic Performance Coach help you to be the best version of yourself and make 2024 THE greatest year of your life?! Spots are limited - join the waitlist here: https://heroic.us/1on1waitlist
- Team Heroic
P.S. There's just 1 day left to join Heroic Coach - Class XX before late registration closes and tuition for the program increases by $2,000 (from $2,999 to $4,999). https://heroic.us/coach
Questions? Book a call to talk to a recent Heroic Coach graduate! https://heroic.us/book-a-call
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
P.S. There are just 2 days left to join Heroic Coach - Class XX before late registration closes and tuition for the program increases by $2,000 (from $2,999 to $4,999). https://heroic.us/coach
"I gotta admit, being a pretty experienced (and I think a pretty decent) coach, I thought Heroic Coach would be a nice addition to my coach resources, but not ‘rock my world’ kinda thing. I have found instead that i have been rocked at a very fundamental level, and have noticed meaningful shifts in my life and my coaching." — Ian Stakiw, Senior Coach at a large software company
Questions? Book a call to talk to a recent Heroic Coach graduate! https://heroic.us/book-a-call
-Team Heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
P.S. There are just THREE days left to join Heroic Coach - Class XX before late registration closes and tuition for the program increases by $2,000 (from $2,999 to $4,999). https://heroic.us/coach
"My business revenue has doubled this year without burnout. I used to work 24-hour days for multiple days to keep up. Now I have routines that help my energy, greater focus for my clients and I’m more present for my family and friends. Most importantly, I have learned to show up every day and make every minute the best possible. There truly isn’t anyone who wouldn’t be impacted by this course." — Denise Lemmon
Questions? Book a call to talk to a recent Heroic Coach graduate! heroic.us/book-a-call
-Team Heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
P.S. There are just FOUR days left to join Heroic Coach - Class XX before late registration closes and tuition for the program increases by $2,000 (from $2,999 to $4,999). https://heroic.us/coach
"I am a lifelong learner with 10 years as a school counselor and almost 20 years as a coach. I already had a couple of coaching certifications but I'm always looking for ways to level up my knowledge and skills. Heroic coach was exactly the type of program I wanted to help me be the best version of myself and help others become their best, too." — Michelle Weimer
Questions? Book a call to talk to a recent Heroic Coach graduate! heroic.us/book-a-call
-Team Heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
P.S. There are just FIVE days left to join Heroic Coach - Class XX before late registration closes and tuition for the program increases by $2,000 (from $2,999 to $4,999). https://heroic.us/coach
"The biggest win from this past year that I can attribute to the heroic coach program is reconnecting with my core values, worth and capabilities to accomplish great things. It's landed me an internship with a neuro-innovation company that has helped children, athletes, and entrepreneurs improve their performance. I've performed so well that they want to do business with me moving forward and grow together as I develop my own business. All because I was able to present my best self in everything I do." — Joshua Kazoe
Questions? Book a call to talk to a recent Heroic Coach graduate! heroic.us/book-a-call
-Team Heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
P.S. There are just SIX days left to join Heroic Coach - Class XX before late registration closes and tuition for the program increases by $2,000 (from $2,999 to $4,999). https://heroic.us/coach
"The Heroic Coach program has made a huge difference in my life by giving me the tools to be my best self. The course materials/tools are enlightening and motivating and have lead me down a path to leading the life I envisioned for myself." — Tanis Corder
Questions? Book a call to talk to a recent Heroic Coach graduate! heroic.us/book-a-call
-Team Heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us ← "Heroic is the best self-development platform in the world." — John Mackey, co-founder & former CEO of Whole Foods Market
P.S. There are just SEVEN days left to join Heroic Coach - Class XX before late registration closes and tuition for the program increases by $2,000 (from $2,999 to $4,999). https://heroic.us/coach
"I’ve been studying and practicing personal development for over 20 years and Heroic Coach is by far the best program I've ever participated in." — Ron Reich, Entrepreneur
Questions? Book a call to talk to a recent Heroic Coach graduate! heroic.us/book-a-call
-Team Heroic
"I have spent $1000’s of dollars on courses over the years, learning a great deal of wisdom but the Heroic Coach program has been the most practical & transformative program I have found so far." — Sarah Connelly, Alcohol-Free Lifestyle Coach
-Team Heroic
"As a busy working mother, I have found Heroic Coach to be the one thing that helps me maintain balance in my work, health, and family life." — Jessica Carew Kraft, Writer, editor, naturalist, and mom
-Team Heroic
"Heroic Coach has transformed the way I engage with life, shifting my paradigm from fear to purpose-driven excellence." — Miata Edoga, Founder and CEO of Abundance Bound
-Team Heroic
Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach ← "I routinely tell those I serve that Heroic is where this coach goes to get coached." — Brittany Loney, Director of Elite Cognition and Human Optimization Program
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Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach ← "Heroic Coach is one of the most valuable assets in the area of personal development that exists on this planet." — Ben Pakulski, Former Mr. Canada, CEO of Muscle Intelligence
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Want to complete the entire first week of Heroic Coach for free? Check out the first week’s Theory video and guided Practices at heroic.us/coach/module-o.
It's Week 1 for Heroic Coach - Class XX! 🙌
You’re invited to complete the first week of the program FOR FREE. Check out the first week’s Theory video and guided Practices at heroic.us/coach/module-o.
Let's do this!
-Team Heroic
THE NEXT CLASS STARTED THIS WEEK!
If you’d like to move from theory to practice to mastery and activate YOUR Heroic potential while learning how to help OTHERS do the same so we can change the world together, we’d be honored to welcome you to our community of 10,000+ Heroic Coaches from 100+ countries around the world.
Join Class XX and save $2,000 before tuition increases to $4,999 for Class XXI.
Learn more an join us at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
Today is Day 1 for Heroic Coach - Class XX!
If you’d like to move from theory to practice to mastery and activate YOUR Heroic potential while learning how to help OTHERS do the same so we can change the world together, we’d be honored to welcome you to our community of 10,000+ Heroic Coaches from 100+ countries around the world.
Join Class XX and save $2,000 before tuition increases to $4,999 for Class XXI.
Learn more an join us at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back another Heroic +1!
We're done with the Areté +1° series, the micro-chapters from my book.
Did you get a copy yet? If so, I hope you love it. If not, I hope you do love it if and when you decide to get it. (We're in a ton of libraries too, if money's been the obstacle, so check it out! Literally.)
But we're back to the daily Heroic +1s.
Here we go!
P.S. Only 1 DAY LEFT until Heroic Coach - Class XX begins!
If you’d like to move from theory to practice to mastery and activate YOUR Heroic potential while learning how to help OTHERS do the same so we can change the world together, we’d be honored to welcome you to our community of 10,000+ Heroic Coaches from 100+ countries around the world.
Join Class XX and save $2,000 before tuition increases to $4,999 for Class XXI.
Learn more an join us at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Mark Divine.
Mark Divine is an expert in human performance as it is displayed in mental toughness, leadership and physical readiness. His work is based on an integral warrior-leader model that he developed and tested on over a thousand special operations candidates worldwide.
He is the author of Staring Down the Wolf, The Way of the SEAL, and Unbeatable Mind.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/heroic-chat-mark-divine-arete-live
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°.
In fact, the very last micro-chapter from my book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
P.S. Only 2 days left until Heroic Coach - Class XX begins!
If you’d like to move from theory to practice to mastery and activate YOUR Heroic potential while learning how to help OTHERS do the same so we can change the world together, we’d be honored to welcome you to our community of 10,000+ Heroic Coaches from 100+ countries around the world.
Join Class XX and save $2,000 before tuition increases to $4,999 for Class XXI.
Learn more an join us at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°. This is the second to last chapter in little micro-chapter in Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential. It comes in the seventh objective, activate your superpower. One of the most important ideas I know. P.S. Only 3 days left until Heroic Coach - Class XX begins! If you’d like to move from theory to practice to mastery and activate YOUR Heroic potential while learning how to help OTHERS do the same so we can change the world together, we’d be honored to welcome you to our community of 10,000+ Heroic Coaches from 100+ countries around the world. Join Class XX and save $2,000 before tuition increases to $4,999 for Class XXI. Learn more an join us at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°.
In fact, this is the third-to-last little micro-chapter in 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
We're going to do the final three micro-chapters and send you on your way and get back to the regularly scheduled Heroic +1s.
Here's this +1°.
P.S. Only 4 days left until Heroic Coach - Class XX begins!
If you’d like to move from theory to practice to mastery and activate YOUR Heroic potential while learning how to help OTHERS do the same so we can change the world together, we’d be honored to welcome you to our community of 10,000+ Heroic Coaches from 100+ countries around the world.
Join Class XX and save $2,000 before tuition increases to $4,999 for Class XXI.
Learn more an join us at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of the very last micro-chapters in Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
Magnanimous vs. Pusillanimous.
P.S. Only 5 days left until Heroic Coach - Class XX begins!
If you’d like to move from theory to practice to mastery and activate YOUR Heroic potential while learning how to help OTHERS do the same so we can change the world together, we’d be honored to welcome you to our community of 10,000+ Heroic Coaches from 100+ countries around the world.
Join Class XX and save $2,000 before tuition increases to $4,999 for Class XXI.
Learn more an join us at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from my new book Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
451 ideas, many of them feature my beloved son Emerson.
This is one of my favorite ideas in the book, biased but I like the way he extended this idea from Angela Duckworth. I hope you do too.
P.S. Only 6 days left until Heroic Coach - Class XX begins!
If you’d like to move from theory to practice to mastery and activate YOUR Heroic potential while learning how to help OTHERS do the same so we can change the world together, we’d be honored to welcome you to our community of 10,000+ Heroic Coaches from 100+ countries around the world.
Join Class XX and save $2,000 before tuition increases to $4,999 for Class XXI.
Learn more an join us at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, another micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
Here's one of my favorite ideas.
If you’d like to move from theory to practice to mastery and activate YOUR Heroic potential while learning how to help OTHERS do the same so we can change the world together, we’d be honored to welcome you to our community of 10,000+ Heroic Coaches from 100+ countries around the world.
Learn more an join us at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, another micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
Here's the +1°.
If you’d like to move from theory to practice to mastery and activate YOUR Heroic potential while learning how to help OTHERS do the same so we can change the world together, we’d be honored to welcome you to our community of 10,000+ Heroic Coaches from 100+ countries around the world.
Learn more an join us at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
7 Objectives, 451 of the best ideas I know.
Here's one of them.
Want to make this the greatest year of your life? Join over 10,000+ people from over 100+ countries who have learned how to be their best self, help others be their best, and make money doing what they love. Get all the details here: https://heroic.us/coach
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
One of 451 big ideas.
Want to make this the greatest year of your life? Join over 10,000+ people from over 100+ countries who have learned how to be their best self, help others be their best, and make money doing what they love. Get all the details here: https://heroic.us/coach
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of the micro-chapters from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of the 451 micro-chapters from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
Here's the idea for today.
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
451 ideas like this.
P.S. Want to make this the greatest year of your life? Join over 10,000+ people from over 100+ countries who have learned how to be their best self, help others be their best, and make money doing what they love. Get all the details here: https://heroic.us/coach
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
451 big ideas in the form of micro-chapters, organized around our seven Objectives which form the basis of our Heroic Coach training program, Basic Training, everything we do.
It's New Year's Day today as we're dropping this thing, so let's go.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of 451 micro-chapters on how to activate your heroic potential (part of the book!).
P.S. Want to go through the first week of Heroic Coach for free? Gain a broad understanding of our 7 core objectives and do your first three exercises. Check it out here: https://www.heroic.us/coach/module-o
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
451 ideas like this, organized around the seven Objectives that form the basis of our Coach program, basic training, everything we do.
Here it is.
P.S. Want to go through the first week of Heroic Coach for free? Gain a broad understanding of our 7 core objectives and do your first three exercises. Check it out here: https://www.heroic.us/coach/module-o
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of 451 micro-chapters from the new book Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
Let's go.
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
451 ideas like this.
P.S. Want to go through the first week of Heroic Coach for free? Gain a broad understanding of our 7 core objectives and do your first three exercises. Check it out here: https://www.heroic.us/coach/module-o
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
451 micro-chapters like this.
P.S. Want to go through the first week of Heroic Coach for free? Gain a broad understanding of our 7 core objectives and do your first three exercises. Check it out here: https://www.heroic.us/coach/module-o
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of 451 micro-chapters from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential', organized around the seven Objectives of our Heroic Coach training program.
P.S. Speaking of our Heroic Coach program...
Heroic Coaches serve at the highest levels of the U.S. Military, professional sports organizations, and Fortune 100 companies, as well as families, clients, and colleagues in thousands of communities around the world.
You can learn more about Heroic Coach and sign up today at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
"Signing up for the Heroic Coach class this year has and will forever be the guiding force of how I approach anything related to energy, work and love. By optimizing my energy and work, I'm now far better equipped than I could ever have been to play my role as well as I can in service of my family and dearest friends." —Ben R.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
Here's one.
"I cannot speak highly enough about the Heroic Coach program and the positive impact it has had on my life. As I start the new year, I want to do more of what is working, and less of what is not. The Heroic practices and material are DEFINITELY working!! Many thanks to everyone behind the scenes who make this experience possible!" —Shelley G.
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, another micro-chapter from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
451 of my all-time favorite ideas, including this one.
P.S. Ready to make 2024 the greatest year of your life?! Learn how and sign up today at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
"Do it. Commit to the program and it will absolutely and unequivocally change your life for the better. There are few feelings that can compare to that of self-actualizing. Heroic Coach puts you on that path." —Rob U.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
P.S. It's the last day of our current special for Heroic Coach - Class XX!
"Signing up for Heroic Coach is the very best thing I have ever done. It has changed my life and I will never stop optimizing!" —Diane M.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
P.S. Heroic Coach is moving into its 5th year in 2024--with over 10,000 participants from 100+ countries around the world.
Learn more and sign up today at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential in which we have 451 of my favorite ideas organized around the seven Objectives that form the basis of our Heroic Coach program.
P.S. Speaking of our Heroic Coach program...
Heroic Coaches serve at the highest levels of the U.S. Military, professional sports organizations, and Fortune 100 companies, as well as families, clients, and colleagues in thousands of communities around the world.
You can join Heroic Coach - Class XX by Saturday, December 23rd to save $1,000.
"If you’re looking to improve yourself as a person and optimize all areas of your life, there’s no better investment you can make." —Mitch C
Learn more and sign up today at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
One of 451 of my favorite big ideas.
Here it is.
💥 P.S. Class XX of our Heroic Coach program kicks off soon.
Want to make 2024 the greatest year of your life?! Join by Saturday, December 23rd to save $1,000.
"Before joining Heroic Coach I felt plateaued and not very effective in my leadership. Heroic Coach has helped me feel like I'm growing again, full of energy, on a new wisdom journey and ready to help change the world." —Gregg E.
Learn more and sign up today at https://heroic.us/coach 🙌
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
One of 451 ideas like this.
P.S. Helping your friends, colleagues and loved ones activate THEIR potential = the ultimate holiday gift?! 🎁💥🙌
"If you know anyone who is struggling with purpose and direction in life, this is the ultimate gift!" —Thomas (from Amazon!)
Learn more and grab your copies at https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
451 ideas like this one.
P.S. 'Areté' = your next holiday gift?! 📕🙌
"At 85, I've read a lot of self improvement books. Areté is at the top of my all time favorites. I was so impressed with Areté, I pre-ordered copies to give away as gifts to friends and business associates." —Moss (from Amazon!)
Learn more and grab your copies at https://heroic.us/arete
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
P.S. It's not too late to give the gift of Areté this holiday season! 🎁
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, another micro-chapter from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
451 of my favorite big ideas, hopefully life-changing ideas.
Here's another one.
P.S. It's not too late to give the gift of 'Areté' this holiday season! 🎁
Like JBL, who put this in their 5-star Amazon review: "After reading an advanced copy (which is FANTASTIC!), I ordered 10 more. I will be giving them as gifts. When I give my last book, I will order more. It's. That. Good!"
Learn more and grab your copies today at https://heroic.us/arete
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Hal Elrod.
In addition to being one of the highest-rated keynote speakers in America, Hal Elrod is the #1 bestselling author of what’s being widely regarded as one “one of the most life-changing books ever written,” The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life… (Before 8 AM).
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/heroic-chat-hal-elrod-arete-live
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
451 of my all-time favorite big ideas, including this one.
P.S. It's not too late to give the gift of 'Areté' this holiday season! 🎁
Place your order(s) now to get 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' in hardcover, e-book, or audiobook! https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
451 Ideas like this.
P.S. Want to give the gift of Areté this holiday season?! 🎁
As Tony put it in an Amazon review, Areté is "A MUST-READ for unlocking your highest potential. This will be my go-to gift for Christmas this year!"
Learn more and grab your copies at https://heroic.us/arete
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, another micro-chapter from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
P.S. It's not too late to give the gift of Areté this holiday season! 🎁
Learn more and grab your copies at https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter (one of 451 micro-chapters) from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
P.S. Join Heroic Coach - Class XX before Jan 15th to save $1,000! ← Our most advanced training to help you master yourself, serve heroically, and empower others to do the same. https://heroic.us/coach
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
Here's a simple one.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, micro-chapter from my new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from our new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
I'm rocking the Heroic T-shirt today.
Let's go.
P.S. Join Heroic Coach - Class XX before Jan 15th to save $1,000! ← Our most advanced training to help you master yourself, serve heroically, and empower others to do the same. https://heroic.us/coach
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by James Pawelski.
JAMES PAWELSKI, Ph.D., is Professor of Practice and Director of Education in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where he cofounded the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program with Martin Seligman. The Founding Executive Director of IPPA, he is currently leading a three-year, multi-million-dollar grant investigating connections between the science of well-being and the arts and humanities.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/heroic-chat-james-pawelski
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
93% of Heroic Coaches report feeling connected to the best versions of themselves after completing the 300-day program. Will you be one of them? Let's go, Hero: https://www.heroic.us/coach
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of my favorite ideas from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
451 of my all-time favorite ideas. Here's one.
Heroic Coach Class XX begins on January 1st. Close the gap between who you are and who you're capable of being and empower others to do the same: https://www.heroic.us/coach
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from my new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
451 of my all-time favorite ideas in this book.
Here's one of my favorites among those favorites.
Hi, this is Brian.
We're having fun looking at some of my favorite ideas from 451 ideas I share in the new book.
Heroic Coach Class XX begins on January 1st. Get 51% off enrollment before tuition increases on Dec 4th: https://www.heroic.us/coach
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of my favorite micro-chapters from my new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential, which has 1,000 pages packed with 451 of my all-time favorite ideas.
This is tied for first…
Welcome back to another Areté +1°
Heroic Coach Class XX begins on January 1st. Get 51% off enrollment before tuition increases on Dec 4th: https://www.heroic.us/coach
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from my new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
We're having fun looking at some of my favorite ideas from a book with 451 of my all-time favorites.
Here's one…
Welcome back to another Areté +1°
Heroic Coach Class XX begins on January 1st. Get 51% off enrollment before tuition increases on Dec 4th: https://www.heroic.us/coach
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of my all-time favorite ideas that is featured in my new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential, which has 451 of my all-time favorite ideas.
I hope you'll love the book if you decide to get it.
For now, this is truly one of my all-time favorite ideas that I come back to more than any other idea, tied for first perhaps.
But with the Heroic app, with the coaching certification program we have, we come back to the science of Hope over and over again.
So here's the micro-chapter…
Welcome back to another Areté +1°
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of my favorite micro-chapters from my new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
There are 451 of my all-time favorite ideas in this book. Hope you love it.
Here's one of them…
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°. We're having fun looking at some of my favorite micro-chapters. There are 451 of them in my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
Here's another one of my favorites…
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, another micro-chapter from 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
451 ideas like this…
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, another micro-chapter. 451 ideas, any one of which I hope can help you change your life. In aggregate, I hope, will help you activate your Heroic potential.
If you haven't gotten 'Areté' yet, get on that. Hope you enjoy it.
Here's the idea…
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, micro-chapter from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
This one is called…
A Strong Ego = Your Ticket to the Divine
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
This one is called...
The Paradox of the Ego: We Need a Strong One to Let It Go
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Alan Cohen.
Alan Cohen is the author of 27 popular inspirational books, including A Course in Miracles Made Easy, The Dragon Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and the award-winning A Deep Breath of Life. He is a contributing writer for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and his books have been translated into 30 foreign languages. A respected keynoter and seminar leader, Alan has taught at Montclair State College, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, and EnTheos Academy for Optimal Living.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/heroic-chat-with-alan-cohen
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of 451 micro-chapters from our new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, another micro-chapter from our new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
451 ideas like this to help you move from theory to practice to mastery today.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°, another micro-chapter from our new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'. 451 ideas, 1,000 pages. Hope you enjoy. This micro-chapter is called… Soul Force, The Equation: How To Activate Your Soul Force
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°, another micro-chapter from our new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'. 451 of the absolute best ideas I know, helping you move from theory to practice to mastery. This one is called… Soul Force, An Origin Story: Gandhi’s Great Soul (& Yours!)
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Dr. Dan Siegel.
Dr. Dan Siegel is the Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational organization, which offers online learning and in-person seminars that focus on how the development of mindsight in individuals, families and communities can be enhanced by examining the interface of human relationships and basic biological processes.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/heroic-chat-dr-dan-siegel
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°. This is one of 451 micro-chapters from our new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
In the book, there are seven Objectives. This one is the first micro-chapter in the seventh Objective: Activate Your Superpower.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from our new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
451 ideas like this.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' = an instant Amazon bestseller and is now officially available! Place your order today and let's do this, heroes! https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, another micro-chapter from our new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
This one is called…
The Lighthouse: Get Your Wattage Up
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Robert Biswas-Diener.
Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener is a leading authority on positive psychology coaching and widely recognized as a major pioneering voice in this field. Robert occupies a unique position in the world of positive psychology as he is both a published researcher and a practicing ICF certified coach. Join us as Robert connects with and supports our community. Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/heroic-chat-robert-biswas-diener
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of 451 micro-chapters in our new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from our new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'. 451 of my all-time favorite ideas. This is the second micro-chapter in the sixth Objective: Dominate Your Fundamentals.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Place your order today: https://heroic.us/arete Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another 'Areté' +1°, one of 451 micro-chapters from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' Today we've got another idea from the third Objective, Optimize the Big 3: Energy, Work and Love.
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Jim Kwik.
Jim Kwik is the founder of Kwik Learning and a widely recognized world expert in speed-reading, memory improvement, brain performance, and accelerated learning. After a childhood brain injury left him learning-challenged, Kwik created strategies to dramatically enhance his mental performance.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/heroic-chat-jim-kwik
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Michael Bungay Stanier. Michael Bungay Stanier is the author of several books, including The Coaching Habit and Do More Great Work. Michael has written for or been featured in numerous publications including Business Insider, Fast Company, Forbes, The Globe & Mail and The Huffington Post. Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/heroic-chat-michael-bungay-stanier Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach More goodness: Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador - Get in touch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
In this episode, join Brian as he’s interviewed by his good friend and author of The Healthy Deviant, Pilar Gerasimo.
You can check out the original interview here: https://www.facebook.com/PilarGerasimo/videos/877120050700994/
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Ben Greenfield. Ben is a former bodybuilder, Ironman triathlete, pro obstacle course racer, human performance consultant, speaker and author of 13 books, including the New York Times Bestseller Beyond Training. Ben has been voted by the NSCA as America’s top Personal Trainer and by Greatist as one of the top 100 Most Influential People In Health And Fitness. He works with individuals from all over the globe for both body and brain performance, and specializes in anti-aging, biohacking, and achieving an ideal combination of performance, health and longevity. Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-ben-greenfield Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach More goodness: Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador - Get in touch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of 451 micro-chapters from my new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential Today we've got another idea from the third Objective, Optimize the Big 3: Energy, Work and Love.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter (one of 451 such micro-chapters) in our new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'. This one is from Objective III, optimizing your Big 3: Energy, Work and Love. It's the third micro-chapter, in fact, from Objective III.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°, another micro-chapter from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'. 451 ideas like these. Let's talk about… The Big 3 x 2: Identity + Virtues & Behaviors
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Gareb Shamus.
Gareb Shamus is the founder of the country’s largest producer of Comic Cons. Gareb started and published, for over twenty years, Wizard and ToyFare, the award-winning magazines that transformed the superhero and character-based genre worldwide.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-gareb-shamus
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from our new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'. 451 ideas in here. Here's one of my favorites from Objective III, which is on optimizing the Big 3: Your Energy, your Work, and your Love. Here is the first chapter in that Objective.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°, one of the 451 micro-chapters from our new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'. Let's get to work.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'. 451 ideas. Hopefully one of them, if not more, can help you activate your Heroic potential. Here's one of my favorites from Objective II: Forging antifragile Confidence.
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon.
Well-respected functional medicine practitioner, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, is the founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine®. Dr. Lyon is a nationally recognized speaker and media contributor specializing in brain and thyroid health, lean body mass support, and longevity.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-gabrielle-lyon
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another 'Areté' +1°, a micro-chapter from my new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential. 1,000+ pages; 451 of my all-time favorite ideas. Here's the third micro-chapter from the second Objective on forging antifragile confidence.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°.
This is a micro chapter from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
We're on Objective two now. We're taking a little tour through the 451 ideas in the book.
This is the second micro chapter in the second objective.
I just got a text from one of my dear friends who just listened to Phil read his foreword to Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential…
“DUDE! Out for a morning walk and just listened to Phil’s intro via downloaded audio book! Absolute goosebumps Brian. ABSOLUTE goosebumps!!!”
As I read that text I realized we never let you know that you can listen to Phil reading his foreword so…
Here you go!!
If you have purchased 3 or more copies of the book (thank you!), you should have received an email with a link to download the full (19.5-hour!) audiobook for free.
I’m deeply humbled by Phil’s extraordinarily kind words about me and the book.
I’m also deeply humbled and inspired by all of you and your Heroic support as we work hard to launch the book as strongly as we possibly can to help catalyze our movement as powerfully as we can.
28 days to launch. !!!
Our target remains 20,000+++ on Day 1 to have a shot at #1 then sticking in the Top 10 for as long as we can.
If you feel so inspired, we’d be honored to have your support.
There’s no more powerful way to help us catalyze our movement at the moment then helping us get our book out into the world powerfully with our launch.
Your support is essential and appreciated.
As we’ve said many times…
We are launching the book before the holidays in the hope that we can make it the preferred holiday gift for many of you who have benefited from our work.
Pre-order 1 copy and get a free advanced reader copy of the eBook today!
Pre-order 3 copies and get a free advanced copy of the eBook AND the audiobook AND a limited-edition Areté coin.
Pre-order 10 copies of the book and get all that plus an AUTOGRAPHED advanced hardcover reader copy sent to you immediately inside the Areté VIP Box packed with other goodies including 10 (!) free annual Heroic memberships for your gift recipients!
Pre-order 25 copies and get all that plus a free ticket to our launch event-party in Austin on November 10th-12th.
Pre-order 50+ copies and get a big discount!
Place your order here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indies
Let us know when you have so we can hook you up: heroicpbc.typeform.com/preorder
Sending tons of love and gratitude.
Day 1. All in.
LET’S GO!!
!!
B
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another Areté +1°, a micro-chapter from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
We covered the first 11 +1° micro-chapters from Objective I.
This is the first micro-chapter in Objective II, which is all about forging antifragile confidence.
Let's get to work.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°.
Micro chapter from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
We're having fun going through the initial series of micro chapters.
We've covered 11. This is the 12th micro chapter.
Then we're gonna kind of bounce around, find some of my favorite ideas across this seven objectives.
I hope you're enjoying this series and I hope you enjoy the book if you decide to get it.
Let's get to work!
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Micro chapter from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
Let's get to work.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°.
Micro chapter from my new book, Areté: 'Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
We're on about chapter number 10. Micro chapter number 10 of 451 micro chapter ideas that I hope will help move you from theory to practice to mastery.
Then we're gonna look at some of my other favorites in the seven objectives.
But today's micro chapter is…
The 7 Objectives: To Activate Your Heroic Potential
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Gabriele Oettingen. Gabriele is a Professor of Psychology at New York University and the University of Hamburg. She is the author of more than a 100 articles and book chapters on thinking about the future and the control of cognition, emotion, and behavior. She received her Ph.D. from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Physiology in Seewiesen, Germany. Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-gabriele-oettingen Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach More goodness: Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador - Get in touch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Learning 101: Interleaving & Spaced Repetition
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°.
A micro-chapter idea from my new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.
We're going through the first 11 micro chapters, then we're gonna systematically walk through some of my favorites, 451 total Ideas in the book.
Hope you dig it for today.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°. A micro-chapter from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'. This is one of 451 of my all time favorite ideas that I hope help you activate your heroic potential. Today's is on… 451°: Activation Energy
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
451 ideas, any one of which I hope can make a significant difference in your life and help you activate your Heroic potential.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°.
This is the fifth micro-chapter in my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
451 of what I hope are potentially life-changing ideas. The best stuff I know, organized around 7 Objectives.
We're going through the first 11 micro-chapters in the first objective.
Then we'll have fun looking at some of my favorites in the days and weeks ahead.
Let's get to work.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°.
This is the fourth micro-chapter in my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential', which has 451 of my all-time favorite ideas to hopefully help you Activate Your Heroic Potential.
Let's get to work.
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°.
This is the third micro chapter from my new book, 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential'.
In our series, we've covered the first two.
We're gonna walk through the first 11 little micro-chapters from the book.
Then we're gonna systematically walk through some of my favorites from the 7 Objectives that make up the book.
Here we go.
In this episode, join Brian as he’s interviewed by Jake Hirshman on the Life in the Front Office podcast.
You can check out the original interview here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/life-in-the-front-office/id6450906266
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Welcome back to another Areté +1°. Today we have the second micro chapter of 451 from my new book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential. Let's get to work!
Today we're gonna kick off a new series, the Areté +1° series based on a select number of chapters, little micro chapters from Brian's new book Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential. This is the first of 451 (!) chapters featured in Areté which is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
More goodness:
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
-
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
More goodness:
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
-
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
More goodness:
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
-
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/1-minute-woop
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
More goodness:
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
-
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Mike Manazir.
Mike is a 1981 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering. In addition, he holds a certificate in business administration and management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a U.S. Department of Energy certification in naval nuclear propulsion. He and his wife Kelly have two grown children and live in Annapolis, Maryland.
He is also the author of Learn How to Lead to Win.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-mike-manazir
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
More goodness:
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
-
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Eric Maisel.
Eric Maisel, Ph.D., is the author of more than 40 books and is widely regarded as America’s foremost creativity coach. He trains creativity coaches nationally and internationally and provides core trainings for the Creativity Coaching Association. Dr. Maisel is a columnist for Art Calendar magazine and a featured contributor towholeliving.com.
He is also the author of The Creativity Book, Rethinking Depression and Mastering Creative Anxiety.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-eric-maisel
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
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'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
Get in touch:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
Get in touch:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Rich Diviney. Rich Diviney is a retired Navy SEAL commander. Through his career, he has achieved multiple leadership positions – to include the Commanding Officer of a Navy SEAL Command. He is the Founder of The Attributes, Speaker for Optimal Performance, Resilience & Stress Inoculation, Optimist with Simon Sinek Inc. Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-rich-diviney
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
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Get in touch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Caroline Adams Miller.
Caroline is a well-respected expert on Goals & Grit™ whose scientific approach to change fosters lasting success in organizations and individuals. A Harvard graduate with a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, she has authored multiple global bestsellers including Creating Your Best Life and Getting Grit.
She is also the author of Positively Caroline.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-caroline-adams-miller
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
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Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by William B. Irvine.
William B. Irvine is professor of philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Irvine writes books on philosophy for an average audience. He says, “I am not interested, as most of my philosophical colleagues are, in writing primarily for other philosophers. Rather, my intended audience can best be described as intellectually-upscale general readers who have a minimal background in philosophy but who are interested in carefully rethinking the assumptions of everyday life.”
He is also the author of The Stoic Challenge and A Guide to the Good Life.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-william-b-irvine
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
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Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
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Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by George Mumford.
George Mumford is a world-renowned psychologist and mindfulness performance expert who has helped superstars such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant transform their careers, offers proven strategies for unleashing our innate strengths, avoiding burnout, and discovering enduring success.
He is also the author of The Mindful Athlete.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-george-mumford
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
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Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
More goodness:
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Steven Kotler. Steven Kotler is a 'New York Times' bestselling author, award-winning journalist, and cofounder and director of research for the Flow Genome Project. His books include 'The Rise of Superman', 'Abundance', 'A Small Furry Prayer', 'West of Jesus', and 'The Angle Quickest for Flight'. He is also the author of 'The Rise of Superman'. Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-steven-kotler Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach More goodness: Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador - Get in touch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
More goodness:
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. She’s known for her ability to convey complex ideas—from science to literature to stories from her own life—with levity and clarity. She’s the author of many bestselling books, such as 'The Happiness Project', 'Better Than Before', and 'The Four Tendencies', which have sold millions of copies in more than thirty languages. Her most recent book is 'Life in Five Senses'. Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-gretchen-rubin
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Donald Robertson’s 'How to Think Like a Roman Emperor'. See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/learning-cycles
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Joe De Sena. An entrepreneur from 8 years old Joe has had a passion for life that moves the ball forward against all odds. Born in Queens NY to a yoga teaching, meditation practicing mother and an Italian father that was an uber-entrepreneur the author learned simple techniques for forging ahead no matter the odds. Find out how a young kid breaks out, builds multiple businesses, changes lives, and eventually partners with military SpecOps. He is also the author of 'Spartan Up!', 'Spartan Fit!', 'The Spartan Way' and '10 Rules for Resilience'. Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-joe-de-sena
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from James Clear. See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/the-4-laws-of-behavior-change
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Jim Huling. Jim Huling is co-author of the #1 National Bestselling book 'The 4 Disciplines of Execution', now translated into eleven languages and a bestseller around the world. Jim also serves as FranklinCovey’s Global Managing Consultant and is responsible for the 4 Disciplines methodology and the quality of delivery worldwide. He is also the author of 'Choose Your Life!: A Powerful, Proven Method for Creating the Life You Want'. Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-jim-huling
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/noli-timere
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Dr. Lisa Miller.
Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiritual Child and a professor in the clinical psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the founder and director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program in spirituality and psychology, and for over a decade has held joint appointments in the department of psychiatry at Columbia University medical school.
She is also the author of The Awakened Brain.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-lisa-miller
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
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Get in touch:
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Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Charles R. Snyder. See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/the-psychology-of-hope
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Dr. Nasha Winters.
Dr. Nasha Winters, ND, FABNO, L.Ac, Dipl.OM is the visionary and CEO as well as best-selling author, lecturer, and the primary consultant of Optimal Terrain. Informed by more than 25 years of experience in the health care industry and a thought leader in personalized precision medicine, Dr. Nasha works to educate clients, doctors, and researchers world wide on how to apply integrative oncology philosophically and therapeutically.
She is also the author of The Metabolic Approach to Cancer.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-dr-nasha-winters
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
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Get in touch:
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Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Teresa Amabile. See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/the-power-of-micro-wins
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Michelle Segar.
Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH, motivation scientist and author of top-selling “No Sweat! How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness” (AMACOM 2015), is Director of the Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center (SHARP) at the University of Michigan, and Chair of the U.S. National Physical Activity Plan’s Communications Committee.
She is also the author of 'The Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise'.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-michelle-segar
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
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Get in touch:
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Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
More goodness:
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
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In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Tom Morris. Tom V. Morris has become one of the most active public philosophers in the world due to his unusual ability to bring the greatest wisdom of the past into the challenges of the present. He is also the author of 'True Success', 'The Art of Achievement', 'Superheroes and Philosophy', 'The Stoic Art of Living', 'Plato’s Lemonade Stand' and 'The Everyday Patriot'. Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-tom-morris
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
More goodness:
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Donald Robertson. Donald Robertson is an integrative psychotherapist and trainer who specializes in the treatment of anxiety and the use of cognitive-behavioral approaches to clinical hypnotherapy. He is the author of a number of articles on philosophy and psychotherapy in professional journals and the author of 'How to Think Like a Roman Emperor', 'Verissimus', and 'Stoicism and the Art of Happiness'. He is also the author of 'The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy'. Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-donald-robertson
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
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Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Byron Katie. See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/deo-volente-thy-will-be-done
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' is now available in stores! Purchase your copy TODAY: https://heroic.us/arete Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
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Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Steve Chandler.
Steve Chandler is the author of '100 Ways to Motivate Yourself', '100 Ways to Motivate Others', 'The Story of You', and 'The Hands-off Manager' (all Career Press). He is a celebrated public speaker and corporate trainer who delivers relationship and motivational workshops throughout the United States and Canada.
He is also the author of 'Time Warrior', 'Fearless', 'Wealth Warrior', 'Crazy Good', 'Reinventing Yourself', and 'CREATOR'.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-steve-chandler
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
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Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
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Email: support@heroic.us
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Marcus Aurelius's 'Meditations'. See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/seneca-the-worse-a-person-is-the-less-he-feels-it
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
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Email: support@heroic.us
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Pilar Gerasimo.
Pilar Gerasimo is an award-winning health journalist, founding editor-in-chief of Experience Life magazine (national paid circulation 750,000; estimated reach 3.2 million), and the creative force behind the popular mobile app, “101 Revolutionary Ways to Be Healthy.
She is the author of The Healthy Deviant.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-pilar-gerasimo
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/
Email: support@heroic.us
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Alex Lickerman’s 'The Undefeated Mind'. See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/an-indestructible-mind
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/
Email: support@heroic.us
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Mark Divine.
Mark Divine is an expert in human performance as it is displayed in mental toughness, leadership and physical readiness. His work is based on an integral warrior-leader model that he developed and tested on over a thousand special operations candidates worldwide.
He is the author of Staring Down the Wolf, The Way of the SEAL, and Unbeatable Mind.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-mark-divine
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/
Email: support@heroic.us
See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/how-to-high-five-your-inner-daimon
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Tal Ben-Shahar.
Tal Ben-Shahar is an author and lecturer. He taught two of the largest classes in Harvard University’s history, Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership. Join us as Tal helps us "bring happiness to life."
He is the author of Choose the Life You Want, Happier, and The Pursuit of Perfect.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-tal-ben-shahar
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Martin Luther King, Jr. See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/sweeping-streets-with-martin-luther-king
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Cal Newport.
Cal is an MIT-trained computer science professor at Georgetown University who also writes about the intersections of technology, work, and the quest to find depth in an increasingly distracted world.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-cal-newport
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Albert Bandura. See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/self-efficacy
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by William Damon.
William Damon is a psychologist who is a professor at Stanford University and senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. He is one of the world's leading scholars of human development.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-william-damon
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order 'Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential' today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Pre-Order Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
Get in touch:
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by John Mackey.
John Mackey is an American businessman, writer, cofounder of the nonprofit Conscious Capitalism, Inc., and coauthor of Conscious Capitalism and Conscious Leadership.
He is also the co-founder of Whole Foods Market and served as the CEO of the company from its inception in 1980 until 2022. Named Ernst & Young entrepreneur of the year in 2003, he is one of the most influential advocates in the movement for organic food and has devoted his life to selling natural and organic foods and building a better business model.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-john-mackey
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Listen to the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/the-book/audiobook-preview
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
-
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/
Email: support@heroic.us
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Piers Steele's "The Procrastination Equation". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/handy-dandy-motivational-calculator
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/
Email: support@heroic.us
In today’s Heroic Chat, we are joined by Phil Stutz.
Phil graduated from City College in New York, received his MD from New York University, and did his psychiatric training at Metropolitan Hospital. He then worked as a prison psychiatrist on Rikers Island before going into private practice in New York City. He moved to Los Angeles In 1982, where he has been practicing ever since.
Along with his coauthor, Barry Michels, Phil wrote the New York Times bestseller The Tools, and its sequel, Coming Alive. He has also coached Brian for over six years, who considers Phil to be his Ultimate Guide, and was featured in the recent Netflix documentary Stutz.
Get the full show notes here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/heroic-chat-phil-stutz
Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery:
Pre-Order Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential today: https://www.heroic.us/book
Read the Philosopher’s Note on The Tools: https://link.heroic.us/36vX
Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach
More goodness:
Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador
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Get in touch:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/
Email: support@heroic.us
Pre-Order Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential today: https://www.heroic.us/book
More goodness:
Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/
The Heroic podcast is back! Listen in as Brian shares what to expect going forward. Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: Pre-Order Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential today: https://www.heroic.us/book Join over 13,000+ people from 115+ countries who have answered the call to their Heroic quests: https://heroic.us/coach Download the Heroic app: http://heroic.us/app-download More goodness: Grab some Heroic swag: https://store-heroic.myshopify.com/ Become a Heroic Ambassador: http://heroic.us/ambassador - Get in touch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeroicBrian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heroicbrian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heroicbrian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heroicbrian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicbrian/ Email: support@heroic.us
Brian here with a quick note. I’m typing this on Saturday morning. I literally just recorded the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook for my/our book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential. And I simply couldn’t wait to share it with you. So… Here it is! I got a little emotional recording Phil’s foreword to the book and then I felt a pure sense of joy as I recorded the first 10 micro-chapters. I could feel what I hope (!) YOU feel as you read and listen to the book. After my hour+ recording session I came out of the studio and into the kitchen and told Alexandra just how excited I was about the book. Of course, when you go through any creative process, you inevitably have moments when it’s not quite coming together the way you want and you question whether it will ever become what you REALLY want your piece of art to become. And, of course, nothing is ever perfect and this won’t be the first perfect book (lol) but, as I recorded the first part of the audiobook and as I shared with Alexandra right after I did it... I just felt really proud of the book, and more importantly REALLY EXCITED to share it with you and your families. So... There ya go. I hope you enjoy the audiobook sample. It’s the first 10 micro-chapters of the book. Imagine 451 (!!!!) like that. It’s the first 45 minutes of the book. Imagine around 25 more HOURS like that. My goodness, I hope you love it and that we’re able to deliver on Phil’s promise that this book will change your life. (Yes, you know me. I just got misty typing that.) Here’s the other thing I thought of as I recorded that and made the final final final final little polishes to the book before we print the first copy (and 50,000 copies !!) in a couple weeks… I thought of all the people who already bought 25+ copies. Like bricks at a local park built by the community, our book will have the names of the people/families/businesses who supported the creation of it. So… If YOU would like to have YOUR name/your kids’/family’s name/your business’s name in OUR book… TODAY’S THE DAY!!! We need to know you’d like to be in there and need to know what name(s) you’d like in there NO LATER THAN THIS WEDNESDAY!!! So… If you think you’d like to buy 25+ copies as (holiday!) gifts for your friends and family and colleagues and clients, etc… PLEASE DO!! And let us know you did it via this quick form: heroicpbc.typeform.com/preorder I’m so grateful to have your support and so committed to serving you as profoundly as I can while making you proud to be a part of our movement. With love (misty again), courage, wisdom, discipline and eudaimonic joy, I say… HEROES UNITE. It’s Day 1. All in. LET’S GO! !! -bri
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Muhammad Ali's "Soul of a Butterfly". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/fight-the-fear
Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us
Ready to actualize your Heroic potential?
Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach
About Heroic:
Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life.
#fear #courage #MuhammadAli #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Muhammad Ali's "Soul of a Butterfly". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/black-superheroes
Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us
Ready to actualize your Heroic potential?
Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach
About Heroic:
Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life.
#black #purpose #MuhammadAli #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Henry David Thoreau. See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/dreams Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #dreams #confidence #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Rudyard Kipling’s classic poem "If" and John Maxwell’s "LeaderShift". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/not-getting-what-you-want Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #if #virtue #goals #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Kevin Kruse's "15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management" and Richard Koch's "The 80/20 Principle". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/the-80-20-mindset Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #timemanagement #productivity #8020 #shortcuts #results #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Darrin Donnelly's "Victory Favors The Fearless", Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art", Brené Brown's "Daring Greatly", and Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/critics Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #fear #faith #critics #selftalk #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Chris Palmer's "Brain Energy" and Darrin Donnelly's "Victory Favors The Fearless". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/the-7-fears Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #brain #energy #fear #courage #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Chris Palmer's "Brain Energy" and Darrin Donnelly's "Victory Favors The Fearless". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/victory-favors-the-fearless Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #brain #energy #fear #courage #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Chris Palmer's "Brain Energy" and Lisa Miller's "The Awakened Brain". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/purpose-in-life Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #brain #energy #purpose #meaning #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Chris Palmer's "Brain Energy" and Matthew Walker's "Why We Sleep". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/sleep-light-and-circadian-rhythms Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #brain #energy #metabolism #sleep #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/sacred-moments Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #learning #winorlearn #success #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/learning-wins Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #learning #winorlearn #success #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/a-bowl-full-of-coffee-beans Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #focus #distraction #performance #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach
Welcome to the Philosopher’s Note on our Heroic Coach invitation letter.
Although people have told me I need to do a Note on my own book when it comes out (planning to!), this is the first Note I’ve done on my own work. (Hah!)
We figured it would be fun to QUICKLY capture the power of our Heroic Coach program in the context of a Philosopher’s Note. (Learn more about that at https://heroic.us/coach)
So... Here we are.
The letter is, essentially, an invitation to join our scientifically-validated 300-day program to learn how to activate your Heroic potential WHILE learning how to empower others to do the same so we can change the world together—starting with you and me and all of us—TODAY.
In the letter, I make the VERY important distinction that, whether or not you think you are a “coach” ... you are.
I’m excited to share exactly what the 300-day program is all about and WHY it has been so transformative for so many people, so let’s jump straight in!
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Jim Mattis' "Call Sign Chaos" and Jim Collins' "Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/q-hard-work-or-luck Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #hardwork #luck #success #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from David Goggins' "Never Finished" and Jocko Willink's "Discipline Equals Freedom". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/roger-that Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #seal #courage #acceptance #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from David Goggins's "Never Finished", Matthew Kelly's "Off Balance", Bob Rotella's "How Champions Think", and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's "Creativity". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/the-savage Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #courage #savage #goggins #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/got-health-challenges Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #brain #health #gratitude #appreciation #love #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from W. Clement Stone's "The Success System That Never Fails" and Eleanor Roosevelt's "You Learn by Living". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/deciding-to-conquer-fear Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #fear #courage #success #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Yogananda's "To Be Victorious in Life" and Donald Robertson's "The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy". See the full +1 here: https://www.heroic.us/optimize/plus-one/yogananda-on-success Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #success #action #purpose #virtue #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #love #parenting #fatherhood #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Seth Godin's "The Practice" and Caroline Adams Miller's "Getting Grit". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #grit #mindset #selfbelief #growthmindset #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Seth Godin's "The Practice" and Angela Duckworth's "Grit". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #grit #talent #skill #effort #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from James Kouzes' and Barry Posner's "The Leadership Challenge". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #leadership #integrity #dwysywd #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Tom Morris's "The Art of Achievement" and Sonja Lyubomirsky's "The How of Happiness". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #goals #targets #purpose #telos #happiness #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture", Chris Hadfield’s "An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth", and Gabriele Oettingen's "Rethinking Positive Thinking". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #negative #positivethinking #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture", Chris Hadfield’s "An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth", Samuel Smiles’ "Self-Help" and Buddha's "The Dhammapada". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #earnest #hip #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #cancer #lastlecture #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Dan Millman's "Everyday Enlightenment" and Stuart Wilde's "Infinite Self". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #depression #dominate #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Darrin Donnelly's "Relentless Optimism" and Martin Seligman's "Learned Optimism". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #optimism #confidence #positivepsychology #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Darrin Donnelly's "Old School Grit" and Ryan Holiday's "Discipline is Destiny". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #consistency #discipline #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Darrin Donnelly's "Old School Grit" and Napolean Hill's "Think and Grow Rich". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #finishstrong #willpower #grit #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Angela Duckworth's "Grit" and Caroline Adams Miller's "Getting Grit". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #grit #willpower #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from Epictetus's "Discourses" and Ryan Holiday's "The Daily Stoic". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #stoic #stoicism #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from James Stockdale’s Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot. Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #stoicism #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Today’s Heroic +1 features wisdom from James Stockdale’s "Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot". Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #stoicism #wisdom #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #learning #parenting #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic membership. Get started for FREE today: http://heroic.us Ready to actualize your Heroic potential? Move from Theory to Practice to Mastery: https://heroic.us/mastery Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries by becoming a certified Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. #learning #parenting #morewisdominlesstime #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Tal Ben-Shahar’s "The Pursuit of Perfect" and Abraham Maslow's "Future Visions". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The Pursuit of Perfect", "Future Visions" and a Self-Image 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #perfectionism #selfimage #success #psychology #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Abraham Maslow's "Motivation and Personality". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Motivation and Personality" and a Conquering Perfectionism 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #perfectionism #action #growth #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Mel Robbins' "The 5 Second Rule", Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art", and Richard Rohr's "Falling Upward". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The 5 Second Rule", "The War of Art", "Falling Upward" and a Productivity 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #creativity #productivity #procrastination #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The War of Art" and a Conquering Procrastination 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #creativity #productivity #procrastination #resistance #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Get more wisdom in less time (including a Greatest Year Ever 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #greatestyearever #2023 #newyears #nye #newyearsresolutions #goals #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Phil Stutz's "The Tools". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The Tools" and a Conquering Anxiety 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #stress #anxiety #thetools #stutz #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Pierre Hadot's "The Inner Citadel". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The Inner Citadel" and a Stoicism 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #stoic #stoicism #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Yogananda’s "Living Fearlessly" and Eknath Easwaran's "Strength in the Storm". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Living Fearlessly" and "Strength in the Storm" and a Conquering Fear 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #fearless #fear #courage #antifragile #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Get more wisdom in less time (including an Energy 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #energy #calm #confidence #sleep #meditate #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Yogananda’s "Living Fearlessly" and Richard Rohr's "Falling Upward". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Living Fearlessly" and "Falling Upward" and a Meditation 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #meditation #calm #quietthemind #meditate #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Rumi’s "Rumi Daylight" and Eric Butterworth's "Discover the Power Within You". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Rumi Daylight" and "Discover the Power Within You" and an Antifragile 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #challenges #antifragile #courage #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Donald Miller's "Hero on a Mission". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Hero on a Mission" and an Optimizing for the Modern Hero 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #optimize #hero #herosjourney #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Yogananda's "How to Be a Success", A.A. Long's "How to Be Free", and Alan Cohen's "Spirit Means Business". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "How to Be a Success", "How to Be Free", "Spirit Means Business" and a Habits 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #habits #freedom #stoicism #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Massimo Pigliucci's "How to Be a Stoic". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "How to Be a Stoic" and a Genius 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #genius #hamilton #stoicism #maninthearena #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Tom Morris's "Everyday Patriot". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Everyday Patriot" and an Unstoppable Teams 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #team #performance #unstoppable #leadership #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Harvey Dorfman's "Coaching the Mental Game". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Coaching the Mental Game" and an Antifragile 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #coaching #mentalperformance #mindset #antifragile #peakperformance #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Get more wisdom in less time (including a Positive Psychology 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #positive #psychology #positivepsychology #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from W.H. Murray’s "Scottish Himalayan Expedition" and George Leonard's "Mastery". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Mastery" and a Conquering Fear 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #commitment #confidence # courage #fear #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Get more wisdom in less time (including a Leadership 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #leadership #election #vote #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Phil Stutz. Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of Phil Stutz's "The Tools" and "Coming Alive") with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #stutz #netflix #jonahhill #thetools #comingalive #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #newyear #resolutions #NYE #newyearnewyou #newyearsresolutions #goals #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Michael Easter's "The Comfort Crisis". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The Comfort Crisis" and a Purpose 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #purpose #life #passion #duty #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Michael Easter's "The Comfort Crisis" and Alberto Villoldo’s "One Spirit Medicine". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The Comfort Crisis" and "One Spirit Medicine" as well as Digital Minimalism 101 and Conquering Digital Addiction 101 masterclasses - among others!) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #digitalminimalism #addiction #distraction #minimalism #technology #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Michael Easter's "The Comfort Crisis". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The Comfort Crisis" and a Purpose 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 14-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #life #purpose #passion #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Get more wisdom in less time with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #wisdom #time #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Trevor Moawad's "It Takes What It Takes". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "It Takes What It Takes" and a Confidence 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #confidence #willpower #success #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Mel Robbins' "The 5 Second Rule". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The 5 Second Rule" and a Willpower 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #willpower #habits #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Mel Robbins' "The 5 Second Rule". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The 5 Second Rule" and a Willpower 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #willpower #habits #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Joseph Campbell. Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of Joseph Campbell's work and an Optimizing for the Modern Hero 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #optimize #herosjourney #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Nietzsche's "Thus Spoke Zarathustra". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" and a Willpower 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #willpower #habits #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Darrin Donnelly's "Think Like a Warrior". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Think Like a Warrior" and a Peak Performance 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #peakperformance #success #performance #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Pete Carroll's "Win Forever". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Win Forever" and a Peak Performance 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #win #success #leadership #peakperformance #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Admiral McRaven's "The Hero Code". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The Hero Code" and a Peak Performance 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #performance #peakperformance #doyourjob #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Ward Farnsworth's "The Practicing Stoic". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The Practicing Stoic" and a 1-hour Stoicism 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #stoicism #stoic #mementomori #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Kristin Neff's "Self-Compassion". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Self-Compassion" and a 1-hour Self-Image 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #selfimage #selfcompassion #compassion #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Joe De Sena's "10 Rules for Resilience". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "10 Rules for Resilience" and 1-hour Antifragile 101, Spartan Training 101, Fatherhood 101, and Mommahood 101 masterclasses - among others!) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #spartan #antifragile #fatherhood #motherhood #family #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
Heroic: https://heroic.us (← Get your first 14 days free) Heroic Coach: https://heroic.us/coach (← Join 12,500+ Heroes from 110+ Countries!) Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from Ryan Holiday's "Discipline Is Destiny", Donald Miller's "Hero on a Mission" and Eleanor Roosevelt's "You Learn by Living". Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Discipline Is Destiny", "Hero on a Mission", and "You Learn by Living" and 1-hour Stoicism 101 and Conquering Fear 101 masterclasses - among others!) with a Heroic Premium membership. Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs #stoicism #courage #fear #discipline #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
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Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from "The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work" by John Gottman ( @TheGottmanInstitute ).
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About Heroic: Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life.
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#love #relationships #bids #personaldevelopment #wisdom #heroic
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Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from "Trying Not to Try" by Edward Slingerland. Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Trying Not to Try" and a 1-hour Masterpiece Days 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership.
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About Heroic:
Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life.
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#masterpieceday #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
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Today's Heroic +1 is inspired by wisdom from "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Atomic Habits" and a 1-hour Habits 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership.
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About Heroic:
Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life.
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#habits #consistency #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
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Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from "Discipline is Destiny" by Ryan Holiday. Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Discipline is Destiny" and a 1-hour Willpower 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership.
Start a FREE 7-day premium trial here: http://heroic.us
About Heroic:
Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life.
SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3EF3hQs
#ryanholiday #discipline #dailystoic #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
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Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from "The Wim Hof Method" by Wim Hof. Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "The Wim Hof Method" and a 1-hour Optimal Breathing 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership.
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About Heroic:
Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life.
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#wimhofmethod #wimhof #coldexposure #breathing #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
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Today's Heroic +1 features wisdom from "Take a Nap! Change Your Life" by Mark Ehrman and Sara Mednick. Get more wisdom in less time (including Big Idea highlights of "Take a Nap! Change Your Life"and a 1-hour Sleep 101 masterclass) with a Heroic Premium membership.
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About Heroic:
Heroic integrates ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools into a beautifully-designed app to help activate your best. Premium Heroic members have access to 600+ of the absolute greatest personal development books distilled into 25-min PhilosophersNotes and 50+ hour-long masterclasses on all areas of a flourishing life.
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#sleep #napping #wisdom #personaldevelopment #heroic
“Shutdown Complete!” for the Target Swipe Win Steven Pressfield is one of my all-time favorite writers. In addition to being a brilliant writer of both fiction and non-fiction, he’s a good human being. You can feel his wisdom and humility and realness with every word he writes. We’ve featured SIX of his brilliant books on the creative process including: The War of Art, Do the Work, Turning Pro, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sht, The Artist’s Journey and his most recent book: Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be. Check out all those Notes if you want to learn more about how I approach the creative process. You can also check out Creativity 101 and the collection of Notes on the subject. As you know if you’re familiar with Pressfield and his style, his books are both inspiring and beautifully pithy. btw: I just looked that word up. Yep. His books are the very definition of pithy: “concise and forcefully expressive.” I read his latest book in an hour and fifteen minutes. Now… Today I want to connect a Big Idea from his latest book to my #3 Work Target: “Shut-down complete.” As you know if you’ve been following along, “Shut-down complete!” is a Cal Newport-inspired idea. In Deep Work he tells us: “At the end of the workday, shut down your consideration of work issues until the next morning — no after-dinner e-mail check, no mental replays of conversations, and no scheming about how you’ll handle an upcoming challenge; shut down work thinking completely. If you need more time, then extend your workday, but once you shut down, your mind must be left free.” And, he says: “When you work, work hard. When you’re done, be done.” To ritualize this process, as he shuts everything down for the night, he says: “Shut-down complete!” That’s exactly what I do as I shut down for the day and get my desk in a ready state for the next morning. (Which, btw, is ANOTHER one of my Work Targets: “Desk in Ready State.”) Pressfield captures the same sentiment in his latest book. He tells us: “When I finish the day’s work, I turn my mind off. The office is closed. The work has been handed off to the Unconscious, to the Muse. I respect her. I give her the time. If I see family or friends, I never talk about what I’m working on. I politely deflect any queries. But beyond not talking with others, I refuse to talk to myself. I don’t obsess. I don’t worry. I don’t second guess. The office is closed.”* That’s Today’s +1. When you work, WORK. When you’re done with work, BE DONE. The office is closed. Turn your brain off as you transition from Work to Love and give yourself the best shot at both enjoying your family AND training your recovery so you can show up with Heroic Energy and do it all again at the highest possible levels tomorrow. Target swipe: “Shut-down complete!” Target swipe: “Desk in Ready State” Target swipe: “LET’S GOOOOO, HERO!!!”
If All You Did Today Was This… In our last couple +1s, we talked about my Top 3 Work targets and then we talked about my #1 Target: “Recommitting to my Sacred Vow.” As you may recall, these are my Top 3 Heroic Work Targets: I. Recommit to Sacred Vow (101 | 1M | 51 2051) II. #1 WIN III. Shut-down Complete Which begs the question… What are YOUR Top 3 Work Targets? I. ______________________ II. _____________________ III. _____________________ Quick check in… Have you taken a moment or three to reflect on that? If not, why not? Seriously… We’re trying to move from Theory to Practice to Mastery, Hero!! Let’s GOOO!!! Now… Today I want to chat about my #2 Heroic Work Target. Right after I reread and recommit to my Sacred Vow and BEFORE I allow ANY inputs into my life (no email, no smartphone, no inputs yet!), I decide what THE MOST IMPORTANT THING is that I’m going to do that day and then… I DO IT. And… As I like to say, if that was all I did that day but I did that EVERY DAY, I’d still be more effective and more productive than I was before I made this a non-negotiable habit. Now, of course, if you feel so inspired, we want to combine this AM Work practice with a good “Shut-down complete!” protocol (my #3 Work Target which is the subject of our next +1!) and all the Energy stuff that helps us show up for that WIN feeling ZESTY. Do that consistently and let’s see if we can astonish yourself (and the world) with both the quantity AND the quality of your creative output. But… Don’t just hit that “#1 WIN” Target once during the day. Discipline yourself to CONSTANTLY focus on WHAT’S IMPORTANT NOW! All day. Every day. ESPECIALLY… Today. Target swipe: “#1 WIN!” Target swipe: “#1 WIN!” Target swipe: “#1 WIN!”
The Foundation for Greatness In our last +1, I shared my Sacred Vow with you. Then I encouraged YOU to consider creating your own Sacred Vow. Today I want to continue that discussion. We’ll invite Daisaku Ikeda to the party. He is the leader of Nichiren Buddhism and one of the most respected Buddhist philosophers alive whose work has inspired millions around the world. In Buddhism Day by Day he tells us about the importance of making a vow. Here’s how he puts it: “In any field of endeavor, making a vow is the foundation for achieving something great. If for whatever reason a person gives up halfway or backslides, his or her commitment hasn’t been based on a vow. Halfhearted desire doesn’t amount to a vow.” Vow. It means “a solemn promise.” It’s on the far right side of the spectrum of kinda sorta committed to ABSOLUTELY ALL IN (!) committed. <———————————— COMMITMENT LEVEL————————————> * (Kinda sorta) (VOW = ALL IN)
A vow. A solemn promise to ourselves that we will give everything we have for however long it takes to the altruistic goal we have determined is worthy of us—whether that’s actualizing our potential, raising healthy and happy kids, giving our gifts to the world or all of the above. Let’s do a quick inventory. What’s most important to you in your life? Your actualization? Your family? Your creative expression? (<— All of the above?) What’s your ideal outcome in those scenarios? And, how committed are you to achieving something great in each of those domains? Kinda sorta? Or have you made a solemn promise to yourself to achieve your desired outcome? We’ll know by how you respond to challenges. Here’s how Alex Lickerman puts it in The Undefeated Mind: “And when our response to failure is to summon an even greater determination to succeed, vowing to get back up after being knocked down not just once but again and again each day and with every obstacle that rises up to challenge us—attacking them, as Nichiren Daishonin wrote, like a ‘lion king who unleashes the same power whether he traps a tiny ant or attacks a fierce animal’—then we’ll have found a treasure even more valuable than any apparently foolproof plan to reach our goal: the determination necessary to seek a better one when it fails. For in demonstrating to ourselves that we can always summon more of it, our determination becomes to us like a good friend, its steady presence and our faith in its power imbuing us with confidence that no matter how many times we’ve failed, no matter how much we want to quit, victory can still be ours. ‘When your determination changes,’ Daisaku Ikeda, the third president of the Soka Gakki, writes, ‘everything will begin to move in the direction you desire. The moment you resolve to be victorious, every nerve and fiber in your being will immediately orient itself toward your success. On the other hand, if you think, ‘This is never going to work out,’ then at that instant every cell in your being will be deflated and give up the fight. Then everything really will move in the direction of failure.’” I repeat… When your determination changes, everything changes. Let’s resolve to be victorious and use every challenge as fuel to our growth. #makethevow P.S. Remember, as Daisaku Ikeda tells us: “Make goals. Whether big or small, work toward realizing them. You must be serious about and dedicated to your goals—you’ll get nowhere if you just treat them like jokes. An earnest, dedicated spirit shines like a diamond and moves people’s hearts. That is because a brilliant flame burns within.” Plus: “When you devote yourself to achieving your goal, you will not be bothered by shallow criticism. Nothing important can be accomplished if you allow yourself to be swayed by some trifling matter, always looking over your shoulder and wondering what others are saying or thinking. The key to achievement is to move forward along your chosen path with firm determination.”
Here’s Mine… What’s YOURS? In our last +1, we talked about my Top 3 Work Targets as I encouraged you to get clarity on and then commit to and hit YOUR top 3 targets. These are my Top 3 Work Targets: I. Recommit to Sacred Vow (101 | 1M | 51 2051) II. #1 WIN III. Shutdown Complete What are YOUR Top 3 Work Targets? I. ______________________ II. _____________________ III. _____________________ Today I want to chat a little more about my #1 Work target: Recommitting to my Sacred Vow. I have done this EVERY DAY for over a year and a half. It has been an incredibly powerful thing for me and I’ve been told by many people that it’s inspired them to create their own Sacred Vow so… Let’s chat a little more about it. But… First, a little more context. As you know if you’ve been following along, on election night 2020, I founded Heroic Public Benefit Corporation. A couple days later I learned that the crowdfunding regulations were changing such that startups like ours could go from raising a max of $1M via the existing regulations to raising a max of $5M. It was one of those moments in my life when I didn’t think we could do it, I KNEW we would be the very first company to ever raise $5M via the new regulations. Of course, all that’s nice and warm and fuzzy. And… Then we had to actually do it. And, long story a little shorter, we did. On March 23rd, 2021, with the support of 2,432 Heroic Founding Investors from 75 countries around the world, we made history as the very first company to ever raise $5M via the new crowdfunding regulations. Now… Before it all became official, I had to electronically sign some documents. Before I did that, I went for a walk on our property—reflecting on the magnitude of the commitment I was making to our community. It felt like I was making a lifetime commitment to our investors that was nearly on par with the commitment I made to Alexandra when we got married. So… I decided that I should make a Sacred Vow. This is what I wrote: * I, Brian Johnson, absolutely and fiercely commit to honoring your investment in me and in Heroic by doing my best to make you proud to be a part of our movement. I hereby make a sacred vow to YOU and to everyone else in our community to honor my fundamentals and to practice my philosophy. Of course, I will not be perfect and I cannot promise any particular outcomes and I will certainly make mistakes. But I promise you that I will show up day in and day out and do everything in my power to fulfill our Mission to change the world, one person at a time, together, starting with you and me, Today. With Love + Wisdom + Self-Mastery + Courage, I say: Heroes unite!
And THAT’s the vow I reread and recommit to every.single.morning. Again, ultimately this +1 has NOTHING to do with me. It’s about YOU. Is there a Sacred Vow that you and your Daimon would like to draft? Perhaps we can spend a moment or three thinking about that now… _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Target swipe: “ALL IN. LET’S GO!!” Here’s to our Sacred Vows! P.S. Want to invest in our latest crowdfunding? Learn more on Wefunder here: https://wefunder.com/heroic
What Are YOURS? Not too long ago, we talked about my Top 3 Energy Targets. As you may recall, I said that it’s really hard to have a series of really bad days when I hit my Top 3 Energy Targets. These are my Top 3 Energy Targets: I. In Bed for 9-10 Hours II. AM Meditation (1%) III. Movement (30 Min) (What are YOURS?) Today I want to chat about my Top 3 Work Targets. Here they are: I. Recommit to Sacred Vow (101 | 1M | 51 2051) II. #1 WIN III. Shutdown Complete Note: If ALL I did in any given day was hit THOSE three Targets, I’d have a pretty good day. Period. I repeat: The early research on hitting as few as three Targets on our Heroic app shows that you can boost your Energy by 40%, your Productivity by 20% and your Connection by 15%. And, I repeat with even more emphasis: The extensive research on “checklists” in general is unequivocal: Checklists work. Whether we’re talking about pilots or surgeons or athletes or construction managers or aspiring Heroes, checklists help you perform at your highest possible levels. Period. Now… Back to my personal checklists while YOU think about the Top 3 Work behaviors that keep YOU plugged in and showing up at your Heroic best. I. Recommit to Sacred Vow (101 | 1M | 51 2051) First, I recommit to my Sacred Vow to do my absolute best to serve you so we can fulfill our mission. I commit to getting my Soul Force to 101 so we can help 1M of us do the same so we can help create a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by 2051. II. #1 WIN Second, I commit to doing what I’ve decided is THE most important thing I can do that day is (my “#1 WIN”) and then I DO IT. III. Shutdown Complete Third, I decide when I am going to STOP working then, at the end of my day, I hit that “Shutdown complete” Target so I can transition from Work to Love as I spend time with the family and train my recovery so I can go hit it all again with Heroic Energy tomorrow. I will repeat yet again… It’s REALLY (!) hard to have a series of bad days when I hit those three simple targets. Which is precisely why I use the Heroic app to recommit to those Targets every.single.morning and then strive to hit those Targets every.single.day. And… We just talked about me way too much. Today’s +1 has NOTHING to do with me. It’s all about YOU. What are YOUR Top 3 Work Targets? What are the three simple things you do when you’re at your best Work-wise? Seriously. WHAT ARE THEY?! I. ______________________ II. _____________________ III. _____________________ Fantastic. Clarity is Step #1. Now… Is TODAY a good day to commit to and then hit those targets, Hero? Awesome. Day 1. All in. Let’s go.
13.8 Billion Years Ago to NOW In our last couple +1s, we talked about the Sun and the next-closest star, appropriately named Proxima Centauri. We did some quick math and realized that the Universe is insanely vast (yes, that’s the technical description) and that 99.999% of the Universe consists of… ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Imagining the ineffable VASTNESS of our Universe should help us get a little perspective on our lives. Today I want to chat about just how OLD the Earth and the Sun and our Universe are. Why? In addition to being a fascinating intellectual exercise, it is, as Michael Singer points out in Living Untethered, an equally powerful SPIRITUAL exercise. So… Do you know how long ago the Universe was created? Somehow, scientists are able to peg the number at around 13.8 BILLION years ago. Think about that. Out of nothing came something. 13.8 BILLION YEARS AGO. My brain just exploded. !! Now… Next question. Do you know how old the Earth and the Sun are? The Sun is estimated to be 4.603 billion years old. The Earth is estimated to be about 4.543 billion years old—plus or minus about 50 million years. (Hah.) (God bless whoever did that math!) Now… Here’s a follow-up question… What was happening during that 9 BILLION YEAR lag between the inception of the Universe and the creation of our solar system? Think about THAT for a moment as well. My brain just exploded again. !! Then, after a BILLION years, the first single-cell organism appeared on Earth about 3.5 BILLION years ago. Then it took another 3.25 BILLION years for dinosaurs to appear around 250 million years ago. Fast forward another quarter of a billion years and, a couple/few hundred thousand years ago depending on whose math you want to believe, early humans showed up. And… As Singer says, all of that led to your great-great-great-great grandmother meeting your great-great-great-great grandfather all of which led to EVERY SINGLE THING that had to happen EXACTLY THE WAY IT HAPPENED for the miracle that is YOU to come alive. And… Yet… In spite of the sheer miraculousness of every single moment that had to happen EXACTLY the way it happened for you to be here today… You complain about what’s happening right now. As Singer says, that’s so absurd it’s almost funny. And that’s the starting point of his philosophy. Quit arguing with reality. It’s bigger than you and me. It’s been around longer than you and me. It will beat you and me in an argument EVERY SINGLE TIME. We need to “surrender” to reality. We need to accept it completely. Not with foolish resentment and/or petty frustration. We need to RADICALLY accept reality as Phil Stutz would say. We need to LOVE what is, as Byron Katie would put it. This moment, with all its apparent imperfections, is a sacred gift. Let’s accept it. Let’s bless it. Then let’s shake our heads in awe as we smile and go do what needs to get done. +1. +1. +1. All day. Every day. ESPECIALLY… Today.
For 4.2 Years Just to Get to the Next Star In our last +1, we used the Sun as a trigger/prompt/cue to practice our philosophy and put the virtues of gratitude and humility and awe into action. As you may recall, we reflected on the fact that the Sun is a STAGGERING 93 MILLION (!) miles away. Somehow, its rays are so powerful that, even after taking 8 minutes and 20 seconds to arrive on planet Earth, you can soak up their warmth and beauty. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s CRAZY when you think about it. But here’s what’s even crazier. I casually mentioned the fact that the next closest star (Proxima Centauri) is 4.2 light years away. You know how far that is? Neither did I until I read Michael Singer’s book Living Untethered in which he walks us through the creation of the Universe and some physics lessons to help us get perspective on our lives. Get this. Imagine holding a flashlight above the Earth. Turn it on for ONE second. That light will go around the Earth SEVEN AND A HALF TIMES in a single second. Soak that in for a moment. That’s the speed of light. Now… If you want to go from the Sun to the next closest star, you’d need to move at THAT speed for 4.2 YEARS. You know how far that is? Well… A light-year is about 6 TRILLION miles, so, if my math is right, the next closest star is about 2.5 QUADRILLION (!) miles away. My brain: !!! And… You know what exists between the Sun and that next star? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. And… You know how many stars are in the Universe? 200 BILLION. You know what exists between the light-years separating EVERY ONE of those 200 BILLION STARS? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. As Singer tells us, 99.999% of the entire, mind-bogglingly big Universe is filled with ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BUT DARKNESS. And… Yet… Here we are on planet Earth, failing to appreciate the miracle that is our existence—complaining about the weather on the way to work and the slow internet connection on our Zoom call today and/or whatever other trivial things we’re letting bother us. That’s Today’s +1. If you feel so inspired… The next time you look up at the Sun, look beyond it. Appreciate the vastness of our Universe and the preciousness of our lives. Then feel your feet on the Earth and say “Thank you!” to whatever power you believe created all this magic as you get back to work being your best, most Heroic self in service to something infinitely bigger than yourself. All in. Day 1. Let’s go, Hero!!
93 Million Miles + 8 Minutes 20 Seconds This morning I was on the Trail moving for 30 minutes. I banged out my last couple sets of 11 burpees to hit my 101 for the day. I jumped up to hang from the tree branch that is my pull-up bar to hammer out my 11 pull-ups. I rowed my 1,000 meters to hit that Target. Target swipe. Target swipe. Target swipe. Target swipe. Target swipe. I know I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again…. It’s truly amazing to me how good I feel hitting those Heroic targets in our app every.single.day. “That’s like me!! Forging Antifragile confidence. TODAY.” But that’s not quite the point of Today’s +1. This is… As I was turning the corner on our trail, I was struck by the beauty and warmth of the sunlight peeking through the trees and, at the risk of getting Rumi about it, I felt the Sun gently caressing my mind and body and soul. It was a beautiful moment. I was in awe. Then I looked up at the Sun and thought to myself, “Wow. The Sun is 93 MILLION (!) miles away. It took 8 minutes and 20 seconds for its rays to make it to Earth. That’s astonishing.” Then I reminded myself of the fact that you could fit over 1 million Earths into the Sun. Then I thought to myself, “What’s really crazy is the fact that the next closest star (Proxima Centauri) is 4.2 LIGHT YEARS AWAY!!” Wow. I’m in even deeper awe. And… I am humbled by the vastness of the Universe and the preciousness of this gift that is my life. Then I thought of Michael Singer. He’s the one who recently reminded me of just how vast our Universe is in his great book Living Untethered. Singer’s teaching is all about how to, as per the sub-title of his latest book, move “beyond the human predicament.” One way to do that? Reflect on JUST HOW VAST our Universe is. It’s an incredibly powerful way to maintain perspective on our little challenges. And… That’s Today’s +1. If you feel so inspired, the next time you look up at the Sun, consider using it as a trigger/prompt/cue to practice your philosophy and put the virtues of gratitude and humility and awe into practice. Then take a deep breath, feel your feet on the Earth and get back to work. Day 1. All in. Let’s go. Target swipe: Appreciate someone or something
From Doing the Right Thing for the Win! In our last few +1s, we’ve been talking about The Law of Cause and Effect. We started with Michael Singer’s wisdom. Then we went old school with Jesus and Epictetus. I promised we’d talk about what modern SCIENCE has to say about applying the basic ideas of The Law of Cause and Effect to the process of optimizing our lives. That’s what we’ll do Today. But… First… As we journey back from 2,000 years ago to today, let’s pause briefly and see what another one of my favorite teachers had to say about the subject. In 1841, the great American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote an essay called “Compensation” in which he did his thing by integrating wisdom from the East with our Western perspective. He tells us: “Cause and effect, means and ends, seed and fruit, cannot be severed; for the effect already blooms in the cause, the end preexists in the means, the fruit in the seed.” Yep. There you go. The Law of Cause and Effect. Now… On to the science! Here’s the short story. Research shows that people who can MAKE THE CONNECTION between the things they do and the Energy/Productivity/Connection they feel NOW are MUCH MORE likely to actually DO THE THINGS they say they want to do than people who don’t make that connection. Michelle Segar calls it having “the right why.” In her great book, No Sweat, she tells us that people who succeed in consistently engaging in healthy behaviors like eating well, moving their bodies and getting good sleep have CONCRETE goals rather than abstract goals. When you ask people who ACTUALLY DO the things they know are best for them, they will, essentially, tell you that the reason they do them is TO FEEL GREAT NOW. Unfortunately, most of us (75% of the people in her research!) have abstract goals like “getting healthier” or “losing weight.” Those might be good reasons but they’re not EFFECTIVE reasons. As it turns out, Michelle tells us that: “The vast majority of the participants whose goals were weight loss and better health spent the least amount of time exercising overall—up to 32 percent less than those with other goals.” Why? Because the people who ACTUALLY did the things that were good for them made CONCRETE connections between what they did and how they felt. They exercised to enhance the quality of their daily lives—to create a sense of well-being, a feeling of being energized and centered. They found a way to get immediate gratification out of their exercise—which is a LOT more effective than pursuing some future, abstract target. As Michelle tells us: “Human beings, it turns out, are hardwired to choose immediate gratification over long-term benefits.” She describes the “lose weight” and “get healthy” goals as too fuzzy and abstract and clinical and calls them the “Wrong Why.” When we lead with those Whys, our exercise becomes a chore— which then leads to a failure. Who does chores with sustained enthusiasm?! So… Want to give yourself the best chance at getting more Energized, Productive, and Connected by doing the things that will help you enjoy those fruits of your Heroic behaviors? Again… MAKE THE CONNECTION between what you do RIGHT NOW and how you feel RIGHT AFTER. Then give yourself the gift of Heroic levels of Energy, Productivity, and Connection. The Law of Cause and Effect. Let’s use it. And change our lives. TODAY.
Horticultural vs. Clock Time Revisited In our last +1, we continued our conversation about The Law of Cause and Effect by inviting Jesus to the party to share his thoughts. As you may recall, he told us that we can’t expect to grow grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles. In other words: If we want a noble, virtuous life, we must do noble, virtuous things. Now… It’s not possible for me to think about figs without thinking about another ancient wise man who happens to be my all-time favorite teacher, the great Stoic philosopher Epictetus. Epictetus was born (into slavery!) in what is now Turkey in the year 50 AD—not too long after or far away from where Jesus taught. Epictetus reminds us that, even if we’re doing it right and growing figs on a fig tree, we’ve gotta know that IT TAKES TIME for those trees to bear fruit. As we discussed in an old-school +1 on Horticultural Time vs. Clock Time: When you want to grow something and you plant a seed, do you start your stopwatch and then go into your backyard an hour later to dig it up to see how it’s doing? Or, do you know it takes some time for that seed to germinate and then sprout and then grow and finally to reach its fruit-bearing stage? Of course, we honor the rules of horticultural time and give that little seed the time it needs to naturally move through its required stages of development. Which is one of the reasons why Epictetus told us that: “No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.” Today’s +1? Remember… Our Heroic optimizing occurs on HORTICULTURAL time, not clock time. Let’s sow the seeds of virtue. Let’s tend them wisely. And, let’s give them time to blossom, bear fruit, and ripen. +1. +1. +1. All day. Every day. Especially… TODAY.
Thorn Bushes and Thistles Won’t Do the Trick In our last 1, we talked about The Law of Karma. Also known as The Law of Cause and Effect. Same thing. All the great teachers have talked about it. And the entire field of modern science is, of course, grounded in this causal relationship between things. In short: If THIS then THAT. Today we’re going to rewind the clock a couple of thousand years and see what another wise teacher has to say on the subject. Then we’ll explore some more related ancient wisdom in our next +1. Then we’ll talk about how modern science tells us we should be thinking about it as it relates to setting goals for our optimization. So… Let’s rewind the clock to almost exactly 2,000 years ago. We’re heading to the ancient land of Israel. Jesus is giving a sermon on a mount. In Matthew 7:16, he tells us: “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” Of course, in that context, Jesus is talking about how to discern false prophets from true ones, but we’ll use the wisdom from his metaphor at the highest level and see if we can apply it to our lives. So… Pop quiz! Are grapes gathered from thornbushes? NO. Are figs gathered from thistles? NO. Will the fruits of a good, noble life grow from the branches of less-than-awesome behaviors? NO. We need to remember The Law of Cause and Effect. If THIS then THAT. If we want to feel more Energized, Productive and Connected, we need to DO THE THINGS that lead to those outcomes. This is, of course, a very simple truth. And… We’d be wise to keep it in mind as we MAKE THE CONNECTION between the things we’re doing and the outcomes we’re experiencing. When? TODAY. Happy harvesting, Hero!
How to Apply the Law of Cause and Effect As we’ve discussed, Michael Singer is one of my favorite spiritual teachers. After reading The Untethered Soul and Living Untethered, I decided to follow Joseph Campbell’s advice and take a deeper dive into his work. I went to Amazon to see what else he’s written. I found a couple of books he wrote nearly 50 years ago. One of those books is called Three Essays on Universal Laws. The book has a chapter-essay on each of his three Laws: The Law of Karma, The Law of Will, and The Law of Love. Today we’re going to chat about his (and my) take on The Law of Karma. Singer tells us we can also call this the Law of Cause and Effect. The basic idea is really simple. He tells us: “For example, when we walk up and touch a hot stove the body gets burned, and thus, we learn ‘a lesson.’ Or if we stay up too long without sleep the body gets sick, and, again, we have been taught ‘a lesson.’ This holds true for staying out in the rain, eating the wrong kinds of food, staying too long underwater, and so on. By means of the Law of Cause and Effect, which will invariably repeat itself given the same conditions, we learn many ‘lessons’ concerning the care of the body. For there are certain activities which are in balance with the use of our bodily tool, while others are not.” Now… As I was working on that Idea in the Note I was creating, my 1,000-second timer went off. As you know if you’ve been following along, that’s the prompt/trigger/cue for me to get up and, if it’s my AM1 Deep Work block (which it was as I typed this), bang out a set of 11 burpees. So, that’s what I did. As I hammered out the 11 burpees I thought about WHY I do them. It’s simple. I KNOW (with ZERO doubt!) that I feel more Energized when I go to bed early, spend 9-10 hours in bed, meditate, do my burpees, and hit the other 30+ Energy Targets I set up in my Big 3 protocol in the Heroic app. And, I REALLY like feeling REALLY Energized so I can show up as my best, most Heroic Self in service to YOU and to our Mission so... It’s easy for me to do the right thing. All day every day. Except, of course, when I don’t. (Hah!) Alas, I’m still human and, tragically, I will not be the first perfect human being () and there are plenty of times when I’m lazy and the little demon takes over (pushing my Daimon aside!) and I do things that I know aren’t optimal which leads to feeling less than Heroically Energized. Then I step back half an inch, let my Daimon view the situation from what Singer beautifully calls “the soul’s point of view” (aka the “Objective Observer,” aka the “Witness”) and… I MAKE THE CONNECTION between doing X and experiencing Y. I shine a spotlight on what needs work, remind myself of what works when I do it and then take a hammer to the construction project that is my life as I strengthen the habits that help me stay plugged in and weaken the habits that don’t. THAT’s the Law of Cause and Effect in action. In short: If we do THIS, then we experience THAT. That’s also one of the THE most important things Alexandra and I are trying to teach our kids. We want them to have the Wisdom to MAKE THE CONNECTION between eating sugar and getting sick; between not exercising or sleeping well and feeling tired and cranky. And, of course, we want them to FEEL the joy of doing the little things that they KNOW help them feel GREAT. Call it whatever you want: The Law of Karma. The Law of Cause and Effect. It’s real. We need to MAKE THE CONNECTION between the thoughts and behaviors that help us (and our kids!) create the lives we want and the thoughts and behaviors that do the opposite. Then we need to cultivate our structural, reactive and expansive disciplines as we use our willpower wisely to install the habits that will run on autopilot via empowering algorithms. When? TODAY. Let’s go, Hero!
Feed the Good Guys In our last couple +1s, we hung out with a couple of wise Indian masters and their gurus. We talked about what to do if we’re afraid of ghosts (approach them!) and how to deal with the bitter process of changing our behaviors (keep chewing!). Today I want to chat about ghosts for another moment. This time we’ll go a little further east and visit Vietnam where the great Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh was born and raised. When I searched my Mac for “ghosts” to find the Yogananda wisdom I was looking for, I saw that Thich Nhat Hanh ALSO talked about ghosts in his great book No Mud, No Lotus. Here’s the passage. He tells us: “The Buddha said that nothing can survive without food. This is true, not just for the physical existence of living beings, but also for states of mind. Love needs to be nurtured and fed to survive; and our suffering also survives because we enable and feed it. We ruminate on suffering, regret, and sorrow. We chew on them, swallow them, bring them back up, and eat them again and again. If we’re feeding our suffering while we’re walking, working, eating, or talking, we are making ourselves victims of the ghosts of the past, of the future, or our worries in the present. We’re not living our lives.” Know this: Nothing (including ghosts!) survives without food. So… Want the ghosts to go away? Then… QUIT FEEDING THEM. Eckhart Tolle echoes this wisdom in The Power of Now. He tells us: “Once you realize that a certain kind of food makes you sick, would you carry on eating that food and keep asserting that it is okay to be sick?” In The Magic of Thinking Big, David Schwartz uses another metaphor to bring the point home. He tells us: “Deposit only positive thoughts in your memory bank. Let’s face it squarely: everyone encounters plenty of unpleasant, embarrassing, and discouraging situations. But unsuccessful and successful people deal with these situations in directly opposite ways. Unsuccessful people take them to heart, so to speak. They dwell on the unpleasant situations, thereby giving them a good start in their memory. At night the unpleasant situation is the last thing they think about... Confident, successful people, on the other hand, ‘don’t give it another thought.’ Successful people specialize in putting positive thoughts into their memory bank.” Let’s starve the bad stuff and feed the good stuff. TODAY. + + + btw: We talked about a similar idea in this +1 on Starving Fear of Its Favorite Food.
Wisdom From Another Indian Sage and His Grandmother In our last +1, we talked about Yogananda and his guru’s wisdom on what to do with ghosts/aka how to live fearlessly. As you may recall, the trick is to APPROACH our challenges rather than try to avoid them. The story is so good, we’ll quickly review it. Yogananda’s guru tells him: “My mother once tried to frighten me with an appalling story of a ghost in a dark chamber. I went there immediately, and expressed my disappointment at having missed the ghost. Mother never told me another horror tale.” Hah. Genius. The moral of the story? “Look fear in the face and it will cease to trouble you.” As I read that moral from an Indian yogi, I thought of another one of my favorite Indian sages, Eknath Easwaran. In his great book, Your Life Is Your Message, he tells us about a lesson he learned from his Indian guru—who happened to be his grandmother. The short story? Young Eknath was complaining about how hard it was to meditate and to change his habits. He tells us: “I complained about it to my spiritual teacher, my grandmother. She was a very plainspoken teacher, with none of the euphemisms of the intellectual, so she simply led me to a nearby amla tree. The amla is a beautiful tree, a little like the mimosa, with a small fruit. She picked a fruit and said, ‘Here, take a bite.’ I started chewing. It was pretty awful. I said, ‘I’ve got to spit it out, Granny. It’s sour, bitter, unpleasant.’ She just said, ‘Bear with me. Keep chewing for a while.’ So I went on chewing, and to my surprise the amla fruit began to get sweeter and sweeter. Similarly, meditation and the allied disciplines require sustained enthusiasm every day—even when it seems icky. Especially when it seems icky! If you keep at it, you will find those same disciplines becoming sweeter and sweeter. When meditation time comes around you will find yourself hungering for the inner peace and calm it brings. The time will even come when you want a double helping.” Approaching our fears? Rewiring our brains as we create new, virtuous habits that help us flourish while eliminating the old, vicious ones that don’t? Of course… The process isn’t always pleasant. It’s often painful. It tastes “icky.” Until… We have the Wisdom to see that approaching our fears and embracing the inevitable challenges of the journey and doing the hard work to win the ultimate game that brings us the sweet reward of tapping into our infinite potential. Let’s do that. TODAY.
Here’s What to Do… Not too long ago, we talked about how I read a book. I made the point that the most important part of how I read a book is how I decide what book I will read. I also talked about the fact that, as I followed Joseph Campbell’s wisdom to immerse myself in the wisdom of an author who “grabs me” by reading everything that author has written AND everything by the authors who inspired them, I found myself going deep into Michael Singer’s wisdom AND deep into the wisdom of one of his biggest influences, Yogananda. In fact, I read five of Yogananda’s little books/booklets in very short order. They are PACKED with wisdom. I was blown away by Yogananda’s PRACTICAL spirituality and I could see why Steve Jobs was such a big fan that he reread his Autobiography of a Yogi once a year and why he gifted that book to his friends as THE last thing they got on their way out of his memorial service. (Think about the significance of that for a moment.) So… We’ll be talking more about Yogananda in the future as we bring his wisdom from the East to our modern lives in… I was going to say “the West” then I realized we have Heroic members from basically EVERY country in the world so we’ll make it …. wherever we are in the world! Now… Here’s a fun idea from a little booklet called Living Fearlessly. Yogananda shares a story of him asking his guru to tell him some stories from his childhood. Here’s the exchange between a Master and his fiercely ambitious student. “‘Guruji, I would like to hear some stories of your childhood.’ ‘I will tell you a few—each one with a moral!’ Sri Yukteswar’s eyes twinkled with his warning. ‘My mother once tried to frighten me with an appalling story of a ghost in a dark chamber. I went there immediately, and expressed my disappointment at having missed the ghost. Mother never told me another horror tale. ‘Moral: Look fear in the face and it will cease to trouble you.’” Those are the very first words of that little book. Want to live fearlessly? Be like Yogananda’s guru and look fear in the face. Then, it will cease to trouble us. Yogananda left India and came to the United States as a 27-year-old yogi guru in 1920. His mission was to integrate the wisdom of the East with the West. To help bridge the gap in cultures, he talked about Jesus as the perfect embodiment of spiritual truth. And, one of the American philosophers he references the most is Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson echoes this wisdom about what to do with our fear. As we discuss in our Notes on The Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Self-Reliance, Emerson liked to say that “God will not have his work made manifest by cowards.” His advice on how to conquer fear was straight-forward: “Always, always, always, always, always do what you are afraid to do.” What happens when we go straight toward the ghosts in the dark chambers? Well, Emerson tells us: “Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.” Modern science, as we often discuss, agrees. We must APPROACH rather than AVOID our fears. As we discuss in The Upside of Stress and The Telomere Effect, when we are willing to act in the presence of fear and see that the stressors in our lives are not THREATS to our well-being but an opportunity to practice our philosophy and forge antifragile confidence, we change our underlying physiology from a “threat response” to a “challenge response.” Do that often enough, and the ghosts will stop being quite so terrifying. Let’s do that. TODAY.
The Most Frequently Asked Question in Heroic Coach In our last +1, we talked about some Ryan Holiday wisdom from his new book Discipline Is Destiny. As you may recall, we brought Cato the Elder, Ben Franklin and Marcus Aurelius to the party to talk about the importance of focusing on all the ways WE can get better rather than worrying about all the ways other people need to improve. Cato told us: “I am prepared to forgive everybody’s mistakes, except my own.” Ben Franklin told us: “Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices.” Marcus Aurelius told us to be: “Tolerant with others, strict for yourself.” We could add Jesus’ wisdom to the mix. He told us to quit worrying about the speck of dust in your brother’s eye and to focus on the BEAM in yours! Same thing. This is a really important Idea. And… It’s funny because as I created that last +1, I thought of what is probably THE most frequently asked question from people going through our Heroic Mastery Series/Coach certification program. It goes something like this… “I’m really into this stuff and I can already feel my life changing as I start to move from Theory to Practice to Mastery. It’s amazing!!” Then they continue with… “But…” Then I often know what’s coming… “The problem is that my [wife/husband/kids/extended family/colleagues/insert someone other than them!] REALLY needs to work on this stuff and…” I laughed as I typed that. And I usually laugh when I start my reply to our Hero-in-training. I typically talk about prescribing medicine for your neighbor, unilaterality and “How am I that?” as I encourage them to avoid proselytizing and simply focus on DOING THE WORK—letting our example be the primary lesson rather than the lectures we’re all tempted to give when we’re on fire with our own self-development. Then I tell them about the fact that MY OWN WIFE doesn’t want me to coach her. (HAH!) (Trust me, Alexandra doesn’t want me to coach her unless she explicitly asks me for the support. After fifteen years, I’m almost getting that fact! ) Now I’ve got another frame to use. Let’s be prepared to forgive everybody’s mistakes, except our own. Let’s search others for their virtues and ourselves for our vices. Let’s be tolerant with others and strict with ourselves. And, let’s notice EVERY TIME we’re tempted to do the opposite. Then use that prompt/trigger/cue as an opportunity to cultivate our reactive discipline—stepping in between the stimulus and our old, habitual response as we choose a better response and practice our philosophy. Not someday. TODAY!!! Trust me. Your loved ones will thank you. And, paradoxically at first glance but obvious at the second or third glance: This is the fastest way to actually convince your loved ones that you're on to something and that you have wisdom worth paying attention to. Day 1. All in. LET’S GO!
Strict with Yourself I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Ryan Holiday is one of my favorite writers. We’ve featured a bunch of his books including The Obstacle Is the Way, The Daily Stoic, Ego Is the Enemy, and Stillness Is the Key. He’s currently working on “The Stoic Virtue Series” in which he’s creating a new book for each of the cardinal virtues of Stoicism: Courage, Temperance, Justice, and Wisdom. We briefly chatted about the first book in the series: Courage Is Calling. Today we’re going to chat about an Idea from the second book in the series: Discipline Is Destiny. We’re going to talk about an Idea that didn’t make it into the Note. It’s from a chapter called “Tolerant with Others. Strict with Yourself.” Ryan tells us: “’I am prepared to forgive everybody’s mistakes,’ Cato the Elder said, ‘except my own.’ Ben Franklin, many generations later, would put forth an even better rule: ‘Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices.’ Or as Marcus Aurelius put it, Tolerant with others, strict for yourself.” That’s Today’s +1. Let’s be tolerant with others—looking for their VIRTUES and forgiving their mistakes. Let’s be strict with ourselves—looking for our vices and getting to work on them. We have more than enough work to do on ourselves. Let’s do it. TODAY.
At Least I Hope You Are, Hero! In our last +1, we talked about Abigail Adams and her letter to her son, John Quincy Adams. As you may recall, she admonished the 12-year-old who would become the sixth U.S. President to LIVE WITH VIRTUE. And, as we discussed, she wisely declared: “These are the times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues. When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman.” As part of that +1, I mentioned the fact that I think she and her family would have been part of our Heroic movement—encouraging their kids to cultivate their virtue while doing the same on our Heroic app. I also mentioned the fact that I think Benjamin Franklin would have either created something similar to our Heroic app to track HIS virtuous targets or joined the cause to help us win our current war between vice and virtue. Then… I typed “Benjamin Franklin” into my Mac’s search thingy to see if I could find a Big Idea from a PhilosophersNote on him and his commitment to virtue. And… I hit the jackpot. Not only did I find a Big Idea featuring Benjamin Franklin and his idiosyncratic awesomeness, I ALSO found a reference to John Adams in the SAME Big Idea. Fantastic! The references were from Alan Cohen’s Spirit Means Business. Franklin and Adams showed up in an Idea about helping us embrace our inner weirdos. Alan Cohen tells us: “Being a misfit is not a defect. It may be your key to success. When I hear that a person is well adjusted, I ask, ‘Well adjusted to what?’ Learning how to find your way around a mental institution does not make you sane. Real sanity rests in authenticity. ... Maybe you’re not so weird after all. Maybe your weirdness is your greatest asset. Maybe what you thought was wrong with you is what’s right with you. Just because you are out of the mainstream doesn’t disqualify you from vast achievement. You are in your own stream. World change agents do not apologize for their eccentricities or try to hide them. Idiosyncrasies come with the package. So just get on with your creations and make your contribution regardless of any oddness your personality has picked up along the way. Don’t wait until you are normal before you claim greatness. Normality and genius are rare bedfellows. As Walt Whitman proudly proclaimed, ‘Not a particle or an inch of me is vile . . . I celebrate myself.’” That’s from a chapter in which we learn about some of history’s most awesome weirdos. Get this: Did you know that Benjamin Franklin started each day with an “air bath,” standing naked outside for 30 minutes? Yep. And, that fellow American hero John Quincy Adams swam nude in the Potomac river at 5 A.M. every morning, even in freezing weather. (Cold plunge for the win! Wim Hof would approve!) Then we have Nikola Tesla and Steve Jobs with their whole array of idiosyncratic behaviors (and genius inventions). Oh! And, let’s not forget about Albert Einstein. Did you know that he didn’t even speak until he was three and, as an adult, would stop his car, pluck a grasshopper and EAT IT. Yep. That’s normal. Then we have YOU. How’s YOUR weirdness? Alan tells us: The Myth: Being a misfit is a defect you must correct. The Reality: Your nonconformity is your pathway to fulfillment. And... So much of that passage is so eminently quotable. There’s this: “Learning to find your way around a mental institution does not make you sane.” (Hah!) Plus, this is worth a quick repeat: “Normality and genius are rare bedfellows.” Then we have the whole “Well adjusted to WHAT?” conversation which—as you might be able to guess by this stage—reminds me of Krishnamurti’s wisdom that being well-adjusted to a PROFOUNDLY SICK society is no measure of health. In a world where “normal” is so astonishingly sub-optimal (from a mental, physical and emotional health standpoint), why, my dear friend, should we aspire for “normalcy?” Much better to lean into our weirdness and entertain the possibility that, perhaps, “your weirdness is your greatest asset.” Here’s to echoing Whitman’s proclamation as we celebrate every particle and inch of ourselves. Not someday. TODAY. btw: Whitman also told us that “In the faces of men and women, I see God.” You know what I see and what we encourage our Coaches to see in the faces of men and women? HEROES. Yes: I’m looking at YOU, Hero!!!
Abigail Adams and Heroic Mothers Unite Abigail Adams was one of the Heroic Founding Mothers of the United States of America. I’m convinced that she and Benjamin Franklin and their families would be part of our Heroic movement if they were alive today. Why? Because they were intensely passionate about cultivating virtue in their lives and in the lives of their children. And… I’m pretty sure () they would have preferred to have their kids on the soon-to-be-launched social features for our Heroic training platform cultivating virtue together rather than on Tik Tok watching another absurd 20-second video. What data supports that hypothesis? Glad you asked… That’s the subject of Today’s +1. Have you ever seen this quote from Abigail? “These are the times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues. When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman.” After reading a version of that in Warren Bennis’ great book On Becoming a Leader, I looked it up to find its source. It’s from a letter she wrote to her son John Quincy Adams in January 1780–almost 243 (!) years ago. He was on a trip to France with his father to elicit support for our Revolutionary War. (Thanks, France!! ) I looked up how old John Quincy Adams was in 1780. He was 12. Check out the letter. It’s worth reading. I printed it out and marked it all up because it was so good. (See my notes below.) As you’ll see if you spend a few minutes reading her brilliant letter, Abigail starts out the letter by basically telling her son that she made him go to France with his dad and brother even though he was whining about it. Seriously. It’s so good to see this great woman (a true Founding Mother of America) talking to a future president like, well, he was acting like a 12-year-old. Then we get to the quote that made me find the letter. But get this… Bennis actually MISQUOTED Abigail. He said that she said: “These are hard times in which a genius should wish to live. . . . Great necessities call forth great leaders.” But that’s not actually what she said. She didn't say great necessities call forth great LEADERS. She said: “Great necessities call forth great VIRTUES.” Which, for the record, MAKES THEM GREAT LEADERS. Note: Both John AND his dad would become future U.S. Presidents. Virtue for the win! Now… Of course, that struck me (goosebumps) because our ENTIRE app is architected to help us operationalize the fact that ancient wisdom and modern science agree that the ultimate purpose of life is to express the best version of yourself (in service to something bigger than yourself!) by living with virtue. And, of course, we believe the historically significant challenges we are facing DEMAND that each of us step up and show up as the best, most Heroic versions of ourselves. Which is why I was even more struck by the rest of her letter. When I read THIS passage, I could literally SEE Abigail and her husband John (who, in 1780, was the Ambassador to France in what was the fifth of an eight-year Revolutionary War!) and their kids using Heroic to commit to and then hit virtuous targets together all day every day (especially when they were so far away from each other!): “I cannot fulfill the whole of my duty towards you, if I close this Letter, without reminding you of a failing which calls for a strict attention and watchfull care to correct. You must do it for yourself. You must curb that impetuosity of temper, for which I have frequently chid you, but which properly directed may be productive of great good. I know you are capable of these exertions, with pleasure I observed my advice was not lost upon you. If you indulge yourself in the practise of any foible or vice in youth, it will gain strength with your years and become your conquerer. The strict and inviolable regard you have ever paid to truth, gives me pleasing hopes that you will not swerve from her dictates, but add justice, fortitude, and every Manly Virtue which can adorn a good citizen, do Honour to your Country, and render your parents supremely happy, particularly your ever affectionate Mother,” Then I smiled when I realized that another beloved Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, would have probably created something similar to our app to track HIS virtues (with his friends and family!) if he was alive today. Know this… These are times in which Heroes would wish to live. As we set out to make 2023 truly Heroic, may we remember that it is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station that great characters are formed. Remember: “Great necessities call out great virtues. When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engulf the Heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake to Life, and form the Character of the Hero and the Statesman.” With Love + Wisdom + Self-Mastery + Courage and profound Gratitude for all of your support in helping us create a noble and virtuous world, I say… Heroes unite!!! Day 1. All in. LET’S GO.
Which Will It Be, Hero? As we’ve discussed, Brian Cain is an inspiring human being. He works with some of the greatest athletes in the world and has helped them go to the next (NEXT!) level. We’ve talked about a bunch of Big Ideas from his two little fables: The 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery and One Percent Better. Today we’re going to revisit One Percent Better for ONE more wisdom gem. But… First… Pop quiz!!! Question: What’s 1% of a day? Do you recall? (And do you recall that trying to recall something is one of the most powerful ways to dominate Learning 101? Yep.) Answer: 1% of the day is 14 minutes and 24 seconds. Note: I’ve changed the countdown on my Timex watch from 16 minutes and 40 seconds (which is 1,000 seconds) to 14 minutes and 24 seconds (1% of the day!!) so I can measure my meditation and deep work time blocks and, well, a bunch of stuff in 1% increments. Super fun. We’ll come back to that more as we have fun seeing if we can make at least 51% (!!!) of our days Heroically intentional. For now… Here’s the wisdom gem I want to focus on… Brian tells us: “If you don’t have a plan, how are you getting better? The problem is when you stop getting better, you start getting bitter, and nobody likes being around people who are bitter all the time.” That’s Today’s +1. Are YOU getting better or are you getting bitter? It’s a simple question with far-reaching impact. Which will it be, Hero? Here’s to continuously refining our plans to GET BETTER lest we go the wrong direction and get bitter. +1. +1. +1. ALL DAY. EVERY DAY. ESPECIALLY TODAY.
Of Self-Mastery: Reactive + Structural + Expansive I’ve been thinking a lot about the three forms of discipline that make up Self-Mastery. Here they are: Structural Discipline. Reactive Discipline. Expansive Discipline. We talk about them in Objective V of Basic Training and I’ll be writing about them in the Heroic book we’ll be launching in early 2024. Now… As I sat down to create this +1, I thought this would be the first time I’ve written about the three disciplines. Then, as I was going through the archives, I found that, in fact, we ALREADY chatted about the three disciplines. We chatted about them in +1 #669 to be precise—over two and a half years ago. Perfect. Let’s dust that wisdom off and shine the spotlight of our attention on them again. Why? Because they’re SUPER important. First… A little more context. As we’ve discussed many times, Phil Stutz is all about helping us cultivate what he calls “emotional stamina.” How? By getting to a place where, the WORSE we feel, the MORE committed we are to our protocol. That’s become the foundation of what I now call “Antifragile Confidence.” KNOW THIS: Getting this ONE idea may, in fact, be THE most life-changing thing we can do together. What if… When we feel like this little poop emoji (!!) (!), rather than spiral out and (let’s be honest folks! ), do all the stupid things we tend to do when we’re tired and overwhelmed and all that, we could get ourselves to be even MORE INTENSELY focused on doing what we know is best for us?! What would happen? Simple. Easier said than done but… If you can actually get yourself to do that even 10 or 20 or 30% of the time and then spiral up from there… Then… You’d change your life. Fundamentally and permanently. Now… That’s the essence of the first of three disciplines: Structural Discipline. It’s also why we spent so much time and money working with one of the best product development companies in the world to create the core experience of our Heroic app: the Big 3 Target Practice protocol. Who are you at your absolute best? What virtues do you embody? What do you actually DO on a daily basis? When we have structural discipline, we DOMINATE that protocol. We recommit to being our best selves in the morning. Then we hit virtuous targets all day. Every day. Soul Force score at 101. LET’S GO. I repeat: GOOD LUCK having a series of really bad days when you do that. Your highs will be higher AND your lows will be higher and you will have earned the trust in yourself to KNOW that you can handle WHATEVER life throws at you. That’s how you forge antifragile confidence by executing your protocol via Structural Discipline. The second discipline is “Reactive Discipline.” As I said in the old +1, Reactive Discipline is just what it sounds like. Something triggers you. Can you step in between the stimulus and your normal sub-optimal response with the DISCIPLINE to CHOOSE a better response? Fantastic. That’s Reactive Discipline. Then we have Expansive Discipline. This is both the most important and the hardest of the three. EVERY SINGLE MOMENT we have a choice. Will we step forward into growth or back into safety? If we want to live our most heroically awesome lives and have a shot at experiencing all that we’re capable of being, when we feel even a little niggle of fear, we must (more and more!) consistently choose to EXPAND. EXPAND. EXPAND. We need to make that expansion a discipline. How? “Bring in on!!” is a FANTASTIC tool to practice. That’s Today’s +1. The Three Disciplines of Self-Mastery. Structural Discipline. Reactive Discipline. Expansive Discipline. How are YOU doing with each? What’s awesome? What needs work? What ONE thing can you do a little differently Today? Here’s to your disciplines. All three of them! Day 1. All in. LET’S GO!
Personal Humility + Indomitable Will Jim Collins is my all-time favorite business thinker. He’s written a bunch of great books including Good to Great, Built to Last, and Great by Choice. But… My all-time favorite business book is Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0: Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company. (Thanks again for the rec on that, Gibson. ) I still need to do a Note on all those books and create a series of Notes for all the business books I’ve read but have yet to distill. For now… I want to talk about one of Jim Collins’ Big Ideas on what he calls “Level 5 leadership.” Here’s how he puts it: “Our research showed that having charismatic leadership doesn’t explain why some companies become great and others don’t. In fact, some of the most disastrous comparison cases had very strong, charismatic leadership in the very era that the companies fell or failed. Rather, our research found that the critical ingredient is Level 5 leadership. The essence of Level 5 leadership is a paradoxical combination of personal humility and indomitable will. The humility expressed at Level 5 isn’t a false humbleness; it’s a subjugation of personal ego in service to a cause beyond oneself. This humility combined with the fierce resolve to do whatever it takes (no matter how difficult) to best serve that cause. Level 5 leaders are incredibly ambitious, but they channel their ambition into building a great team or organization and accomplishing a shared mission that’s ultimately not about them.” First: “Personal humility.” We subjugate our personal egos in service to something bigger than ourselves. Second: “Indomitable will.” As in… INDOMITABLE will. (Wow.) We have a fierce resolve to do WHATEVER it takes (no matter how difficult!) to best serve the cause. (Goosebumps.) Combine personal humility and indomitable will and we have what Collins calls “Level 5 leadership.” Only… You know what I thought of when I read that passage? I thought… If, as Joseph Campbell says: “A hero is someone who has dedicated his or her life to something bigger than oneself”… Then… I say… Jim Collins just described HEROIC Leadership. And… That’s Today’s +1. Let’s fiercely resolve to stepping up and into our Heroic Leadership potential—combining personal humility with INDOMITABLE (!) will to do whatever it takes for however long it takes to fulfill our Missions. And… Let’s do that… TODAY. Day 1. All in. LET’S GO. P.S. Check out this +1 on (Heroically!) Fierce Ambition for another take on the subject, inspired by Doris Kearns Goodwin and her brilliant book Leadership in Turbulent Times.
I Read Archeologically (Like Twyla Tharp) A couple +1s ago, I promised to tell you more about how I read a book. Here’s the very short answer… I read like it’s my job to find Big Ideas that can help me activate my Soul Force so I can help YOU activate YOUR Soul Force. For one simple reason. It is. Now… Let’s go to one of my favorite books for a passage that best captures how I read. In The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp tells us: “When I’m reading archeologically, I’m not reading for pleasure. I read the way I scratch for an idea, digging down deep so I can get something out of it and use it in my work. I read transactionally: How can I use this? It’s not enough for me to read a book. I have to ‘own’ it. I scribble in the margins. I circle sentences I like and connect them with arrows to other useful sentences. I draw stars and exclamation points on every good page, to the point where the book is almost unreadable. By writing all over the pages, I transform the author’s work into my book—and mine alone.” Yep. That’s exactly how to do it. Carrying on… Here are some other things you might find interesting in terms of how I read a book and how I encourage you to consider approaching it. First, very importantly: I DO NOT speed read. I read reasonably quickly—40-50 or so pages an hour depending on the font size and complexity of the subject and all that. But… Again… I DO NOT “speed read.” Nor do I try to see how fast I can get through the book per se. I treat reading a book like it’s my job to mine its depths for the Big Ideas that can change YOUR life as I strive to give you More Wisdom in Less Time via the PhilosophersNotes and these +1s because, again, it is. I also, even more importantly and less obviously, read a book like I’m lucky enough to sit down and have a GREAT conversation with a BRILLIANT thinker who spent years (if not decades!) reflecting on the subject of their book and then spent another big chunk of time distilling that wisdom into a book they could share with us. Why in the world would I rush through THAT? Nope. I sit up straight. Pen in hand as I GET TO WORK searching for the Ideas that could change our lives. I’ll also say that, many years ago, I was interviewing Tony Schwartz about his great book The Power of Full Engagement. He told me that, at the time, he found his brain so full with digital inputs that he had a hard time sitting down and reading more than a page of a book. And, it was at that moment that he knew he needed to significantly reduce his consumption of digital inputs. Which is a REALLY important point. If you want to be able to FOCUS your mind on a book (or ANYTHING that is important) for longer than 20 seconds, you need to, in my opinion, start by Conquering Your Digital Addiction and practicing your Digital Minimalism. A good night of sleep and meditation practice helps as well. And… That’s a little more on how I read a book and that’s Today’s +1. Let’s bring Twyla Tharp back so she can send us on our way. She tells us: “If I stopped reading, I’d stop thinking. It’s that simple.” Yep. Books. They do a Hero good. Here’s to soaking our minds in the wisdom of great thinkers. And… Here’s to taking that wisdom and going from Theory to Practice to Mastery Together… TODAY. + + +
Do a Gritty, Flourishing Hero Good! In our last +1, we talked about how I read a book. More specifically, we focused on how I choose the books I read—which, I believe, is ALWAYS the most important first step in how to read a book. In short, I said that I follow Joseph Campbell’s wisdom to “read the right books by the right people.” Campbell tells us: “When you find an author who really grabs you, read everything he has done. Don’t say, ‘Oh, I want to know what So-and-so did’—and don’t bother at all with the best-seller list. Just read what this one author has to give you. And then you can go read what he had read. And the world opens up in a way that is consistent with a certain point of view. But when you go from one author to another, you may be able to tell us the date when each wrote such and such a poem—but he hasn’t said anything to you.” Scientists would agree with this approach of trusting yourself and doing what really grabs you—with books and with other things in life. In fact, Tal Ben-Shahar connects the academic research on what’s called “self-concordant goals” to Joseph Campbell to make the point. Here’s how Tal puts it in his great book Happier: “As research on self-concordant goals illustrates, Campbell’s belief is much more than a superstition. When we follow our bliss, we not only enjoy the journey, we are also more successful.” In the book, Tal walks us through the importance of goals in general and the importance of what psychologists call “self-concordant” goals in particular. “Self-concordant goals” are “the goals we pursue out of deep personal conviction and/or a strong interest.” As it turns out, Angela Duckworth echoes this wisdom in HER great book, Grit. We talk about the four practices to build grit in this +1 on The Science of Grit. Here they are: Interest + Practice + Purpose + Hope. The first, MOST IMPORTANT aspect of Grit? Interest. If we want to cultivate the sustainable passion required to cultivate grit (whether that’s for important, long-term goals or simply getting through a book!), we need to be intrinsically drawn to what we do. It needs to be, as we just discussed, SELF-CONCORDANT. All of which leads us to Today’s +1. How are your goals? Are they clear? Are they self-concordant? Do they fire you up? Let’s not read books or do other such things because we think we “should.” As Tony Robbins would say: Let’s not “should on ourselves.” And, As Rory Vaden puts it, let’s not be “should-heads.” Let’s do the things that grab us. With gritty joy. TODAY.
And… How I Pick the Books I Read I’m often asked how I read a book AND how I pick the books I read. In fact, I was asked this question in one of our recent Heroic Coach Soul Force Forge sessions in which I have 1-on-1 coaching sessions with our Coaches in a group environment. (These sessions are among the highlights of my month!) Today I’d like to chat about that for a moment or three. So… In a recent Zoom, I had an opportunity to connect with Franco—an incredibly inspiring 19-year-old Argentinian Heroic optimizer who is going through our Coach certification program. Franco told me that he was getting an ARETÉ tattoo for his 20th birthday (!!) and then asked me how I read a book. I kinda went off. Here’s the video clip of our time together. And, here’s the short story… The most important part of how to read a book, from my perspective, is to make sure you’re reading THE RIGHT BOOK. If you’re reading a book because you think you “have to” or because everyone else is reading it but… You’re not THAT into it, then… Well… Good luck with that. It’s going to be a bit of a slog and you may find your self x pages into another book but never finishing it. Of course, sometimes we need to read a book for school or for our jobs or whatever—in which case, we’d be wise to remove all ambivalence and GO ALL IN and act like that book you need to read is the most exciting book you could ever possibly read. (Seriously.) Assuming we’re talking about a situation in which our reading list is not assigned to us, the first thing I do is follow Joseph Campbell’s wisdom. In The Power of Myth, he tells us: “Sit in a room and read—and read and read. And read the right books by the right people. Your mind is brought onto that level, and you have a nice, mild, slow-burning rapture all the time. This realization of life can be a constant realization in your living. When you find an author who really grabs you, read everything he has done. Don’t say, ‘Oh, I want to know what So-and-so did’—and don’t bother at all with the best-seller list. Just read what this one author has to give you. And then you can go read what he had read. And the world opens up in a way that is consistent with a certain point of view. But when you go from one author to another, you may be able to tell us the date when each wrote such and such a poem—but he hasn’t said anything to you.” Yep. That’s the way to do it. And, that’s what I’ve done for the better part of the last 15-20 years now. In my 20s and early 30s, I started with Dan Millman. And Paulo Coelho. And Wayne Dyer. I’ve read nearly everything those guys have written. (Check out the Notes by clicking on the link for each author.) More recently, I’ve read almost everything written by Steven Pressfield, Ryan Holiday, and Cal Newport. Then there’s my old coach Steve Chandler and my beloved Yoda Phil Stutz. Then there’s Joseph Campbell himself. And one of my all-time favorite teachers, Eknath Easwaran—who I consider to be, in many ways, the Indian version of Campbell. In fact, I’ve created the MOST Notes on Easwaran and his great books. Nine of them so far. His translations of the Gita and Dhammapada in particular are ! Most recently, I followed this thread with Michael Singer. Not too long ago, I read his latest book called Living Untethered. It’s INCREDIBLY good. We previously featured The Untethered Soul, which I really liked, but after reading his latest book, Singer is now one of my new favorite teachers. So… After finishing that book, I immediately got three other books he’s written—including a couple he wrote nearly 50 years ago. In one of THOSE books he thanked Yogananda for being the deepest influence of his life. So what did I do? I immediately got HIS classic An Autobiography of a Yogi. Then I learned that Steve Jobs gave An Autobiography of a Yogi to everyone who attended his memorial service as THE final gift on their way out. (Goosebumps) Then I went back to Amazon and bought a half dozen more of Yogananda’s books (/booklets) all of which are !! Notes on all those coming soon. All that to say… That’s one powerful way I pick the books I’m going to read—which is, again, in my mind, one of the most important things to consider in terms of how to read a book. In our next +1, I’ll tell you more about how I actually read the book once I’ve decided to read it. For now… Happy reading. Here’s to that nice, mild, slow-burning rapture we get connecting with wisdom from a brilliant soul. Day 1. All in. Let’s go!
The Place to Live to Dominate the Day In our last +1, Dale Carnegie joined us to complement some Brian Cain wisdom about the importance of focusing on THIS moment (RIGHT NOW!) to crowd out any potential stress about the past or the future that might be eliciting some feelings of depression or anxiety. As you may recall, and, don’t worry! I promise that I will continue to unapologetically repeat all the important themes we discuss to make sure we’re practicing one of the key tenets of Learning 101 known as “spaced repetition” … Here’s how Cainer put it: “Remember, depression is obsession with the past, anxiety is obsession about the future, and optimal performance is obsession about the present.” And… Here’s how Carnegie put it: “George Bernard Shaw was right. He summed it all up when he said: ‘The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not.’ So don’t bother to think about it! Spit on your hands and get busy. Your blood will start circulating; your mind will start ticking—and pretty soon this whole positive upsurge of life in your body will drive worry from your mind. Get busy. Keep busy. It’s the cheapest kind of medicine there is on this earth—and one of the best.” Now… I ended that +1 with one of my go-to lines, encouraging you to consider putting this wisdom into practice “All day, every day. Especially… TODAY!” Which makes me think of ANOTHER Big Idea from Carnegie’s How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. He tells: “So let’s be content to live the only time we can possibly live: from now until bedtime. ‘Anyone can carry his burden, however hard, from now until nightfall,’ wrote Robert Louis Stevenson. ‘Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun goes down. And this is all that life really means.’" And… Carnegie encourages us to consider living in what he calls “Day-tight compartments.” He tells us: “Shut the iron doors on the past and the future. Live in Day-tight compartments.” Then… He tells us to ask ourselves THESE questions: 1. “Do I tend to put off living in the present in order to worry about the future, or to yearn for some ‘magical rose garden over the horizon’? 2. Do I sometimes embitter the present by regretting things that happened in the past—that are over and done with? 3. Do I get up in the morning determined to ‘Seize the day’—to get the utmost out of these twenty-four hours? 4. Can I get more out of life by ‘living in day-tight compartments’? 5. When shall I start to do this? Next week? ... Tomorrow? ... Today?”
Those are some GREAT questions. And… Reflecting on those is the focus of Today’s +1. Let’s spend a moment doing so now… 1. “Do you tend to put off living in the present in order to worry about the future, or to yearn for some ‘magical rose garden over the horizon’? 2. Do you sometimes embitter the present by regretting things that happened in the past—that are over and done with? 3. Do you get up in the morning determined to ‘Seize the day’—to get the utmost out of these twenty-four hours? 4. Can you get more out of life by ‘living in day-tight compartments’? 5. When shall you start to do this? Next week? ... Tomorrow? ... Today?”
Your answers? btw… Hint: The answer to #5 is… You should start to do this… TODAY! Yep. Today’s the day to move from Theory to Practice to Mastery, Hero. But only always. Day 1. All in. Here’s to living in day-tight compartments. LET’S GO!
And Its Antidote (Found in Spit!) In our last +1, we spent a little more time with Brian Cain and his wisdom on the fact that “depression is obsession with the past, anxiety is obsession about the future, and optimal performance is obsession about the present.” All of which begged the question: What are YOU obsessed about these days? And… All of that led to my admonition to activate our Soul Force by getting our Energy to Heroic levels and Focusing it on What’s Important NOW all day every day. Today I want to revisit the topic and bring another peak performance guru to the party to share HIS wisdom on the subject. We’ll go old school and invite Dale Carnegie to join us. As you almost certainly know, Carnegie wrote one of the all-time best-selling personal development books How to Win Friends and Influence People. He wrote that book in 1936. It’s sold over 30 million copies. (Check out the Notes for more.) What you may not know is that he wrote another great book called How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. That book was written in 1948. 6 million copies of that book have been sold as well. (Check out the Notes for more.) In How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Carnegie echoes Cainer’s wisdom about focusing on the PRESENT to deal with any potential depression and anxiety. He tells us: “George Bernard Shaw was right. He summed it all up when he said: ‘The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not.’ So don’t bother to think about it! Spit on your hands and get busy. Your blood will start circulating; your mind will start ticking—and pretty soon this whole positive upsurge of life in your body will drive worry from your mind. Get busy. Keep busy. It’s the cheapest kind of medicine there is on this earth—and one of the best.” There ya go. Feeling stressed? Perfect. That’s part of a good, noble life. The moment you quit thinking you should be exonerated from the pain of uncertainty and the pain of hard work will be one of the most powerful, antifragile confidence-building moments of your life! Now… Spit on your hands and get busy doing your best at whatever is in front of you. RIGHT. NOW. Gremlins come back to the party a minute or three later? Perfect. Repeat. Get back to work. Focusing your Energy on What’s Important Now. Not once in a while and not only when you feel like it. All day, every day. Especially when? TODAY.
Past? Future? Present? = Depression, Anxiety, Optimal Performance Not too long ago, we spent some time with my friend Brian Cain—who happens to be, in my opinion, at least tied for first as THE world’s best mental toughness coach. One particular line from his 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery has been popping up in my brain and I want to make sure we take a moment to chat about it. Here it is. Brian tells us (via Coach Kenny in his fable): “Remember, depression is obsession with the past, anxiety is obsession about the future, and optimal performance is obsession about the present.” Let’s think about that for a moment… Depression is obsession about the PAST. Anxiety is obsession about the FUTURE. Optimal performance? That requires an obsession with the PRESENT. Of course, that’s a deliberately hyperbolic oversimplification of depression and anxiety. And… It’s a powerful perspective. All of which begs the question: What are YOU obsessed about these days? I repeat: “Remember, depression is obsession with the past, anxiety is obsession about the future, and optimal performance is obsession about the present.” Here’s to activating our Soul Force by getting our Energy to Heroic levels and Focusing it on What’s Important NOW all day every day. Especially, as always, TODAY. Anxiety and depression BEGONE. Optimal performance LET’S GO!!
We Love You… Let’s GO! In our last +1, we talked about the fact that I’m hitting 101 Heroic Targets a day so I can keep my daimon in play. You try it yet? Of course, as I’ve said many times, you don’t need to be quite as crazy and ALL IN as I am to get the benefits of using the Heroic app. Early research shows that hitting as few as THREE Heroic Targets a day can boost your Energy 40%, your Productivity 20% and your Connection 15%—all in a few minutes on the app per day. Why does the Heroic app work so powerfully? Because there’s E X T R A O R D I N A R Y power in living our lives with a clear intention and shining the spotlight of our attention on the things that matter most. Then, of course, DOING the things that are in integrity with that vision of our best selves. Not once in a while but EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Now… One of the Heroic Energy Targets I commit to every morning these days is: “Cold Plunge (2:43 after 30)” That’s short-hand for: Get in the cold plunge for 2 minutes and 43 seconds after your 30 minute AM workout. Why 2:43? Because we love you. I actually do that twice a day—once after my AM workout and the second time an hour or two before I go to bed. Why 2:43 x 2? Because 2 x 2 min and 43 seconds is about 5.51 minutes and, well, everything I do is tied back to my purpose of helping create a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by the year 2051. Now… On to the point of Today’s +1. I came up with a little 2 minute and 43 second Heroic meditation that I do every time I hop in the cold plunge. It goes like this. First, I take a deep breath before I get in to the cold plunge. In through the nose, down into the belly, back out through the nose—exhale slightly longer than the inhale… Optimal Breathing 101 style. You know the drill. Before we go further… To be VERY clear, I never really want to hop in the cold. Getting in 51-57 degree water is never a particularly pleasant experience. But, I do it because a) I like building the habit of doing things I don’t like to do and b) I know the benefits of cold are extraordinary (see Notes on The Wim Hof Method!) so I move through my resistance and get in. I do a little “5-4-3-2-1!” countdown and… I’M IN. Then… My 2:43 Heroic Meditation begins. I start by saying each virtue. Wisdom. Self-Mastery. Love. Courage. Gratitude. Hope. Curiosity. Zest. Then I say an affirmation for each virtue. I am Wise. I am Disciplined. I am Loving. I am Courageous. I am Grateful. I am Hopeful. I am Curious. I am Zesty. Then I say the declaration for each virtue. I know the game I’m playing and how to play it well. I have structural, reactive, and expansive discipline. I am connected, joyful, and encouraging. I am willing to act in the presence of fear. I appreciate all the blessings and gifts in my life. I have an inspiring target, agency, and pathways. I pay attention to what’s working and what needs work. I dominate my fundamentals so I have Heroic Energy. Then I repeat each virtue. Wisdom. Self-Mastery. Love. Courage. Gratitude. Hope. Curiosity. Zest. Then I think of my tattoos as I remind myself of our ultimate mission: “Hero, I see a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by 2051. My Soul Force is at 101 and I’m helping 1 million people get THEIR Soul Force to 101 so we can change the world together.” Then I say to myself: “All in. Let’s go!!!” Then I get out of the cold, dry off and get back to dominating my day. That’s a 2 minute, 43 second version of a Heroic meditation. All in. Day 1. Let’s go!
It’s Hard to Have a Bad Day When I Hit These (Yours?) Every day I hit 101 Targets in the Heroic App. As I joke with our team and with some friends, “101 Targets a day keeps the daimon in play!” I can assure you that it’s really hard to have a really bad day when you start your day recommitting to being your best self in your Energy, Work, and Love and then do 101 things you KNOW help you stay plugged in. But… Don’t take my word for it. Test it! Now… I recommit to over 30 Heroic Energy Targets every morning. I’ve basically breadcrumbed my day with what I KNOW I do when I’m at my best so I can make that prior best my new baseline. My #1 Energy Target? “In Bed for 9-10 Hours” I haven’t missed that ONCE since we launched the app. Sleep is a sport for me and THAT (process!) Target is the #1 reason why my (outcome Target!) average Oura Sleep Score has been 90+ every month for nearly 2 years. For curious souls, my current Heroic Energy Top 3 includes: I. In Bed for 9-10 Hours II. AM Meditation (1%) III. Movement (30 Min) Just hitting THOSE three Targets would be enough to keep me feeling pretty darn Zesty and provide bumper rails to make sure I never got too off track. But, of course, I’m not trying to keep myself on track, I’m trying to see just how Heroically I can show up and just how much Soul Force I can activate as I strive to help YOU show up with a fully-activated Soul Force of 101! Which is why I also recommit to a Digital Sunset, PM Meditation (1%), my 1 Sun Salutation, 10 Pull-ups, 100 Burpees, 1,000 Meters of Rowing, 10,000 Steps and a couple dozen other targets. But that’s not quite the point of this +1. When I started writing it I planned to share a new 2 minute and 43 second Heroic meditation with you but I’ll save that for our next +1. Today’s +1 is this… What are YOUR Top 3 Heroic Energy Targets? What are the THREE simple things you do when YOU are plugged in and at your most-Heroically-Energized best? Seriously. What are they? REMEMBER!!! (Yes, I’m shouting.) Life doesn’t need to be so hard. We just need to step back from TikTok and the latest must-see Netflix show for a moment or three, get clarity on who we are and what we do when we’re at our best and then… BE THAT best version of ourselves and DO THE THINGS that best version of ourselves does!! As always… Not once in a while and DEFINITELY not only when we feel like it. Nope… All day, EVERY day ESPECIALLY on those days when we don’t feel like it. THAT, I repeat, is how we develop the antifragile confidence to KNOW that we have what it takes to show up and respond to every challenge life throws at us while we give the world all we’ve got. Of course, we architected the E N T I R E Heroic app to help you move from Theory to Practice to Mastery TODAY but whether you choose to use our tools or some other set of tools, please please please please please take the time to get clear on who you are at your best then recommit to being that version of yourself and doing the things that best version of you does TODAY. We need you at your Heroic best. Day 1. All in. Let’s GO!!!
In Permanent Ink Somewhere I’ll Never Miss It Today I want to chat about how I spent last Father’s Day with the kids. Hint: We went to Blindside Tattoo in Austin, Texas to add some Heroic targets to my forearm in permanent ink. Before we go there… As you may recall, in our last +1, we talked about Admiral McRaven’s Hero Code and the virtue of perseverance. He told us about the fact that it was PERSEVERANCE that helped many of our favorite Heroes weather the inevitable storms of their Heroic quests en route to the summit of fulfilling their Missions. I think this is so good that it’s worth repeating: “George Washington was defeated on the battlefield more times than he won. Abraham Lincoln lost eight elections before he won the presidency. Thomas Edison failed ten thousand times before inventing the lightbulb. Henry Ford had two failed companies before he found success. J. K. Rowling was destitute before she got the first Harry Potter book published, and Oprah Winfrey had an extremely difficult childhood before finding her way. Martin Luther King once famously said, ‘If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. But by all means, keep moving.’” Now… As I read that passage and reflected on the power of perseverance, I also thought about the fantastic ancient Sanskrit word for being a hero in the beginning: arambhashura. As Eknath Easwaran tells us in Conquest of Mind: “In Sanskrit we have a word which means “heroes at the beginning”: people who take up a job with a fanfare of trumpets but soon find that their enthusiasm has tiptoed down the back stair. Those who go far in meditation are the ones who keep on plugging. They may not be very spectacular; they may never hear a trumpet. But they keep on trying day in and day out, giving their best in every situation and relationship, never giving up. Such people are bound to reach their goal.” And… Now, it’s time for that fun trip with the kids Father’s Day trip to Blindside Tattoo with the kids. I created my Note on The Hero Code on the Monday after Father’s Day. On Father’s Day, I took Emerson and Eleanor with me to go get a tattoo. (Yes, that’s like me! Hah.) As you know if you’ve been following along, I have “ARETÉ” tattooed on my right forearm to remind me to practice my philosophy as I strive to close the always-present gap between who I’m capable of being and who I’m actually being in any given moment. I tattooed “HEROIC” on my left forearm along with the numbers “51 | 2051” to capture the ultimate mission to which I’ve dedicated my life: playing my role as humbly yet heroically well as I can to help create a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by 2051. On Father’s Day 2022, the kids and I went on a little adventure to add “101 | 1M” next to the “51 | 2051.” The “101” represents my commitment to doing everything in my power to get my Soul Force to 101 so I can help YOU get YOUR Soul Force (as measured in the Heroic app!) to 101. The “1M” represents the first million people I’m committed to doing everything in my power to help get to a Soul Force score of 101 so we can have a shot at that 51 | 2051. As we’ve discussed, science says we increase our odds of achieving our goals by about 42% if we write them down. So… I figured I’d write my most important goals somewhere I’d never miss them and let them serve as a constant reminder to PERSEVERE (just one step at a time!) through all the inevitable obstacles in a good heroic quest. Every morning I start my meditation by looking at down at my arm and saying to myself, “Hero, I see a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by 2051. Let’s get our Soul Force to 101 and help 1M people do the same and we have a shot at fulfilling our mission.” 101 x 1M → 51 | 2051 All in. Day 1. Here’s to PERSEVERING through the inevitable storms on our Heroic quests as we take JUST ONE MORE STEP… Today. + + +
Did You Know That George Washington… In our last couple +1s, we chatted about Admiral McRaven’s and Ryan Holiday’s take on Courage. Remember: Courage is calling. All we need to do is take JUST ONE STEP. Today I want to explore some more wisdom from McRaven’s great new book, The Hero Code. As you may recall, The Hero Code has ten virtues: Courage. Humility. Sacrifice. Integrity. Compassion. Perseverance. Duty. Hope. Humor. Forgiveness. Let’s shine a spotlight on the sixth virtue, Perseverance. We’ll invite Admiral McRaven back to the party to share his wisdom on the subject. He tells us: “I believe history will show that success is not just a function of brains or brawn, of talent or intellect, of skill or resourcefulness, but of perseverance. Genius without resolve is just another passing person with a bright idea. Athletic prowess without determination is just another talent wasted. The world is filled with men and women who amounted to nothing because they gave up on their dreams: because they didn’t have the guts, the determination, the willpower to keep going—no matter what. But history is equally replete with heroes who fought through the challenges, persevered, and made a difference. George Washington was defeated on the battlefield more times than he won. Abraham Lincoln lost eight elections before he won the presidency. Thomas Edison failed ten thousand times before inventing the lightbulb. Henry Ford had two failed companies before he found success. J. K. Rowling was destitute before she got the first Harry Potter book published, and Oprah Winfrey had an extremely difficult childhood before finding her way. Martin Luther King once famously said, ‘If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. But by all means, keep moving.’” Perseverance. It does a noble Hero good. That first paragraph reminds me of this classic Calvin Coolidge wisdom: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” And, although I knew about Lincoln’s failures and J. K. Rowling’s challenges before Harry Potter success (check out our Notes on Leadership in Turbulent Times for more on Lincoln and our collection of Notes on all the Harry Potter books here), I never knew that about George Washington. Isn’t it fascinating to imagine him losing more battles than he won?! Thank you, George, for persevering. (Seriously. Thank you, sir. I don’t take the freedom my country affords me for granted as I know that you fought for SEVEN YEARS to fulfill the Declaration of Independence. ) And… THAT’s Today’s +1. Perseverance. It does a noble Hero good. Let’s take just ONE more step. Today. +1. +1. +1.
Answer the Call, Hero! In our last +1, we talked about virtue #1 in Admiral McRaven’s Hero Code. COURAGE. I reminded us of the fact that Aristotle told us that courage is the most important virtue—the one that vitalizes all the other virtues. Why? Because… If we don’t have the COURAGE to take action in the presence of fear, then all of our supposed Wisdom and Self-Mastery and Love and Gratitude and Hope and Curiosity and Zest is stuck in Theory-land and is, to put it bluntly, USELESS if we don’t have the courage to put it into practice. Churchill echoed that wisdom when he told us that: “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities, because it is the quality which guarantees the rest.” Note: Churchill also EMBODIED that Heroic Courage in the face of overwhelming odds and looming catastrophe during World War II. We, arguably, have HIM (and his tenacious (!) courage) to thank most for leading in such turbulent times to help create the world we live in today. And… Today I’d like to talk more about Ryan Holiday’s take on the subject of courage. So… Let’s. As you know if you’ve been following along, Ryan Holiday is one of my all-time favorite writers and thinkers. My respect for him and for his dedication to his craft as a writer and a practicing Stoic grows with each new book of his I read. So far, we’ve covered The Obstacle Is the Way, The Daily Stoic, Ego Is the Enemy, and Stillness Is the Key. They are all fantastic. As expected, the first book in his new virtue series on THE most essential virtue: Courage Is Calling is ALSO fantastic. The book is packed with practical wisdom on why and HOW to embody Heroic courage. Here’s one passage we can reflect on today… Ryan tells us: “Courage is the management of and triumph over fear. It’s the decision—in a moment of peril, or day in and day out—to take ownership, to assert agency, over a situation, over yourself, over the fate that everyone else has resigned themselves to. We can curse the darkness, or we can light a candle. We can wait for someone else to come and save us, or we can decide to stand and deliver ourselves. Which will it be? Every hero faces this choice. Our discrimen—the critical turning point. The moment of truth. Will you be brave? Will you put yourself out there? What will you reveal your character to be? If cowardice is failure to do your duty, then courage is the decision to step up and do it. Answering the call. Overriding fear and seizing your destiny. Doing the thing you cannot do because it needs to be done . . . with fortitude and spirit, guts and grit, even if you have no idea if you’ll succeed. This will not be easy. But we cannot fear. We must, as Shakespeare said, ‘meet the time as it seeks us.’ Our destiny is here. Let’s seize it.” That’s Today’s +1. Courage is calling. Let’s answer the call. TOGETHER. Today.
Take JUST ONE STEP Forward Today In our last +1, we spent some time with one of my heroes, Admiral William H. McRaven as we soaked our souls in wisdom from his newest book: The Hero Code. As you may recall, McRaven’s Hero Code has ten core virtues: Courage. Humility. Sacrifice. Integrity. Compassion. Perseverance. Duty. Hope. Humor. Forgiveness. Today I want to talk about the #1 virtue: COURAGE. Let’s talk about one of THE most powerful ways to operationalize that virtue. Here’s how Admiral McRaven puts it: “None of us are immune from life’s pain and disappointment. But if you doubt for even a second that you have the courage necessary to confront the evil in the world or that weakness that resides deep inside all of us—you’re wrong. ... We all have our lines in the sand, those fears that keep us from being courageous. But all you have to do to overcome those fears, those obstacles, those challenges in your life is to take one step forward. Just one. Take one step forward and get on the helicopter. Take one step forward and fight injustice. Take one step forward and challenge the bullies. Take one step forward and face your inner demons. And if you take that one step forward you will find the courage you seek, the courage necessary to overcome your fears and be the hero you long to be.” As we’ve discussed many times, the word courage comes from the same root as heart. Just as the heart pumps blood to your arms and legs and vital organs, courage is the virtue that vitalizes all the other virtues. The best way to cultivate our courage? Science agrees with McRaven’s approach. As we discuss in our Notes on The Courage Quotient by Robert Biswas-Diener, we need to be willing to act in the presence of fear. And, as we discuss in various places we need to APPROACH our challenges rather than AVOID them. And… As McRaven puts it: “all you have to do to overcome those fears, those obstacles, those challenges in your life is to take one step forward.” Now… One of the (many!) reasons I love creating these +1s and the Notes is that I get to go back through my favorite passages and, as I type each word out, really feel the intention and the nuance of the author’s wisdom. As I typed that passage out, I was struck by the way McRaven emphasized “Just one.” “We all have our lines in the sand, those fears that keep us from being courageous. But all you have to do to overcome those fears, those obstacles, those challenges in your life is to take one step forward. Just one.” When we face the inevitable obstacles and challenges of life and feel the inevitable fears that arise in those situations, all we need to do is take JUST ONE step forward. JUST ONE step forward in that moment when you tend to freeze or to freak out. JUST ONE step forward—approaching your challenges rather than avoiding them. JUST ONE step forward—saying “Bring it on!” rather than “Make it go away!” That is the essence of courage. A willingness to act in the presence of fear, to APPROACH rather than avoid our challenges—not once in a while or when you feel like it but more and more consistently all day every day ESPECIALLY when you don’t feel like it—knowing that your infinite, HEROIC potential exists just on the other side of your comfort zone as you cultivate the strength for two and give us all you’ve got. Let’s take JUST ONE step forward today, my beloved Hero. Just one step forward. TOGETHER. (!!!) Today. +1. +1. +1.
McRaven’s Ten Core Virtues Admiral William H. McRaven is one of my very few living American heroes. We’ve created Notes on three of his great books. We started with Make Your Bed—a short, brilliant, inspiring manual all about “Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe the World” that was inspired by the commencement address he gave at the University of Texas at Austin that went viral. Then we featured his autobiography, Sea Stories, which is all about the wisdom he gained from his nearly four decades in special operations. So… When I saw the title to his newest book, I KNEW I had to read it and I KNEW I’d love it. The book? It’s called The Hero Code. It’s a super-quick reading, incredibly inspiring look at “Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived” in which Admiral McRaven walks us through the lives of everyday heroes who showed up and gave us all they had. I highly recommend it. (Get a copy here.) McRaven tells us: “I came to realize that there is a hero in all of us. There is an innate code that has been there since the birth of mankind. It is written in our DNA. It is what drove the great expansion of humanity out of Africa. It summoned the explorers to cross the deserts and the seas. It helped create the great faiths. It emboldened the early scientists and philosophers. It nurtured the ill and infirm. It spoke truth to masses. It brought order to chaos and hope to the desperate. This code is not a cipher, or a cryptograph, or a puzzle to be solved. It is a moral code, an internal code of conduct that drives the human race to explore, to nurture, to comfort, to inspire, and to laugh so that societies can flourish.” The Hero Code. Admiral McRaven tells us that it is a moral code and, in the book, walks us through ten of the core virtues that make up the code as he shares the story of an everyday hero who embodied that particular virtue. Each virtue has its own commitment. Here they are. “I will always strive to be COURAGEOUS; to take one step forward as I confront my fears. I will work to be HUMBLE; to recognize the limits of my intellect, my understanding, and my power. I will learn to SACRIFICE by giving a little of my time, my talent, and my treasure to those in need. I will be a person of INTEGRITY; every decision I make and every action I take will be moral, legal, and ethical. I will be kind and COMPASSIONATE to at least one person every single day and expect nothing in return. I will never give up on matters that are important to me, my family, my country, my faith. I will PERSEVERE. Whatever job I am given, whatever DUTY I am bound by, I will do it to the best of my ability. I will use my unique talents to inspire others and give them HOPE that tomorrow will be a better day. I will use HUMOR to comfort others, and never be afraid to laugh at myself. No matter how great or small the offense against me, I will FORGIVE. I will be the victor, not the victim.” To repeat. The Hero Code has ten core virtues: Courage. Humility. Sacrifice. Integrity. Compassion. Perseverance. Duty. Hope. Humor. Forgiveness. How are YOU doing with each? Anything jump out that might be working really well for you? How about anything that might need a little (or a lot!) of work from you? Here’s to living in integrity with our highest values, Hero. Not someday. But, as always, TODAY. +1. +2. +3. +4. +5. +6. +7. +8. +9. +10.
Red Lights? GREEN LIGHTS! We’ve been having some fun exploring Brian Cain’s wisdom on mental performance mastery. As you know if you’ve been following along, we started by checking in to see if you’ve been punched in the face lately (), then we broke some arrows with our neck to dominate the Ability + Strategy + GOYA = Results equation, then we did some 1% math (remember: 1% is 14 minutes and 24 seconds of your day and, if you get 1% better every day, you’ll be 998,822,690,009,590 times better in a decade! ) then we questioned why we’d want to be average, then we raised the basement, and, most recently, we focused our telescopes AND our microscopes on our top goals so we can dominate the day AND the decade. Schew. We’ve been busy! +1% +1% +1% for the win! Today I want to wrap up the tour through Brian’s brain with one more Big Idea from 10 Pillars. This one’s on how to flip the switch and go from red lights to green lights. Here’s Brian and the characters from his little fable to bring the wisdom home… “I felt as if I understood the difference between a red-light and green-light state. I wanted to learn how to get into a green-light state and stay there. ‘You recognize that if you are in a red-light state or a yellow-light state, you must have a release routine to get you back to green and back in control of yourself. That release routine follows a three-step process,’ Coach Kenny said. ‘You need to have (#1) a physical action that you make with an association that serves as a trigger for releasing the past and moving on to the next play or the next part of your day. You then (#2) take a deep releasing breath that you take while looking at a fixed point we call a focal point to oxygenate your brain and get back in control of yourself. And then you (#3) have a verbal trigger you say that cuts off the past and cements your commitment to the present.’ Coach Kenny then stood up, clapped his hands, took a deep breath, wiped his chest down with his hands as if he were wiping dirt off himself and said, “GOOD. What’s important now?’” That’s from a chapter on Pillar #4: Self-Control and Discipline. It’s kinda like our “Flip the Switch” protocol in our Mastery Series. Here’s the quick take… Feeling disconnected from your best self? PERFECT. Awareness is always the first, most important step. Now, flip the switch and go from red lights to green lights as you invite the best, most Heroic version of yourself back to the party. Here’s one way to approach it: #1. Stand up strong. Chest up, chin down. Smile. #2. Take a deep breath. In through the nose. Down into your belly. Back out through your nose. Exhale slightly longer than your inhale. Ahhhh… #3. Say to yourself: “Close the Gap. Arete = Heroic.” (Or... “What do I want? What’s important now? LET’S GO!” Or... “Calm Confidence. I’ve got this!” Or… Whatever fires YOU up!) Today’s +1? The VERY NEXT TIME you feel a little wobbly today, how about you flip the switch and go from red to green lights and have fun seeing just how fast you can do it? #1. Stand up strong—chest up, chin down. Smile. #2. Take a deep breath. #3. Say to yourself: “Arete = Heroic. What’s important now? LET’S GO!” Red lights? GREEN LIGHTS! LET’S GO! + + + P.S. Want to see some of Brian’s elite athletes putting this wisdom in PRACTICE to create moments of peak performance? Awesome. Check out these clips!!
And Heroic Apps to Dominate the Day and Decade Not too long ago, we spent some time with Brian Cain and some of his wisdom from a couple of his little fables: One Percent Better and The 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery. I want to revisit some of his wisdom. Let’s talk about your goals. We’ll invite Cainer back to the party to help us check them out from a couple different perspectives. In 10 Pillars, he tells us: “Setting big goals is great, but they have to be the right goals or they become traps. Financial goals must be secondary to family goals or you won’t have any family to set goals with. You also need to have telescope and microscope goals. Telescope goals that you can see off into the future, and then you must reverse engineer a process back to your microscope and execute on your microscopic daily goals. Telescope goals are 1, 3, 5+ years into the future and the microscope goals are what you will do in the next 24 hours to move towards your telescope goals. Remember, inch by inch, goal setting is a cinch and yard by yard, it’s hard.” That’s from a chapter on Pillar #2 of Mental Performance Mastery—which is all about our Motivation and Commitment. Brian tells us (and all great peak performance teachers affirm) that one of the most important things we can do to get (and sustain!) elite levels of motivation is to set clear goals. And... I just LOVE the way he helps us do that. So… Let’s bust out our Telescopes AND our Microscopes then the Heroic app and do some work. First, the Telescope. What are your most inspiring 1, 3, and 5+ year goals? (Seriously. What are they?) If you feel so inspired, let’s do a quick inventory of your, let’s say, 5-year goals in your Big 3: Energy + Work + Love. Remember: If we don’t prioritize our Love alongside our Work we may not have the opportunity to set and celebrate the achievement of our Work goals with the people in our lives who matter most. And... If our Energy isn’t where it needs to be, there’s no way we’ll show up powerfully in either our Work or our Love so... Big 3 for the win! This is my #1 5-Year ENERGY Goal: ___________________________________ This is my #1 5-Year WORK Goal: ___________________________________ This is my #1 5-Year LOVE Goal: ___________________________________ (Nice work! ) Now, it’s time to bust out the Microscope. I’m biased but... I think one of the easiest ways to get clarity on what you should DO TODAY to be in integrity with the best version of yourself that’s capable of ACHIEVING those goals is simple... Do some Target Practice on the Heroic app as we move from Theory to Practice to Mastery Together TODAY. Step 0. Set up your Big 3 protocol by getting clarity on who you are at your best in your Energy + Work + Love, the virtues that version of you embodies and what, SPECIFICALLY, you will actually DO TODAY to be in integrity with that best version of yourself. Step 1. Commit to being that best version of yourself and doing those things TODAY. Note: As we like to say (and I promise to repeat myself!)… New Year’s Resolutions are nice and warm and fuzzy. New DAY’s Resolutions are where it’s at if you actually want to consistently perform at the highest possible levels. Step 2. Hit your targets. ALL DAY. EVERY DAY. ESPECIALLY TODAY! And even more importantly… commit and hit them on those days when you don’t (insert whiney voice) feel like it. Step 3. Repeat. Forever. See your moonshot goals with your Telescope. See the next steps in your Microscope. Dominate the day with your Heroic app. And give us all you’ve got, Hero. TODAY.
“True Surrender” = “The Art of Acquiescence” In our last couple +1s, we talked about Michael Singer and his practical wisdom. As we discussed, he has quickly become one of my favorite new teachers. He clearly practices his philosophy and his philosophy is a good one. As I was reading his latest book, I was struck by the parallels of his wisdom and Stoicism. Although they take different approaches to get there and describe the process in slightly different terms (as is typically the case with universal truths echoed across different cultures and times), they arrive at the same destination. Check this out, for example. Here’s Michael Singer from Living Untethered: “One of the most amazing things you will ever realize is that the moment in front of you is not bothering you—you are bothering yourself about the moment in front of you.” And… Here’s Marcus Aurelius from his Meditations: “If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” The wisest among us learn to have the wisdom and the humility to see the bigger picture and to ACCEPT REALITY. That is what Singer would call “true surrender.” Byron Katie calls it “loving what is.” Phil Stutz calls it “radical acceptance.” The Stoics called it “the art of acquiescence” and their ENTIRE philosophy is basically predicated on EXACTLY what Singer is describing. Whatever you want to call it, let’s PRACTICE IT. Today. +1. +1. +1. LET’S GO!
Opportunities to Practice In our last +1, we talked about using the WEATHER as a prompt to practice our philosophy. I shared my new favorite temperature which, as you may recall, is WHATEVER THE TEMPERATURE IS RIGHT NOW! (Hah.) (Seriously though! ) I promised we’d chat more about Michael Singer and his idea of practicing “surrendering” to reality by picking some low-hanging fruit. Here’s some of his wisdom on the subject from his great (!) book Living Untethered. He tells us: “The best way to let go of stored pockets of pain is to practice. Just as you practice the scales to learn the piano or practice a sport to get good at it, you practice letting go to learn how to do it. You start with simple things. We call these low-hanging fruit. There are many situations each day when you create inner disturbance for absolutely no good reason. Bothering yourself about the car in front of you does no good at all. It only makes you tense and uptight. The cost-benefit analysis is one-hundred-percent cost and zero benefit. Letting go of that tendency should be easy, but it’s not. You will find that you’re in the habit of insisting and demanding that things should be the way you want, even if it’s irrational. Things are the way they are because of the influences that made them that way. You are not going to change the weather by complaining about it. If you are wise, you will start to change your reactions to reality instead of fighting with reality. By doing so, you will change your relationship with yourself and with everything else.” And, he says: “Start with the small things to prove to yourself that you are capable of doing this. Working with yourself at this level is practicing letting go.” Let’s emphasize three aspects of that passage. First, we’ll talk about the importance of PRACTICE in general. Second, we’ll talk about the fact that wasting our energy on trivial things that are out of our control is a 100% cost 0% benefit outcome. And, third, we’ll talk about the importance of finding little things to use as part of your idiosyncratic practice in particular. Regarding practice in general… Just this morning, as I was exploring some of the quotes in the Heroic app as I committed to practicing (!) the virtue of Self-Mastery, I read a brilliant gem from Alex Korb’s great book The Upward Spiral—which is all about “Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time.” He tells us: “Ultimately it comes down to the most cliched but scientifically true maxim: practice, practice, practice. To create new, good habits, you have to repeat them over and over again until your brain rewires itself.” And… As I was rowing after my AM1 Deep Work block, I thought of the fact that I needed to connect all this wisdom about practice to Daniel Coyle and his wisdom in his great book The Little Book of Talent. He tells us: “Repetition has a bad reputation. We tend to think of it as dull and uninspiring. But this perception is titanically wrong. Repetition is the single most powerful lever we have to improve skills, because it uses the built-in mechanism for making the wires of our brains faster and more accurate.” PRACTICE. PRACTICE! PRACTICE!! It’s super important. Now let’s shine a spotlight on the fact that, arguing with reality is a 100% LOSING proposition. As Byron Katie says, we lose when we argue with reality. But only EVERY TIME. The cost includes not only our tension and uptightness but the LOST OPPORTUNITY to have alchemized that same trigger into an opportunity to grow. We missed the chance to turn that -1 into a +1 and then aggregate and compound all those tiny little gains into some MASSIVE change. Add up all those missed opportunities and… That gets expensive FAST! Now let’s shine a spotlight on YOU and your idiosyncratic opportunities to practice. What little things bother YOU? Seriously. Think of something that a) you have no control over that b) you know you’re wasting your energy getting all worked up about that c) you could use as a new prompt to practice your philosophy. What is it? Got it? Awesome. Let’s stop letting ourselves get annoyed by arguing with reality over insanely trivial things that are OBVIOUSLY totally (!) out of our control. The next time that thing happens, let’s NOTICE how we’re getting all tense and uptight. And RELAX. Take a nice, deep breath. Then go on with your day. You just plucked some low-hanging fruit. Let’s use that fruit as fuel to strengthen our ability to step in between a stimulus and our old response to choose the most empowered response as we get stronger in preparation for the inevitable bigger challenges life will give us. -1 to +1. -1 to +1. -1 to +1. All day every day. Especially TODAY.
What’s Yours? Emerson just walked into my office zipping up his camo winter jacket to go with his camo pants. He told me: “It’s COLD! It’s 52 degrees out this morning!” Fall arrived in a hurry out here in Austin and we went from the 100’s to the 90’s to, for former Californians, chilly quickly! Now… Emerson and I have a new joke—which is why I replied by saying, “Oh!! 52 degrees—that’s my all-time favorite temperature!” To which he laughed and said, “Dadddddddyyyyy. EVERY temperature is your favorite temperature.” That’s true. My favorite temperature? It’s always EXACTLY what the temperature is at that moment. Which gets us a little closer to the point of Today’s +1. Let’s step back for a moment and set some context. Michael Singer has become one of my absolute favorite teachers. Although I very much enjoyed The Untethered Soul (check out those Notes), it wasn’t until my friend Joe Okleberry sent me a picture of him and Michael that I picked up this book. Now, I didn’t have to go far to pick it up as Alexandra had been raving about him for months. The book was literally on our kitchen table. With the two of them extolling his awesomeness, I decided to join the party. And, I’m very glad I did. We’ll talk more about his wisdom soon. For now, as you know if you’ve read his stuff, THE central Big Idea to ALL of his work is, essentially, to QUIT ARGUING WITH REALITY. As he says: “Suffering is caused by the contrast between what you mentally decided you want and the reality unfolding in front of you. To whatever degree they don’t match, you suffer.” In our next +1, we’ll talk about something he calls “low-hanging fruit” that will help us PRACTICE reducing our suffering by “surrendering” to reality. For now… One of my favorite prompts to practice? The weather. Arguing with the WEATHER is one of the most ridiculous things we can do—which is why Emerson and I have that new joke. Here’s the origin story… Emerson was telling me how much he loved the 80-degree-ish fall temperature here in Austin. He asked me what my favorite temperature is. I told him: “The temperature RIGHT NOW is ALWAYS my ABSOLUTE favorite.” 102 degrees and Austin humid? Perfect. My all-time favorite temperature. Free sauna. 51 degree cold plunge? Perfect. My all-time favorite temperature. Rebooting the nervous system. As the Gita beautifully says: “Reshape yourself through the power of your will... Those who have conquered themselves... live in peace, alike in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, praise and blame... To such people a clod of dirt, a stone, and gold are the same... Because they are impartial, they rise to great heights.” Who knew the weather could be such a powerful tool for our armamentarium? So… What’s YOUR favorite temperature? Let’s quit arguing with reality and use EVERY opportunity we can to playfully practice our philosophies. +102degrees. +52degrees. And God bless those of you who live in -Xdegrees and REALLY get to practice!
Stoic Negative Visualization Part Deux Not too long ago, we talked about Happy our Rooster. He wasn’t doing so well then and, I’m sorry to say, he didn’t make it. We talked about Happy and his crowing in the context of remembering to practice alchemizing things that might (at least on occasion!) annoy us into reminders of just how precious the little things in life are. As you may recall, I connected that wisdom to the master class I created for Emerson on Conquering Toilet Paper 101. Today I want to continue the conversation and shine a brighter light on the ancient Stoic practice that the modern Stoic William B. Irvine describes as “negative visualization.” Then I’ll tell you how I practiced that when we couldn’t find the kids for a few minutes yesterday. First… The Stoics. As we discussed in +1 #851, Stoic philosopher William B. Irvine wrote a great book called A Guide to the Good Life. He tells us that the Stoics “recommended that we spend time imagining that we have lost the things we value—that our wife has left us, our car was stolen, or we lost our job. Doing this, the Stoics thought, will make us value our wife, our car, and our job more than we otherwise would. This technique—let us refer to it as negative visualization—was employed by the Stoics at least as far back as Chrysippus. It is, I think, the single most valuable technique in the Stoics’ psychological tool kit.” Now… I pay attention when a guy I respect as much as I respect Professor Irvine tells me that something is THE SINGLE MOST VALUABLE TECHNIQUE practiced in my preferred philosophical tool kit. Which is why I have practiced “negative visualization” since I learned of the technique years ago. And… It’s why I practiced it yesterday. Which leads us to the two Johnson kids. So… As we’ve discussed, we live out in the country outside of Austin. We have a little bit of land and one of the first things we did when we moved in was carve out a little half-mile walking trail. I absolutely love it and I target swipe hitting the Trail 2-3+ times a day. Now… Yesterday afternoon Alexandra came into my office and said she didn’t know where the kids were. They had been jumping around on the trampoline when she came inside for a few minutes and now she didn’t know where they were. She had looked in the tiny house where her mom lives and they weren’t there. She called for them using our secret loud call and they didn’t respond. She was more than a little nervous. So… We split up to see if we could find them. I walked one way on our trail and she took a different path to see if we could find them. As I walked in my direction, I took a deep breath and deliberately allowed myself to imagine the worst possible outcomes to feel the pain of losing our kids. What if they had somehow fallen into our little pond and BOTH of them somehow couldn’t get out? What if someone somehow came onto our property and abducted them or something terrible happened we couldn’t imagine? That was my internal dialogue for about 15-30 seconds. Then I took another deep breath as I told myself that, however unlikely, those WERE possibilities. And that any number of other tragic things could happen at ANY time to them. Then I reminded myself that I would be wise to keep that wisdom in mind much more often as I shifted from catastrophizing to staying calm and grounded and GRATEFUL to have two beautiful, healthy, happy kids as I turned the corner on our trail. Then who did I see? Two beautiful kids walking toward me—one with his headphones on listening to an audiobook which explained why he didn’t respond to his mom’s call. Safe and sound—oblivious to any potential issues. They knew they had to get some exercise in so they decided to go for a walk. And now they know to let us know when they go on a walk and not to walk with headphones on so they can hear a call. And, well… That’s Today’s +1. If you feel so inspired, consider adding a “negative visualization” practice to YOUR Heroic toolkit. Let’s remember to not take all those gifts in our lives for granted but AS GRANTED. Not someday. But Today. -1 to +1. Day 1. Let’s go!
And Notice When You’re Not This morning I was on the trail, listening to my 33-minute playlist of 11 of my favorite songs by my favorite band The Score while getting in my 30 minutes of movement and 15 minutes of MAF work. I had just hammered out 10 pull-ups and 100 burpees and 1,000 meters of rowing. I pulled out my bat phone, which I use to hit Heroic targets when I’m training and in Deep Work mode. Target swipe. Target swipe. Target swipe. That’s like me to have 51 targets hit by the time I come online en route to 101 targets for the day!! (101 Heroic Targets a day truly do keep the daimon in play, folks! ) And… As I was putting the ol’ bat phone back into the ol’ pocket… I missed. The phone fell to the ground and my old-school, corded headphones got disconnected. And… The music stopped. And… That’s when I knew I needed to create this +1. Want to hear the music of life? Awesome. Stay plugged in. Period. Want to more and more consistently show up as your best self? Awesome. Stay plugged in. Period. And, perhaps most importantly to achieve that… Notice when you’re NOT plugged in and what you did to get disconnected. Then do whatever you need to do to get plugged back in. All day every day. Especially… TODAY. +1. +1. +1. P.S. Desmond Tutu and Richard Rohr would agree. As they say: “We are only the light bulbs, and our job is just to remain screwed in!’” P.P.S. Here’s the playlist I’ve listened to hundreds and hundreds of times.
You Don’t Rise to the Occasion, You Sink to… Continuing our tour through Brian Cain’s mental toughness fables, let’s talk about another Big Idea from The 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery. Remember: Brian has coached an INCREDIBLE number of SUPER-ELITE athletes and coaches. Eight UFC Champions. Four Cy Young Winners. MVPs. Olympians, etc, etc., etc. One of the things he teaches them? The fact that, as he puts it: “You don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to your levels of training and habits.” Here’s how his guide Coach Kenny puts it in the fable. He tells us: “‘The key is to make your habits so strong and your training so good that when you sink to your worst day, you sink to a level higher than anyone else on their best day,’ Coach Kenny said. ‘It’s easy to say, hard to do, and only possible if you follow the 10 pillars of mental performance mastery.’” Then he says: “’Everyone talks about raising the roof. In reality, it’s about raising your basement so that you have good bad days and are better on your bad days than most people are on their good days—because you can focus better and have better habits and a more elite mindset. It’s really about being the best version of you that you have ever been. It’s also about not comparing yourself to anyone else but to where you were yesterday. If you can see progress—be better today than you were yesterday and better tomorrow than you are today—and just keep going baby step by baby step, you will get where you want to be.’” That’s from a great chapter called “You Don’t Rise to the Occasion; You Sink to Your Training and Habits.” There’s a LOT of wisdom in there that we could talk about for an entire weekend workshop. For now, let’s focus on a few highlights and some parallel wisdom from other brilliant teachers. First, I think of this +1 on Good Bad Days in which we talk about some wisdom from Jim Afremow’s The Champion’s Mind. Big Idea? Golfers like Jack Nicklaus and Rory McIlroy know it’s all about “playing poorly well.” You can only do that when you have an elite mind. Then I think of Lanny Bassham and his son Troy who wrote With Winning in Mind and Attainment. In this +1 on Average vs. Elite, we talk about the fact that AVERAGE performers practice something until they can get it right. ELITE performers, on the other hand, practice until they CAN’T GET IT WRONG. Then there’s Josh Waitzkin, the chess prodigy turned martial artist champion. In The Art of Learning, he tells us that we need to make our prior best our new baseline. What happens when we do all that? We raise the basement. Our highs are higher AND (!) our LOWS are HIGHER. On our worst days, we’re often better than we used to be on our best days. And that’s an incredibly powerful thing. Here’s to raising our basement as we DOMINATE THE DAY and give the world all we’ve got, Hero. Day 1. All in. Let’s go! P.S. Lest you think this is just a bunch of peak performance mumbo jumbo, let’s remind ourselves of the ancient wisdom from one of the wisest of them all as we make sure we are building our lives on a solid foundation.
The Best of the Worst and Worst of the Best In our last several +1s, we’ve been having fun hanging out with world-class mental toughness and peak performance coach, Brian Cain. And, trust me. Any time spent with Cainer is going to be fun. He is EASILY one of the most inspiring human beings on the planet. You can’t help but feel energized just being in his presence. So… Today we’re going to talk about one of the lines in his little fable on The 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery that jumped out at me and tattooed itself on my consciousness. It’s about being average. Coach Kenny is the guide in the fable. He’s coaching a burned-out executive. He tells him: “‘You are like most people,’ Coach Kenny said. ‘And we call that average. Like I have said, I hate the word average. It means you are the best of the worst and the worst of the best. It’s a terrible place to live.’” Me: Oh, snap! Average. It’s the best of the worst. And the worst of the best. Stuck right there in the middle of the rugged mountain we call mediocrity. Not where we want to hang out. Brian has Coach Kenny say: “You are giving the world your B or C game and you don’t even know it because you have never been trained on how to give your A game.” And: “The world needs you at your best. You can’t be normal, you must be elite.” And: “If you don’t have a plan, how are you getting better? The problem is when you stop getting better, you start getting bitter, and nobody likes being around people who are bitter all the time.” Lest you think that wisdom is just some rah-rah, pom-pom waving goodness from an overly ambitious peak performance coach, how about this parallel wisdom from one of the twentieth century’s great spiritual teachers, Eric Butterworth? As we’ve discussed, Butterworth was Maya Angelou’s spiritual teacher. And, apparently, Oprah considers Discover the Power Within You one of her all-time favorite books. So… Here’s how Butterworth puts it in one of MY all-time favorite books, Spiritual Economics. He tells us: “Why be an average person? All the great achievements of history have been made by strong individuals who refused to consult statistics or to listen to those who could prove convincingly that what they wanted to do, and in fact ultimately did do, was completely impossible.” Average. It’s the best of the worst and the worst of the best. As Sylvester Stallone tells us his son in Rocky IV (check out this inspiring scene!): “THAT’S NOT YOU! YOU’RE BETTER THAN THAT!!” Let’s commit to getting just a little bit better today in service to something bigger than ourselves as we remind ourselves that the process of becoming the best, most Heroic version of ourselves is SUPPOSED to be challenging and that the only antidote to mediocrity is excellence. Remember: The MOMENT we live with Areté we ARE Heroic. Let’s do that. Today.
Want to Get 998,822,690,009,590 Times Better? In our last +1, we talked about Brian Cain’s wisdom on The 1% Intention. Let’s review the math. There are 24 hours in a day. 60 minutes per hour. That’s 1,440 minutes per day. 1% of that? 14 minutes and 24 seconds. 1% of your day. Here’s the question: What’s the #1 thing you KNOW you could be doing that, if you spent just 1% of your day doing it, would have THE most positive impact in your life? Seriously. What is it? How can YOU invest just 1% of your day into getting 1% better Today? Think about it. And… As you do, let’s think about some James Clear wisdom on the subject to bring the point home—because the math is CRAZY. Actually… Before we go there… I have to say that I want your potential investment of 1% of your day into HEROIC to be (goosebumps) at least considered as one of the highest-leverage things you could do to improve your life 1%. 14 minutes and 24 seconds. Choose your own adventure with how you want to split that up in the app. Of course, you can get “more wisdom in less time” (Theory!) via these +1s, the PhilosophersNotes, 101s, Basic Training and Mastery Series to make sure you have the right strategies. And, if you feel so inspired, I think you’d be wise to consider a few minutes invested into the Target PRACTICE side of things as this will, in my opinion, always be THE HIGHEST LEVERAGE thing you can do as committing to being our best selves then actually doing the things that help us close the gap between who we’re capable of being and who we’re actually being is how we’ll move from Theory to PRACTICE to Mastery Together TODAY. Again, early research shows that spending just a few minutes a day using the Heroic app to hit just 3+ Heroic Targets in your Big 3 protocol can help you boost your Energy by 40%, your Productivity by 20% and your connection by 15%. So… LET’S GO, HERO!!! Now… Back to the math… Here’s how James puts it in his brilliant book Atomic Habits. He tells us: “It is so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily basis. Too often, we convince ourselves that massive success requires massive action. Whether it is losing weight, building a business, writing a book, winning a championship, or achieving any other goal, we put pressure on ourselves to make some earth-shattering improvement that everyone will talk about. Meanwhile, improving 1 percent isn’t particularly notable—sometimes it isn’t even noticeable—but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run. The difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding. Here’s how the math works out: if you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. Conversely, if you get 1 percent worse each day for one year, you’ll decline nearly down to zero. What starts as a small win or a minor setback accumulates into something much more. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The same way that money multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them. They seem to make little difference on any given day and yet the impact they deliver over the months and years can be enormous. It is only when looking back two, five, or perhaps ten years later that the value of good habits and the cost of bad ones becomes strikingly apparent.” 1% gains aggregated and compounded for a year equals an astonishing 37x improvement. And... As I say in our Notes on Atomic Habits, create a spreadsheet (like this) and run that 1% daily improvement out for another year. Guess what? After two years, you’re not 74 times better. You’re now 1,400 (!!) times better. Why stop there? Run it out another year. After the third year of aggregating and compounding those 1% gains, you’re now 53,405 times better. Four years? You’re 2,017,828 times better. Five years? You’re 76,240,507 times better. Shall we run it 10 years out? OK. Let’s. Result: Well, on day 3,472 we hit our last normal number. We’re 998,822,690,009,590 times better. (That’s nearly a quadrillion times better by the way.) Then we break our Google Spreadsheet by day 3,650 when we’re at 5.87074E+15. I don’t even know what that means but I assume it’s even more zeroes. (Hah. ) All that to say: Little things matter. A lot. Especially when we compound them over time. Let’s use 1% of our day to +1%. TODAY.
Close the Gap TODAY In our last couple +1s, we spent some time hanging out with world-class mental toughness coach Brian Cain. We broke some arrows, ate some fire and got an invitation to a big UFC event where one of his fighters made Epictetus proud by smiling as he got punched in the face. Today we’re going to spend some more time with Cainer. We’re going to talk about getting 1% better. Let’s head back to his little fable (appropriately called “One Percent Better”) where his characters Sunny and Mr. Big are having a little chat. “‘Good morning, Mr. Big! It’s time to get juiced. Either we are going to dominate the day or the day will dominate us. Are you ready?’ Sunny asked this with the excitement of a kid on Christmas Day. As we began walking the halls to the scent of bacon and breakfast, Sunny started asking me about math. ‘Mr. Big, there are 24 hours in a day and 60 minutes in each hour. How many minutes are there in a day?’ I quickly took out my phone and asked, ‘Hey, Siri. How many minutes in a day?’ ‘There are 1,440 minutes in a day,’ Siri chimed back. Then she asked, ‘What’s 1% of 1,440?’ This is where I was stumped. I wasn’t sure how to do the math. After all, I wasn’t a math teacher. ‘No idea,’ I replied. ‘1% of a day is 14 minutes and 24 seconds,’ she said emphatically. ‘Everyone wants to get 1% better but they fail to intentionally invest 1% of their day because they don’t even know that it’s a strategy for success.’” Now… Mr. Big is a burned-out teacher. Sunny is his mentor. She works in the cafeteria and “brings the juice!” all day every day. Her #1 lesson and the focal point of the entire book? As Brian tells us: “The best place to start is to intentionally invest 1% of your day into yourself and become a better version of you today than you were yesterday. Then wake up tomorrow and do the same thing. Rinse and repeat. It’s actually quite simple.” Now, let’s review the math. There are 24 hours in a day. 60 minutes per hour. That’s 1,440 minutes per day. 1% of that? 14 minutes and 24 seconds. 1% of your day. Here’s the question: What’s the #1 thing you KNOW you could be doing that, if you spent just 1% of your day doing it, would have THE most positive impact in your life? Seriously. What is it? 1% of your day meditating is 14 minutes and 24 seconds of meditation. Would that change your life? How about 1% of your day training? Or 1% of your day with ZERO technology spent 101% focused on being present with your significant other and/or kids? Would that change your life? Or 1% of your day reflecting on your life purpose. Or LIVING more on purpose—doing the things you KNOW you could be doing for just 14 minutes and 24 seconds TODAY? Would that change your life? +1%. +1%. +1% Tiny investments that lead to tiny gains. That add up. Fast. Here’s to using 1% of our days to get 1% better. TODAY. btw: Early research shows that spending WAY LESS than 1% of your day using the Heroic app to dominate your Big 3 protocol can help you boost your Energy by 40%, your Productivity by 20% and your connection by 15%. Just 3+ Heroic Targets a day keeps the daimon in play. LET’S GO!!!
Break Arrows with Your Neck Lately? In our last +1, we talked about the fact that Brian Cain recently visited me and the Johnson fam out here in the country outside of Austin. I casually mentioned that the kids and wifey and I had fun learning how to eat fire and break an arrow with our necks and do other fun things we didn’t think we could do. Today I’d like to talk more about those broken arrows. First, a little more context. As we discussed, Brian is one of the world’s leading mental toughness coaches. He’s also a long-time student of mine and easily tied for first as one of the most inspiring, energized human beings I know. His client list includes four Major League Baseball Cy Young Award winners, eight UFC world champion mixed martial artists, World Series and Super Bowl Champions and MVPs, Olympic medalists, and countless other elite athletes and coaches. When he visited, he left a couple books with me as gifts: The 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery and One Percent Better. They’re both super-quick reading, inspiring fables packed with a ton of wisdom. I read both of them in the same weekend. (That’s like me! ) Think: If Paulo Coelho wrote about mental toughness. And kinda like Robin Sharma’s The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari or Dan Millman’s Way of the Peaceful Warrior. 10 Pillars is all about the foundation of Brian’s mental performance mastery program while One Percent Better is all about, as per the sub-title, “How to Close the Gap from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.” How? By getting ONE PERCENT BETTER. When? TODAY, Hero. Now… In One Percent Better, Brian shares a little formula with us that will be the basis of Today’s +1. Here it is: A + S + GOYA = R. As the character in his book puts it: that acronym means “Ability + Strategy + Get Off Your Anatomy and do the work = Results.” Then she says: “Ability is not something you are lacking to be the optimal version of yourself. You are simply blocking it. How we unblock our ability is by giving you the right strategy. … When you do that, you will see better results.’” So… Want to become Heroic and tap into your ultimate potential? You’re not necessarily lacking the Ability. The real issue might be that you don’t have the right STRATEGY. This was a lesson that Brian made vividly real for me and the kids when he visited recently. How he’d do it? He showed us how to break an arrow with our neck and eat fire. What’s breaking arrows with your neck and eating fire have to do with this idea? Everything. Here’s the short story. Brian took a wooden arrow and placed one end against the wall and the other end against his neck. Then he took a deep breath, stepped forward and SNAPPED THE ARROW in half. Then he invited us to do it. To which we were all tempted to say: “Nope! We’re good!” (Hah.) Then he told us, “You don’t lack the ABILITY to break the arrow with your neck. You just lack the STRATEGY on how to easily do it safely.” Then he taught us how to do it. Then I did it. BOOM! Same thing with eating fire. There’s a STRATEGY on how to do it. Once you know it, it’s EASY. And, well, same thing with pretty much E V E R Y T H I N G in our lives. BJ Fogg echoes this wisdom in Tiny Habits. He tells us: “We are not the problem. Our approach to change is. It’s a design flaw—not a personal flaw.” Again, it’s a STRATEGY issue not an ABILITY issue. Which brings us back to the equation A + S + GOYA = R. Ability + Strategy + Get Off Your Anatomy and DO THE WORK if you want the results!! You can’t just know what to do. You have to DO IT. Which is why the #1 thing we are most committed to with Heroic is helping you move from Theory to Practice to Mastery. We need to know the right strategy then we need to actually DO the things we know we could be doing. Not someday. TODAY. So… GOYA and, as Brian Cain likes to say: Go Dominate the Day, Hero!!
What to Do the Next Time That Happens Brian Cain is one of the world’s greatest mental toughness coaches. His client list includes four Major League Baseball Cy-Young Award winners, eight UFC world champion mixed martial artists, World Series and Super Bowl Champions and MVPs, Olympic medalists, and countless other elite athletes and coaches. He’s also a friend and longtime student of mine who has his clients read PhilosophersNotes to go to the next level. (Cainer: !!!) We’re going to be talking about him and his wisdom more in the weeks and months ahead—check out the PhilosophersNotes on his books The 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery and One Percent Better. Today I want to chat about one of his clients. Quick context. Brian recently visited me and the Johnson fam out here in the country outside of Austin. The kids and wifey and I had fun learning how to eat fire and break an arrow with our necks and do other fun things we didn’t think we could do. Now… There was a big UFC pay-per-view event a few weekends after his visit. Brian happened to be coaching one of the fighters in ALL THREE of the top three fights (two for championship belts). He invited me to go to the event but, me being me, I told him thank you but (laughing), I’m going to be in bed hours before the championship fights so… Although I didn’t go to watch the fights, I DID do a little research on his fighters. I read an article on one of the guys fighting for a title. His prior competitors talked about how much he freaked them out because he seemed to LOVE getting hit in the face. The harder they hit him the more he smiled as he asked them if that was all they had. Them: !!! I share that story because, in my AM Heroic meditation, right after Epictetus tells me to practice my philosophy and to remember the Choice of Hercules, he often reminds me to remember that particular fighter—telling me that if HE can smile when he LITERALLY gets punched in the face, I can smile when I inevitably get metaphorically punched in the face. And, well, that’s Today’s +1. I understand the fact that the whole “martial art” metaphor thing might not be your thing but it’s been a handy philosophical teaching tool for thousands of years so… If you feel so inspired, the next time you get metaphorically punched in the face (note: NOT “if” but WHEN!), I encourage you to remember Epictetus and his boxers and Cainer and his mixed martial artists and see if you can have fun flipping the switch and SMILING as you ask the Heroic gods if THAT is all they’ve got. That very next challenge you’re going to face sooner than you may like? That’s PRECISELY what we train for. Day 1. All in. Let’s give life all we’ve got. TODAY.
Stay in the Ring and Let’s Go! In our last +1, we spent some time riding appropriately big waves and reminded ourselves that, when we’re wisely surfing the beautiful oceans of life, we remember to ENJOY the waves. Today we’re going to bring my all-time favorite teacher (Epictetus!) back to the party to hear his take on the subject. But… Before we go there… Let’s pause for a moment and think about the great big-wave surfer, Laird Hamilton. The guy is obsessed about finding THE BIGGEST POSSIBLE WAVES HE CAN FIND! Why? Because that’s how he knows he can see what he’s made of and HAVE THE MOST FUN!! Crazy? Of course. And that’s how he is fulfilling his idiosyncratic, Heroic destiny and inspiring all of us to do the same in our own unique ways as well. Side note: Have you seen Finding Joe yet? Laird tells his story in it. Along with Tony Hawk. They talk about all the FEAR they felt pursuing their big, hairy, audacious dreams. Watch the trailer here. Full movie for free here. Now… Let’s talk about the ancient Stoic philosopher, Epictetus. Epictetus was a former slave who taught the guys who taught Marcus Aurelius. Every morning, I invite his presence into my consciousness during my AM Heroic meditation. Every morning, he tells me pretty much the same thing: “Practice your philosophy and remember the choice of Hercules!” As we’ve discussed, Hercules was one of the ancient Greek and Stoic philosophers’ favorite heroes. They liked to tell the story about Hercules BEFORE he was Hercules. We talk about it in our Notes on How to Think Like a Roman Emperor and this +1 on The Choice of Hercules. The quick recap. Young pre-Heroic Hercules is walking in a forest. He comes to a fork in the road, at which point two goddesses approach him. One goddess rushes ahead of the other. She’s overly made up and preening a bit as she tells him that, if he follows her, his life will be easy and awesome. She says her name is “Happiness” but she’s lying. Her name is really “Vice.” The second goddess waits patiently then steps forward. She has a stern yet beautiful countenance and tells Hercules that if follows HER, his life will be full of pain and challenges AND… as he strives to overcome those challenges in service to something bigger than himself, he will earn the respect and admiration of the gods. Her name? Areté. Hercules, of course, chose wisely. Epictetus reminds me (EVERY MORNING!) that I need to make that Choice of Hercules EVERY DAY—especially TODAY. A noble life worthy of the respect and admiration of the gods (and ourselves!) is NOT SUPPOSED TO BE EASY. Those challenges we face? Those are the waves that give us a chance to flourish. Epictetus often reminds me of another thing. He tells me that, if I complain about the inevitable challenges of life, then I’m kinda like the boxer who enters the ring only to walk out the moment he gets punched in the face. That, of course, would make NO SENSE. What did the boxer expect? To do yin yoga with his opponent? Let’s quote the ancient Stoic sage directly here because it’s so good. He tells us: “But what is philosophy? Doesn’t it simply mean preparing ourselves for what may come? Don’t you understand that really amounts to saying that if I would so prepare myself to endure, then let anything happen that will? Otherwise, it would be like the boxer exiting the ring because he took some punches. Actually, you can leave the ring without consequence, but what advantage would come from abandoning the pursuit of wisdom? So, what should each of us say to every trial we face? This is what I’ve trained for, for this my discipline!” I repeat: IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE CHALLENGING. And… Yet… I repeat: When we approach our inevitable challenges with the right mindset and consistent practices, life eventually becomes a LOT “easier” and those waves and punches become a joyful part of the Heroic, eudaimonic, noble, well-lived life. Let’s remember that Today as we paddle out to our waves and step into the arena that is our lives. Love ya. Let’s go!!! P.S. Speaking of stepping into the arena, check out this +1 on The Optimizer in the Arena for some old-school Teddy Roosevelt wisdom! +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1
With Yoda and Laird In our last +1, we revisited our thinking on our Targeted Thinking practice. As you may recall, we added a Step 0 to the protocol that involved accepting our reality COMPLETELY before we shift to figuring out how we’d like to create a better reality and what, specifically, we will do RIGHT NOW to create it. Today I want to chat more about acceptance. We’ll bring my Yoda, Phil Stutz, back to the party to tap into more of his near-infinite wisdom. Btw. Phil and I have been working together for nearly six years now. It’s remarkable to me just how deep we can go these days as I have fun truly practicing my and our philosophy at deeper and deeper levels. Btw2. The reason I’m able to practice even more deeply is because I have taken on bigger and bigger challenges—as Phil says, I’m dealing with “real bullets” now. And, as another dear friend and mentor (Matt McCall!) puts it: I’m officially working out in “the big boy gym.” (Lifting Real Weights vs. Styrofoam Weights for the win, folks!!) Now… Phil doesn’t tell us to just accept reality. He tells us that we need to RADICALLY accept reality. One of the metaphors he likes to use is to imagine that you’re a surfer. When you’re surfing, you have ZERO control of when and how the waves show up. (Right?) But… You have pretty much COMPLETE control over how you choose to respond to any given wave. (Right?) That’s Part 1 of this +1. The wise, eudaimonic surfer embraces that fact. How? By not complaining about the waves. They are what they are. And, the wise life-surfer knows that the waves, when viewed properly, are what make the whole experience FUN!! No waves, no fun. Now for Part 2. Question time… Two parts to the question. First, if you’re REALLY committed to becoming a REALLY great (!!!) surfer, do you go to the beaches with the tiniest waves? Or… Do you find the beaches with the right-sized big waves to have the most fun challenging yourself with your current level of skill? Note: Finding the right-size waves is an important distinction that’s part of a longer chat. We want to make sure we find our flow channel—not too little or too much stress or we’ll be bored or anxious! (Superyou for the win!) Second, when you arrive at the beach and swim out to start catching the right-sized (appropriately big!) waves, do you COMPLAIN when a big wave approaches or do you smile and get after it, seeing just how well you can ride it while—very importantly—ENJOYING the thrill of the experience?? Of course, unless you’re crazy, you ENJOY those (appropriately) big waves. That’s the whole reason you showed up at the beach in the first place, right?! And THAT is how we want to approach our lives and all the inherent “waves”/challenges that show up on our heroic quests. Friendly reminder: THIS IS WHAT WE’VE TRAINED FOR, HERO!! So… Got any waves in your life right now? Awesome. Surf’s up. Let’s go get it as we enjoy the ride!!! +1 +1 +1
An Update on Our Targeted Thinking Protocol In our last +1, we continued our discussion about what to do when you’re going 0 for 12 in life and discussed the importance of doing that ONE thing that is most important RIGHT NOW. Then, because I can’t go longer than a few +1s without referencing my tattoo that serves as the one-word summation of my entire philosophy, we brought my right forearm into the discussion and celebrated the ancient word ARETE. (Cue Maui from Moana’s “You’re welcome!” for the incessant repetition. ) Today I want to chat about YET ANOTHER way to win that ultimate game of life—closing the gap between who you’re CAPABLE of being and who you’re ACTUALLY being RIGHT.THIS.SECOND! It’s time to chat about Targeted Thinking. (Again.) Since our last chat, I’ve refined my thinking on it. Here’s how I currently practice and teach it. (See Basic Training Objective 2, Lesson 5 for more!) Actually… First… Here’s how I framed it in that +1 from a couple of years ago. Step 1 of Targeted Thinking is to step out of Victimland and take a step into Heroicland by asking ourselves a simple question: WHAT DO I WANT? Note: Victims complain about what’s not working in their lives. Creators create what they want in their lives by asking THAT question. (See Power of TED for more.) Then, once you’ve gotten even an inkling of clarity on what you want in any given moment, the follow-up question is simple: NOW WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE? In prior +1s, we brought that wisdom to life with discussions about its efficacy in dealing with chicken poop and flat tires. Today I want to hone our practice by adding a few more steps to the Targeted Thinking protocol. Yes, knowing what you want is ESSENTIAL to the process of living Heroically and creating a better life. And, of course, taking action in pursuit of creating that ideal, is also essential. And… Before we even get to asking ourselves what we want, I think we need to step back an inch or three and ACCEPT REALITY EXACTLY AS IT IS. This is what Byron Katie describes as “Loving What Is.” Which, as we’ve discussed, is just a modern take on the ancient Stoic practice known as “The Art of Acquiescence.” (See the +1 on Suffering = Pain x Resistance and the +1 on Deo Volente + Thy Will Be Done for more.) So… Step 0 with our updated Targeted Thinking protocol is simple: Acceptance—complete and utter acceptance of EXACTLY what is happening right now. Period. That, of course, is much easier said than done but the wisest among us get the power of this practice. Then… Once we’ve stopped arguing with reality (reminding ourselves that we will ALWAYS lose when we argue with reality!) we are ready for the first step in our protocol. Step 1. Asking ourselves: WHAT DO I WANT? Feeling energetically sluggish? Unproductive or lacking purpose at work? Disconnected from yourself and/or your loved ones? Perfect. Accept that. Now… What do you want? To feel Heroically Energized? Heroically (and Purposefully) Productive? Heroically Connected? Awesome. Spend THREE SECONDS (!) getting a little more clarity on that. Note: We’re not talking about a 3 months worth of 30-minute journaling sessions to get clarity. SPEND THREE SECONDS RIGHT IN THE MOMENT YOU FEEL WOBBLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT. Got it? Awesome. That’s Step 1. Step 2. Ask yourself: What can I do RIGHT NOW that would take me one step closer to getting more of what I want? AGAIN: We don’t need a 101-page polished strategic plan you’re going to submit to some higher authority for a grade here. SPEND THREE SECONDS RIGHT IN THE MOMENT YOU FEEL WOBBLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW TO GET MORE OF WHAT YOU JUST DECIDED YOU WANT. Got it? Awesome. That’s Step 2. Now we’re ready for Step 3. This is, unquestionably, the most important of all the steps but it’s useless unless you do the first ones. Here it is… Step 3*. TAKE ACTION. SPEND THREE SECONDS GETTING INTO ACTION DOING THE THING YOU DECIDED YOU NEED TO DO TO GET MORE OF WHAT YOU JUST DECIDED YOU WANT. (Yes, that’s a lot of ALL CAPS. ) To recap. Step 0. Accept your current reality. Step 1. Create a Target of what you want. Step 2. Decide what you can do RIGHT NOW to move in the direction of your desired outcome. Step 3. Take action. Final step? +1. REPEAT that process. All day. Every day. ESPECIALLY TODAY, Hero. Day 1. All in. Let’s go! +0. +1. +2. +3. +1.
To Get What You REALLY Want Not too long ago, we chatted about MLB All-Star Sean Casey (The Mayor!) going 0 for 12 one season when he was batting nearly .400. As you may recall, his coach told him that he didn’t care about those numbers. What his coach cared about was whether or not he was dominating his protocol. In that context, I asked you if YOU were going through a rough patch—perhaps feeling like you were going 0 for 12 in your Energy or your Work or your Love. Then I gave you a couple of hugs as I playfully told you that I love ya () and… I don’t ultimately care about the current state of those things. Then I said that what I DO care about is whether or not you are working your protocol. I asked: Do you know who you are at your best in your Energy, your Work and your Love? Are you recommitting to being that best version of yourself every morning? Do you know what virtues that best version of you embodies? Are you recommitting to showing up with those virtues every morning? Do you know what specific things you DO when you’re most on fire? Are you recommitting to those things every morning and then ACTUALLY DOING those things every day? Now… All that’s nice and hopefully helpful even if it’s not all that warm and fuzzy (!) but… Let’s simplify it even more. ULTIMATELY, although it’s VERY helpful to know who you are and how you show up when you’re at your best in your Energy, Work and Love (which, of course, is why we architected the Heroic app to help you do exactly that!), we can simplify the game of life even more. Let’s invite some more great thinkers to the party to tell us what they think… First, the great spiritual teacher Byron Katie tells us that there’s always (!) only (!) ONE THING we need to do. If it’s doing the dishes, do the dishes. If it’s doing the laundry, do the laundry. If it’s taking a deep breath or going on a walk or sending that email or making that phone call or apologizing to that loved one or turning the electronics off to get a good night of sleep or … FILL-IN-THE-BLANK with whatever might be the next thing, do that FILL-IN-THE-BLANK next most important thing—however mundane or scary you may think it is. Repeat. Over and over and over again. Ideally, with a smile… Loving What Is as you show up as your best self. Then we have David Reynolds. He’s a Zen therapist who wrote the great little book Constructive Living. What’s he tell us? The SAME THING. The question he gives us is as powerful as it is simple. Here it is: “Now what needs to be done?” Life feel overwhelming? Perfect. “Now what needs to be done?” Still feel a little wobbly? Perfect. “Now what needs to be done?” Navy SEAL sage Mark Divine echoes this wisdom. The metaphor he uses comes from the battlefield of war. When chaos shines its dark light on our world, he tells us that we need to SIMPLIFY THE BATTLEFIELD and create FRONT-SIGHT FOCUS. In other words, what’s THE next most important thing you need to do? DO THAT. Repeat. Over and over and over again. Peak performance coaches say the same thing. They tell us that elite performers maintain a “task focus” in the midst of extreme pressure. They don’t think about everything that could go wrong (or right), they think about… WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE RIGHT NOW. Over and over and over again. So, yah. Even without thinking about who you are your best in your Energy, Work and Love, you can always win the ultimate game of life by doing one simple thing: Whatever that moment demands of you. btw: We can simplify ALL THAT wisdom even further. How about we distill ALL THE GREAT WISDOM across ALL THE GREAT WISDOM TRADITIONS into one simple word? I tattooed it on my right arm. ARETE. Close the gap between who you’re capable of being and who you’re actually being. Not someday. TODAY. Not some moment. RIGHT NOW. +1. +1. +1. All day. Every day. Especially TODAY. Bonus points: Do it with a smile! + + +
“Why Is It on the Ground Again?!” In our last +1, we talked about our rooster, Happy. He’s still hanging in there. Today I want to continue the theme we explored in that +1 and see if we can get better at using the things that currently trigger us to feel annoyed, to instead, trigger us to feel grateful. Here’s an example from the Johnson house to help you think of things YOU might want to reframe in YOUR house. So… My son Emerson is a high-energy kid. Note: I was going to say my “little guy” Emerson but he’s almost 10 as I type this and he’s NO LONGER little. It’s shocking to see the speed with which he’s growing! As we’ve joked before, when he wakes up, he kinda runs out of the room like Kramer from Seinfeld—all energy all the time. It’s FANTASTIC. Except, of course, when it’s not. (Hah.) So… Mundane example. For some strange reason, when Emerson uses the toilet paper in the bathroom, he often rips it off the little horizontal bar it rests on and the roll of toilet paper winds up unraveled and strewn across the bathroom floor. L O L. Now… I’m a parent AND a teacher so, of course, we’ve had some Conquering Toilet Paper 101 classes on how to gently roll the toilet paper and gently rip the amount you need from the roll while ensuring it stays in place at the end of the job. (10 Big Ideas, folks! ) And… That lesson just hasn’t stuck. L O L. So… After Emerson’s done his thing, that toilet paper roll often winds up strewn across the bathroom floor. And… I can choose to use that toilet paper everywhere (again!) as either a trigger for my annoyance (and yet another lecture on the mechanics of toilet paper)…. OR… I can use that same trigger as an opportunity to appreciate the fact that, one day WAY too soon, that toilet paper roll is going to be perfectly and permanently affixed to its resting place—never to see the floor again. And… I just got tears in my eyes typing that. I’m not ready for that day yet. I want to fully enjoy the incredible enthusiasm of my not-so-little-boy who is becoming a wonderfully enthusiastic young man for as long as I can—knowing that, like all the other wonderful things in my life, will not last forever. That’s Today’s +1. Got a trigger? Seriously. Pause. Think of at least one little thing a loved one does that, if we ACTUALLY practiced our philosophy with a little more rigor, could EASILY be alchemized from annoying to charming… Go it? Awesome. Let’s remember the fact that life is preciously short. And… Let’s use everything we can as a reminder of just how precious it is. -1 to +1. All day. Every day. ESPECIALLY Today.
Alchemizing Bread Crumbs, Dishes and Legos Alexandra just walked into my office to tell me that she thinks our rooster, Happy, is dying. Before we talk more about that… Yes, our rooster’s name is Happy. Emerson and Eleanor are phenomenal pet namers. We have Happy the Rooster, Lovey and Floppy and Spikey and Longbeak and Goldie the chickens. Then there’s Zap—the dog that showed up on our property one New Year’s Day a couple of years ago and adopted us. And don’t forget Wags, another awesome dog who decided he wanted to move in one day as well. Now… If you’ve ever listened to one of my Zoom calls, you’ve probably heard a rooster in the background. Sometimes, I have to admit, I find his crow charming while other times I find it distracting—whether it’s on a Zoom or in my morning meditation when he’s doing his thing RIGHT outside my office window. But… This rooster is truly an awesome rooster. We hatched him ourselves and he does his job protecting his hens Heroically well and he’s not an ornery guy like his dad rooster was. So… When Alexandra came in and told me she thinks he’s dying (while she does her country-nurse thing with him to try to save him!), I felt a deeper sense of sadness than I’ve felt when we’ve lost some other chickens and found other dead creatures on the property. I always use those moments as another Stoic reminder of Memento Mori but this one hit me deeper. I really like this guy!! Then I thought of a story Alexandra shared once. It was about bread crumbs. I forget the relationship book from which she got the wisdom but the basic idea was this… In a significant long-term relationship with ANYONE (let alone a spouse or kids) there will INEVITABLY be things about that person that annoy you. Maybe they leave bread crumbs on the counter (which irritated the author of the book who told the story) or maybe they leave the dishes out or maybe they leave their Legos all over the house if they’re kids (which, in his less-than-enlightened moments can irritate the author of this +1 ). Or maybe they do any number of things people do because they’re human and none of us are perfect. It’s easy to find those little things annoying. And… What if… One day… Those breadcrumbs or dishes or Legos or whatever weren't there because that loved one was no longer there? All of a sudden we’d MISS those breadcrumbs or dishes or Legos or whatever. That’s what I thought of when I heard Happy might not make it. He hasn’t been crowing for the last several days because he hasn’t been feeling great. I already miss him. And I want to make sure I don’t let those little things my kids and wife and others do that I might find annoying distract me from the fact that their presence in my life—with ALL the imperfections—is a profound GIFT. In fact, what I try to do these days is use those VERY things I used to find annoying as THE TRIGGER for me to appreciate just how blessed I am. I hope our rooster makes it so I can remind myself of this wisdom every time I hear him crow. Cock-a-doodle-do!!! Day 1. Let’s go.
And… How to Make Yours Heroic In the last few +1s, we spent some time talking about how to win the game of life by focusing on WHAT’S IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW. I’d like to continue that discussion. And, this time, I’d like to invite my friend Sean Casey back to the party so he can share HIS insanely (!) inspiring take on the subject. Quick context. As we’ve discussed, Sean was voted the friendliest guy in baseball. They nicknamed him “The Mayor.” He’s now part of Major League Baseball’s Emmy-winning show MLB Tonight. He also has his own podcast. It’s appropriately called “The Mayor’s Office.” Recently, he had a guy on his show who was also a fan of Heroic. They had a little chat about the app. And… Sean WENT OFF about how the app has changed his life. It’s probably the best overview of the app (especially for sports fans!) I’ve ever seen. It’s so good that I want to share it here now. So, let’s head to The Mayor’s Office for a special field trip. I’ll see you in less than two minutes!! !!! If that doesn’t fire you up, I don’t know what will!! Haha!! That’s Today’s +1. Here’s to making the game of life Heroically fun!! As always… Not someday… TODAY. P.S. Here’s the transcript from that segment above! !!
I look at it this way, and Brian Johnson talks about this. If you, me and Chinch went out and played baseball right now, and we were on this open field and I pitch to Tim, Tim crushes one, Chinch goes and runs and gets it. We come back. We're like, “yeah, this is fun!”
Well, that's not as much fun as if we take the foul lines and we run 'em down each line and we put foul poles up. We put a 330’ sign in the corner, 385’, 410’. We put a fence up that says, if you hit it over this fence, you get one point. If guys are on base, you get three, four, you know, 2, 3, 4 points.
This guy, we're gonna put a mound up with a rubber. It's gonna be 60 feet, six inches away because that seems fair. You're gonna throw it to me. We're gonna compete. We're gonna get after it. Holy [edited]. Here we go. This is a ton of [edited] fun. Right? I think of that as Heroic.Heroic is my foul lines…
It’s my game! It's my game of life.
So I line up, what are my routines? What are my habits? What am I gonna do to win my morning? What am I gonna do at night to get better sleep? What time do I need to get upstairs? What book am I gonna read? How am I gonna serve my kids today? How am I gonna serve my buddies today? And all of a sudden at the end of the day I go, man, that was a great game today. Holy [edited]. You know what I mean? It's like, you start creating your own game because you've created the boundaries and that Heroic app…when you're shooting that arrow into your targets, it's a dopamine. It’s just like, man, this is so freaking awesome.And all of a sudden you start to realize, wow, you've created some habits and routines that is giving you the life that you've always wanted. Let's go, let's go.
Gandhi, the Gita, Bagger Vance, and YOU In our last couple +1s, we’ve had fun hanging out with some world-class peak performance coaches: Harvey Dorfman and Phil Stutz. What did they teach us? They tell us that it’s ALL ABOUT focusing on the PROCESS of TAKING ACTION rather than the unhealthy obsession on the OUTCOMES. They, of course, are not alone in this perspective. We talk about it in one of my all-time favorite +1s called “Did I Win? How to Sink a $1m Putt and Do Other Great Things.” Short story: Lanny Bassham worked with a golfer who hadn’t won in a while. Lanny told him to not even think about winning a tournament. Instead, they developed a protocol. His job was to EXECUTE that protocol every shot of every round he played. Fast forward a few tournaments. It’s the final shot on the final hole on the final day of the tournament. Our golfer steps up, executes his protocol and makes the putt. Then his wife runs onto the green and leaps into his arms. His response? “Did I win?” I just got goosebumps typing that out. I’ve told that story COUNTLESS times. And it gets me EVERY SINGLE TIME. Imagine stepping up for a $1 million dollar putt and being SO FOCUSED on the PROCESS that you’re OBLIVIOUS to the OUTCOME. Boom. That’s how it’s done. Then there’s Gandhi. He tells us the same thing in his own words. In Eknath Easwaran’s FANTASTIC biography Gandhi the Man (check out those Notes!), we learn that Gandhi liked to say: “The goal ever recedes from us. The greater the progress the greater the recognition of our unworthiness. Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory.” BOOM. That’s how it’s done. Where’d Gandhi get that wisdom? From his bible, the Bhagavad Gita (check out those Notes!) where we learn the fact that: “The awakened sages call a person wise when all his undertakings are free from anxiety about results.” I could go on and on and on. I’ll leave it at that for now. Actually… Let’s bring it back to the 21st century and hear how Steven Pressfield puts it in The War of Art (check out THOSE Notes as well!). He tells us: “The professional has learned that success, like happiness, comes as a by-product of work. The professional concentrates on the work and allows rewards to come or not come, whatever they like.” btw: Pressfield actually wrote a book on the subject that became a movie starring Will Smith and Matt Damon. Ever heard of The Legend of Bagger Vance? Did you know that that movie is basically the Bhagavad Gita on a golf course? Yep. In the Gita, a wise god (Krishna) advises a reluctant warrior (Arjuna). In The Legend of Bagger Vance, a wise caddy (Bagger Vance) advises a reluctant golfer (Rannulph Junuh). “Bagger Vance” <--> “Bhagavad Gita.” Get it? So… Quick check-in… What do YOU want in your life? More Energy? More Productivity? More Connection? Awesome. What can you do RIGHT NOW (!) to take ONE STEP toward to achieving it? Get on that. Release attachment to outcomes. Repeat. All day. Every day. ESPECIALLY… TODAY. +1. +1. +1.
On Action, Action, and More Action In our last +1, we hung out with one of the friendliest guys in baseball (The Mayor Sean Casey!) and his legendary coach Harvey Dorfman. I want to spend a little more time with Sean and bring another legendary coach to the party—MY coach, Phil Stutz. It’s funny because when Sean told me the story shout how Harvey RUTHLESSLY focused on the process goals NOT the outcome goals, I immediately thought of Phil. As we’ve discussed, Phil says the same thing in his own way. He says that most people focus on the OUTCOMES in their lives when they should be focused on the ACTION they are taking in pursuit of their desired outcomes. The way he frames it is to imagine pearls. You can spend all your time COUNTING how many pearls you have (or don’t have!)… Or… You can ignore the counting and simply focus on STRINGING THE NEXT PEARL. Over and over and over again we focus on what needs to get done right now. What’s important RIGHT NOW? Do it. String the next pearl. Over and over and over and over again. You do that enough time and you know what happens? You get a LOT more of the outcomes you’ve been wanting. And… Somewhere along the way you learn that the REAL prize is knowing how to flip the switch and get into action—showing up as the best, most Heroic version of yourself. Not someday… Today. Let’s do that. +1. +1. +1. Let’s go! P.S. I love pearls. I have one on my desk at all times to remind me of the wisdom from this +1 on How to Make a Pearl and this wisdom from this +1 on The Pearl in My Pocket.
Who Cares? Work Your Protocol, Hero! One of my new dear friends is a guy named Sean Casey. Sean is a former Major League Baseball player. He was an All-Star who played first base. They called him “The Mayor” because he chatted up EVERYONE who made it to first base. He was SUCH a nice guy that Sports Illustrated declared him the friendliest guy in baseball. I met Sean through a mutual friend named Brian Cain who happens to be a longtime student of mine AND one of the world’s best mental toughness coaches. We’ll talk more about Cainer and his wisdom soon. For now, I want to talk about a story Sean told me about his playing days. It goes something like this… Once upon a time, while playing with the Cincinnati Reds, Sean was having an insanely great season. It was summer time and he was batting near .400—which, if you know anything about baseball, you know is an insanely hard thing to do. Then… Sean went 0 for 12. Now, going 0 for 12 is never a good thing for a professional baseball player but going 0 for 12 after starting the season THAT strongly is especially painful. So… Sean called a guy named Harvey Dorfman. Harvey was that era’s greatest mental toughness coach. Btw: Check out our Notes on his GREAT book called Coaching the Mental Game AND check out our full collection of Notes on a TON of mental toughness books—which, for the record, is probably my favorite category on Heroic! Now… Sean tells Harvey that he’s struggling. “I’m 0 for 12, Coach!!” Harvey doesn’t care about those stats. All he wants to know is if Sean is executing the protocol they committed to. Sean tells him, “Yes! Of course. I’m doing exactly what we’ve talked about. I’m hitting the ball hard. And guys are just making great plays.” Dorfman listens a little longer then he says something along the lines of (perhaps with a little profanity !): “Why in the HECK are you calling me?! We have nothing to talk about. Quit looking at the results and keep on dominating your protocol.” Click. Call over. Haha. Of course, that story has nothing to do about Sean or baseball or batting .400. It’s all about YOU. Are YOU going through a rough patch? Not feeling very energized or productive or connected? PERFECT. I love ya ( ) and… Ultimately, I don’t care about those things. What I do care about is this: Are you working your protocol? Do you know who you are at your best in your Energy, your Work and your Love? Are you recommitting to being that best version of yourself every morning? Do you know what virtues that best version of you embodies? Are you recommitting to showing up with those virtues every morning? Do you know what specific things you DO when you’re most on fire? Are you recommitting to those things every morning and then ACTUALLY DOING those things every day? Yes. I get it. Life can be incredibly challenging. AND… Love ya ( ) but… Life doesn’t need to be THAT hard. And the process of showing up as your best self is DEFINITELY not THAT complicated or THAT hard. It all comes down to this: Know who you are and what you do when you’re at your best. Then recommit to being that version of yourself and doing those things you do when you’re on. Every. Single. Day. Not someday. And definitely not only on the days when you really feel like it. TODAY. That’s the only way to move from theory to practice to mastery so we can change the world together. Day 1. All in. Let’s go, Hero!!
Breath + Heroes + Virtues + Stillness + Quest In our last +1, we talked about my new Heroic Mantra Meditation practice. Our one-word mantra? Areté. On the inhale… Areté. Areté. Areté. On the exhale. Areté. Areté. Areté. Repeat. I actually came up with that idea while rowing. I paused the workout on my ol’ Suunto watch, went into the house, grabbed my batphone (that I use for offline/deep work mode stuff like this), and wrote that +1. Then I got back to my workout. And started repeating my mantra. ARETE. ARETE. ARETE. Today I want to chat about my Heroic Meditation practice. Nearly every day in the 18+ months after I founded Heroic, I meditated for an hour every morning. The connection I felt with my daimon and our Heroic vision has been GREATLY enhanced from the practice. Here’s the Heroic meditation I created. You can make it work in as little as 3 minutes. With VERY rare exceptions, I meditate at the same time every morning: right after I get up. I repeat: Reduce the variability of your behavior to create sustainable habit change! I start each session with breathwork. Then I invite a few of my top heroes to join me and share some wisdom for the day. Then I walk through our virtue compass in my mind. Then I reconnect to our Heroic vision. Then I go dominate the day. Let’s start with the breathwork. Actually, let’s start with our posture. As we discussed in Meditation 101 and our Notes on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s great book Wherever You Go, There You Are, the fastest way to find the right posture is to sit with dignity. Chest up. Chin down. Pull a thread through your head. You’re poised yet relaxed. In a word: You are sitting with DIGNITY. Like royalty. That’s a brilliant way to invite the best, most Heroic and noble version of yourself to the party. Then we take a nice, deep, quiet, relaxing breath. In through our nose. Down into our bellies. Back out through our nose. Slightly longer exhale than inhale. That’s the fastest way to flip the switch on our parasympathetic nervous system, get out of fight-or-flight and connect to our daimons. I practice a version of that breath for a minute or three or eleven, depending on the length of my meditation. Then I invite my heroes to join me. I have Heroic portraits of 22 of my favorite heroes on my wall. On one wall I have large portraits of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Steve Jobs, Joseph Campbell, and Phil Stutz. And… I have a Heroic portrait of ME—to remind me to try to live up to the best within me. On another wall I have slightly smaller portraits. Five columns with three heroes in each column, representing different wisdom traditions and qualities I aspire to embody. On the far left, I have Jesus, Saint Ignatius, and Mother Teresa—representing my Catholic upbringing and a commitment to Love and embracing the universal truths of ALL faith traditions. Then I have Confucius, Epictetus (again!), and John Wooden—representing my commitment to a disciplined approach to life and the moral charisma that emanates from that integrity. Then I have Aristotle, Viktor Frankl, and Abraham Maslow—representing the integration of ancient wisdom and modern science in the form of three intellectual/philosophical heroes of mine. Then I have Alexander the Great, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr—representing leaders who embodied Soul Force in their own idiosyncratic, iconoclastic way: Alexander conquered the impossible in the material world while Gandhi conquered the impossible in the spiritual (and material!) world. Then I have Eleanor Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Dwight D Eisenhower—representing Heroic war-time leaders as symbols for the internal war between vice and virtue we each must mindfully wage every day. I ask a few (or all!) of them for a pithy piece of wisdom for that day. Emerson tells me to trust myself. And he reminds me to always (always always!) do the thing I’m afraid to do. Epictetus tells me to practice my philosophy and to make The Choice of Hercules—not someday but TODAY. Aurelius tells me to play my role well and to remember The Inner Citadel. Jobs tells me to create something insanely great. Campbell tells me that we train heroes and reminds me that the demon you can swallow gives you its power. Phil tells me to conquer the impossible and reminds me that Speed Is a Force. I have connected with those heroes of mine so many times that I can literally hear their voices in my head as I created this +1. Every morning I commit to living in integrity with their wisdom and their example. It’s hard to put into words how much I believe this practice has changed my life. The questions for you are… Who are YOUR heroes? What wisdom would they like to share with you? Would you be a better human being if you consistently reflected on and acted in integrity with those questions and answers? Now… After a quick trip through my heroes—which can take as little as a minute or as long as 11—I reflect on the core virtues of our virtue compass. Wisdom. Self-Mastery. Courage. Love. Hope. Gratitude. Curiosity. Zest. The first set includes the four cardinal virtues of every major ancient wisdom tradition. The second set includes the virtues modern science says are most highly correlated with our flourishing. After silently saying each virtue, I go through the declaration for each virtue. Wisdom. I know the ultimate game and how to play it well. Self-Mastery. I have structural, reactive, and expansive discipline. Courage. I am willing to act in the presence of fear. Love. I am joyful, grateful, and encouraging. Hope. I have an inspiring goal, agency, and pathways. Gratitude. I appreciate all the blessings in my life. Curiosity. I pay attention to what’s working and what needs work. Zest. I dominate my fundamentals so I have Heroic energy. I can zip through that in a minute or three or take my time and imagine each for eleven minutes. Then I quiet my mind. And enjoy the silence. That can last from a minute to thirty minutes. Finally, I imagine a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by 2051. I see my Soul Force at 101 and commit to doing everything I can to help YOU get YOUR Soul Force to 101. Then I imagine 1M of us getting our Soul Force to 101 so we can fulfill our mission and change the world, one person at a time, together, starting with you and me. TODAY.
Here It Is… This morning a friend of mine (thank you, Jon!) sent me a link to an article on Ray Dalio’s meditation practice. As you know if you’ve been following along, I’m a big fan of Dalio and his wisdom. We’ve featured Notes on his great book Principles and the kids and I enjoyed his kids book as well. We’ve also chatted about his 5-step process for success (note: Step 2 is FAILURE!!) as part of our “win or learn” and “learning is winning” so “win or win!” philosophy. But… It wasn’t until this morning that I learned about Dalio’s meditation practice. He says it’s his secret weapon. His approach? Transcendental meditation. Otherwise known as TM. The key features of that approach include two, twenty-minute meditation sessions. Dalio does his first session after waking up and his second before dinner. Note: He reduces the variability of his behavior to increase the likelihood of making the habit stick which—as you know if you’ve gone through Basic Training and/or the Mastery Series and/or Habits 101–is a scientifically proven way to master yourself. Another key feature of TM? A mantra. With Transcendental Meditation, you get your mantra from your TM teacher. You’re not supposed to share it publicly. But it’s something kinda like “om.” You come back to that mantra again and again and again. It’s the anchor (see Meditation 101 and our collection of Notes and +1s on Meditation) that helps still your mind so you can connect to something bigger than yourself while experiencing all the other proven physiological and psychological benefits of meditation. Now… I’ve studied TM—and actually learned in the same room Maharishi Mahesh Yogi meditated in as I was blessed to be trained by one of his top students and teachers. I’ve also studied Vipassana. We chat about my experience with Vipassana in our Notes in As a Man Thinketh. We also chat about Vipassana in our Notes on Yuval Noah Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. Harari is one of my favorite writers. The lucidity of his writing is EXTRAORDINARY. Did you know he’s been practicing Vipassana and meditating for TWO hours a day for DECADES? It’s true. I’ve also practiced something called “Passage Meditation” developed by Eknath Easwaran (see those Notes) and the style taught by Nichiren Buddhism (see these Notes), and, well, a bunch of other approaches. I’ve also developed my own Heroic Meditation we’ll talk more about soon. But… Today I want to share the new mantra meditation I’m going to start practicing as a little experiment. A single word. Can you guess what I’m choosing? … Hint: It’s tattooed on my right forearm. The one-word summation of my life philosophy and ultimate target. … Areté. That’s the new mantra. Areté. Areté. Areté. On the Inhale… Areté. Areté. Areté. On the Exhale… Areté. Areté. Areté. Let’s close the gap between who we’re capable of being and who we’re actually being. Not someday. Not even some moment. Right now. And… Here’s to soaking our consciousness in that ultimate target one breath at a time. +1 Areté. +1 Areté. +1 Areté. All day. Every day. Especially TODAY.
Gandhi’s Great Soul (+ Yours!) In our last +1, we talked about the fact that YOU are my all-time favorite hero. (It’s true.) We also talked about the fact that, although every hero expresses it in different ways, EVERY (!) hero has the SAME superpower. We named it… SOUL FORCE Today I want to share a quick origin story on where I came up with that phrase. But, first… In case you’re wondering if you qualify to even aspire to be a “hero,” I have another question for you… Do you happen to know what the word hero means? As you may have heard me say before (and I promise I’ll say it again!)… It’s an ancient Greek word. Etymologically, the word hero doesn’t mean “killer of bad guys” or “tough guy” or anything like that it. It means “PROTECTOR." A hero has strength for two. And, very importantly, a hero is willing to do the HARD work to HAVE that strength for two. And, do you know what the secret weapon of the ancient hero was? LOVE. It’s LOVE that fuels our commitment to DO that hard work to HAVE the strength for two. It’s LOVE that gives us the Courage to be willing to act in the presence of fear. It's LOVE that gives us the Self-Mastery to do what needs to get done whether we feel like it or not. And… If you haven’t noticed, our world needs heroes today more than ever before. We’re not just recovering from the effects of COVID-19. We have pandemic levels of anxiety and depression and cancer and diabetes and political polarization and social injustice and environmental degradation. And the ONLY possible way we are going to meet those historically significant challenges and create a more noble and virtuous world for ourselves and for our kids and for their kids is if each of us steps up and starts showing up as the best, most Heroic versions of ourselves. So… Back to your Soul Force. It’s your superpower. And… Activating this superpower is the whole point of EVERYTHING we do together. As in… E V E R Y T H I N G!!! Activating your Soul Force is the final Objective (Objective VII) in Basic Training in our Heroic app. Your Heroic Soul Force score is the first thing you see when you open the Heroic app and it’s THE individual metric by which we measure our success in helping you show up as the best, most Heroic version of yourself. It’s by getting YOUR Soul Force to 101 then helping enough people ALSO activate their Soul Force that we’ll have a shot at LITERALLY (!) changing the world. Then there’s the sub-title to the Heroic book I’m working on. Can you guess what that might be? Yep… “A Training Manual to ACTIVATE YOUR SOUL FORCE”!! So… Here’s the origin story on “Soul Force.” It involves one of my heroes: Mahatma Gandhi. (Btw: Did you know that mahatma means “great soul” in Sanskrit? Yep. Aristotle had a word for that in ancient Greek as well: magnanimous.) We’re all familiar with Gandhi’s (paraphrased) admonition that, if we want to change the world, we each must be the change we want to see. What you may not know is just how FIERCELY disciplined Gandhi was. He practiced his philosophy with a relentlessness that I find deeply inspiring. He was the living embodiment of Areté. Of course, Gandhi liberated India via what we called “nonviolent resistance” in the West. But “nonviolent resistance” is a VERY weak translation of the Sanskrit word he coined to capture the essence of his movement and practice. The phrase he used was satyagraha. That word comes from two Sanskrit words: sat and graha. Sat means “beingness” or “truth.” Graha means “polite insistence” or “force.” Gandhi fiercely believed in and fiercely challenged his followers to stand in the power of truth. He knew that Britain’s domination of India was morally wrong and that, if he and millions of others could stand in that truth without resorting to violence, he could liberate the country without having to go to war. Now, like many ancient/foreign words that are difficult to translate into English (see: eudaimonia and areté!), satyagraha can be translated as not just “truth force” but also as “love force” or... SOUL FORCE. There’s an ineffable and extraordinary power that is palpable in an individual who is standing in their truth—living with fierce integrity to their highest ideals. THAT is what Gandhi cultivated within himself and was able to help cultivate within enough people to LITERALLY (!) change the world. It’s also what every hero we’ve ever admired has embodied and what I am so fiercely committed to personally embodying and to helping you and enough people embody in your own idiosyncratic way such that we can LITERALLY (!) change the world. How do we do that? By showing up and living in integrity with our highest ideals. Not someday. TODAY.
Here’s Their (and YOUR!) Superpower In our last +1, we re-activated our +1 series and I made a 10,000-day commitment to you. Well, technically I made a 10,319-day commitment to you. Every day, from now until January 1, 2051, I commit to showing up in your inbox with a quick little splash of more wisdom in less time. If I don’t show up, assume either our technology died or I died. (Hah. Seriously.) (I’m all in.) Why have I made that commitment? That’s a very good question. With a range of possible answers. One of the reasons can be found on one of the tattoos on my left forearm. If you look closely above the “I” and the “C” in my “HEROIC” tattoo, you’ll see “51 | 2051.” Then, if you look closely below the “I” and the “C” in my “HEROIC” tattoo, you’ll see “101 | 1M.” The 51 | 2051 represents my commitment to helping create a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by the year 2051. The 101 | 1M represents HOW we will do that. The 101 is shorthand for the Soul Force I am committed to helping you activate in your life. But… We’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s step back for a moment and talk a little more about what “Soul Force” is in the first place. To make the point, I’d like to ask you a question… Who’s your favorite hero? Seriously. Take a moment and think about that right now. Who comes to mind? I have a few of my favorite Heroes in my studio and on my office wall behind me. Great teachers and leaders who inspire me to show up as the best, most Heroic version of myself. Aristotle. Epictetus. Marcus Aurelius. Abraham Lincoln. Winston Churchill. Gandhi. Abraham Maslow. Martin Luther King, Jr. My wife and I even named our kids after two of our favorite Heroes: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Eleanor Roosevelt. So… Again… Who inspires YOU?! Seriously. What individuals—living or dead—embody the qualities you most admire? What individuals showed up and lived in a way that deeply inspires YOU to show up and give us all you’ve got? As you think about that, know this… All those Heroes showed up in their own idiosyncratic way—Gandhi was frail and would go days without talking while Churchill was portly and rarely STOPPED talking!! … And those two guys didn’t even LIKE each other! BUT… ALL of those Heroes had ONE thing in common. It’s what Aristotle had and what he helped ignite in Alexander the Great. It’s what Epictetus had and what he helped Marcus Aurelius cultivate in his life. It’s what Gandhi had and is the force that freed his nation. (And, for the record, it was GANDHI who actually gave this power its name.) It’s what Martin Luther King, Jr. had, and, inspired by HIS hero Gandhi, something he actually talks about it in his “I have a dream” speech. It’s what Eleanor Roosevelt had. And Florence Nightingale. And Helen Keller and Anne Frank and COUNTLESS others who may have made it into our history books or may have just humbly made an anonymous yet indelible mark on our world by deeply inspiring their friends and families and communities. So… What's the ONE thing ALL the great Heroes across all cultures throughout history have had in common? SOUL FORCE. It’s every Hero’s superpower. SOUL FORCE. It’s that ineffable power you can feel in human beings living in integrity with their highest ideals. SOUL FORCE. It’s the force that can (literally) change the world. And guess what… It’s YOUR superpower as well. We just need to ACTIVATE IT. Not SOMEDAY. But TODAY. And then, very importantly!!, we need to REACTIVATE our Soul Force ALL DAY EVERY DAY. THAT, my dear friend, is how we can tap into YOUR Heroic potential and fundamentally and permanently change your life while fundamentally and permanently changing the world together. And doing THAT is what Heroic is all about. For now, I want to wrap up with one more question… Ultimately, do you know who my all-time favorite Hero is…? I’ll give you a hint… Go look in the mirror. My all-time favorite Hero is, unquestionably… YOU. YOU are the Hero we’ve been waiting for. And helping YOU activate your Soul Force is my ultimate mission in life. Day 1, Hero. Let’s go.
It’s +1 Day 1 Again. And Always! Hi, This is Brian. Welcome back to another +1. This is +1 number 1,289. And… As you know if you’ve been following along, the last time I did a +1 was nearly two years ago—717 days ago to be precise. I took a little break to launch Heroic. I’m THRILLED to be back. We used to call these little micro lessons “Optimize +1s.” Going forward, we’re going to call them “Heroic +1s.” When I first created the +1 series years ago (2005 days ago to be precise!), I committed to doing 1,000 days in a row. I wound up doing 1,288. This time, I’m committing to doing over 10,000 (!!!) days in a row. 10,319 days in a row to be precise. At which point I may consider taking a day off. So… If a new +1 doesn’t show up in your inbox, assume that either our technology died or… I died. (Hah!) Seriously. I’m ALL IN. Why 10,319 days? Because that’s how many days are left between now and January 1, 2051–the date by which we aspire to help create a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing. We’ll chat more about the origin story for that target and the tattoo on my left forearm that reflects my commitment to that moonshot goal. Why +1s? Because I believe that the only way to fundamentally and permanently change your life is to move from theory to practice to mastery TODAY. Not SOMEDAY. And definitely not only on the days when you (insert whiney voice) feel like it. If we want to forge antifragile confidence and more consistently express the best, most Heroic versions of ourselves, it’s simple… We. Must. Show. Up. TODAY. ESPECIALLY on those days when we don’t feel like it. Now… The feedback we got from our community about how our +1 series changed their lives was incredibly inspiring. And… After launching Heroic, I stepped back and looked at all the ways I (and we!) can best support you in getting your Soul Force to 101 (more on that soon!). We’re fired up that the early research shows that the core Heroic app experience (featuring Basic Training and Target Practice) can help you flourish. And, we’re fired up that all the old Optimize content—including over 1,000 +1s, over 600 PhilosophersNotes, and 50 Optimal Living 101 classes—is now integrated into one Heroic app. We’re ALSO fired up that our Mastery Series (which research has also shown can help people change their lives and used to only be available as part of our Coach offering) is now part of our basic premium Heroic offering. Plus, we can’t wait to roll out our integrated Heroic Social features and welcome more Guides to the platform as we continue to execute our vision in the months and years ahead as we strive to create a world-class social training platform that can serve as an answer to The Social Dilemma and, literally, help change the world. If you haven’t signed up for the monthly/annual/lifetime options for Heroic, you can learn more about all that here: https://heroic.us/join And… As I thought about how we could best support you in fully activating your Soul Force (aka your Heroic superpower!), it became really (!) clear to me that reactivating the +1 series would be a super important part of that commitment to you and to the rest of our community. As I said in the VERY first +1 on Destiny Math, it’s ALL (always!) about those tiny little decisions we make all day, every day. And, as we discussed in this +1 on Atomic Habits: Tiny = Mighty (inspired by wisdom from James Clear’s super-popular Atomic Habits—check out those Notes), the exponential benefits of aggregating and compounding tiny little gains over an extended period of time by showing up day in and day out are CRAZY. For now… I’m thrilled to be back and, if you feel so inspired to have me in your life, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow morning and every morning you’d like a little dose of ancient wisdom, modern science and practical tools to help you optimize and actualize your potential. Of course, if you’d prefer NOT to hang out every morning, you can change your settings and get these +1s Weekly or never! Your ideal is our ideal. Just click one of the links in the footer of this email if you want to change your settings. 10,319 days. (Deo (and daimon) volente!) It’s Day 1. Again. Always. You. Me. Our daimons. It’s going to be Heroic. It’s time to change the world. One person at a time. Together. Starting with you and me and us. TODAY.
This podcast is a sneak peek of the welcome you will see Day 1 as part of Heroic Basic training, which will be available on the app on April 9th.
Watch the video (and read the invitation letter here: https://www.heroic.us/obh from our Founder and CEO Brian Johnson) to learn all about our new Heroic social training platform that’s all about helping YOU to be the best, most Heroic version of yourself so we can change the world together—one person at a time, starting with you and me and us TODAY.
To learn more about the Heroic social training platform built to change the world by helping you be the best, most Heroic version of yourself, and how to save 50% off Heroic (… FOREVER!) go: www.heroic.us
To learn more about how to join the movement as a Heroic investor go to: www.heroic.us/invest
And if you haven’t already, you can get a lifetime premium Optimize by Heroic membership for FREE (used to be $250) as a gift from Heroic: www.heroic.us/optimize
Certain information set forth in this message contains “forward-looking statements” under applicable securities laws (collectively referred to herein as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” intend,” “goal,” “plan,” “believe,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “would,” “will” and similar references to future periods. Except for statements of historical fact, the information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements and includes, but is not limited to, the (i) projected financial performance of Heroic; (ii) completion of, and the use of proceeds from, the sale of the convertible notes being offered hereunder; (iii) the expected development of Heroic’s business; (iv) execution of Heroic’s vision and growth strategy; (v) sources and availability of third-party financing; and (vi) future liquidity, working capital, and capital requirements. Forward-looking statements are provided to allow potential investors the opportunity to understand our beliefs and opinions as one factor in evaluating an investment.
These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and you should not rely on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Although forward-looking statements contained in this message are based upon what we believe are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Heroic undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or our estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws.
With respect to our intended Regulation A offering, no money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted.
No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement filed by the company with the SEC has been qualified by the SEC. Any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of acceptance given after the date of qualification.
An indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.
Are you showing up as the best, most Heroic version of yourself?
And if not, why not?
www.heroic.us ← Go here to learn more about the Heroic social training platform built to change the world by helping you be the best, most Heroic version of yourself, and how to save 50% off Heroic… FOREVER!
To learn more about how to join the movement as a Heroic investor go to: www.heroic.us/invest
And if you haven’t already, you can get a lifetime premium Optimize by Heroic membership for FREE (used to be $250) as a gift from Heroic: www.heroic.us/optimize
Certain information set forth in this message contains “forward-looking statements” under applicable securities laws(collectively referred to herein as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” intend,” "goal,” “plan,” “believe,” "expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “would,”“will” and similar references to future periods. Except for statements of historical fact, the information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements and includes, but is not limited to, the (i) projected financial performance of Heroic; (ii) completion of, and the use of proceeds from, the sale of the convertible notes being offered hereunder; (iii) the expected development of Heroic’s business; (iv) execution of Heroic’s vision and growth strategy; (v) sources and availability of third-party financing; and (vi) future liquidity, working capital, and capital requirements. Forward-looking statements are provided to allow potential investors the opportunity to understand our beliefs and opinions as one factor in evaluating an investment.
These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and you should not rely on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Although forward-looking statements contained in this message are based upon what we believe are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Heroic undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or our estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws.
With respect to our intended Regulation A offering, no money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted.
No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement filed by the company with the SEC has been qualified by the SEC. Any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of acceptance given after the date of qualification.
An indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.
Learn more about the Heroic social training platform built to change the world by helping you be the best, most Heroic version of yourself. www.heroic.us
Learn more about how to join the movement as a Heroic investor: www.heroic.us/invest
Get a lifetime premium Optimize Wisdom membership for FREE (used to be $250) as a gift from Heroic: www.optimize.me
Note: Any time we mention our prospective next crowdfunding round, our attorneys tell us we should mention the following:
Certain information set forth in this message contains “forward-looking statements” under applicable securities laws (collectively referred to herein as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” intend,” “goal,” “plan,” “believe,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “would,” “will” and similar references to future periods. Except for statements of historical fact, the information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements and includes, but is not limited to, the (i) projected financial performance of Heroic; (ii) completion of, and the use of proceeds from, the sale of the convertible notes being offered hereunder; (iii) the expected development of Heroic’s business; (iv) execution of Heroic’s vision and growth strategy; (v) sources and availability of third-party financing; and (vi) future liquidity, working capital, and capital requirements. Forward-looking statements are provided to allow potential investors the opportunity to understand our beliefs and opinions as one factor in evaluating an investment.
These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and you should not rely on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Although forward-looking statements contained in this message are based upon what we believe are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Heroic undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or our estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws.
With respect to our intended Regulation A offering, no money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted.
No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement filed by the company with the SEC has been qualified by the SEC. Any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of acceptance given after the date of qualification.
An indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.
Learn more about the Heroic social training platform built to change the world by helping you be the best, most Heroic version of yourself. www.heroic.us
Learn more about how to join the movement as a Heroic investor: www.heroic.us/invest
Get a lifetime premium Optimize Wisdom membership for FREE (used to be $250) as a gift from Heroic: www.optimize.me
Note: Any time we mention our prospective next crowdfunding round, our attorneys tell us we should mention the following:
Certain information set forth in this message contains “forward-looking statements” under applicable securities laws (collectively referred to herein as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” intend,” “goal,” “plan,” “believe,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “would,” “will” and similar references to future periods. Except for statements of historical fact, the information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements and includes, but is not limited to, the (i) projected financial performance of Heroic; (ii) completion of, and the use of proceeds from, the sale of the convertible notes being offered hereunder; (iii) the expected development of Heroic’s business; (iv) execution of Heroic’s vision and growth strategy; (v) sources and availability of third-party financing; and (vi) future liquidity, working capital, and capital requirements. Forward-looking statements are provided to allow potential investors the opportunity to understand our beliefs and opinions as one factor in evaluating an investment.
These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and you should not rely on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Although forward-looking statements contained in this message are based upon what we believe are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Heroic undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or our estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws.
With respect to our intended Regulation A offering, no money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted.
No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement filed by the company with the SEC has been qualified by the SEC. Any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of acceptance given after the date of qualification.
An indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.
Learn more about the Heroic social training platform built to change the world by helping you be the best, most Heroic version of yourself. www.heroic.us
Learn more about how to join the movement as a Heroic investor: www.heroic.us/invest
Get a lifetime premium Optimize Wisdom membership for FREE (used to be $250) as a gift from Heroic: www.optimize.me
Note: Any time we mention our prospective next crowdfunding round, our attorneys tell us we should mention the following:
Certain information set forth in this message contains “forward-looking statements” under applicable securities laws (collectively referred to herein as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” intend,” “goal,” “plan,” “believe,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “would,” “will” and similar references to future periods. Except for statements of historical fact, the information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements and includes, but is not limited to, the (i) projected financial performance of Heroic; (ii) completion of, and the use of proceeds from, the sale of the convertible notes being offered hereunder; (iii) the expected development of Heroic’s business; (iv) execution of Heroic’s vision and growth strategy; (v) sources and availability of third-party financing; and (vi) future liquidity, working capital, and capital requirements. Forward-looking statements are provided to allow potential investors the opportunity to understand our beliefs and opinions as one factor in evaluating an investment.
These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and you should not rely on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Although forward-looking statements contained in this message are based upon what we believe are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Heroic undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or our estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws.
With respect to our intended Regulation A offering, no money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted.
No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement filed by the company with the SEC has been qualified by the SEC. Any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of acceptance given after the date of qualification.
An indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.
In this Guest Faculty session for Optimize Coaches, Zach Bush MD and Optimize Head Coach Michael Balchan chat about connecting with our greatest potential, how to release ourselves from the fear that holds us back, and the practice of feeling life (vs just doing life). To learn more about Zach Bush MD, visit zachbushmd.com. And, are you ready to reach your full potential and close the gap between who you’re CAPABLE of being and who you’re ACTUALLY being? The 300-Day Optimize Coach program is scientifically proven to help you be the best version of yourself. In addition to our 7-module Mastery Series videos (which systematically walk through the most important facets for Optimizing your life), the program includes frequent Live Coaching sessions to help you actually move from Theory to Practice to Mastery. Zach Bush is one of 60+ Luminaries who have shared their wisdom and ideas with our community in private live sessions just like this. It's time to express the best version of yourself. Check out optimize.me/coach. And, join the next class of Optimize Coach before January 3, 2022 and save $700 USD!!! Yes, Optimize Coach is currently just $300, and you can bring a friend for FREE!
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Modern Science
Mental Toughness
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Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
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Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
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Parenting
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You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
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- Die Empty by Todd Henry: https://www.optimize.me/pn/die-empty-todd-henry
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- An Audience of One by Srinivas Rao: https://www.optimize.me/pn/an-audience-of-one-srinivas-rao
- On Writing by Stephen King: https://www.optimize.me/pn/on-writing-stephen-king
- Originals by Adam Grant: https://www.optimize.me/pn/originals-adam-grant
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Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
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Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
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Conquer Depression
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Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
Optimize your PARENTING with more wisdom in less time: https://www.optimize.me/missions/parenting
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You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
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- Grit by Angela Duckworth: https://www.optimize.me/pn/grit-angela-duckworth
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- Mindset by Carol Dweck: https://www.optimize.me/pn/mindset-carol-dweck
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What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
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- The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-effective-executive-peter-drucker
- The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling:https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-4-disciplines-of-execution-chris-mcchesney-sean-covey-jim-huling
- Principles: Life by Ray Dalio: https://www.optimize.me/pn/principles-life-ray-dalio
- To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink: https://www.optimize.me/pn/to-sell-is-human-daniel-pink
- Little Bets by Peter Sims: https://www.optimize.me/pn/little-bets-peter-sims
- Smartcuts by Shane Snow: https://www.optimize.me/pn/smartcuts-shane-snow
- EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey: https://www.optimize.me/pn/entreleadership-dave-ramsey
- Spirit Means Business by Alan Cohen: https://www.optimize.me/pn/spirit-means-business-alan-cohen
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- The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster by Darren Hardy: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-entrepreneur-roller-coaster-darren-hardy
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ASKGARYVEE by Gary Vaynerchuk: https://www.optimize.me/pn/askgaryvee-gary-vaynerchuk
- The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-one-thing-gary-keller-jay-papasan
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- Primary Greatness by Stephen Covey: https://www.optimize.me/pn/primary-greatness-stephen-covey
- Leadership by Doris Goodwin: https://www.optimize.me/pn/leadership-doris-kearns-goodwin
- The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-leadership-challenge-james-kouzes-barry-posner
- Lead Yourself First by Raymond Kethledge and Michael Erwin: https://www.optimize.me/pn/lead-yourself-first-raymond-kethledge-michael-erwin
- The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-21-irrefutable-laws-of-leadership-john-maxwell
- On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis: https://www.optimize.me/pn/on-becoming-a-leader-warren-bennis
- The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-leader-who-had-no-title-robin-sharma
- Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin: https://www.optimize.me/pn/extreme-ownership-jocko-willink-leif-babin
- Executive Toughness by Jason Selk: https://www.optimize.me/pn/executive-toughness-jason-selk
- It Worked for Me by General Colin Powell: https://www.optimize.me/pn/it-worked-for-me-general-colin-powell
- Louder than Words by Todd Henry: https://www.optimize.me/pn/louder-than-words-todd-henry
- Grit by Angela Duckworth: https://www.optimize.me/pn/grit-angela-duckworth
- Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen: https://www.optimize.me/pn/rethinking-positive-thinking-gabriele-oettingen
- Succeed by Heidi Grant Halvorson: https://www.optimize.me/pn/succeed-heidi-grant-halvorson
- Spiritual Economics by Eric Butterworth: https://www.optimize.me/pn/spiritual-economics-eric-butterworth
- Wealth Warrior by Steve Chandler: https://www.optimize.me/pn/wealth-warrior-steve-chandler
- So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport: https://www.optimize.me/pn/so-good-they-cant-ignore-you-cal-newport
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
Optimize your PROSPERITY with more wisdom in less time: https://www.optimize.me/missions/prosperity
All 100% free. Forever. No credit card required. No ads. No strings attached. Period. → https://www.optimize.me/
You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
- Spiritual Economics by Eric Butterworth: https://www.optimize.me/pn/spiritual-economics-eric-butterwort
- So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport: https://www.optimize.me/pn/so-good-they-cant-ignore-you-cal-newport
- Wealth Warrior by Steve Chandler: https://www.optimize.me/pn/wealth-warrior-steve-chandler
- The Psychology of Hope by Charles Snyder: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-psychology-of-hope-charles-snyder
- Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen: https://www.optimize.me/pn/eight-pillars-of-prosperity-james-allen
- The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-science-of-getting-rich-wallace-wattles
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill: https://www.optimize.me/pn/think-and-grow-rich-napoleon-hill
- Principles: Life by Ray Dalio: https://www.optimize.me/pn/principles-life-ray-dalio
- The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-total-money-makeover-dave-ramsey
- Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker: https://www.optimize.me/pn/secrets-of-the-millionaire-mind-harv-eker
- Creating Affluence by Deepak Chopra: https://www.optimize.me/pn/creating-affluence-deepak-chopra
- Relax into Wealth by Alan Cohen: https://www.optimize.me/pn/relax-into-wealth-alan-cohen
- Fearless by Steve Chandler: https://www.optimize.me/pn/fearless-steve-chandler
- CREATOR by Steve Chandler: https://www.optimize.me/pn/creator-steve-chandler
- Crazy Good by Steve Chandler: https://www.optimize.me/pn/crazy-good-steve-chandler
- Black Hole Focus by Isaiah Hankel: https://www.optimize.me/pn/black-hole-focus-isaiah-hankel
- The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-magic-of-thinking-big-david-schwartz
- How Successful People Think by John Maxwell: https://www.optimize.me/pn/how-successful-people-think-john-maxwell
- Spirit Means Business by Alan Cohen: https://www.optimize.me/pn/spirit-means-business-alan-cohen
- The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-millionaire-fastlane-mj-demarco
- The Diamond Cutter by Geshe Michael Roach: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-diamond-cutter-geshe-michael-roach
- The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster by Darren Hardy: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-entrepreneur-roller-coaster-darren-hardy
- EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey: https://www.optimize.me/pn/entreleadership-dave-ramsey
- You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay: https://www.optimize.me/pn/you-can-heal-your-life-louise-hay
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki: https://www.optimize.me/pn/rich-dad-poor-dad-robert-kiyosaki
- Money, and the Law of Attraction by Jerry Hicks and Esther Hicks: https://www.optimize.me/pn/money-and-the-law-of-attraction-jerry-hicks-esther-hicks
- It’s Not About Money by Brent Kessel: https://www.optimize.me/pn/its-not-about-the-money-brent-kessel
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
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Optimize your MEDITATION with more wisdom in less time: https://www.optimize.me/missions/meditation
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You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
- Conquest of Mind by Eknath Easwaran: https://www.optimize.me/pn/conquest-of-mind-eknath-easwaran
- Why Meditate? by Matthieu Ricard: https://www.optimize.me/pn/why-meditate-matthieu-ricard
- The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-relaxation-response-herbert-benson
- The Relaxation Revolution by Herbert Benson: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-relaxation-revolution-herbert-benson
- Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn: https://www.optimize.me/pn/wherever-you-go-there-you-are-jon-kabat-zinn
- Mindsight by Dan Siegel: https://www.optimize.me/pn/mindsight-dan-siegel
- The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-miracle-of-mindfulness-thich-nhat-hanh
- The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-mindful-athlete-george-mumford
- As a Man Thinketh by James Allen: https://www.optimize.me/pn/as-a-man-thinketh-james-allen
- 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari: https://www.optimize.me/pn/21-lessons-for-the-21st-century-yuval-noah-harari
- Buddha’s Brain by Rick Hanson: https://www.optimize.me/pn/buddhas-brain-rick-hanson
- Stress Less, Accomplish More by Emily Fletcher: https://www.optimize.me/pn/stress-less-accomplish-more-emily-fletcher
- The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-sleep-revolution-arianna-huffington
- Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday: https://www.optimize.me/pn/stillness-is-the-key-ryan-holiday
- Passage Meditation by Eknath Easwaran: https://www.optimize.me/pn/passage-meditation-eknath-easwaran
- Silence by Thich Nhat Hanh: https://www.optimize.me/pn/silence-thich-nhat-hanh
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-power-of-now-eckhart-tolle
- Mindfulness by Ellen Langer: https://www.optimize.me/pn/mindfulness-ellen-langer
- Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck: https://www.optimize.me/pn/everyday-zen-charlotte-joko-beck
- Brain Power by Michael Gelb and Kelly Howell: https://www.optimize.me/pn/brain-power-michael-gelb-kelly-howell
- Mindfulness by Mark Williams and Danny Penman: https://www.optimize.me/pn/mindfulness-mark-williams-danny-penman
- The Undefeated Mind by Alex Lickerman: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-undefeated-mind-alex-lickerman
- The Diamond Cutter by Geshe Michael Roach:https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-diamond-cutter-geshe-michael-roach
- Gandhi the Man by Eknath Easwaran: https://www.optimize.me/pn/gandhi-the-man-eknath-easwaran
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
Optimize your BREATHING with more wisdom in less time: https://www.optimize.me/missions/breathing
All 100% free. Forever. No credit card required. No ads. No strings attached. Just more wisdom in less time. Period. → https://www.optimize.me/
You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
- The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-oxygen-advantage-patrick-mckeown
- Breath by James Nestor: https://www.optimize.me/pn/breath-james-nestor
- True to Form by Eric Goodman: https://www.optimize.me/pn/true-to-form-eric-goodman
- The Power of Your Breath by Anders Olsson: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-power-of-your-breath-anders-olsson
- Breathe by Belisa Vranich: https://www.optimize.me/pn/breathe-belisa-vranich
- Perfect Breathing by Al Lee and Don Campbell: https://www.optimize.me/pn/perfect-breathing-al-lee-don-campbell
- The Healing Power of the Breath by Richard P. Brown and Patricia L. Gerbarg: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-healing-power-of-the-breath-richard-brown-patricia-gerbarg
- Breathe In, Breathe Out by James E. Loehr and Jeffrey Migdow: https://www.optimize.me/pn/breathe-in-breathe-out-james-loehr-jeffrey-migdow
- Unbeatable Mind by Mark Divine: https://www.optimize.me/pn/unbeatable-mind-mark-divine
- Anxiety Free by Patrick McKeown: https://www.optimize.me/pn/anxiety-free-patrick-mckeown
- The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-willpower-instinct-kelly-mcgonigal
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
Optimize your ANCIENT WISDOM with more wisdom in less time: https://www.optimize.me/missions/ancient-wisdom
All 100% free. Forever. No credit card required. No ads. No strings attached. Just more wisdom in less time. Period. → https://www.optimize.me/
You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
- The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-nicomachean-ethics-aristotle
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: https://www.optimize.me/pn/meditations-marcus-aurelius
- Discourses by Epictetus: https://www.optimize.me/pn/discourses-epictetus
- On the Shortness of Life by Seneca: https://www.optimize.me/pn/on-the-shortness-of-life-seneca
- The Bhagavad Gita by Krishna and Eknath Easwaran: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-bhagavad-gita-krishna-eknath-easwaran
- The Dhammapada by Eknath Easwaran: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-dhammapada-eknath-easwaran
- Rumi Daylight by Rumi: https://www.optimize.me/pn/rumi-daylight-rumi
- The Analects of Confucius by Confucius: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-analects-of-confucius-confucius
- The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-tao-te-ching-lao-tz
- Trying Not to Try by Edward Slingerland: https://www.optimize.me/pn/trying-not-to-try-edward-slingerland
- The Jefferson Bible by Thomas Jefferson: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-jefferson-bible-thomas-jefferson
- The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-daily-stoic-ryan-holiday-stephen-hanselman
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
How to Optimize your life with Modern Science: https://www.optimize.me/missions/modern-science
All 100% free. Forever. No credit card required. No ads. No strings attached. Just more wisdom in less time. Period. → https://www.optimize.me/
You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
- Motivation and Personality by Abraham Maslow: https://www.optimize.me/pn/motivation-and-personality-abraham-maslow
- Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl: https://www.optimize.me/pn/mans-search-for-meaning-viktor-frankl
- Flourish by Martin Seligman: https://www.optimize.me/pn/flourish-martin-seligman
- Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen: https://www.optimize.me/pn/rethinking-positive-thinking-gabriele-oettingen
- Grit by Angela Duckworth: https://www.optimize.me/pn/grit-angela-duckworth
- The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-joy-of-movement-kelly-mcgonigal
- What Doesn’t Kill Us by Stephen Jospeh, Ph.D: https://www.optimize.me/pn/what-doesnt-kill-us-stephen-joseph
- Peak by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool: https://www.optimize.me/pn/peak-anders-ericsson-robert-pool
- Presence by Amy Cuddy: https://www.optimize.me/pn/presence-amy-cuddy
- Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar: https://www.optimize.me/pn/happier-tal-ben-shahar
- Gratitude Works! by Robert Emmons: https://www.optimize.me/pn/gratitude-works-robert-emmons
- Future Visions by Dr. Edward Hoffman: https://www.optimize.me/pn/future-visions-edward-hoffman
- Happy Together by James Pawelski and Suzann Pawelski: https://www.optimize.me/pn/happy-together-suzann-pileggi-pawelski-mapp-james-pawelski
- The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-how-of-happiness-sonja-lyubomirsky
- The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-upside-of-stress-kelly-mcgonigal
- The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-happiness-hypothesis-jonathan-haidt
- Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: https://www.optimize.me/pn/flow-mihaly-csikszentmihalyi
- The Myths of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-myths-of-happiness-sonja-lyubomirsky
- The Psychology of Hope by Charles Snyder: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-psychology-of-hope-charles-snyder
- Constructive Living by David Reynolds: https://www.optimize.me/pn/constructive-living-david-reynolds
- Creativity by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: https://www.optimize.me/pn/creativity-mihaly-csikszentmihalyi
- The As If Principle by Richard Wiseman: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-as-if-principle-richard-wiseman
- Thanks! by Robert Emmons: https://www.optimize.me/pn/thanks-robert-emmons
- Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman: https://www.optimize.me/pn/authentic-happiness-martin-seligman
- Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman: https://www.optimize.me/pn/learned-optimism-martin-seligman
- The Courage Quotient by Robert Biswas-Diener: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-courage-quotient-robert-biswas-diener
- The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by Donald Robertson: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-philosophy-of-cognitive-behavioural-therapy-donald-robertson
- Succeed by Heidi Grant Halvorson: https://www.optimize.me/pn/succeed-heidi-grant-halvorson
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
Optimize your Stoicism: https://www.optimize.me/missions/stoicism
Get all the wisdom from the best Stoicism books out there— in less time (!) — with a collection of PhilosophersNotes distilling the Big Ideas and an Optimal Living 101 class highlighting the absolute best of the best.
All 100% free. Forever. No credit card required. No strings attached. Period. → https://www.optimize.me/
You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
- The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-daily-stoic-ryan-holiday-stephen-hanselman
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: https://www.optimize.me/pn/meditations-marcus-aurelius
- The Enchiridion by Epictetus: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-enchiridion-epictetus
- Discourses by Epictetus: https://www.optimize.me/pn/discourses-epictetus
- Letters from a Stoic by Seneca: https://www.optimize.me/pn/letters-from-a-stoic-seneca
- On the Shortness of Life by Seneca: https://www.optimize.me/pn/on-the-shortness-of-life-seneca
- Musonius Rufus by Cynthia Arrieu-King and William Irvine: https://www.optimize.me/pn/musonius-rufus-musonius-rufus-cynthia-arrieu-king-william-irvine
- How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson: https://www.optimize.me/pn/how-to-think-like-a-roman-emperor-donald-robertson
- The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-obstacle-is-the-way-ryan-holiday
- The Inner Citadel by Pierre Hadot: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-inner-citadel-pierre-hadot
- How to Be Free by Epictetus and A.A. Long: https://www.optimize.me/pn/how-to-be-free-epictetus-a-long
- How to Be a Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci: https://www.optimize.me/pn/how-to-be-a-stoic-massimo-pigliucci
- The Practicing Stoic by Ward Farnsworth: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-practicing-stoic-ward-farnsworth
- The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by Donald Robertson: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-philosophy-of-cognitive-behavioural-therapy-donald-robertson
- The Stoic Challenge by William Irvine: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-stoic-challenge-william-irvine
- Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot by James Stockdale: https://www.optimize.me/pn/thoughts-of-a-philosophical-fighter-pilot-james-stockdale
- Courage Under Fire by James Stockdale: https://www.optimize.me/pn/courage-under-fire-james-stockdale
- Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday: https://www.optimize.me/pn/ego-is-the-enemy-ryan-holiday
- Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday: https://www.optimize.me/pn/stillness-is-the-key-ryan-holiday
- A Guide to the Good Life by William Irvine: https://www.optimize.me/pn/a-guide-to-the-good-life-william-irvine
- The Stoic Art of Living by Tom Morris: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-stoic-art-of-living-tom-morris
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl: https://www.optimize.me/pn/mans-search-for-meaning-viktor-frankl
- Plato’s Lemonade Stand by Tom Morris: https://www.optimize.me/pn/platos-lemonade-stand-tom-morris
- Superheroes and Philosophy by Matt Morris and Tom Morris: https://www.optimize.me/pn/superheroes-and-philosophy-matt-morris-tom-morris
Other Resources Noted in this video:
The Daily Stoic: https://dailystoic.com/
The Daily Dad: https://dailydad.com/
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
Optimize your MENTAL TOUGHNESS with more wisdom in less time: https://www.optimize.me/missions/mental-toughness
All 100% free. Forever. No credit card required. No ads. No strings attached. Period. → https://www.optimize.me/
You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
- How Champions Think by Bob Rotella: https://www.optimize.me/pn/how-champions-think-bob-rotella
- Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven: https://www.optimize.me/pn/make-your-bed-admiral-william-mcraven
- Unbeatable Mind by Mark Divine: https://www.optimize.me/pn/unbeatable-mind-mark-divine
- Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin: https://www.optimize.me/pn/extreme-ownership-jocko-willink-leif-babin
- Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins: https://www.optimize.me/pn/cant-hurt-me-david-goggins
- Sea Stories by Admiral William H. McRaven: https://www.optimize.me/pn/sea-stories-admiral-william-mcraven
- Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink: https://www.optimize.me/pn/discipline-equals-freedom-jocko-willink
- Fearless by Eric Blehm: https://www.optimize.me/pn/fearless-eric-blehm
- Be Unstoppable by Alden Mills: https://www.optimize.me/pn/be-unstoppable-alden-mills
- The Way of the SEAL by Mark Divine: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-way-of-the-seal-mark-divine
- The Champion's Mind by Jim Afremow: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-champions-mind-jim-afremow
- And many more!
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
PURPOSE! How to Optimize yours with more wisdom in less time: https://www.optimize.me/missions/purpose
Get all the wisdom from the best Purpose books out there— in less time (!) — with a collection of PhilosophersNotes distilling the Big Ideas and an Optimal Living 101 class highlighting the absolute best of the best.
All 100% free. Forever. No credit card required. No ads. No strings attached. Period. → https://www.optimize.me/
You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
- The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-hero-with-a-thousand-faces-joseph-campbell
- The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-power-of-myth-joseph-campbell
- Pathways to Bliss by Joseph Campbell: https://www.optimize.me/pn/pathways-to-bliss-joseph-campbell
- A Joseph Campbell Companion by Joseph Campbell: https://www.optimize.me/pn/a-joseph-campbell-companion-joseph-campbell
- Noble Purpose by William Damon: https://www.optimize.me/pn/noble-purpose-william-damon
- The Path to Purpose by William Damon: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-path-to-purpose-william-damon
- The Second Mountain by David Brooks: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-second-mountain-david-brooks
- The Great Work of Your Life by Stephen Cope: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-great-work-of-your-life-stephen-cope
- Mastery by Robert Greene: https://www.optimize.me/pn/mastery-robert-greene
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
PRODUCTIVITY! How to Optimize yours with more wisdom in less time: https://www.optimize.me/missions/productivity
Get all the wisdom from the best Productivity books out there— in less time (!) — with a collection of PhilosophersNotes distilling the Big Ideas and an Optimal Living 101 class highlighting the absolute best of the best.
All 100% free. Forever. No credit card required. No ads. No strings attached. Period. → https://www.optimize.me/
You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
- Deep Work by Cal Newport: https://www.optimize.me/pn/deep-work-cal-newport
- The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-one-thing-gary-keller-jay-papasan
- The Power of Full Engagement by Tony Schwartz and James Loehr: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-power-of-full-engagement-tony-schwartz-james-loehr
- The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-10x-rule-grant-cardone
- The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-effective-executive-peter-drucker
- Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: https://www.optimize.me/pn/flow-mihaly-csikszentmihalyi
- Getting Things Done by David Allen: https://www.optimize.me/pn/getting-things-done-david-allen
- The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-4-disciplines-of-execution-chris-mcchesney-sean-covey-jim-huling
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
Optimize your Leadership: https://www.optimize.me/missions/leadership
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You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
- Leadership in Turbulent Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin: https://www.optimize.me/pn/leadership-doris-kearns-goodwin
- The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-leadership-challenge-james-kouzes-barry-posner
- Lead Yourself First by Raymond Kethledge and Michael Erwin: https://www.optimize.me/pn/lead-yourself-first-raymond-kethledge-michael-erwin
- The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-21-irrefutable-laws-of-leadership-john-maxwell
- On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis: https://www.optimize.me/pn/on-becoming-a-leader-warren-bennis
- The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-effective-executive-peter-drucker
- Principles: Life by Ray Dalio: https://www.optimize.me/pn/principles-life-ray-dalio
- The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-leader-who-had-no-title-robin-sharma
- Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin: https://www.optimize.me/pn/extreme-ownership-jocko-willink-leif-babin
- Executive Toughness by Jason Selk: https://www.optimize.me/pn/executive-toughness-jason-selk
- It Worked for Me by General Colin Powell: https://www.optimize.me/pn/it-worked-for-me-general-colin-powell
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
Conquer your Digital Addiction: https://www.optimize.me/missions/conquer-digital-addiction
Get all the wisdom from the best books on Conquering Digital Addiction—in less time (!)—with a collection of PhilosophersNotes distilling the Big Ideas and an Optimal Living 101 class highlighting the absolute best of the best.
All 100% free. Forever. No credit card required. No ads. No strings attached. Period. → https://www.optimize.me/
You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
- Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport: https://www.optimize.me/pn/digital-minimalism-cal-newport
- Irresistible by Adam Alter: https://www.optimize.me/pn/irresistible-adam-alter
- Indistractable by Nir Eyal: https://www.optimize.me/pn/indistractable-nir-eyal
- The Shallows by Nicholas Carr: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-shallows-nicholas-carr
- The Distraction Addiction by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang: https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-distraction-addiction-alex-soojung-kim-pang
- Your Brain at Work by David Rock: https://www.optimize.me/pn/your-brain-at-work-david-rock
- Unsubscribe by Jocelyn Glei: https://www.optimize.me/pn/unsubscribe-jocelyn-glei
- Brain Wash by Dr. David Perlmutter and Dr. Austin Perlmutter: https://www.optimize.me/pn/brain-wash-david-perlmutter-austin-perlmutter
- Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday: https://www.optimize.me/pn/stillness-is-the-key-ryan-holiday
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
Other Resources noted in this video:
The Social Dilemma: https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/
Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen -- The 60 Minutes Interview: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-misinformation-public-60-minutes-video-2021-10-03/
Optimize your Sleep: https://optimize.me/missions/sleep
Get all the wisdom from the best Sleep books out there— in less time (!) — with a collection of PhilosophersNotes distilling the Big Ideas and an Optimal Living 101 class highlighting the absolute best of the best.
All 100% free. Forever. No credit card required. No strings attached. Period. → https://www.optimize.me/
You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (https://www.optimize.me/pn/why-we-sle...)
Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson (https://www.optimize.me/pn/sleep-smar...)
The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington (https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-sleep-...)
Rest by Alex Soojung Kim Pang (https://www.optimize.me/pn/rest-alex-...)
Take a Nap! Change Your Life by Sara Mednick (https://www.optimize.me/pn/take-a-nap...)
Sleep for Success by James Maas (https://www.optimize.me/pn/sleep-for-...)
The Longevity Paradox by Steven Gundry (https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-longev...)
Power Sleep by James Maas (https://www.optimize.me/pn/power-slee...)
Eat Move Sleep by Tom Rath (https://www.optimize.me/pn/eat-move-s...)
The Power for Full Engagement by Tony Schwartz and James Loehr (https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-power-...)
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
So…
Optimize your Habits: https://optimize.me/missions/habits/
Get instant access to a collection of PhilosophersNotes on the best habits books out there along with an Optimal Living 101 class that distills the absolute best ideas from those books—giving you more wisdom in less time to help you Optimize your habits.
All 100% free. Forever. No credit card required. No strings attached. Period. → https://www.optimize.me/
You’ll learn the Big Ideas from:
Habits 101 (https://www.optimize.me/101/habits)
Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg (https://www.optimize.me/pn/tiny-habits-b-fogg)
Atomic Habits by James Clear (https://www.optimize.me/pn/atomic-habits-james-clear)
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy (https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-compound-effect-darren-hardy)
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson (https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-slight-edge-jeff-olson)
Mini Habits by Stephen Guise (https://www.optimize.me/pn/mini-habits-stephen-guise)
Superhuman by Habit by Tynan (https://www.optimize.me/pn/superhuman-by-habit-tynan)
The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande (https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-checklist-manifesto-atul-gawande)
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-power-of-habit-charles-duhigg)
Make Your Bed by Admiral William McRaven (https://www.optimize.me/pn/make-your-bed-admiral-william-mcraven)
Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed (https://www.optimize.me/pn/black-box-thinking-matthew-syed)
The Power of Habit by Jack Hodge (https://www.optimize.me/pn/the-power-of-habit-jack-hodge)
Plus, with your (FREE!) Optimize wisdom membership, you’ll get instant access to 600+ PhilosophersNotes, 50+ Optimal Living 101 classes, and 1,000+ Optimize +1s, all to help you Optimize every aspect of your life with more wisdom in less time.
So…
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
Sleep
Stoicism
Buddhism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Sports
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up (for FREE!) today at https://www.optimize.me/
Join tens of thousands of Optimizers from nearly every country in the world. Absolutely FREE.
👉 Sign up today at https://www.optimize.me/
Yes. A lifetime membership to Optimize—what thousands of people have paid $250+ for—is now absolutely free. Forever. No credit card required. No strings attached.
Sign up and read the full story on WHY we decided to give Optimize away for free here: https://www.optimize.me/is-now-free
"Optimize is my go-to source for taking a time-efficient deep dive into the world’s best books on health, wealth, neuroscience, fitness, business, nutrition, lifestyle, and philosophy." —Ben Greenfield
"One of the most innovative and useful tools I have come across in ages. The powerful information Brian packs into each PhilosophersNote is amazing. He distills the best of the best." —Marci Shimoff
"Optimize is a great service for making over your life in new, exciting ways. All guided with expert help from Brian. If you’re serious about living life optimally, take a look at Optimize." —Ryan Holiday
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
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Mental Toughness
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Sleep
Stoicism
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Focus
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Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up today at https://www.optimize.me/
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Charisma Myth" by Olivia Fox Cabane. Hope you enjoy!
Charisma. The idea that you’re either one of the lucky few born with it or not is a MYTH. Fact is: We can all cultivate our personal magnetism. In this fun, quick-reading, compelling book, Olivia Fox Cabane walks us through the practical application of the art and science of deliberately dialing our charisma up. Big Ideas we cover: The Big 3 of charisma: Presence + Power + Warmth (and how to boost each), what gets in the way (and what to do about it), the power of visualization (#1 tip) and more.
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!)
Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Positive Psychology and the Body by Kate Hefferon. Hope you enjoy!
"Positive Psychology and the Body." Unfortunately, those two subjects are rarely connected--which is why I was so excited to get this book when I saw the title. It's actually a textbook not a normal book. It provides an overview of research on a range of subjects including: “Positive Psychophysiology,” “Positive Neuroscience,” “Positive Sexuality” and “Positive Nutrition.” Big Ideas we explore include a quick look at Martin Seligman's PERMA approach to eudaimonic (vis-a-vis hedonic) happiness, your nervous system (flip the switch!), longevity and positive emotion (some astonishing stats), diet and wellbeing/depression (sugar begone!), and physical activity (science says: it does a body good!).
Get Positive Psychology and the Body on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Positive-Psychology-Body-Somatopsychic-Flourishing/dp/0335247717/
Learn more about Kate Hefferon: https://www.optimize.me/authors/dr-kate-hefferon-phd/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: PERMA
- +1: How to Flourish | Science Says: PERMA (#280) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-flourish/
- PN: Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/authentic-happiness-martin-seligman/
- PN: Flourish by Martin Seligman → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/flourish-martin-seligman/
- +1: Hedonic Eudaimonia | A Close Relative of Flow Junkies (#908) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/hedonic-eudaimonia/
- Module O of The Optimize Mastery Series → https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-o/
- +1: Eudaimonology | The Study of a Good Soul (#997) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/eudaimonology/
- +1: Hērōs | Building Strength for 2 (#107) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/heros/
Big Idea 2: YOUR AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
- +1: Training Tranquility | Today for TONIGHT for Tomorrow (#916) → https://optimize.me/plus-one/training-tranquility/
Big Idea 3: LONGEVITY
- +1: Want to Live Long? | Nuns + Crazy Stats (#1161) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/want-to-live-long/
- +1: “The Tyranny of Positive Thinking” | And How to Avoid It (#1164) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-tyranny-of-positive-thinking/
- PN: Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/rethinking-positive-thinking-gabriele-oettingen/
- Optimize Coach Program Faculty → https://optimize.me/coach-faculty
- +1: WOOP! There It Is | The Science of Making Your Dreams a Reality (#6) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/woop-there-it-is/
- +1: The Inverted U | And You, Rats, Caffeine, Etc. (#406) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-inverted-u/
- +1: Aristotle’s Virtuous Mean | Versus the Vices of Excess + Deficiency (#247) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/aristotles-virtuous-mean/
- +1: Levity + Gravity = Buoyancy | To Sell Is Human — The New ABCs (#422) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/levity-gravity-buoyancy/
Big Idea 4: SUGAR →
- +1: Sugar & Depression | Some Crazy (And Crazy-Making!) Stats (#1175) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sugar-depression/
- PN: Food Fix by Mark Hyman → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/food-fix-mark-hyman/
- +1: Don’t Drink Sugar | “The Single-Biggest Thing You Can Do to Improve Your Health” (#1247) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/dont-drink-sugar/
- +1: Cancer Candy (Aka Sugar) | And All It’s Secret Identities (#1177) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/cancer-candy-aka-sugar/
Big Idea 5: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
- PN: The Upward Spiral by Alex Korb, PhD → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-upward-spiral-alex-korb/
- PNTV: The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-joy-of-movement-kelly-mcgonigal/
- PNTV: Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGleZbhlIpk&feature=youtu.be
- +1: Cortisol and Melatonin | Teeter Totter Buddies (#1173) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/cortisol-and-melatonin/
- #1: Science says: Optimize works!!! (“Massively positive effects!”) (#19) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdBBDWMAwcQ
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Join tens of thousands of Optimizers from nearly every country in the world. Absolutely FREE.
👉 Sign up today at https://www.optimize.me/
Yes. A lifetime membership to Optimize—what thousands of people have paid $250+ for—is now absolutely free. Forever. No credit card required. No strings attached.
Sign up and read the full story on WHY we decided to give Optimize away for free here: https://www.optimize.me/is-now-free
"Optimize is my go-to source for taking a time-efficient deep dive into the world’s best books on health, wealth, neuroscience, fitness, business, nutrition, lifestyle, and philosophy." —Ben Greenfield
"One of the most innovative and useful tools I have come across in ages. The powerful information Brian packs into each PhilosophersNote is amazing. He distills the best of the best." —Marci Shimoff
"Optimize is a great service for making over your life in new, exciting ways. All guided with expert help from Brian. If you’re serious about living life optimally, take a look at Optimize." —Ryan Holiday
What do YOU want to Optimize today?
Ancient Wisdom
Modern Science
Mental Toughness
Habits
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Stoicism
Purpose
Leadership
Focus
Goal Setting
Productivity
Energy
Peak Performance
Meditation
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Fitness
Breathing
Prosperity
Creativity
Learning
Self-Image
Willpower
Business
Relationships
Parenting
Public Speaking
Conquer Cancer
Conquer Anxiety
Conquer Depression
Conquer Perfectionism
Conquer Procrastination
Conquer Digital Addiction
👉 Sign up today at https://www.optimize.me/
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!) Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth" by John Maxwell. Hope you enjoy!
Do you want to reach your potential? If you’re reading this then the answer seems clear. The path to do so is pretty obvious as well: We must grow. And, as Maxwell advises, we must be intentional about it. Big Ideas we explore include a couple uber-powerful questions, Discipline as the bridge btwn your goals and accomplishments, trade-offs, and the magic of “Do it now!”
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!) Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Manage Your Day-to-Day" by Jocelyn K. Glei. Hope you enjoy!
If you’re looking to optimize your day-to-day-productivity, this collection of wisdom from some of the world’s leading creative gurus via 99U is a fantastic place to start. Big Ideas we explore include the importance daily routines, the most important thing you can do to boost your productivity, how screen apnea leads to things you don’t want and why rats love to check email.
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!) Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
The Pursuit of Perfect by Tal Ben-Shahar. Here's a quick look at a few of my favorite Big Ideas from Tal Ben-Shahar's brilliant book (especially if you've been or are a perfectionist like me :). Learn how to be an optimalist rather than a perfectionist. :)
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Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman. Optimism, optimism, optimism. If we want to live an extraordinary life, we've gotta develop our ability to shape our minds. In this episode, we're going to take a quick look at Martin Seligman's great book "Learned Optimism" and some science on how to get our optimism on! Hope you enjoy!
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!)
Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins. Hope you enjoy!
David Goggins is a former Navy SEAL (and Army Ranger) who used to hold a Guinness World Record for completing 4,030 pull-ups in 17 hours. These days he’s setting records as an ultra-endurance athlete. But he wasn’t always Mr. Superhero. In this great autobiographical self-help book, David walks us through his transformation from being a 297-pound exterminator to a “Who IS this guy?!” superhero. If you’re into SUPER (!!!) intense demonstrations of how to conquer ourselves to do the seemingly impossible (and don’t mind a stream of f-bombs—lol) then I think you’ll love this book as much as I did. Big Ideas we explore include: The Accountability Mirror, bringing your best (when you feel the worst), hero callouses (let failures toughen you up!), the process (how to go from running 1/4 of a mile to 200+ nonstop), and bursting from the inside out (learn to endure!).
Get Can’t Hurt Me on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Hurt-Me-Master-Your/dp/1544512287/
Learn more about David Goggins: https://www.optimize.me/authors/david-goggins/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: THE ONE WARRIOR
- PN: Staring Down the Wolf by Mark Divine → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/staring-down-the-wolf-mark-divine/
- PN: Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/discipline-equals-freedom-jocko-willink/
- PN: Fearless by Eric Blehm → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/fearless-eric-blehm/
- Abraham Maslow → https://www.optimize.me/authors/abraham-maslow/
- "[Maslow] once asked his class, ‘Which of you believe you will achieve greatness?’ When they stared at him blankly, he asked, ‘If not you, who then?’” - Colin Wilson →https://www.optimize.me/quotes/colin-wilson/1536171-maslow-once-asked-his-class-which-of-you-believe-you/
- PNTV: The Healthy Deviant by Pilar Gerasimo → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-healthy-deviant-pilar-gerasimo/
- Thich Nhat Hanh → https://www.optimize.me/authors/thich-nhat-hanh/
Big Idea 2: THE ACCOUNTABILITY MIRROR
- +1: Targeted Thinking | What Do You Want + Now What Needs to Be Done? (#1267) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/targeted-thinking/
- +1: Neutral Thinking | vs. Positive and Negative Thinking (#1259) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/neutral-thinking/
- +1: WHtR ← Waist to Height Ratio | How’s Yours? (<.5 Here We Come!) (#1024) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/whtr-waist-to-height-ratio/
- +1: Stoic Spas | Are More Like Hospitals (Check Yourself In Yet?) (#379) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/stoic-spas/
- PNTV: It Takes What It Takes by Trevor Moawad (#394) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-88d6BM8Fb0
Big Idea 3: WORST → BEST
- PNTV: Sea Stories by Admiral William H. McRaven (#407) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s_fiyKInu0
- +1: When You’re Neck Deep in Mud | Sing! (#1204) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/when-youre-neck-deep-in-mud/
- +1: Emotional Stamina | What to Do When You’re Having a Rough Day (#28) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/emotional-stamina/
- Navy SEAL Cookie Jars | David Goggins on Becoming Superman (#661) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/navy-seal-cookie-jars/
- PNTV: Future Visions by Abraham Maslow → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncur6rCM2-0
Big Idea 4: THE PROCESS
- +1: Your Infinite Potential | And Where to Find It (#4) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/your-infinite-potential/
- +1: The Goggins Process | Your Job: Push Past Your Normal Stopping Point (#662) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-goggins-process/
- PN: Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/everything-is-figureoutable-marie-forleo/
Big Idea 5: BURSTING → BURNING
- +1: The Good Life | vs. The Good Mood (#1126) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-good-life/
- "What is to give light must endure burning.” - Viktor Frankl → https://www.optimize.me/quotes/viktor-frankl/21801-what-is-to-give-light-must-endure-burnin/
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Relentless" by Tim Grover. Hope you enjoy!
Tim Grover was Michael Jordan’s trainer and, basically, his mental toughness coach. Kobe Bryant’s as well. And Dwayne Wade’s. And... Well, a ton of other elite athletes. He’s one of the world’s top mental toughness coaches and this book is, as per the sub-title, a manual on how to go “From Good to Great to Unstoppable.” Big Ideas we explore include: relentless commitment (vs. "Meh, good enough"), Do. The. Work (eat frogs and dominate), Pressure (pressure, pressure! BRING IT ON!), the source of true confidence, greatness math (remember: effort counts twice; just ask Michael Jordan and Jerry Rice), and turning your dreams into reality (ready?).
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Sea Stories by Admiral William H. McRaven. Hope you enjoy!
I got this book immediately after finishing Admiral McRaven’s first book, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe the World. That one’s a quick-reading little book on the ten lessons McRaven learned in his SEAL training that we can all apply to our modern lives. It was fantastic. I had a strong feeling this memoir on his “Life in Special Operations” would be just as good. It is. As per the back cover, “Admiral William H. McRaven is a part of American military history, having been involved in some of the most famous missions in recent memory, including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips, and the raid to kill Osama bin Laden.” McRaven is a brilliant story teller with, as you can imagine, an incredible array of stories to tell. But that’s not why I loved this book so much. I loved it because reading it made me want to be a better human being. If you enjoy autobiographies and appreciate the military heroes who serve our country as much as I do, I think you’ll love the book as much as I did.
Get Sea Stories on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Stories-Life-Special-Operations/dp/1538729741
Learn more about Admiral William H. McRaven: https://www.optimize.me/authors/admiral-william-h-mcraven/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: ONE EVOLUTION
- +1: One Evolution at a Time | How to Get Through Hell Week (#1218) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/one-evolution-at-a-time/
- +1: Simplify the Battlefield | Wisdom from a SEAL Commander on What to Do in the Chaos of Life and War (#75) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/simplify-the-battlefield/
- +1: How Byron Katie Does Her Dishes | Hint: She Dominates Them (#536) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-byron-katie-does-her-dishes/
- +1: WIN! WIN! WIN! | What’s Your Next Most Important Thing? (<- Crush That. Repeat.) (#421) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/win-win-win/
- +1: What’s Important Now? (Part 2) | How to Win 28 Olympic Medals (#276) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/whats-important-now-part-2/
- PN: Constructive Living by David K. Reynolds → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/constructive-living-david-reynolds/
- +1: Now What Needs to Be Done? | Remember: Feelings Follow Behavior (#72) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/now-what-needs-to-be-done/
Big Idea 2: CONNECTION
- +1: The Power of Others | Rely on It! (#1226) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-power-of-others/
- +1: How to Say “I Love You” | In Squeezy-eze (#1140) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-say-i-love-you/
Big Idea 3: THE BELL
- +1: When You’re Neck Deep in Mud | Sing! (#1204) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/when-youre-neck-deep-in-mud/
- +1:Self-Efficacy| The Science of Confidence (#111) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/self-efficacy/
Big Idea 4: WARRIOR’S LOVE
- +1: How's Your Hedgehog? | 3 Circles on What You’re Here to Do (#131) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/hows-your-hedgehog/
- +1: Your Specific Mission in Life | You Have One… What Is It? (#1041) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/your-specific-mission-in-life/
Big Idea 5: A GOOD MAN
- +1: On Humility | Thinking of Ourselves Less (#1054) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/on-humility/
- +1: Heroes Have Quests | What's Yours? (#118) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/heroes-have-quests/
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan. Hope you enjoy!
Michael Pollan is the author of a number of New York Times best-selling books on nutrition. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the one hundred most influential people in the world. If you’re looking for a SUPER compact, witty look at the primary rules on how to eat well, this is it. It’s a fun, witty, concise guide to eating well featuring 64 food rules structured around Pollan’s seven words of wisdom: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Big Ideas we explore include the 2 Facts of nutrition everyone can agree on, Rule #1, why low-fat made us fat, and the final rule (#64).
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work" by John Gottman. Hope you enjoy!
Want to make your relationship work? Then you’d be wise to turn toward the world’s leading researcher on the science of what makes love work: John Gottman. This book has sold over 1 million copies and it’s easy to see why. Big Ideas we explore: How Gottman can predict divorce with 91% accuracy (in < 15 minutes), a quick look at the 7 principles, the power of cherishing your partner, turning toward (and not being a tech rat), how to solve the solvable problems and starting “I love you” with the “I.”
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Fear" by Thich Nhat Hanh. Hope you enjoy!
A Vietnamese Buddhist Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh is, essentially, a living saint. In this great little book, Nhat Hanh delivers his essential wisdom on how to navigate the storms of life with more grace and poise as we cultivate fearlessness/nonfear. Big Ideas range from breathing in the moment, reflecting on interbeingness (= huge), and enhancing our energy of mindfulness and concentration.
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"Getting Things Done" by David Allen = magic sauce. Here are a few of my favorite Big Ideas from the classic book on The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. Hope you enjoy!
Getting Things Done. This is like the Bible of personal productivity. And David Allen is our wise sage, walking us thru the powerful systems to help us master the art of stress-free productivity. In the Note, we'll explore how to clear our heads (mind like water!), play the 2-minute game, get our inbox to zero and envision + plan for success.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "What to Say When You Talk to Yourself" by Shad Helmstetter, Ph.D. Hope you enjoy!
What do you say when you talk to yourself? Is it empowering? Or not so much? Shad Helmstetter tells us nothing matters quite as much as that. Big Ideas include why and how we need to upgrade our programming, the 5 levels of Self-Talk, and conquering our greatest challenge.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg. Hope you enjoy!
Habits. They’re powerful. And, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg is a very cool look at why we have them, how they work, and what we can do to change them. The book is an incredibly well-written, fun read and it’s packed with great stories and wisdom and I think you’ll dig it. In this Note, we’ll take a quick peek at the basic aspects of a habit loop (cue + routine + reward), how you can get a cue, what a keystone habit is (and why you should care), the importance of believing you can change and the fact that every habit is malleable. Fun!
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The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma. He is one of the world's top leadership gurus and one of my favorite teachers. In this PN TV episode, we'll have fun looking at a few of my favorite Big Ideas from his wise, inspiring fable: "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari." Hope you dig it!
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The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma. He is one of the world's top leadership gurus and one of my favorite teachers. In this PN TV episode, we'll have fun looking at a few of my favorite Big Ideas from his wise, inspiring fable: "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari." Hope you dig it!
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Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz. Get your inner "steersman" on in this PN TV episode as we explore a few of my favorite Big Ideas from the classic "Psycho-Cybernetics"! :)
Maxwell Maltz was a plastic surgeon who saw just how important our self-image is to our well being and introduced some Big Ideas on how to tap into the power of our subconscious minds. In this Note, we'll explore the science of guided missiles and see how that ties into our day-to-day lives (hint: goals are really important) and the fact that we need to re-hypnotize ourselves if we wanna get our mojo on.
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How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie. If you've ever had a worry or two, I think you'll dig some of my favorite Big Ideas from Dale Carnegie's classic book "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living"!
Have you ever worried more than you'd like? (Me, too.) In this Note, we'll explore some really Big Ideas on how to stop worrying and start living—including the importance of rest (did you know our hearts rest way more than they work every day? (Me, either.)) and how important it is to make decisions and take action!
This is our third Note on one of Mark Divine's books. Mark is a retired Navy SEAL Commander. He also has twenty-five years of experience as an entrepreneur. In this book, he draws on his decades of leadership experience to teach us the "7 Leadership Commitments That Forge Elite Teams." Big Ideas we explore include The Two Wolves (which one are YOU feeding?), the. 7 Commitments (Courage + Trust + Respect + Growth + Excellence + Resiliency + Alignment), Falling Down Seven Times (and getting back up eight), Semper Gumby (Always Flexible!), and Your #1 Fear to Stare Down Next (what's yours?).
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from The Stoic Challenge by William B. Irvine. Hope you enjoy!
William B. Irvine is a professor of philosophy at Wright State University. He’s also a fantastic (and prolific) writer. And… Unlike many of his academic, professor-of-philosophy peers, he is a practicing Stoic philosopher. In the words of Donald Robertson (another Stoic author and practitioner; see The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), he is both a librarian AND a warrior of the mind. We featured another one of Professor Irvine’s great books on Stoicism called A Guide to the Good Life. I enjoyed that one quite a bit but I REALLY (!) enjoyed this one. Like, jumbo loved it. In fact, I’m going to put this one right at the top of our growing collection of books on Stoicism—along with the must-read classics by Aurelius (Meditations), Seneca (Letters from a Stoic, On the Shortness of Life), and Epictetus (Discourses, Enchiridion) plus the modern classics like Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way and The Daily Stoic. If you’re looking for “A Philosopher’s Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient,” I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Get The Stoic Challenge on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stoic-Challenge-Philosophers-Becoming-Resilient/dp/0393652491
Learn more about William B. Irvine: https://www.optimize.me/authors/william-b-irvine/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: SETBACK EXEMPLARS
- PN: A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/a-guide-to-the-good-life-william-irvine/
- +1: Warriors vs. Librarians | Let’s Not Just Catalogue these +1s, Let’s LIVE Them (#66) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/warriors-vs-librarians/
- PN: How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/how-to-think-like-a-roman-emperor-donald-robertson/
- +1: Self-Efficacy | The Science of Confidence (#111) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/self-efficacy/
- +1: What’s Your Excuse? | RISE UP! with Spartan Hero Kacey McCallister (#979) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/whats-your-excuse/
Big Idea 2: ANTIFRAGILITY
- Antifragile 101 | How to Use Everything to Fuel Your Heroic Growth → https://www.optimize.me/antifragility/
- +1: Antifragile | vs. Resilient vs. Fragile (#10) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/antifragile/
- +1: OMMS | The Hero’s Mantra (#41) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/omms/
- +1: The 1, 2, 3 of Antifragility | How to Operationalize OMMS (#1108) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-1-2-3-of-antifragility/
- +1: Styrofoam Weights | And Your Optimize Gym™ Membership (#407) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/styrofoam-weights/
- PN: The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-obstacle-is-the-way-ryan-holiday/
Big Idea 3: THE TEST
- #1: "Thank you, Stoic gods! Appreciate the chance to practice my Philosophy!" (#36) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QywG42MXtY
- +1: Threat vs. Challenge | How to You Respond to Life’s Stressors? (It Matters!) (#336) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/threat-vs-challenge/
Big Idea 4: NEGATIVE VISUALIZATION
- +1: Stoic Negative Visualization | A Practice in the Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (#851) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/stoic-negative-visualization/
- +1: Memento Mori | Want to Live? Remember Death (#209) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/memento-mori/
- +1: Gratitude | Science Says: It Works! (#24) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/gratitude/
- +1: The #1 Obstacle to Gratitude | And Its Remedy (#1071) →
- +1: Science Says: Gratitude Works | Some EYE-POPPING Stats (#1068) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-1-obstacle-to-gratitude/
- +1: Taking Things FOR GRANTED vs. AS GRANTED | Let’s Choose Wisely (#1070) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/taking-things-for-granted-vs-as-granted/
Big Idea 5: LAZY BILL
- +1: Demons vs. Daimons | What to Feed Them (#919) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/demons-vs-daimons/
- +1: +1 or -1 = Destiny Math | What Must YOU be? (#1) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/destiny-math/
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Making Hope Happen" by Shane Lopez. Hope you enjoy!
Did you know there's a science of hope? Yep. And Shane Lopez is the world's leading researcher studying the science of hope. This book is an inspiring look at the buts of bolts of cultivating hope. Big Ideas we explore include differentiating hope from fantasizing and dwelling, the three keys to hope (goals + agency + pathways), futurecasting, sirens when/where plans, and why hope is so important for leadership.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Eat Move Sleep" by Tom Rath. Hope you enjoy!
Eat Move Sleep. The simple, powerful keys to optimal health and well-being. We talk about these fundamentals ALL the time and this is my new favorite book on health. Big Ideas we explore include 10,008 hours and 36 minutes (the magic # of elite performance), candy for cancer cells, the power of measuring whatever it is you want to improve, how to buy willpower at the store, and a vaccine for the common cold.
This is a surprisingly awesome book—a fable about a young captain who spends time with a master and commander who reveals the secret code of rockin’ it. It’s kinda like if a Navy SEAL wrote The Alchemist or The Way of the Peaceful Warrior or The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Big Ideas we cover include: U.P.E.R.S.I.S.T. (the code to being unstoppable), the 2 limitations in life, how to discover your why, how to plan in 3-D, and the magic pill you need to take.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Why Meditate?" by Matthieu Ricard. Hope you enjoy!
Why Meditate? According to Ricard, the ultimate reason is to transform ourselves so we can transform our world. That works for me! In this Note, we check out my favorite Big Ideas on working out our mindfulness muscles, looking at the power of neuroplasticity and highlighting the fact that it’s all about the consistent practice, working on our consciousness thought after thought and emotion by emotion.
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Do You! by Russell Simmons. He is part yogi, part hip hop mogul and all rock star. In this PN TV episode, we have fun taking a look at some Big Ideas on how to "Do You!" Hope you enjoy!
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Optimizers from 70+ Countries!) Heidi Grant Halvorson is one of the world's leading researchers/teachers on the science of success. Here are a few of my favorite Big Ideas from her great book, Succeed. Hope you enjoy!!
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Ken Wilber is one of the world's leading philosophers and in this Note we'll explore some of my favorite Big Ideas on his "Integral Philosophy" —including the REALLY Big Idea of holding multiple perspectives and seeing the partial truths in any situation (rather than always seeing things as "either/or") plus the importance of turning enlightened state experiences into a way of being (hint: you only get there by doing the work).
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The Conquest of Mind is an amazing book written by an equally amazing man: Eknath Easwaran. We use Easwaran’s translations for the Bhagavad Gita and The Dhammapada and in this book, he provides all kinds of great ideas on how we can win “the war within.” In the Note we’ll explore the fact that we don’t want to be heroes in the beginning and then sneak out the back door, the fact that we can ALL change, and the miracles that can be created by hard work.
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Creativity with a capital C—the type of Creativity that changes the world. How can we go about cultivating it in our lives? That’s what this book is all about. Our guide is the legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Big Ideas we explore include defining true Creativity, focusing our attention and being willing to be kinda weird, the one personality trait all Creators have in common (hint: complexity!), creating rhythms and the nine elements of flow and how to tap into it!
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Jon Kabat-Zinn is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts and one of the world’s leading advocates for mindfulness training. He’s demonstrated the phenomenal health benefits of integrating meditation into our daily lives and in this Note we’ll learn about meditation—what it is, how we can rock it and what we can gain from doing so.
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You're imperfect. (Hate to break it to you!) And that's awesome. Brene Brown, TED-talk rock star and all-around awesome human being also happens to be one of the world's shame and vulnerability researchers who stumbled upon the secrets of what she calls Wholehearted living. In this Note, we'll look at the Dos and Don'ts of rockin' it as we cultivate courage, connection and compassion to put our soul in a great mood.
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Chris Guillebeau is a brilliant guy and brilliant writer. He's also traveled to every.single.country in the world. (That's 193 for those counting.) In this great book we take a look at what it means to create an awesome Quest. The why's and how's and all that. What's your Quest? Ready to rock it?
The Placebo effect is a pretty nutty phenomenon. Merely the belief that a pill (or surgery) will benefit you can lead to those results--even without the actual pill. In this great (!) book, Dr. Joe Dispenza tells us we can harness that power and shows us how. In the Note we'll have fun looking at how to become the new you as you cross the river of change and become an epigenetic engineer.
Troy Bassham is a 4 time National Champion and World Champion rifle shooter. He's also gold medalist Lanny Bashamm's son. Together they share extraordinary wisdom in their Mental Management® System. This book is fantastic. In the Note, we take a quick look at the 12 elements of elite performance.
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Drs. David and Austin Perlmutter are members of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
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Brandon Guyer is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from “One Spirit Medicine“ by Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D. Hope you enjoy!
Alberto Villoldo is a fascinating blend of medical anthropologist and practicing shaman—having explored, practiced and taught these ideas for decades. Alberto walks us the healing wisdom at the nexus of ancient shamanic wisdom and modern science. Big Ideas include how (and why!) to optimize our gut-brain, removing two of the most toxic things in our diet, adding superfoods and detoxing from news and TV while cultivating stillness.
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Steve Chandler is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
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Cal Newport is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon. Hope you enjoy!
This is a great little book packed with gems on the creative process we can apply to both our work AND our lives. As per the sub-title, Austin gives us “10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative.” Big Ideas we explore include the need to start copying, the importance of taking care of ourselves and establishing a routine as we set creative constraints, and amassing a body of work as we consistently show up.
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Cynthia Occelli is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Patrick McKeown is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Myths Of Happiness" by Sonja Lyubomirsky. Hope you enjoy!
Sonja Lyubomirsky is one of the world’s leading positive psychology researchers. Her award-winning and very well-funded research is on “the possibility of permanently increasing happiness.” — How cool is that? This book focuses on, you guessed it, the myths of happiness—those things we think will make us happy (or devastated) but don’t. The book has over 700 (!) scholarly references. I always love connecting ancient wisdom and fun self-help with SOLID research so this book was a great treat.
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Valorie Burton is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Steven Pressfield is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Shannon Polly is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Rich Diviney is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Michael Gelb is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Steven Pressfield is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Alexandra Jaye Johnson is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Alden Mills is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Rich Diviney is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Drs. David & Austin Perlmutter are members of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Brandon Guyer is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Patrick McKeown is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Did you know there’s an equation for Procrastination? Yep. Expectancy x Value / Impulsiveness x Delay = Motivation. Thank you, Piers Steel. In this great book, Piers (a leading researcher on the science of motivation/procrastination) walks us thru the power of that equation.
Big Ideas we explore include: Mental Contrasting (and why it beats creative visualization), goal setting (3 scientific keys) and how to add a month of productivity to your year.
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William Damon is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big" by Scott Adams. Hope you enjoy!
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Cal Newport is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Brian Johnson is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Here are some of my favorite Big Ideas from "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. Hope you enjoy! :)
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Michael Balchan is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. In this PN TV episode, we'll have fun checking out some Big Ideas from Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz's great book "The Power of Full Engagement." Hope you dig it!
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Mastery by George Leonard. In this PN TV episode we'll explore some of George Leonard's Big Ideas on "Mastery"--ranging from the importance of diligence (patience and persistence!) to the pitfalls of masters (a couple: obsessive goal setting and laziness). Hope you dig it and here's to mastery!
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"As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen might just win the most densely packed with wisdom award and in this PN TV episode we'll have fun looking a few of my favorite Big Ideas on how we can shape our minds our create our ideal lives. Hope you enjoy!
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Joseph Campbell rocks and in this PN TV episode we'll have fun looking at how to embrace our hero's journey, shed some skin and jump into our Highest Selves as we explore some of my favorite Big Ideas from "A Joseph Campbell Companion"! Hope you dig it. :)
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Why is it that IQ isn't that highly correlated with success? Because "Emotional Intelligence" plays a huge role! In this PN TV episode we'll explore some Big Ideas on how to rock our EQ from Daniel Goleman's classic. Hope you dig it! :)
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Tony Horton. If you've done P90X then you both LOVE him and you hate him (for kicking your butt!). Hah! Tony brings the same energy and laughs to this great book featuring his 11 Laws for rockin' it. In the Note, we'll have fun looking at the voices in his head, where he came up with his classic "Do your best and forget the rest!" and other goodness!
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Cal Newport is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth who went on to MIT for his Ph.D. and is now a Professor at Georgetown. In this book, Cal shares the top ideas he gleaned from interviews with non-grind Phi Beta Kappa members at elite schools across the country. They had to perform well AND they had to achieve those results without grinding away. Their practices, although discovered independently, reflect the same wisdom shared in the science books. It’s great to see the overlap. Big Ideas: pseudo-work vs. real work (and a secret formula), conquering procrastination, when/where/how long should you study?, #1 way to learn (and #1 trap), the importance of spacing out your work and the power to choose your future via excellent grades.
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If you’ve ever had stress in your life (hah!) and wondered how to deal with it more optimally, I think you’ll love this. McGonigal tells us that how we THINK about stress plays a huge role in its affect on us and walks us thru the science behind it. Rather than try to get rid of stress (good luck with that!), we’re much better off shifting our mindsets to embrace and use the stress wisely!
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Adam Grant is one of the world’s leading management thinkers and the top-ranked Professor at Wharton. He’s also a great writer. In Originals, we take a look at "How Non-Conformists Move the World." Big Ideas we explore in the Note include vuja de, creating a ton of stuff, activating your GO! system when fear strikes, the fact that venting just fuels anger (and why empathetic anger is where it’s at), and how proper revolutions are less about cataclysmic explosions and more about long, controlled burns.
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Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian in history and arguably the greatest athlete ever. This book is a quick look at 8 virtues that led to his 8 gold medals in '08. Big Ideas we explore include how to train your mind, going all in, knowing what's important now (aka W.I.N.), and not confusing "can't" vs. "won't."
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Ryan Holiday is brilliant. So is this book. The ancient Stoics taught us how to not only accept challenges but to thrive on them. Ryan brings their wisdom to life with compelling stories of great peeps who have rocked it in the face of adversity. In the Note we'll take a quick look at the three keys to making obstacles work for us: Perception + Action + Will.
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Motivation and Personality by Abraham Maslow. Here's a look at some of my favorite Big Ideas from the dood who occupies the Great-Grandfather slot in my Spiritual Family tree: Abraham Maslow. He came up with the idea of "self-actualizing" and the hierarchy of needs and we chat about all that and more in this episode of PhilosophersNotes TV. Hope you enjoy! :)
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Natural Born Heroes" by Christopher McDougall. Hope you enjoy!
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Here are some of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Willpower Instinct" by Kelly McGonigal. Hope you enjoy!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Move Your DNA" by Katy Bowman. Hope you enjoy!
Mental Toughness. If we want to optimize our lives and actualize our potentials, we MUST get our minds strong! This book is a great look at how to go about doing that. It’s a quick-reading, engaging look at Jason Selk’s practical, 10-minute plan to mental toughness. Big Ideas range from learning how to control our arousal state, replace negative thoughts, being solution-focused and the #1 rule for crushing it.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Falling Upward by Richard Rohr. Hope you enjoy!
Alexandra got this book for me after I told her how much I loved David Brooks’ The Second Mountain. Apparently it is recommended alongside that book on Amazon. With 1,400+ reviews, Alexandra thought I might like it. Not only did I like the book, I loved it. And, I fell in love with Richard Rohr. Father Rohr is a Franciscan priest who beautifully integrates his faith with wisdom from various perspectives. Big Ideas we explore include our main Job in life (remembering that we're light bulbs and staying screwed in!), life's two major tasks, the fact that the way UP is DOWN (hence, the title of the book: Falling Upward), the hero and the heroine and their journeys, the paradox of the ego ("You ironically need a very strong ego structure to let go of your ego"), and how to become a Serene Disciple (let God drive).
Get Falling Upward on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Falling-Upward-Spirituality-Halves-Life/dp/0470907754
Learn more about Richard Rohr: https://www.optimize.me/authors/richard-rohr-ofm/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: LIGHT BULBS
- +1: We’re Only the Light Bulbs | Our Job Is to Remain Screwed In! (#1090) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/were-only-the-light-bulbs/
- +1: Optimize = Optimus | = The Best Version of You (#367) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/optimize-optimus/
- +1: Lightbulbs in the Temple of God | Less Graffiti, More Shining (#887) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/lightbulbs-in-the-temple-of-god/
Big Idea 2: 2 TASKS
- PN: The Second Mountain by David Brooks → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-second-mountain-david-brooks/
- +1: The Paradox of the Ego | Ironically: We Need a Strong Ego to Let Go of Our Ego (#1092) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-paradox-of-the-ego/
- +1: The Mountain-Races of Life | And How to Win Them (#1066) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-mountain-races-of-life/
Big Idea 3: TURNAROUND
- +1: Jesus Said: Who Shall Inherit the Earth? | Was It the “Meek” or the “Disciplined”/”Tamed”? (#438) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/jesus-said-who-shall-inherit-the-earth/
- PNTV: Fearless by Eric Blehm → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z46dJ0c_JRY
- +1: Legitimate Suffering | Let’s Allow It and Stop Multiplying It (#1097) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/legitimate-suffering/
Big Idea 4: HEROS
- PN: The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-hero-with-a-thousand-faces-joseph-campbell/
- Finding Joe documentary → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8nFACrLxr0
- Pilot + Co-Pilot + Autopilot | The Art and Science of Installing Good Habit-Algorithms (#865) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/pilot-copilot-autopilot/
Big Idea 5: CHOICELESS
- +1: The Illusion of Choice | Want Greatness? There Is No Choice (#1263) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-illusion-of-choice/
- PNTV: It Takes What it Takes by Trevor Moawad → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-88d6BM8Fb0
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Sam Harris is part philosopher, part neuroscientist (with a Ph.D. from UCLA) and part contemplative seeker. His writing is smart, incredibly clear, and unapologetically direct. In Waking Up, he applies his intellect to the subject of discussing spirituality rationally—devoid of the baggage of both religious superstition/dogma and New Age woo woo-ness. Big Ideas: Mindfulness + meditation, stages of spiritual development, cultivating choice, and accepting while striving.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Die Empty" by Todd Henry. Hope you enjoy!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Inner Game of Tennis" by W. Timothy Gallwey. Hope you enjoy!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Courage Under Fire" by James Stockdale. Hope you enjoy!
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!) Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!) Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "How Champion's Think" by Bob Rotella. Hope you enjoy!
Dr. Bob Rotella is widely recognized as the world’s leading sports psychologist. He’s coached everyone from basketball stars like LeBron James to rock stars like Seal. The golfers he’s coached (including greats like Rory McIlroy) have won an astonishing 80+ major championships. Want to know how champions think in both sports AND life? Well, here you go. Big Ideas we explore include the importance of going for "exceptionalism" (by definition, to be reat/a champion you need to be an "exception" to the norm so...), a message from God (key takeaway: focus on the process, results are all good), train it and trust it, enthusiasm (it's the catalyst of champions), how to create your own reality (hint: don't do what average people do), and how to win the ultimate game of life.
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Get the book on Amazon HERE: https://www.amazon.com/How-Champions-Think-Sports-Life/dp/1476788642
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Here are some of my favorite Big Ideas from "An Iron Will" by Orison Swett Marden. Hope you enjoy! :)
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "On the Shortness of Life" by Seneca. Hope you enjoy!
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Happiness. It's what we're all after. Here are some Big ideas from two of the world's leading positive psychologists on the science of how to create true psychological wealth!
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Cal Newport is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!) Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!) In the PNTV episode we take a quick look at Will Bowen's great book, A Complaint Free World. Goodness includes the fact that we are all self-made, a look at how we develop any new skill and the importance of being the change. Hope our enjoy!!
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Brian Johnson is a member of the Optimize Coach Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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How Can I Get Unstuck When Making Life Decisions? - with Valorie Burton
Valorie Burton is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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In this PNTV episode, we'll have fun with a few of my favorite Big Ideas from Ayn Rand's classic "The Fountainhead." (Always fun to see if we can distill some goodness from a 750+ page book into 10 minutes. Hope you dig it! :)
How Do I Avoid Feeling Resentment Towards My Partner? - with Suzie & James Pawelski.
Suzie & James Pawelski are members of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
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How Can I Develop Clarity on What I Want To Work Towards? - with Scott Barry Kaufman.
Shannon Polly is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
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Shannon Polly is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
For more information, head to https://optimize.me/coach
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from The Second Mountain by David Brooks. Hope you enjoy!
David Brooks is one of the nations’ leading writers and commentators. He is an op-ed columnist for the New York Times and appears regularly on PBS NewsHour and Meet the Press. I loved his book The Road to Character. I loved this one even more. David tells us there are two mountains: The first mountain? That’s what society tells us we should pursue: all the normal trappings of success. The second mountain? That’s where the magic (and joy!) exists: where we move beyond ourselves and COMMIT (important word for this book!) to giving ourselves most fully to something bigger than ourselves. David identifies four potential commitments: to our families, to our vocations, to our faith/philosophy of life and to our communities. Ultimately, the book is intended to be a guide to the ULTIMATE quest in life: “The Quest for a Moral Life.”
Get The Second Mountain on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Mountain-David-Brooks/dp/0812993268
Learn more about David Brooks: https://www.optimize.me/authors/david-brooks/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: HAPPINESS VS. JOY
- PNTV: Falling Upward by Richard Rohr → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbYeFrbnDQE
- PN: The Power of Ideals by Anne Colby and William Damon → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-power-of-ideals-william-damon-anne-colby/
- PN: The Road to Character by David Brooks → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-road-to-character-david-brooks/
- The 5 (Greek) Keys to Optimizing | Areté + Eudaimonia + en*theos + Hērōs + Euthymia (#200) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-5-greek-keys-to-optimizing/
- +1: Eulogy Virtues | How to Chisel on Your Road to Character (#212) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/eulogy-virtues/
- +1: The Mountain-Races of Life | And How to Win Them (#1066) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-mountain-races-of-life/
Big Idea 2: THE COMMITTED LIFE
- +1: Eudaimonism vs. Hedonism | Don’t Want to Be Depressed? Science Says… (#1166) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/eudaimonism-vs-hedonism/
- +1: Success Doesn’t Matter in This World | Commitment Does (#1078) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/success-doesnt-matter-in-this-world/
Big Idea 3: VOCATION
- Viktor Frankl → https://www.optimize.me/authors/viktor-frankl/
- +1: Don’t Aim at Success | Dedicate Yourself to a Cause Bigger Than Yourself (#1040) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/dont-aim-at-success/
- +1: Your Specific Mission in Life | You Have One… What Is It? (#1041) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/your-specific-mission-in-life/
Big Idea 4: RECOMMITMENT
- +1: Recommitment | Commitment Is Easy - It's ALL about Recommitting (#154) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/recommitment/
- +1: Falling in Love vs. STANDING in Love | One’s a Lot Easier than the Other (#134) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/falling-in-love-vs-standing-in-love/
Big Idea 5: FLASHLIGHT VS. HAMMER
- +1: Flashlight vs. Hammer | How Are You Using Life's Data? (#1088) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/flashlight-vs-hammer/
- +1: The Optimize Compass | And How to Make One (#1128) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-optimize-compass/
- Conquering Perfectionism 101 → https://www.optimize.me/conquering-perfectionism/
- Conquering Anxiety 101 → https://www.optimize.me/conquering-anxiety/
- Conquering Depression 101 → https://www.optimize.me/conquering-depression/
► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNote on The World According to Mister Rogers and 600+ other books by starting a Free 14-Day trial membership to Optimize: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
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How Do You Eradicate Shame and Self-Judgement? - with Brian Johnson. Brian Johnson is a member of the Optimize Coach Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Gandhi the Man by Eknath Easwaran. Hope you enjoy!
Eknath Easwaran is one of my absolute favorite teachers. In this beautiful and brilliant biography we get his insights into the transformation of Gandhi the man into the Mahatma or "great soul." As per the sub-title of the book, we learn “How one man changed himself to change the world.” Big Ideas we explore include why/how it all starts with being the change, the power of satyagraha (= soul-force!), making history (by ignoring historians), Gandhi and sugar (and fuel for his soul engine), the call to action (to be moral warriors), and "my life is my message" (what's yours?).
Get Gandhi the Man on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gandhi-Man-Changed-Himself-Change/dp/1586380559
Learn more about Eknath Easwaran: https://www.optimize.me/authors/eknath-easwaran/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: Φ + 1 + 1 + 1 = O = ∞
- PNTV: Falling Upward by Richard Rohr, OFM → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbYeFrbnDQE
- PNTV: The Second Mountain by David Brooks → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNjsbl89Zds
- The Paradox of the Ego | Ironically: We Need a Strong Ego to Let Go of Our Ego (#1092) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-paradox-of-the-ego/
- +1: The Optimize Compass
- Eric Butterworth → https://www.optimize.me/authors/eric-butterworth/
- +1: We’re Only the Light Bulbs | Our Job Is to Remain Screwed In! (#1090) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/were-only-the-light-bulbs/
- Jocko Willink → https://www.optimize.me/authors/jocko-willink/
Big Idea 2: MAKING HISTORY
- Abraham Maslow → https://www.optimize.me/authors/abraham-maslow/
- +1: You and Gandhi | Making History (#847) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/you-and-gandhi/
Big Idea 3: SUGAR
- “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson → https://www.optimize.me/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/18509-what-you-do-speaks-so-loudly-that-i-cann/
- PN: The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-case-against-sugar-gary-taubes/
Big Idea 4: WARRIORS
- PN: The Baghavad Gita by Krishna → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-bhagavad-gita-krishna-eknath-easwaran/
- +1: The (Lucky) Master’s Path | Walk 1 Mile and Destination Is 2 Miles Farther Away (#456) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-lucky-masters-path/
Big Idea 5: “MY LIFE”
- +1: Being the Change | YOU Want to See in the World (#824) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/being-the-change/
► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNote on The World According to Mister Rogers and 600+ other books by starting a Free 14-Day trial membership to Optimize: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
► MORE GOODNESS:
- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/
- Follow Optimize on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriantheOptimizer/
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Barry Michels & Kristan Sargeant are members of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
For more information, head to optimize.me/coach
What Do You Do When Your Children Reject You? - with Carrie Contey. Carrie Contey is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement. For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
Osho's a fascinating guy and in this Note we'll take a look at the power of Zorba the Buddha, the importance of self-discipline, the fact that we've got to have a firm hold on our ego before we have any hope of letting it go (big point a lot of peeps tend to miss!), and a lot of other Big Ideas on making our potential a reality.
Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach
Brian Johnson is a member of the Optimize Coach Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.
For more information, head to https://optimize.me/coach
How Do You Adapt the Miracle Morning Routine to Different Types of Personalities? - with Hal Elrod. Hal Elrod is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement. For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
How Do We Work on Wounds Without Considering Ourselves “Wounded?” - with Dr. Shefali & Renee Jain. Dr. Shefali & Renee Jain are members of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement. For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
How Can I Cultivate Meaningful Connection During a Time of Isolation? - with Valorie Burton. Valorie Burton is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement. For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
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Here's a quick look at five of my favorite Big Ideas from "The ONE Thing" by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. Hope you enjoy!
Is Procrastination a Performance Increasing Strategy? - with Steven Kotler. Steven Kotler is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement. For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
How Can I Let Go of Old Narratives as I Continue To Walk My Path? - with Todd Herman. Todd Herman is a member of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement. For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
How Can I Pursue Self-Development From a Place of Being Enough? - with Brian Johnson. Brian Johnson is a member of the Optimize Coach Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement. For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Hope you enjoy!
Ralph Waldo Emerson. He’s the great-great-grandfather in my spiritual family tree. We named our son Emerson after this great 19th century philosopher and when I imagine the heroes whose qualities I want to emulate, he’s on the top of the list. Big Ideas we explore include: Trust thyself (every heart vibrates to that iron string!), nonconformity (and the integrity of your own mind), what must you do? (vs. what will they think?), Hobgoblins (begone), your voyage (of a thousand zigs and zags), and the Royal You (act like that now!).
How Do I Avoid Feeling Resentment Towards My Partner? - with Suzie & James Pawelski. Suzie & James Pawelski are members of the Optimize Coach Guest Faculty. This exchange was captured during a Live Coaching session in the Optimize Coach program. Multiple times every month, Optimize Coach participants connect live with Brian, Michael, Alexandra, and members of our world-class Luminary Guest Faculty for wisdom, guidance, and encouragement. For more information, head to optimize.me/coach.
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!) Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!) Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy" by Donald Robertson. Hope you enjoy!
Got problems with your soul? These days, you’d see a psychotherapist. But, back in the day, it was the philosopher who’d help you optimize—they were the preferred physician of the soul. This book is about the philosophical roots of modern psychotherapy. Specifically, it outlines the connection between cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Stoicism. Big Ideas we explore include being a warrior of the mind vs. a librarian of the mind, your highest human purpose, getting on good terms with your inner daimon, practicing the reserve clause and modeling your ideal sage.
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Nietzsche was said to deliver his philosophy with a hammer and in this PN TV episode we'll take a quick look at some Big Ideas from his classic "Thus Spoke Zarathustra." We'll explore everything from why he said "God is dead!" to the importance of giving joy to enjoy and I hope you dig it!
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Here are some of my favorite Big Ideas from "Unbeatable Mind" by Mark Divine. Hope you enjoy!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Willpower by Roy Baumeister & John Tierney. Hope you enjoy!
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Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. He is extraordinary. He survived the horrors of concentration camps and created "Logotherapy"--his philosophy of life that he articulates in his classic book, "Man's Search for Meaning." In this PN TV episode, we'll take a quick look at a few of my favorite Big Ideas. Hope you enjoy!!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Thanks!" by Robert Emmons. Hope you enjoy!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Legacy" by James Kerr. Hope you enjoy!
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Here's your guide to the good life (Stoic style!)!! :) I mentioned these links in the video: Happiness, Eudaimonia & Arete: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLL6wj... Louis CK on Everything's Amazing and Nobody's Happy (hilarious!): Hmmm... It's disappeared! Google it! :)
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Black Hole Focus" by Isaiah Hankel. Hope you enjoy!
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Loving What Is by Byron Katie. In this PN TV episode, we explore a few of my favorite Big Ideas from Byron Katie's brilliant book, "Loving What Is." Hope you enjoy! :)
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from the Lectures and Sayings of Musonius Rufus, translated by Cynthia Arrieu King. Hope you enjoy!
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Musonius Rufus was one of the four great Roman Stoics. In fact, he was known as the “Roman Socrates.” To put him in historical context with the other three great Roman Stoics: He was born in AD 30, about 34 years after Seneca. He taught Epictetus (who was born in AD 55). Epictetus died in 135 but taught the guys who taught the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (who was born in AD 121) his Stoic philosophy—which is why Aurelius refers to him more than any other teacher in Meditations. Big Ideas we explore include: Theory vs. Practice (which is more important?), practicing philosophy (is where it's at!), vice vs. exile (free yourself from vice!), food (it's the medicine of life), and stoic love advice (competing in kindness).
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Overachievement by John Eliot. In this PN TV episode we take a quick look at some of my favorite Big Ideas from "Overachievement"--a book all about rockin' our greatness! :)
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Leo Buscaglia was known as the Dr. of Love and in this PN TV episode we'll take a quick look at some of my favorite Big Ideas from his classic book, "Love." Hope you love it! :)
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Ego Is the Enemy" by Ryan Holiday. Hope you enjoy!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "No Sweat" by Michelle Segar, PhD. Hope you enjoy!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Future Visions by Abraham Maslow. Hope you enjoy!
As you know if you’ve been following along, I love Abraham Maslow and feel a deep kinship to him and his work. We have featured two of the books he published during his lifetime: Toward a Psychology of Being and Motivation and Personality. Although this book has only ONE review on Amazon and I could only buy a used copy of it, I knew I’d love it. And, although I had already been deeply influenced by Maslow and his thinking, there was something about reading his unpublished essays and journal thoughts that made me feel that much more connected to this great man. Big Ideas we explore include Maslow’s thoughts on the “eupsychian ideal” (aka: the “eudaemonic ideal”!), the psychology of happiness (eudaimonology!!), Stoic philosophy (Maslow was a fan), vicious cultural influences (Maslow was NOT a fan!), and the Jonah Complex (ANSWER YOUR HEROIC CALL, already!!).
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In this PN TV episode, we'll have fun looking at some Big Ideas from the old school Stoic Philosopher Epictetus' "Enchiridion" (aka "The Art of Living). Hope you dig it!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Gratitude Works! by Robert Emmons, Ph.D.. Hope you enjoy!
I’m grateful for Robert Emmons. He’s dedicated the last three decades of his life to understanding the science of how to boost our well-being. In the process, he’s conducted ground-breaking research on the power of gratitude. In fact, he’s basically THE researcher we have to thank for understanding just how powerful gratitude journaling is. (He's also served as editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology.) I consider myself a reasonably grateful guy but this book has opened my eyes to JUST how powerful gratitude is. And, to just how important it is to DELIBERATELY PRACTICE it. Big Ideas we explore include: How to give yourself a 25% (!!!) boost in happiness, the top gratitude practices, the #1 obstacle to gratitude (and its remedy), and using challenges for grateful fuel!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from The Upward Spiral by Alex Korb. Hope you enjoy!
Alex Korb is a neuroscientist in the department of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles. (Go Bruins!) He’s also a great writer. As per the sub-title, the book is all about “Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time.” It’s REALLY good. Inspiring. Scientifically grounded. Simple. Practical. <- A winning formula for a great book! Big Ideas we explore include the power of exercising your brain (which is the #1 tip, btw), setting goals (and making decisions), developing positive habits (via repetition, repetition, repetition), biofeedback (and how to take advantage of it), and the power of others (rely on it!).
Get The Upward Spiral on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1626251207
Learn more about Alex Korb: https://www.optimize.me/authors/alex-korb-phd/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: EXERCISE - YOUR BRAIN
- Conquering Depression 101 → https://www.optimize.me/conquering-depression/
- Conquering Anxiety 101 → https://www.optimize.me/conquering-anxiety/
- Conquering Procrastination 101 → https://www.optimize.me/conquering-procrastination/
- +1: +1 or -1 = Destiny Math | What Must YOU be? (#1) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/destiny-math/
- +1: The Bridge | Between Goals and Accomplishments (#821) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-bridge/
- PNTV: Why We Sleep by Mattew Walker (#392) → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/why-we-sleep-matthew-walker/
- PNTV: Gratitude Works by Robert Emmons (#402) → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/gratitude-works-robert-emmons/
- PN: Spark byJohn J. Ratey → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/spark-john-ratey/
- PN: The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-joy-of-movement-kelly-mcgonigal/
- PNTV: Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/tiny-habits-b-fogg/
- +1:How to Sidestep Depression | Did You Know There’s a Magic # of Steps? (#1064) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-sidestep-depression/
- +1:Exercise vs. Zoloft | Feeling Depressed? Pop Your Exercise Pill! (#440) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/exercise-vs-zoloft/
Big Idea 2: SET GOALS + MAKE DECISIONS
- +1: Make Decisions | But Only If You Want to Feel Better (#1225) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/make-decisions/
- +1: Victim vs. Creator | Two Questions: "Why Me?" vs. "What Do I Want?"(#76) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/victim-vs-creator/
Big Idea 3: + HABITS = REPETITION
- +1: We Are What We Repeatedly Do | Excellence, then, Is Not an ACT but a Habit (#469) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/we-are-what-we-repeatedly-do/
- Optimizing Algorithms 101 → https://www.optimize.me/master-class/optimizing-algorithms-101/
- PNTV: Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/tiny-habits-b-fogg/
- +1: Perfectionist vs. Optimalist | Which Are You? (#50) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/perfectionist-vs-optimalist/
- +1: Win or Learn | Three Questions to Ask after a Disappointing Performance (#96) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/win-or-learn/
- +1: "Needs work!" | What to Say to Yourself When Things Don’t Go as Planned (#31) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/needs-work/
- +1: Mistake-Learner’s High | Enjoy It as You Pursue Audacious Goals and Endlessly Evolve (#370) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/mistake-learners-high/
Big Idea 4: BIOFEEDBACK
- PN: Presence by Amy Cuddy → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/presence-amy-cuddy/
- +1: iHunch | What Not to Do If You Want to Be Powerful (#166) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/ihunch/
- Optimal Breathing 101 → https://www.optimize.me/master-class/optimal-breathing-101/
- +1: The Rules of Breathing | The Big 3: Nose + Belly + Exhale (#485) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-rules-of-breathing/
- +1: Smile! | A Surprisingly Powerful Way to Boost Your Mood (#115) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/smile/
- +1: How Clark Kent Becomes Superman in 11 Seconds |
Flipping the (Superhero) Identity Switch (Then Reflipping/Ducktaping It So It Sticks All Day Every Day) (#660) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-clark-kent-becomes-superman-in-11-seconds/
Big Idea 5: POWER OF OTHERS
- +1: The Power of Others | Rely on It! (#1226) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-power-of-others/
- Free 14-Day Optimize Trial → https://optimize.me/
► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNote on The Upward Spiral and 600+ other books by starting a Free 14-Day trial membership to Optimize: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
► MORE GOODNESS:
- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
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In this PN TV episode, we take a quick look at one of the core texts of Buddhism--"The Dhammapada." Hope you dig it!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Chasing Excellence" by Ben Bergeron. Hope you enjoy!
If you’ve ever worked out at a CrossFit gym and/or watched the Reebok CrossFit Games, you know that the absolute best CrossFit athletes are absolute beasts. Well, Ben Bergeron has been the coach behind six world championships. This book is his inspirational, wisdom-packed !!! look at how he coaches greatness told through the lens of the 2016 Games in which his athletes Mat Fraser and Katrín Davíðsdóttir BOTH won. Think about that... He coached BOTH the men’s and the women’s champions. That’s amazing. My copy of the book is r i d i c u l o u s l y marked up. The book is OUTSTANDING. Big Ideas we explore include: Committing to excellence vs. "Meh, I'm good enough.", the 12 character traits of a champion, grit how's yours? positivity selection attention + confirmation bias, embracing adversity overload and get stronger!, and acting like a champion NOW.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Finding Your Zone" by Dr. Michael Lardon. Hope you enjoy!
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Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. In this PN TV episode, we're gonna have fun with some Big Ideas from Marcus Aurelius: the (Roman) Emperor - (Stoic) Philosopher and his classic book "Meditations." Hope you love it!
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Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly. In this PN TV episode, we take a quick look at some of my favorite Big Ideas from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's GREAT book, "Flow"--including the importance of learning how to control the contents of our consciousness as well as how to get ourselves more consistently into the state of optimal experience known as Flow. Hope you enjoy!
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In this PN TV episode on David Emerald's "The Power of *TED," we'll explore DDT vs. The Empowerment Dynamic, Living from a Victim vs. a Creator Orientation, and the power of baby steps to handle the dynamic tension between our ideals and our current reality. Fun! :)
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Peak" by Anders Ericsson. Hope you enjoy!
https://wefunder.com/heroic ← Join 1,250+ Optimizers from 50+ countries who have already invested $4M+ in Heroic Public Benefit Corporation. Let’s make history as the largest crowdfunding startup ever. Then, much more importantly, let’s go do the hard work to change the course of history. -Optimize Team
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The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky. Alrighty. Here's a REALLY quick look at a few of my favorite Big Ideas from the PhilosophersNotes on one of my favorite books "The How of Happiness" by Sonja Lyubomirsky. Wow. 10 Minutes goes fast! :)
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Mindset. It's huge. How's yours? Here's a quick look on why we want to lean toward a Growth mindset rather than a Fixed mindset and how to best do that!
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Time for some more Old School love in this PN TV episode where we'll take a look at some of my favorite Big Ideas from Confucius's "Analects." Good times! :)
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-vi-8/
An 80/20 Look at How To Invest in Optimus You, PBC, To Create a Heroic Fire That Lights up the World. In our final Module of The Fundamentals, we learn how to turn Pro and "go forward with hope." We'll build Optimus You, Public Benefit Corporation, with a personal Board of Directors and our daimons as CEO, before creating a 5-year prospectus and tracking our Optimized investment strategy of profound dignity via Eudaimonic accounting.
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-vi-7/
An 80/20 Look at the Powerful Practice of Appreciating What’s Awesome. It’s easy to get so fired up about the whole Optimizing game that we forget the fact that we’re ALREADY WINNING. Science says: Gratitude is super important. In fact, it’s the key that unlocks a ton of joy. Therefore, it’s time to make it a fundamental. (When? TODAY!)
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-vi-6/
An 80/20 Look at How To Focus Your Soul Force on the Only Moment That Matters. If we want to create an awesome future AND to enjoy life right now then we need to focus on the only moment that matters: the present moment. (Aka RIGHT THIS SECOND!) We explore how to Carpe Punctum (Seize the Moment!) with the spotlight of our attention on W.I.N, and how to train our ability to put our minds where we want, when we want, for how long we want (which, science says, is THE hallmark of healthy, happy people).
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!)
Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-vi-5/
An 80/20 Look at How To Optimize Your Breathing for Calm, Focused Energy (Aka Energized Tranquility!). In Module VI.5, having explored the 80/20 of Eating, Moving, and Sleeping, we turn our attention to another potential contender for the title of "most important fundamental." We learn how to Optimize our breathing (through the nose, deep into the belly, with long exhales) all day, every day, and how to train our tranquility with this ticket to self-mastery.
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-vi-4/
An 80/20 Look at Why We Sleep, Why We Don't Sleep, and How To Optimize Our #1 Fundie. In Module VI.4, we learn that Sleep isn't just a pillar of optimizing, it's the foundation on which all of our fundamentals rest! (It's also the most underappreciated way to change our lives.) We review what science says about the Top 10 Sleep Kryptonites (and how to minimize/eliminate each of them) before identifying the most important things we can do as we move from Theory to Practice to Sleep Mastery.
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-vi-3/
An 80/20 Guide To Becoming an Energized Perpetual Motion Machine. In Module VI.3, we learn how to take advantage of the time-released, well-being power tool of exercise while also finding Opportunities-to-Move throughout the day and helping our designed-to-move bodies experience the gift of playing our personal movement games. Enter: You, the Energized Perpetual Motion Machines!
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-vi-2/
An 80/20 Look at Optimal Nutrition. In Module VI.2, we explore the importance of optimizing our nutrition to become (even more!) radiantly alive. We remind ourselves that there is no "the" way—especially for nutrition—while reviewing some pretty universal recommendations on what to eat (food!) and, even more importantly, what to avoid (edible food-like substances; aka ultra-processed sugar-laden pseudo foods that make us sick and tired!).
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The Essential Algorithms To Install to Reach Your Heroic Potential. In Module V.4, we explore The Top 10 Optimize Power Algorithms we can use to create a higher probability of living in alignment with our Daimons. (After asking the important question of "What variable are we Optimizing for?")
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Removing the Habits That Make You Crash or Create an Unnecessarily Bumpy Ride. In Module V.3, we make it really, really hard to do the bad habits that we know don't serve us, identify the #1 habit that will have the most positive impact on our lives if we STOP doing it, and delete it.
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Being a Good Co-Pilot for Your Daimon Pilot and Basal Ganglia Auto-Pilot. In Module V.2, we make it really, really easy to create good habits, identify the #1 habit that will have the most positive impact on our lives if we START doing it, and install it.
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-v-1/
Using Our Willpower Wisely To Install Habits That Run on Autopilot. In Module V.1, we learn how to install and delete algorithms (aka habits!) that will make it easy for you to show up as your best self. We need to get really good at using our willpower wisely to install great habits that run on autopilot so we can give the world all we’ve got. We’ll master this process as we create our first set of algorithms and start thinking about our Top 10 Power Algorithms we want running the show.
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Extending the Rhythms of Our Days To Our Weeks and Turning Pro. In Module IV.7, we apply what we've learned about creating Masterpiece Days to create Masterpiece Weeks, becoming Professional Optimizers as we focus on the process, make progress, cultivate confidence, demonstrate consistency, and commit to spiraling up by keeping score on the things that matter most.
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Love 0.0 + Love 1.0 + Love 2.0 + Love 3.0 + Love ∞.0. Now that we know that Today's the Day and have our AM and PM Bookends rocking along with superhero levels of Energy and Work, we're ready for the most important thing: LOVE. In this session we'll redefine Love and set some fun daily targets as we master Love 0.0, Love 1.0, Love 2.0, Love 3.0 and Love ∞.0. When? TODAY!!! And tomorrow and…
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Here are my Top 3 PROSPERITY Books of All Time: https://www.optimize.me/top3/prosperity
#1: Spiritual Economics by Eric Butterworth → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/spiritual-economics-eric-butterworth/
#2: The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-science-of-getting-rich-wallace-wattles/
#3: Wealth Warrior by Steve Chandler → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/wealth-warrior-steve-chandler/
Get Spiritual Economics by Eric Butterworth on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Economics-Principles-Process-Prosperity/dp/087159269X?tag=entheos06-20
Get The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Getting-Rich-Thrifty-Book/dp/1604598875?tag=entheos06-20
Get Wealth Warrior by Steve Chandler on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Warrior-Personal-Prosperity-Revolution-ebook/dp/B008ZLO6XS?tag=entheos06-20
► RELATED RESOURCES:
#1: SPIRITUAL ECONOMICS by Eric Butterworth
- +1: Spiritual Economics | Your New Wealth Vocabulary (#349) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/spiritual-economics/
- +1: Prosper = “to Go Forward Hopefully” | Not so Much a CONDITION OF Life as It Is an ATTITUDE TOWARD Life (#923) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/prosper-to-go-forward-hopefully/
- +1: How to Prosper | Some “Pro” Tips (Via a Visit with my Dictionary) (#958) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-prosper/
#2: THE SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH by Wallace D. Wattles
- +1: Compete? Nah. Create! | A Key to the Science of Getting Rich (#432) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/compete-nah-create/
- +1: Euthymia | How to Live with Energized Tranquility (#100) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/euthymia/
#3: WEALTH WARRIOR by Steve Chandler
- +1: Wealth thru Profound Service | Three Mindsets: Passion + Craftsman + Servant (#350) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/wealth-thru-profound-service/
- Masterpiece Days 101 → https://www.optimize.me/masterpiece-days/
► FREE 14-DAY OPTIMIZE TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNotes on these great books and over 600 others by starting a Free 14-Day Optimize trial membership: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
► MORE GOODNESS:
- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/
- Follow Optimize on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriantheOptimizer/
- Follow Optimize on Instagram: https://instagram.com/optimize.me/
- Learn More about Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach/
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at:
Going Deep Pre-Inputs With 100% Presence. With our Energy Optimized, we’re ready to go Deep and give ourselves most fully to the world via deep, meaningful work. We’ll talk about how to go Deep, discover our idiosyncratic rhythms and track our awesome via our Carpe Diem journal. Whether you’re a startup CEO or a stay-at-home supermom, we’ll be creating a ton of flow via deliberate, intentional, deep and meaningful work.
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-iv-4/
Create Rhythms. Train Your Recovery. Flip the Switch.. With our AM and PM Bookends coming together, we’re ready to Optimize our Energy throughout the day. Too many of us go through our days constantly “on” and, as a result, feeling a sense of what we call “enervated anxiety” (a close relative of burnout and bleh). To help the cause, we’ll teach you how to create a deep sense of “Energized Tranquility” by systematically creating rhythms to our days that enable us to show up as our best selves more and more consistently throughout the day and over the years and decades ahead. (Boom!)
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-iv-3/
Install AM Protocol & Win the Day Early. With a solid PM Bookend installed, we’re ready to show up like a Boss in the morning—waking up feeling energized and ready to do some of our most important Big 3 goodness BEFORE we enter the world of inputs. We’ll begin installing a solid AM protocol, including a meditation and Carpe Diem telos practice and, if you can swing it with your idiosyncratic constraints, some Deep Work, Deep Energy, and Deep Love time blocks.
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Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-iv-2/
Masterpiece Days Begin the Night Before. Now that we know TODAY’S the Day (!!!), it’s time to start at the beginning of our Optimal day—which just so happens to be the END of the prior day. As such, we’re going to start architecting our Masterpiece Day with a solid Shutdown Complete and Digital Sunset protocol. We’ll get better at turning our brains off so we can get to bed earlier and wake up (without an alarm?) nice and early feeling all bright and shiny. (Note: Optimizers consistently tell us THIS session changes lives.)
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-iv-1/
Today's the Day To Create Emotional Stamina via Masterpiece Days. If we’re serious about moving from Theory to Practice to Mastery then we need to know one very (!) important fact: TODAY’S the Day!! In this session, we’ll look at the big picture, meet the reporter who’s always following you around, learn about the importance of knowing and EXECUTING our protocol. (Know this: the worse we feel, the MORE committed we need to be to executing our protocol!) We’ll also take a v1 pass at our Masterpiece Day template.
Here are my Top 3 CELEBRATING Books of All Time: https://www.optimize.me/top3/celebrating
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Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
#1: Self-Compassion by Kristen Neff, Ph.D. → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/gratitude-works-robert-emmons/
#2: Gratitude Works! by Robert A. Emmons → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/gratitude-works-robert-emmons/
#3: Pathways to Bliss by Joseph Campbell → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/pathways-to-bliss-joseph-campbell/
Get Self-Compassion by Kristen Neff, Ph.D. on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Works-Creating-Emotional-Prosperity/dp/1118131290/
Get Gratitude Works! by Robert A. Emmons on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Works-Creating-Emotional-Prosperity/dp/1118131290/
Get Pathways to Bliss by Joseph Campbell on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pathways-Bliss-Mythology-Personal-Transformation/dp/1458749118?tag=entheos06-20
► RELATED RESOURCES:
#1: SELF-COMPASSION by Kristin Neff, Ph.D.
- +1: The Science of Self-Compassion | Three Keys: Self-Kindness + Common Humanity + Mindfulness (#34) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-science-of-self-compassion/
#2: GRATITUDE WORKS! by Robert A. Emmons
- PN: Thanks! by Robert A. Emmons → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/thanks-robert-emmons/
- +1: How to Cultivate Gratitude | Science Says: #1 Practice = … (#1069) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-cultivate-gratitude/
- +1: Science Says: Gratitude Works | Some EYE-POPPING Stats (#1068) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/science-says-gratitude-works/
- +1: Taking Things FOR GRANTED vs. AS GRANTED | Let’s Choose Wisely (#1070) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/taking-things-for-granted-vs-as-granted/
- +1: The #1 Obstacle to Gratitude | And Its Remedy (#1071) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-1-obstacle-to-gratitude/
- #1: How do you start your day? Here’s how I start mine. (Breakfast of Champions + Oura 1-2-3+!) (#5) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLO3HrC6-hU
#3: PATHWAYS TO BLISS by Joseph Campbell
- Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth with Bill Moyers → https://billmoyers.com/series/joseph-campbell-and-the-power-of-myth-1988/
- Finding Joe → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8nFACrLxr0
- +1: Follow Your Bliss | Jump into Enlightenment (#124) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/follow-your-bliss/
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-ii-3/
Applying the Best of Modern Science To the Study of a Good Hero. In Module II.3 we learn the science of how to make our goals reality via WOOP, increase our motivation, cultivate grit, and Optimize our courage en route to maintaining dynamic tension and dynamic equilibrium while aiming ourselves towards our Universal, Unique, and Ultimate quests.
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Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-ii-2/
Preparing for Our Heroic Quests by Training Like Warriors and Stocking Our Armamentarium With Tools + Weapons + Provisions. In Module II.2, we practice our philosophy with intensity, learn basic orienteering, and equip ourselves with ready-at-hand tools for the journey, including a Virtue Compass, Heroic Healing Balm, Hero Pills, Secret Weapons, Hero Fires, Pearls, Hope Maps, and Hero Bars.
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!)
Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-ii-1/
The Study of a Good Hero and How To Create Antifragile Confidence + Heroic Courage + Response-Ability. In Module II.1, we define the rules of the game, remind ourselves that we will always (!!!) face challenges, meet our training partners, learn how to use obstacles as fuel for growth, and prepare ourselves to face anything that life throws at us as we give our best in service to others.
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Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-i/
The Study of a Good Soul and How To Operationalize Virtue via Ancient Wisdom + Modern Science + Practical Optimizing Tools. In Module I, we define the game that we're playing, hang out with Aristotle, Abraham Maslow and Martin Seligman, discover that the word “psychology” literally means “the study of the soul” and commit to studying what a “good soul” (aka eudaimonia) looks like as we, most importantly, learn how to master the process of high-fiving our inner souls all day every day by operationalizing virtue.
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Check out the module preview and download the free worksheets at: https://www.optimize.me/coach-module-o/
A Welcome and Invitation To Commit. In the introduction to the Optimize Mastery Series and Optimize Coach program, we learn the process for expressing the Optimize = Optimus = Best = Eudaimon = Hero versions of ourselves more and more consistently, closing the gap between who we’re CAPABLE of being and who we’re ACTUALLY being and giving the world all we’ve got.
Here are my Top 3 FOCUSING Books of All Time:
#1: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
#2: Irresistible by Adam Alter
#3: Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday
More on why + a Big-Idea from each of those books in this video: https://youtu.be/eHMnL7MCMrs
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!)
Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Here are my Top 3 BREATHING Books of All Time: https://www.optimize.me/top3/breathing
#1: The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-oxygen-advantage-patrick-mckeown/
#2: Breath by James Nestor → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/breath-james-nestor/
#3: True to Form by Dr. Eric Goodman → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/true-to-form-eric-goodman/
Get The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Oxygen-Advantage-Scientifically-Breathing-Techniques/dp/0062349457/?tag=entheos06-20
Get Breath by James Nestor on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Breath-New-Science-Lost-Art/dp/0735213615
Get True to Form by Dr. Eric Goodman on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/True-Form-Foundation-Training-Sustained/dp/0062315315?tag=entheos06-20
► RELATED RESOURCES:
#1: THE OXYGEN ADVANTAGE by Patrick McKeown
- +1: The Magic Spot in Our Mouths | High Five It and Shine! (#1230) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-magic-spot-in-our-mouths/
- +1: The Rules of Breathing | The Big 3: Nose + Belly + Exhale (#485) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-rules-of-breathing/
#2: BREATH by James Nestor
- +1: Breathe Less | To Breathe Right (#1231) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/breathe-less/
#3: TRUE TO FORM by Dr. Eric Goodman
- +1: Ballet, Anyone? | Head Threads + Power Poses + Thor’s Hammer (#600) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/ballet-anyone/
► FREE 14-DAY OPTIMIZE TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNotes on these great books and over 600 others by starting a Free 14-Day Optimize trial membership: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
► MORE GOODNESS:
- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/
- Follow Optimize on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriantheOptimizer/
- Follow Optimize on Instagram: https://instagram.com/optimize.me/
- Learn More about Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach/
Hope | The Best Bridge? (#948) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/despair-hope/\n- +1: Sleep Efficiency | Want 8 Hours? Be in Bed for 9! (#913) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleep-efficiency/\n- +1: Foundation vs. Pillars | Our #1 Fundie? Sleep! (#911) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/foundation-vs-pillars/\n\n#2: THE SLEEP REVOLUTION by Arianna Huffington\n- +1: Sleeping with Tom Brady | And Roger Federer and LeBron James (#629) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleeping-with-tom-brady/\n- +1: Making Money BECAUSE You Sleep | Sleeping with Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett (#648) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/making-money-because-you-sleep/\n- +1: Alarms: Work-Down vs. Wake-Up | One’s (at Least!) 10x Better than the Other (#647) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/alarms-work-down-vs-wake-up/\n\n#3: SLEEP SMARTER by Shawn Stevenson\n- +1: Digital Sunset | Bedtime for Your Electronics (#152) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/digital-sunset/\n\n► FREE 14-DAY OPTIMIZE TRIAL:\nGet the PhilosophersNotes on these great books and over 600 others by starting a Free 14-Day Optimize trial membership: https://www.optimize.me/trial/\n\n► MORE GOODNESS:\n- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/\n- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/\n- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/\n- Follow Optimize on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriantheOptimizer/\n- Follow Optimize on Instagram: https://instagram.com/optimize.me/\n- Learn More about Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach/"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":256,"11":4}" data-sheets-formula= "='Description/Post Creator'!R2C2& 'Description/Post Creator'!R3C2&'Top 3 Dashboard'!R[1]C[-6]&'Description/Post Creator'!R5C2&'Top 3 Dashboard'!R[1]C[1]&'Description/Post Creator'!R7C2&R[0]C[-12]&'Description/Post Creator'!R9C2&R[0]C[-11]&'Description/Post Creator'!R11C2&R[0]C[-8]&'Description/Post Creator'!R13C2&R[0]C[-7]&'Description/Post Creator'!R15C2&R[0]C[-4]&'Description/Post Creator'!R17C2&R[0]C[-3]&'Description/Post Creator'!R19C2&R[0]C[-12]&'Description/Post Creator'!R21C2&R[0]C[-10]&'Description/Post Creator'!R23C2&R[0]C[-8]&'Description/Post Creator'!R25C2&R[0]C[-6]&'Description/Post Creator'!R27C2&R[0]C[-4]&'Description/Post Creator'!R29C2&R[0]C[-2]&'Description/Post Creator'!R31C2&R[0]C[6]&'Description/Post Creator'!R33C2"> Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!)
Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Here are my Top 3 SLEEPING Books of All Time: https://www.optimize.me/top3/sleeping
#1: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, Ph.D. → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/why-we-sleep-matthew-walker/
#2: The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-sleep-revolution-arianna-huffington/
#3: Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/sleep-smarter-shawn-stevenson/
Get Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, Ph.D. on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144324
Get The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/The-Sleep-Revolution-Transforming-Night/dp/1101904003
Get Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Smarter-Proven-Better-Success/dp/0984574522?tag=entheos06-20
► RELATED RESOURCES:
#1: WHY WE SLEEP by Matthew Walker
- +1: Think You Can Get By on Little Sleep? | Science Says: Think Again (Struck by Lightning Lately?) (#742) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/think-you-can-get-by-on-little-sleep/
- +1: To Read on an iPad at Night | Or To Read a Printed Book? ← That Is the Question (#740) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/to-read-on-an-ipad-at-night/
- +1: Sleep: Crazy Stats | To Make Your Heart Skip a Beat (#747) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleep-crazy-stats/
- +1: Despair --> Hope | The Best Bridge? (#948) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/despair-hope/
- +1: Sleep Efficiency | Want 8 Hours? Be in Bed for 9! (#913) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleep-efficiency/
- +1: Foundation vs. Pillars | Our #1 Fundie? Sleep! (#911) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/foundation-vs-pillars/
#2: THE SLEEP REVOLUTION by Arianna Huffington
- +1: Sleeping with Tom Brady | And Roger Federer and LeBron James (#629) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleeping-with-tom-brady/
- +1: Making Money BECAUSE You Sleep | Sleeping with Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett (#648) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/making-money-because-you-sleep/
- +1: Alarms: Work-Down vs. Wake-Up | One’s (at Least!) 10x Better than the Other (#647) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/alarms-work-down-vs-wake-up/
#3: SLEEP SMARTER by Shawn Stevenson
- +1: Digital Sunset | Bedtime for Your Electronics (#152) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/digital-sunset/
► FREE 14-DAY OPTIMIZE TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNotes on these great books and over 600 others by starting a Free 14-Day Optimize trial membership: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
► MORE GOODNESS:
- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/
- Follow Optimize on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriantheOptimizer/
- Follow Optimize on Instagram: https://instagram.com/optimize.me/
- Learn More about Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach/
► FREE 14-DAY OPTIMIZE TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNotes on these great books and over 600 others by starting a Free 14-Day Optimize trial membership: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
► MORE GOODNESS:
- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/
- Follow Optimize on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriantheOptimizer/
- Follow Optimize on Instagram: https://instagram.com/optimize.me/
- Learn More about Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach/
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!)
Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Here are my Top 3 NUTRITION Books of All Time: https://www.optimize.me/top3/nutrition
#1: Food Fix by Mark Hyman, M.D. → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/food-fix-mark-hyman/
#2: The Happiness Diet by Tyler Graham & Drew Ramsey, M.D. → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-happiness-diet-tyler-graham-drew-ramsey/
#3: It Starts With Food by Dallas Hartwig → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/it-starts-with-food-dallas-hartwig-melissa-hartwig/
Get Food Fix by Mark Hyman, M.D. on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Food-Fix-Economy-Communities-Planet-One/dp/031645317X
Get The Happiness Diet by Tyler Graham & Drew Ramsey, M.D. on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Diet-Nutritional-Prescription-Energized/dp/1609618971?tag=entheos06-20
Get It Starts With Food by Dallas Hartwig on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Starts-Food-Discover-Whole30-Unexpected/dp/1628600543?tag=entheos06-20
► RELATED RESOURCES:
#1: FOOD FIX by Dr. Mark Hyman
- +1: Spray Painting Leaves | Wise Gardening for Mind Body and Soul (#1270) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/spray-painting-leaves/
- +1: Don’t Drink Sugar | “The Single-Biggest Thing You Can Do to Improve Your Health” (#1247) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/dont-drink-sugar/
- +1: Food Prescriptions | Are More Effective Than Prescriptions for Medicine (#1269) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/food-prescriptions/
#2: THE HAPPINESS DIET by Tyler Graham & Drew Ramsey, MD
- +1: The Happiness Diet | vs. The SAD + MAD Diets (#763) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-happiness-diet/
- +1: Taking Out the Carbage | How to go from MAD to Flourishing (#1176) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/taking-out-the-carbage/
- +1: Turning Frowns Upside Down | One Bite at a Time (#764) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/turning-frowns-upside-down/
#3: IT STARTS WITH FOOD by Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig
- +1: The Optimize Food Rules | The Big 3 (+1!) (#1285) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-optimize-food-rules/
► FREE 14-DAY OPTIMIZE TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNotes on these great books and over 600 others by starting a Free 14-Day Optimize trial membership: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
► MORE GOODNESS:
- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/
- Follow Optimize on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriantheOptimizer/
- Follow Optimize on Instagram: https://instagram.com/optimize.me/
- Learn More about Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach/
This is our third Note on (Mister) Fred Rogers’ books. I read all three over the course of a week after falling in love with the man via the wonderful documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? This book, as per the sub-title, is all about “Wisdom for Parents and Children from Mister Rogers.” Like the other books we’ve featured, it’s a super quick-reading and equally inspiring collection of brief wisdom gems from our beloved neighbor. I loved it. And, I’ve been enjoying channeling Mister Rogers’ warmth and presence and wisdom in my role as a father to our two little E’s: Emerson (6 as I type this) and Eleanor (2!). Big Ideas we explore include how to deal with disappointment (big and small!), growing (kids AND parents), the complexity of being a parent, setting limits and the power of saying, "I'm sorry."
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from The World According to Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers. Hope you enjoy!
Did you know that Fred Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister who was given the unique charge of working with children and families through television? Yep. Since watching the documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, I’ve fallen in love with the man and his “relentless commitment to all that is best in people.” This is a quick-reading collection of some of Fred’s best wisdom gems gathered from various sources and organized by different themes. Big Ideas we explore include: Your eulogy (in three words!), an enraged Mister Rogers (= fierce love in action), a barrelful of songs (your barrel overflowing?), swimming with Fred (143!!), and making goodness attractive (remember our #1 job: ENCOURAGE others!!).
Get The World According to Mister Rogers on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401301061
Learn more about Fred Rogers: https://www.optimize.me/authors/fred-rogers/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: YOUR EULOGY
- +1: Eulogy Virtues | How to Chisel on Your Road to Character (#212) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/eulogy-virtues/
- Mastery Series Module O: Optimize = Optimus = Best = Eudaimōn = Hērō → https://optimize.me/coach-module-o/
Big Idea 2: ENRAGED MR. ROGERS
- +1: An Enraged Mister Rogers | Channeling His Fierce Love (#825) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/an-enraged-mister-rogers/
- Fred Rogers testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKy7ljRr0AA
Big Idea 3: BARRELS FULL
- +1: A Barrelful of Songs | Is Your Barrel Overflowing with Goodness? (#828) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/a-barrelful-of-songs/
- +1: Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You | Origin Stories Featuring Cal Newport + Steve Martin (#1282) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/be-so-good-they-cant-ignore-you/
- +1: 50 Pounds = A | How to Master the Fear of Art (#85) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/50-pounds-a/
Big Idea 4: 143 = I LOVE YOU
- +1: Swimming with Mister Rogers | Then Stepping on the Scale to See… 143! (#830) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/swimming-with-mister-rogers/
- +1: Hērōs | Building Strength for 2 (#107) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/heros/
Big Idea 5: 10 SECONDS
- Fred Rogers Accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 24th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upm9LnuCBUM
- PN: Gratitude Works! by Robert A. Emmons → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/gratitude-works-robert-emmons/
► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNote on The World According to Mister Rogers and 600+ other books by starting a Free 14-Day trial membership to Optimize: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
► MORE GOODNESS:
- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/
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Here are my Top 3 ANCIENT WISDOM Books of All Time:
#1: The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
#2: Discourses and Selected Writings by Epictetus
#3: The Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran
More on why + a Big-Idea from each of those books in this video: https://youtu.be/eHMnL7MCMrs
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!)
Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from You Are Special by Fred Rogers. Hope you enjoy!
I got this book after watching the wonderful (!) documentary on Mister Rogers called Won’t You Be My Neighbor? It's a collection of wisdom gems from various sources-a quick-reading portal into Mister Rogers’ brain that has an amazingly calming, uplifting effect. (At least it did for me.) Simply reading his words seemed to elevate my consciousness and make me a kinder, more patient person. Big Ideas we explore include: Be the best at whatever you are, our #1 Job in life (hint: Encourage others!!), I Like You (just the way you are), being a living example, Mister Rogers' creativity (hello, torture!), perfect parents/kids? (nope!), and the gap (the essence of human creativity).
Get You Are Special on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140235140
Learn more about Fred Rogers: https://www.optimize.me/authors/fred-rogers/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: BE THE BEST YOU
- +1: Envy: The Ulcer of the Soul | Socrates Says (And Science Agrees) (#852) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/envy-the-ulcer-of-the-soul/
- +1: The Comparison Game | You Will Always Lose It (Here’s Why) (#855) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-comparison-game/
- +1: Sweeping Streets with Martin Luther King | Like Shakespeare, Beethoven and Michelangelo (#492) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sweeping-streets-with-martin-luther-king/
Big Idea 2: OUR JOB IN LIFE
- +1: Encourage | To Inspire with Hope, Courage and Confidence (#721) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/encourage/
- Admiral William McRaven → https://www.optimize.me/authors/admiral-william-h-mcraven/
Big Idea 3: “I LIKE YOU.”
- +1: I Like You | Just the Way You Are (#869) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/i-like-you/
- Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood in black and white → https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2r4wun
Big Idea 4: TORTURES
- Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Documentary) → https://www.focusfeatures.com/wont-you-be-my-neighbor/
Big Idea 5: LIVING EXAMPLE
- PN: Your Life is Your Message by Eknath Easwaran → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/your-life-is-your-message-eknath-easwaran/
- +1: Gandhi and Sugar | And You and… _______________ (#408) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/gandhi-and-sugar/
- +1: There Are No Perfect People | And… Newsflash: You Will Not Be the First (#146) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/there-are-no-perfect-people/
► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNote on The World According to Mister Rogers and 600+ other books by starting a Free 14-Day trial membership to Optimize: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
► MORE GOODNESS:
- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/
- Follow Optimize on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriantheOptimizer/
- Follow Optimize on Instagram: https://instagram.com/optimize.me/
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!)
Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Hope you enjoy!
Joseph Campbell was an American author and teacher best known for his work in the field of comparative mythology. If you’ve ever heard of the “Hero’s Journey,” you have him and his lifelong commitment to studying mythology to thank. This book (written in 1949) is the one that captures the essence of his thoughts on the “monomyth” that shows up across all cultures. One universal hero. A thousand faces. Big Ideas we explore include: a quick look at the hero’s journey, moving past the veil of the unknown (aka romancing your discomfort zone) while creating micro hero journeys (all day every day), your ultimate boon (don’t make King Midas’s mistake), the mistake that the makers of legend made (growth mindset, guys!!), and a portrait of the modern hero (look in the mirror!).
Get The Hero with a Thousand Faces on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Faces-Collected-Joseph-Campbell/dp/1577315936
Learn more about Joseph Campbell: https://www.optimize.me/authors/joseph-campbell/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: THE MONOMYTH
- Finding Joe documentary → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8nFACrLxr0
- +1: Hērōs | Building Strength for 2 (#107) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/heros/
Big Idea 2: THE THRESHOLD
- +1: Your Infinite Potential | And Where to Find It (#4) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/your-infinite-potential/
- David Goggins → https://www.optimize.me/authors/david-goggins/
- Marie Forleo → https://www.optimize.me/authors/marie-forleo/
- George Mumford → https://www.optimize.me/authors/george-mumford/
- PN: The Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-rise-of-superman-steven-kotler/
- +1: Making the Impossible Possible | How to Make It What’s for Breakfast in X Tomorrows (#587) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/making-the-impossible-possible/
- Optimize Coach: Program Overview → https://optimize.me/coach-program/
Big Idea 3: THE BOON
- +1: The Choice of Hercules | Vice Dressed up as Virtue (#1036) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-choice-of-hercules/
Big Idea 4: THE MAKERS OF LEGEND
- +1: How to Build Your Grit | The 4 Key Scientific Variables (#19) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-build-your-grit/
- PN: Grit by Angela Duckworth → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/grit-angela-duckworth/
- +1: What Shakespeare, Beethoven & Picasso Have in Common | Want to Create Something Great? Create a Ton. (#86) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/what-shakespeare-beethoven-picasso-have-in-common/
Big Idea 5: THE HERO = YOU
- +1: Optimize = Optimus | = The Best Version of You (#367) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/optimize-optimus/
► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNote on The World According to Mister Rogers and 600+ other books by starting a Free 14-Day trial membership to Optimize: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
► MORE GOODNESS:
- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/
- Follow Optimize on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriantheOptimizer/
- Follow Optimize on Instagram: https://instagram.com/optimize.me/
Here are my Top 3 HABITS Books of All Time:
#1: Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
#2: Atomic Habits by James Clear
#3: The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
LISTEN for More on why + a Big-Idea from each of those books!
Here are my Top 3 BEST Books of All Time:
#1: The Tools by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels
#2: Deep Work by Cal Newport
#3: Happy Together by Suzie and James Pawelski
LISTEN for More on why + a Big-Idea from each of those books!
One of my favorite parts about creating our Optimize Mastery Series is that it forced me to go to the next level of clarity on the most important aspects of our Optimize philosophy. This was true from Day 1 of the program and I found it to be especially powerful with our Eating Fundamental (which is day 200-something!) in which I integrated the wisdom from dozens of books and our Optimal Nutrition 101 and Optimal Metabolism 101 classes into what I called our Optimize Food Rules. Of course, join Optimize Coach and check out that session for the full download. Today we’re going to take a quick look at our Big 3 (+1!) Optimize Food Rules. Here we go… Rule #1: Quit Drinking Your Sugar. This is inspired by a number of great teachers (including Robert Lustig in Fat Chance and John Ratey in Go Wild) but Mark Hyman brought the point home powerfully as his #1 rec in Food Fix. Note: If you’re currently drinking sodas or fruit juices or any liquid with sugar, this is arguably THE fastest and easiest way to take your nutrition to the next level—and, as a by-product, take huge steps forward in Optimizing your metabolism (“Hi, insulin!”) so you can move to your optimal weight. (Note: I just had a flashback of the Science Says data we collected. One of the highlights was how many Optimizers now feel they can easily follow their nutritional philosophy and maintain their Optimal weight.) (Check out the sketch on it below.) So… Are YOU drinking your sugar? If so, STOP!! (Hah. Seriously.) Note: Soda is obviously not a health food but… Parents: Fruit juice is NOT a health food either. Rule #2: Eat Real Food and Throw Out the Factory Food. In the Mastery Series session, we discuss the fact that we want to get rid of three different types of Factory Food including: 1. Factory-made ultraprocessed carbage with ingredients you can’t pronounce, don’t have in your pantry and didn’t evolve to consume; 2. Factory-farmed animals for ethical, health and environmental reasons; and, 3. Factory fat including vegetable oils like soybean, safflower, corn, and canola oils—none of which existed pre-Industrial revolution and all of which disrupt our Omega 3:6 ratios and create inflammation. (Note: Socrates was all about the olive oil—that’s been around for over 5,000 years!)
Quick check in: How are you doing there? Rule #3: Eating Sunsets (Aka: Give Yourself the Night Off!) Let your glymph get to work by restricting your eating to a window that gives you AT LEAST 13 hours between your last meal and first meal. We explore some fascinating research on cancer, etc. As you know if you’ve been following along, we have a last-input “digital sunset.” I say we need a last-input “eating sunset”!! In fact, science says: We want to eat AT LEAST two hours before we go to bed and target FOUR hours before we go to bed if we’re playing the Professional Optimizing game. (It’s crazy for me to see the resting heart rate and heart rate variability data on my Oura ring show me the difference when I play in too short of an eating window!) So… When was your last meal last night? When was your first meal Today? How many hours were there in between? Let’s get to 13+ and know that if you have a hard time going that long between meals, it’s probably because we need to work on some metabolic flexibility issues. See Rules #1 and #2 for support there. And, finally, my favorite Rule… Rule +1: Eat Like Your Favorite Philosopher (who lived at least 300 years ago). Perhaps the simplest, wisest advice is to simply eat like your great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents ate before all the factories. I like to tweak that a bit to have fun helping you channel your favorite philosopher or spiritual teacher—whether that’s Jesus or Mohammed or Moses or Buddha or Lao Tzu. For me? It’s Epictetus. Guess what? Our favorite old-school Philosophers didn’t (and couldn’t) drink their sugar because it didn’t exist. And all they could eat was non-factory produced food because factories didn’t exist yet. And they couldn’t eat all day every day because that wonderful invention we call the fridge didn’t exist. There ya go. The Optimize Food Rules in a nutshell. Here’s to changing our lives (and our families’ lives) one bite at a time. TODAY.
Here are my Top 3 BEST Books of All Time:
#1: The Tools by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels
#2: Deep Work by Cal Newport
#3: Happy Together by Suzie and James Pawelski
LISTEN for More on why + a Big-Idea from each of those books!
Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!)
Optimize Coach: https://optimize.me/coach (← Join 2,000+ Optimizers from 70+ Countries!)
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Fearless by Eric Blehm. Hope you enjoy!
I got this book after my friend, retired Navy SEAL Captain Bob Schoultz, recommended it to me. It’s ASTONISHINGLY good. As per the sub-title, this book is about "The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown." It's a humbling, inspiring story "of an American hero who bravely gave permission in his final written requests to share his journey, from small-town America to gutter to jail to Jesus to war to the top tier of the U.S. military: SEAL Team Six.”
Get Fearless on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Undaunted-Ultimate-Sacrifice-Operator/dp/0307730700
Learn more about Eric Blehm: https://www.optimize.me/authors/eric-blehm/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: THE BULLIES
- Captain Bob’s Book Notes → https://bobsbeenreading.wordpress.com/
- PNTV: Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/cant-hurt-me-david-goggins/
- PNTV: Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/discipline-equals-freedom-jocko-willink/
- PNTV: Staring Down the Wolf by Mark Divine → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/staring-down-the-wolf-mark-divine/
- PN: Make Your Bed by Admiral William McRaven → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/make-your-bed-admiral-william-mcraven/
- +1: Begin With the End in Mind | Habit #2 of Highly Effective People (#219) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/begin-with-the-end-in-mind/
Big Idea 2: THE PRODIGAL SON
- PN: Discover the Power Within You by Eric Butterworth → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/discover-the-power-within-you-eric-butterworth/
- PN: Falling Upward by Richard Rohr, OFM → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/falling-upward-richard-rohr-ofm/
- +1: We’re Only the Light Bulbs | Our Job Is to Remain Screwed In! (#1090) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/were-only-the-light-bulbs/
Big Idea 3: THE TRIDENT
- #1: TGIM!!! Let's goooo! Time to earn our Trident. TODAY! (#28) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX5zUZNvUD0
Big Idea 4: THE BEST
- Optimize Mastery Series Module O: Optimize = Optimus = Best = Eudaimon = Hero → https://www.optimize.me/mastery-modules/module-o-optimize-optimus-best-eudaimon-hero/
- +1: How to High Five God | And Plug Into Divine Power Today (#1279) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-high-five-god/
Big Idea 5: FALLEN HERO
- +1: OMMS | The Hero’s Mantra (#41) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/omms/
- +1: Hērōs | Building Strength for 2 (#107) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/heros/
► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL:
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- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
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In our last +1, we drew some Venn circles with my Yoda and had fun high fiving God by giving ALL we’ve got. Today I want to chat about what we talked about at the VERY end of our time together on August 10th, 2020. After recapping the importance of showing up moment to moment to moment to keep my Soul Force powered by Divine Energy, Phil said—almost in a mantra-kinda way: “APPLY THIS!!!” “APPLY THIS!!!” “APPLY THIS!!!” It was one of those goosebumpy kinda moments. I wrote it down in huge letters on the third page of that day’s notes and then said, “YES!!” Then I said, “It’s funny because tomorrow morning I’m hitting the studio to film the very last session for our Mastery Series for our Coach program. It’s Module VII but we also call it Module Infinity (as in: Repeat this forever!). It’s called Optimus You: Practicing Your Philosophy. The whole point of that class? We need to APPLY THIS WISDOM to our lives TODAY!!” So, I told him, “I’m DEFINITELY going to share our chat as I make the point.” Then, he said, “I love you son. I’m proud of you.” To which I replied, “I love you father. I appreciate you.” (As we’ve discussed, Phil is my spiritual Godfather. I’m his spiritual son. We end nearly every one of our chats with that. Enter: Pure joy.) As I reflected on his mantra, “APPLY THIS!!” I felt an even deeper commitment to making him proud and serving you and my family as profoundly as I can. That was 5:50 PM Central Time. I had 10 minutes to go before I transitioned to Deep Love time and gave Alexandra some time for herself while I enjoyed my PM session of 1-on-2 time with the kids. Now, I don’t do non-essential technology inputs these days as I’ve -1 to +1-ed it for the +3 win (which is one of the reasons I’m crushing it). So, I hopped on our PEMF machine and plugged in the NanoVi thing to recover while meditating. At 6:00, I headed out of the office. The house was quiet. (Which, if you have kids, you know is VERY unusual. lol) Hmmm… The car wasn’t there. Alexandra must have taken the kids out. So… I might have dashed back to the office, hopped back on the PEMF/re-plugged in the NanoVi and had a little dessert watching some more of Netflix’s great documentary on Michael Jordan and his Bulls called The Last Dance. (Highly recommend it.) Now… At this point, I’m on Episode V. The Bulls have just won their first championship. They’re going for their second. I wait for the show to load. It takes a second or three as I’m on satellite internet here in the country—which always gives me a moment to reflect on the fact that this whole thing we call the internet (and everything else in modern life) is an absolute miracle. Internal dialogue: “Thank you, God, for blessing me with the gift of so many awesome things.” Then… It loads. I’m TEN SECONDS in. Phil Jackson, one of the greatest Coaches in history (who won 6 titles with the Bulls then another 5 with the Lakers), comes on. You know what he says? He says, and I quote: “You’re only a success in the MOMENT you perform a successful act. You have to do it again.” Did he just say what I think he said? I hit the little rewind 10 seconds thing to watch it again. Yep. “You’re only a success in the MOMENT you perform a successful act. You have to do it again.” I rewind it again and go get my pad of paper to write that down because I KNEW I’d be kicking off my final Mastery Series session with wisdom from two world-class Coaches named Phil. Note: Phil Jackson has his 11 championships. Phil Stutz and his clients (who tend to be Hollywood actors and writers and directors and executives) have WAY more than 11 Oscars. So, when two Coaches named Phil say the same thing back-to-back like that, I take it as a Divine wink from the Universe. And, well, that’s Today’s +1. One more time: “You’re only a success in the MOMENT you perform a successful act. You have to do it again.” All the stuff we chat about that REALLY resonates? APPLY THIS!!! APPLY THIS!!! APPLY THIS!!! When? As always… TODAY.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink. Hope you enjoy!
Jocko Willink is a retired Navy SEAL. He was commander of Task Unit Bruiser―the most decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War. I really enjoyed Jocko’s first book Extreme Ownership and I knew this one would be good but... I didn’t expect it to be THIS good. The words literally explode off the page. Not just because each micro-chapter was an incredibly inspiring micro-manifesto but because each word was written by a man so clearly living in complete integrity with his deepest values. John Maxwell would say his “moral authority” is extraordinary. I’d say his SOUL FORCE is palpable. If you’re in the mood for a soul-rattling call-to-disciplined action, I think you’ll enjoy the book as much as I did.
Get Discipline Equals Freedom on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Discipline-Equals-Freedom-Field-Manual/dp/1250156947
Learn more about Jocko Willink: https://www.optimize.me/authors/jocko-willink/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: HERCULES
- PN: Gandhi the Man by Eknath Easwaran → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/gandhi-the-man-eknath-easwaran/
- PN: The Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-bhagavad-gita-krishna-eknath-easwaran/
- PN: The Dhammapada by Eknath Easwaran → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-dhammapada-eknath-easwaran/
- +1: Demons vs. Daimons | What to Feed Them (#919) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/demons-vs-daimons/
- +1: The Choice of Hercules | Vice Dressed up as Virtue (#1036) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-choice-of-hercules/
Big Idea 2: NATURE VS. NURTURE | NEITHER
- Documentary on Michael Jordan: The Last Dance → https://www.netflix.com/title/80203144
- +1: How to Build Your Grit | The 4 Key Scientific Variables (#19) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-build-your-grit/
- Documentary on Usain Bolt: I Am Bolt → https://www.netflix.com/title/80135360
Big Idea 3: “GOOD.”
- +1: OMMS | The Hero’s Mantra (#41) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/omms/
- +1: The Obstacle Is the Way | Plus: The Paradox of Fire (#61) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-obstacle-is-the-way/
- +1: It Is What It Is | The Power of Loving What Is (#409) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/it-is-what-it-is/
- +1: Neutral Thinking | vs. Positive and Negative Thinking (#1259) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/neutral-thinking/
Big Idea 4: SUGAR
- PN: The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-case-against-sugar-gary-taubes/
- Willpower 101 → http://optimize.me/willpower
Big Idea 5: DO
- Phil Stutz → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-tools-barry-michels-phil-stutz/
► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL:
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- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
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- Follow Optimize on Instagram: https://instagram.com/optimize.me/
1: Today I kinda go off on a ton of stuff: From HRV/RHR ice-bath spikes to Soul Force and Deep Work and the Handbook. Hope you enjoy. Let’s do this. Together. TODAY.
As always: Get instant (free) access to all 600+ PhilosophersNotes AND all 50 Optimal Living 101 classes AND 1,000+ Optimize +1s as part of our free 2-week trial: http://optimize.me/
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Discover the Power Within You by Eric Butterworth. Hope you enjoy!
Eric Butterworth was a prolific author and Unity minister—one of the great spiritual teachers of the 20th century. We featured another one of his books called Spiritual Economics. That one transformed my consciousness around money/ambition/etc. (I highly recommend it.) Butterworth was also Maya Angelou's spiritual teacher. And, Oprah says that this book is one of her all-time favorites. Big Ideas we explore: Where to find the Divine (hint: look within!), the great decision, the true meaning of “meek” (it's not what you think), going the second mile, and how to create a heaven (or hell) right NOW!
Get Discover the Power Within You on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Discover-Power-Within-You-Unexplored/dp/0061723797
Learn more about Eric Butterworth: https://www.optimize.me/authors/eric-butterworth/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: WHERE’S THE DIVINE?
- +1: Spiritual Economics | Your New Wealth Vocabulary (#349) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/spiritual-economics/
- +1: How to Live with Radiant Enthusiasm | Hint: Create a Nice Home for God (#556) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-live-with-radiant-enthusiasm/
- +1: How to High Five Your Inner Daimon | My Philosophy in One Word (#3) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-high-five-your-inner-daimon/
- +1: The Golden You | Just Chip Away at the (Not-so) Bonus Layer (#553) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-golden-you/
- +1: The Golden Buddha: Part II | The Historical Reality + The Parable (#603) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-golden-buddha-part-ii/
Big Idea 2: THE GREAT DECISION
- +1: Eudaimonism vs. Hedonism | Don’t Want to Be Depressed? Science Says… (#1166) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/eudaimonism-vs-hedonism/
- +1: Lightbulbs in the Temple of God | Less Graffiti, More Shining (#887) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/lightbulbs-in-the-temple-of-god/
- +1: My New Energy Identity | A Screwed-In Light Bulb (#1091) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/my-new-energy-identity/
Big Idea 3: PRAEIS = _______
- +1: Jesus Said: Who Shall Inherit the Earth? | Was It the “Meek” or the “Disciplined”/”Tamed”? (#438) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/jesus-said-who-shall-inherit-the-earth/
Big Idea 4: THE 2ND MILE
- Going the Second Mile | Jesus Says: It's the Way to Roll (#431) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/going-the-second-mile/
Big Idea 5: HEAVEN + HELL
- +1: Demons vs. Daimons | What to Feed Them (#919) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/demons-vs-daimons/
► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNote on The World According to Mister Rogers and 600+ other books by starting a Free 14-Day trial membership to Optimize: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
► MORE GOODNESS:
- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/
- Follow Optimize on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriantheOptimizer/
- Follow Optimize on Instagram: https://instagram.com/optimize.me/
Thanks for all your Handbook love! Here's the Optimize Handbook link I mention: https://optimizehq.typeform.com/to/sFx8AlU1
Quick edition as it's time for shutdown complete/meditation and Deep Love!! LOVE!!
In this Sunday edition, we talk about doubling my basic training protocol (it's the 200 burpees and 20k steps a day that provide the best challenge!) and some iterative creative progress on the book. As always: Get instant (free) access to all 600+ PhilosophersNotes AND all 50 Optimal Living 101 classes AND 1,000+ Optimize +1s as part of our free 2-week trial: http://optimize.me/
Weekend edition: Today we take a quick trip to the back of the property for a "Before" look at what (Deo Volente) will soon be an awesome outdoor office. Fun. :)
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo. Hope you enjoy!
My wife Alexandra has been a huge fan of Marie’s for a long time. I knew she was awesome. But... As I told Alexandra: “I had no idea Marie was THAT awesome!!!” My excuse: I’ve been in hermit-mode and have done nothing but read books for 5 years (no blogs/videos/etc.) so I wasn’t able to get the full sense of Marie’s heroically brilliant and grounded and HILARIOUS power until this book came out. I’ve read and created PhilosophersNotes on well over 500 books. This is one of my ABSOLUTE (!) favorites of all time. I HIGHLY (!!!) recommend it. It’s in the same league as some of my other favorites like Deep Work Atomic Habits and The 5 Second Rule. (In fact, on my chalkboard right now, I actually have “EVERYTHING IS FIGUREOUTABLE” right above “5-4-3-2-1-GO!” <- Winning combo!) The book is PACKED (!) with Big Ideas and I’m excited to share a few of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!
Get Everything Is Figureoutable on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Figureoutable-Marie-Forleo/dp/0525534997
Learn more about Marie Forleo: https://www.optimize.me/authors/marie-forleo/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: “THANKS, MOM!”
- PN: Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/everything-is-figureoutable-marie-forleo/
Big Idea 2: MAGIC OF BELIEF
- PN: The Relaxation Revolution by Herbert Benson → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-relaxation-revolution-herbert-benson/
- +1: Your Identity = ? | Whether You Think You Can or Think You Can’t… (#654) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/your-identity/
- "It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult.” ~Seneca → https://www.optimize.me/quotes/seneca/19068-it-is-not-because-things-are-difficult-t/
- PN: Letters from a Stoic by Seneca → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/letters-from-a-stoic-seneca/
Big Idea 3: 42% (!!!)
- Optimize Interview: Stillness is the Key with Ryan Holiday → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8GZMsKklPA
- +1: Spiritual Windshield Wipers | Eudaimonia, Journaling, and the Science of Writing Down Our Goals (#993) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/spiritual-windshield-wipers/
- +1: Hedonic Eudaimonia | A Close Relative of Flow Junkies (#908) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/hedonic-eudaimonia/
- How to Journal Carpe Diem Style! → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFMOrHcrGWU&t=4s
Big Idea 4: 4-LETTER WORD
- +1: Can’t vs. Won’t | Two Four-Letter Words (#986) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/cant-vs-wont/
- +1: Fail Alchemized to FAIL | Fail = Faithful Attempts In Learning! (#988) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/fail-alchemized-to-fail/
- +1: The Growth Mindset | Jordan, Picasso and You (#622) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-growth-mindset/
- +1: Mistakes? They’re Just Mis-takes | You As the Director of Your Life (#59)
- PN: Mindset by Carol Dweck → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/mindset-carol-dweck/
- +1: Mistake-Learner’s High | Enjoy It as You Pursue Audacious Goals and Endlessly Evolve (#370) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/mistake-learners-high/
Big Idea 5: GROWTH ZONE
- +1: Your Infinite Potential | And Where to Find It (#4) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/your-infinite-potential/
► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL:
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- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
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Today we have fun with my (re-)new(ed) identity: Philosopher + CEO and some Handbook +1s. As always: Get instant (free) access to all 600+ PhilosophersNotes AND all 50 Optimal Living 101 classes AND 1,000+ Optimize +1s as part of our free 2-week trial: http://optimize.me/
Today we take a sneak peek at v1 of the OPTIMIZE Handbook cover and look at some Oura data on a good bad night saved by an algorithm! As always: Get instant (free) access to all 600+ PhilosophersNotes AND all 50 Optimal Living 101 classes AND 1,000+ Optimize +1s as part of our free 2-week trial: http://optimize.me/
Today we chat about missing the ol' mark on the 3:00 last-input target. And simply recommitting. And... Finished Phase I of the Handbook construction process. Scaffolding is in place. Fired up. (Just noticed this is #50. Time flies when you're having fun!) As always:
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Afternoon edition of our #1 post 6 hours of DEEP Work on the Handbook. We chat about some creative systems and do the quick Oura review.
Did you know there are 101 days left in 2020. Yep. Time to finish strong. I share a little on how I'm going to do that with the Handbook, etc. How about YOU?
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from The Healthy Deviant by Pilar Gerasimo. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve been eagerly awaiting for my dear friend Pilar Gerasimo to write a book that captures her wisdom on how to Optimize our lives and give the world all we’ve got. And... The wait is over! Pilar is one of the wisest people I know. Among many other things, she created Experience Life magazine (which currently reaches over 3 million people per year) and is the co-host of the Living Experiment podcast with Dallas Hartwig (co-founder of Whole30). The lead quote for this book perfectly captures the thesis of the book. It’s from Jiddu Krishnamurti. He tells us: “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” Yep. That’s about right. In a society in which the VAST majority of us are sick and tired and anxious and depressed and, well, blah... IT IS NO MEASURE OF HEALTH TO BE WELL ADJUSTED TO THAT SICK SOCIETY. (Right?) Enter: The Healthy Deviant. This “Rule Breaker’s Guide" is packed with Big Ideas on how we can "Be Healthy in an Unhealthy World.”
Get The Healthy Deviant on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Deviant-Breakers-Guide-Unhealthy/dp/1623174252
Learn more about Pilar Gerasimo: https://www.optimize.me/authors/pilar-gerasimo/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: THE UDR
- The Living Experiment Podcast Interview (49s) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JWTNyW_bTQ
- “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” ~Jiddu Krishnamurti → https://www.optimize.me/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/1335215-it-is-no-measure-of-health-to-be-well-adjusted/
Big Idea 2: HEALTHY DEVIANCE
- “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” ~Mark Twain → https://www.optimize.me/quotes/mark-twain/20637-whenever-you-find-yourself-on-the-side-o/
- PN: Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/self-reliance-ralph-waldo-emerson/
- +1: The Choice of Hercules | Vice Dressed up as Virtue (#1036) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-choice-of-hercules/
- Conquering Cancer 101 + 102 → https://Optimize.me/cancer
- PN: Eat, Move, Sleep by Tom Rath → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/eat-move-sleep-tom-rath/
- +1: The Invisible Gorilla | And the Spotlight of Your Attention (#859) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-invisible-gorilla/
Big Idea 3: RENEGADE RITUALS
- +1: AM + PM Bookends | How to Create Masterpiece Days: Start Here! (#78) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/am-pm-bookends/
- +1: Micradian Rhythms | The Rhythms of Life: Circadian + Ultradian + Micradian (#283) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/micradian-rhythms/
- +1: Digital Sunset | Bedtime for Your Electronics (#152) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/digital-sunset/
- +1: Cortisol and Melatonin | Teeter Totter Buddies (#1173) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/cortisol-and-melatonin/
- +1: PM Counts Twice | PM → AM + DAY + PM = #carpediem (#1007) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/pm-counts-twice/
- Energy 101 → https://www.optimize.me/master-class/energy-101/
Big Idea 4: DITCH YOUR DIET
- +1: Don’t Drink Sugar | “The Single-Biggest Thing You Can Do to Improve Your Health” (#1247) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/dont-drink-sugar/
- Optimal Weight 101 → https://www.optimize.me/master-class/optimal-weight-101/
Big Idea 5: SOMETHING WRONG
- +1: Make the Connection | What’s Working? What Needs Work? (#374) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/make-the-connection/
- Learn more about Pilar and her work at https://TheHealthyDeviant.com/
- Learn more about The Living Experiment Podcast at https://livingexperiment.com/
► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL:
Get the PhilosophersNote on Everything Is Figureoutable and 600+ other books by starting a Free 14-Day trial membership to Optimize: https://www.optimize.me/trial/
► MORE GOODNESS:
- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/
- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/
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In our last +1, we got our inner Freak on as we spent some time with Dav!d Rendall and learned to embrace constraints as we reminded ourselves to approach this whole game of life as Optimalists rather than Perfectionists—using our ideals as GUIDING STARS not distant shores. We explored the value of constraints on a high level. I promised to talk about the idea in a little more detail in terms of choosing what we want to do with our lives AND in the day-to-day of actually making things happen. So… Dav!d kicks off the chapter on the power of limiting our options with a quote from Seth Godin who tells us: “You really can’t try to do everything, especially if you intend to be the best in the world.” Amen. And, as I read this chapter I thought of chats I had back in the day with Steve Chandler when he and I worked 1-on-1. He loved Alan Watts’s wisdom that tennis is more fun with a court (constraints!) and Igor Stravinsky’s wisdom that “The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees oneself. And the arbitrariness of the constraint serves only to obtain precision in the execution.” As I searched the ol’ database of 600+ Notes on my Mac to find that Stravinsky quote, I found this parallel wisdom from Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist. He tells us: “In this age of information abundance and overload, those who get ahead will be the folks who figure out what to leave out, so they can concentrate on what’s really important to them. Nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities. The idea that you can do anything is absolutely terrifying. The way to get over creative block is to simply place some constraints on yourself. It seems contradictory, but when it comes to creative work, limitations mean freedom... The right constraints can lead to your very best work. My favorite example? Dr. Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat with only 236 different words, so his editor bet him he couldn’t write a book with only 50 different words. Dr. Seuss came back and won the bet with Green Eggs and Ham, one of the bestselling children’s books of all time.” (btw: As I reread that, I thought of our Note on the brilliant biography Dr. Seuss and Mr. Geisel where we talk about those exact same constraints. Check it out!) As I chat about in our Notes on Steal Like an Artist, I LOVE constraints. They are my friend (when I remember them). Obvious constraints I use creatively include: Each PhilosophersNote is SIX pages long. Not 3 or 8 or 12 or... SIX. The +1s are short and sweet not crazy long. (Except for the rare +11. lol) The Optimal Living 101 classes and Mastery Series sessions? They’re each 10 Ideas and around an hour. Not 3 or 7 or 14 or 22. TEN! (Hah.) Today’s +1. Back to YOU. What limitations can you impose on yourself? How can you CONSTRAIN your options more so you can enjoy your life more? Remember the Paradox of Choice. And The Illusion of Choice. Simplify. Go all in. On being your best. TODAY.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Food Fix by Mark Hyman, MD. Hope you enjoy!
Mark Hyman, MD, is head of strategy for the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and board president for the Institute for Functional Medicine. He is also the bestselling author of a number of books, including Eat Fat, Get Thin. This is a very important and equally sobering book. As Mark says: "If we were to identify one big lever to pull to improve global health, create economic abundance, reduce social injustice and mental illness, restore environmental health, and reverse climate change, it would be transforming our entire food system. That is the most important work of our time—work that must begin now.” In the Note we take a quick look at the dysfunction of the food system and how to fix it while talking about the #1 thing YOU can do TODAY to address it. We also chat about the fact that your food label may be lying to you, the ENORMOUS amount of money the junk food industry spends on junk science (think: $12 BILLION) and the social justice issues of food.
Get Food Fix on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Food-Fix-Economy-Communities-Planet-One/dp/031645317X
Learn more about Mark Hyman, MD: https://www.optimize.me/authors/mark-hyman/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: THE BROKEN SYSTEM
- Mark Hyman → https://www.optimize.me/authors/mark-hyman/
Big Idea 2: #1 FIX = RULE #1
- +1: Don’t Drink Sugar | “The Single-Biggest Thing You Can Do to Improve Your Health” (#1247) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/dont-drink-sugar/
- +1: Cancer Candy (Aka Sugar) | And All It’s Secret Identities (#1177) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/cancer-candy-aka-sugar/
+1: The Case Against Sugar | Is Very Strong (#685) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-case-against-sugar/
Big Idea 3: LYING LABELS
- +1: Your Food Label | Is It Lying to You? (#1244) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/your-food-label/
Big Idea 4: JUNK SCIENCE
- +1: Junk Food’s Junk Science | Did You Know…? (#1245) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/junk-foods-junk-science/
- +1: Sugar Math | It Adds Up. Fast! (#1178) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sugar-math/
- Optimal Weight 101 | How to Optimize our Metabolism to Easily Sculpt our Ideal Bodies while Energizing to Actualize → https://www.optimize.me/weight/
Big Idea 5: FOOD Rx
- +1: Cancer’s Roots & Leaves | Modern Medicine: Strengths + Weaknesses → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/cancers-roots-and-leaves/
- Tom Rath → https://www.optimize.me/authors/tom-rath/
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Today we tap into some insights after a good night of sleep, chat briefly about Surveillance Capitalism (and Digital Minimalism) before I share the first steps in my new book: OPTIMIZE - A Handbook for the Modern Hero.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Breath by James Nestor. Hope you enjoy!
Breath. It’s the missing pillar in health. We’ve been talking about this for years and we’ve included breathing among our fundamentals since I first read Patrick McKeown’s The Oxygen Advantage. And, I just LOVE the way James captures the importance of breathing in this book. The first words on the inside flap of the book deliver the point with a sledgehammer: “No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or strong you are, none of it matters if you’re not breathing properly.” Big Ideas we explore include how to breathe optimally and why it's so important, the #1 tip, oral posture (how's yours?) and the perfect breath (think 5.5 + 5.5 for 5.5!).
Get Breath on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Breath-New-Science-Lost-Art/dp/0735213615
Learn more about James Nestor: https://www.optimize.me/authors/james-nestor/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: MOUTH vs. NOSE
- Breathing 101 → https://www.optimize.me/breathing
- PN: The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-oxygen-advantage-patrick-mckeown/
Big Idea 2: CO2
- +1: Breathe Less | To Breathe Right (#1231) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/breathe-less/
Big Idea 3: #1 TIP
- +1: The Rules of Breathing | The Big 3: Nose + Belly + Exhale (#485) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-rules-of-breathing/
Big Idea 4: ORAL POSTURE
- +1: Oral Posture ← How's Yours? | High Fiving the Magic Spot in Our Mouths (#1229) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/oral-posture-hows-yours/
- +1: The Thread Thru Your Head | Pull It Up for Poise and Relaxed Power (#462) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-thread-thru-your-head/
- +1: The Magic Spot in Our Mouths | High Five It and Shine! (#1230) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-magic-spot-in-our-mouths/
Big Idea 5: PERFECT BREATH
- +1: The Perfect Breath | 5.5 + 5.5 + 5.5 (#1228) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-perfect-breath/
- +1: The Greatest Predictor of Longevity | Genetics? Diet? Exercise? Nope… Try: Lung Capacity! (#1227) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-greatest-predictor-of-longevity/
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Today we have fun meeting the new Optimize (Hero) (Virtue) Compass and I share some interesting HRV and RHR data over last three days looking at effects of last meal, ice baths, etc.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Life's Great Question by Tom Rath. Hope you enjoy!
I’m a big fan of Tom Rath and his work. And... I’m not alone. His 10 books have sold over 10 million copies. Dan Pink (author of Drive and When) calls him “One of the most successful nonfiction writers of his generation.” We featured two of his earlier books: Eat Move Sleep and Are You Fully Charged? Plus: His children’s book called The Rechargeables remains one of my all-time favorites. “Life’s Great Question” that beckons all of us (“What can I contribute?”) is beautifully framed by the Martin Luther King, Jr. quote that kicks off the book: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” This book is a field manual to help us go about answering that question so we can, as per the subtitle of the book: “Discover How You Contribute to the World.” Big Ideas we explore include creating a sense of urgency in life, Purpose 2.0, connecting what we do to those we serve, undivided attention (our new secret weapon), and creating the energy to be our best.
Get Life's Great Question on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lifes-Great-Question-Discover-Contribute/dp/1939714176
Learn more about Tom Rath: https://www.optimize.me/authors/tom-rath/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 2: PURPOSE 2.0
- +1: Purpose 2.0 | Time for a Purpose Upgrade? (#1094) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/purpose-2-0/
- +1: Life’s Great Question | Can You Guess What It Is? (#1093) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/lifes-great-question/
- PNTV: The Courage Quotient → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-courage-quotient-robert-biswas-diener/
- +1: Love 2.0 (vs. Love 1.0) | Ready to Upgrade Today? (401) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/love-20-vs-love-10/
Big Idea 3: CONNECTING
- +1: How to Meaningify Your Work | In One Simple Step… (#1095) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-meaningify-your-work/
Big Idea 4: UNDIVIDED
- PN: Deep Work by Cal Newport → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/deep-work-cal-newport/
- +1: Deep Work | How to Escape Shallowville and Go Deep (#36) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/deep-work/
- PNTV: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/digital-minimalism-cal-newport/
Big Idea 5: ENERGY
- PN: Are You Fully Charged? by Tom Rath → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/are-you-fully-charged-tom-rath/
- PNTV: The Upward Spiral by Alex Korb, PhD → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-upward-spiral-alex-korb/
- +1 Make the Connection | What’s Working? What Needs Work? (#374) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/make-the-connection/
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from The Practicing Stoic by Ward Farnsworth. Hope you enjoy!
Ward Farnsworth is the Dean of the University of Texas School of Law. As you can imagine, he brings a logical precision to his discussion of Stoicism that is distinct and powerful. (Seriously. It’s actually ASTONISHINGLY powerful.) I really enjoyed the book and I highly recommend it for the aspiring Practicing Stoic. Big Ideas we explore include Principle #1 of practical Stoicism (Judgment!), the good life vs. the good mood (virtue for the win!), what others think (<- pro tip: ignore it), preferred indifference (committed but not attached), and using adversity as fuel for our Optimizing (use Hermes' magic wand!).
Get The Practicing Stoic on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Practicing-Stoic-Philosophical-Users-Manual/dp/1567926118/
Learn more about Ward Farnsworth: https://www.optimize.me/authors/ward-farnsworth/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: PRINCIPLE #1
- Stoicism 101 → https://Optimize.me/stocisim
- +1: The Space | Between Stimulus and Response (#452) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-space/
Big Idea 2: THE GOOD LIFE VS. THE GOOD MOOD
- +1: The Good Life | vs. The Good Mood (#1126) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-good-life/
- +1: Don’t Aim at Success | Dedicate Yourself to a Cause Bigger Than Yourself (#1040) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/dont-aim-at-success/
Big Idea 3: WHAT OTHERS THINK
- +1: Euthymia | How to Live with Energized Tranquility (#100) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/euthymia/
- PN: Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/self-reliance-ralph-waldo-emerson/
- +1: Trust Thyself | Every Heart Vibrates to that Iron String (#614) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/trust-thyself/
Big Idea 4: PREF’D INDIFFERENCE
- +1: Arrows and Our Friend Apollo | A Handy Tool for Rocking It (#199) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/arrows-and-our-friend-apollo/
- Donald Robertson → https://www.optimize.me/authors/donald-robertson/
- PN: How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Roberton → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/how-to-think-like-a-roman-emperor-donald-robertson/
Big Idea 5: ADVERSITY = FUEL
- +1: Your Secret Weapon | Thank You, Epictetus and Hermes (#1129) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/your-secret-weapon/
- Behind-the-Scenes at Optimize Coach Graduation Weekend: OMMS → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUw5E1gRf0U
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After a very brief retirement, I'm back. lol. Missed you. Let's goooo! As always: Get instant (free) access to all 600+ PhilosophersNotes AND all 50 Optimal Living 101
In our last couple +1s, we’ve been chatting about Trevor Moawad’s wisdom on what he calls “neutral thinking.” We started by hanging out with Russell Wilson en route to winning a Super Bowl. Then we visited the Johnson Ranch to discuss my relationship with our new chickens and their poop. (Yes, I can’t get enough of those emojis…) So… The morning after that chat I had with Emerson about how to approach the chicken situation either negatively, positively, or neutrally, we were doing our family workout—which currently features me chasing the kids on their bikes as we have fun going around the 1/2-mile Trail-loop we created around our property. Only… This morning, Emerson’s bike had a flat tire. He immediately started crying—super bummed he wouldn’t be able to ride his epic lime green (lol) bike around the Trail as planned. So… I cruised over and said, “Buddy! Your tire’s flat. That’s a bummer. I get it. And.. Remember that chat we had last night about neutral thinking?” Emerson: “Yah.” Me: “Well…. Let’s get neutral! WHAT DO YOU WANT?” He said, “To ride my bike.” I said, “Exactly. So what can we do to make that happen?” He said, “Get the bike pump and fill up the tire.” I said, “Exactly.” We cruised into the barn, found it. Pumped up the tire. The air surprisingly held. <- Boom. Done. Tire was filled. He was off to the Trail races. And, that’s Today’s +1. Got any metaphorical flat tires in your life? (Echo: Of course you do. You’re human!) How are you reacting? Negatively? Positively? Neutrally? Back to Trevor: “That’s neutral. Staying in the moment, giving each moment its own history, and reacting to events as they unfold. It takes away emotion and replaces it with behaviors. Instead of asking, ‘How do I feel?’ you should be asking yourself, ‘What do I do?’” You can develop these skills if you’re willing to let go of a few things. Negative, cynical thinking doesn’t make you more realistic. It just makes you negative and cynical. Biased thinking doesn’t help you either. You need to steer clear of your feelings and make an honest assessment of each situation you face. Don’t worry about what you feel. Rely on what you know.” Back to you. NEUTRAL thinking. It works. Try it. TODAY.
Today we hit the pause button on the ol' #1s as it's taking a little more Energy + Focus than I'm willing to give it vis-a-vis my truly What's Important Now targets. I think I'll be back with these near the end of the year to make sure we're wrapping up 2020 with antifragile ferocity and getting ready to make 2021 THE Greatest Year of our Lives.
In the meantime, PNTVs every day thru end of year. And Top 3 kicking off October 1st. LET'S! DO!! THIS!!!
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In our last +1, we spent some more time with Trevor Moawad and explored some more wisdom from his great book, It Takes What It Takes. As you may recall, we chatted about neutral thinking. As Trevor says: “No matter where I work, the same truth keeps emerging. Neutral thinking is the key to unlocking a set of behaviors that can turn also-rans into champions and champions into legends.” Today I want to bring that wisdom to life with a little personal example from the Johnson Ranch here outside Austin. So… As I was reading the book, I took a break and explained this idea to Emerson. Here’s the example I used: Our chickens. And their poop. Quick context: As we’ve discussed, we just moved to the country. We got some chickens because we thought they’d be awesome. They are. The kids love them, etc. And... Those gals (and guy) sure know how to poop! And, they seem to especially love to do their work under our beautiful back patio where I often meditate in the morning as the sun’s rising. Let’s just say that the meditation scene is slightly less idyllic with the chicken poop wafting up. (Hah.) So… Back to the book. I told Emerson that the guy who wrote the book had a dad who was really into all this stuff and taught him a bunch when he was a kid. I smiled and rubbed his awesome little head as I imagined what HE might have to say in a few decades. Then we talked about the difference between negative thinking, positive thinking and neutral thinking. I gave him an example of my own negative thinking as it related to those chickens and their poop. (Note: That’s always one of the best ways to deliver a message. Start with our own shortcomings—don’t start with someone else’s!) My negative thinking went something like this: “Those chickens!!! Their poop STINKS!! Why do they need to hang out under the porch and then poop where they hang out? I think we might want to find them a new home.” (He might have heard me say something along those lines more than once in my less-enlightened moments, so the example was quickly understood. lol) Then I told him that the “positive” thinking would go something like this: “It’s not so bad and the chickens are so great.” He immediately knew that that simply wasn’t honest and true and wouldn’t be the optimal approach. Then I told him that neither of those approaches was as effective as NEUTRAL thinking. Neutral thinking would go something like this: “The chickens are pooping under the patio. It stinks. The kids love them and we need a better solution. So, let’s limit their access to that location and figure out a poop control protocol. Next step: Order some chicken wire for the bottom of the patio and install it.” <- Boom. Done. Emerson got it immediately. And, he still has his chickens. Today’s +1. Got any chicken poop in your life? If you feel so inspired, let’s run it through a quick analysis. What’s the negative thinking you might be running on it? How about the positive thinking? And what about the neutral thinking? All of which leads us back to Trevor’s dad. You know what he taught him as a kid? To get rid of the “stinkin’ thinkin’.” Let’s do that. TODAY. (And, please wish me luck with the chickens. lol)
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven. Hope you enjoy!
Admiral William H. McRaven is a Retired U.S. Navy SEAL who served for thirty-seven years and commanded at every level. As a Four-Star Admiral, his final assignment was as Commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces. (During this time, he oversaw the covert mission that killed Osama bin Laden.) In 2014, he gave the commencement address to the graduates of the University of Texas at Austin. Millions of people wound up watching his speech on ten lessons he learned from his Navy SEAL training. This book takes a deeper look at those ten lessons. It’s a super-quick read—packed with simple, yet profound wisdom along with moving stories of moral exemplars. It's FANTASTIC.
Get Make Your Bed on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Bed-Little-Things/dp/1455570249/
Learn more about Admiral William H. McRaven: https://www.optimize.me/authors/admiral-william-h-mcraven/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: LESSON #1
- +1: Make Your Bed | And Maybe Change the World (#1203) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/make-your-bed/
- +1: The Little Things | Aren’t So Little (#583) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-little-things/
- Phil Stutz → https://www.optimize.me/authors/phil-stutz/
Big Idea 2: LIFE’S NOT FAIR
- +1: You = Sugar Cookie | Life's Not Fair--Drive On! (#1200) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/you-sugar-cookie/
- Mark Divine → https://www.optimize.me/authors/mark-divine/
- PN: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/extreme-ownership-jocko-willink-leif-babin/
- PN: Unstoppable Teams by Alden Mills → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/unstoppable-teams-alden-mills/
- PN: Be Unstoppable by Alden Mills → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/be-unstoppable-alden-mills/
Big Idea 3: RISE TO THE OCCASION
- +1: Optimize = Optimus | = The Best Version of You (#367) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/optimize-optimus/
- +1: Emotional Stamina | What to Do When You’re Having a Rough Day (#28) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/emotional-stamina/
- +1: Emotional Stamina - Part 2 | Execute Protocol: The Worse You Feel AND the Better You Feel (#668) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/emotional-stamina-part-2/
- +1: Jesus, Tolle, You and Your House on the Rock | The Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Builders (#1181) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/jesus-tolle-you-and-your-house-on-the-rock/
Big Idea 4: HOPE =
- +1: When You’re Neck Deep in Mud | Sing! (#1204) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/when-youre-neck-deep-in-mud/
- +1: The Science of Making Hope Happen | Three Keys: Goals + Agency + Pathways (#33) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-science-of-making-hope-happen/
Big Idea 5: NEVER QUIT
- +1: NEGU! | Never Ever Give Up (#702) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/negu/
- +1: Victim vs. Creator | Two Questions: "Why Me?" vs. "What Do I Want?" (#76) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/victim-vs-creator/
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Admiral William H. McRaven is a Retired U.S. Navy SEAL who served for thirty-seven years and commanded at every level. As a Four-Star Admiral, his final assignment was as Commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces. (During this time, he oversaw the covert mission that killed Osama bin Laden.) In 2014, he gave the commencement address to the graduates of the University of Texas at Austin. Millions of people wound up watching his speech on ten lessons he learned from his Navy SEAL training. This book takes a deeper look at those ten lessons. It’s a super-quick read—packed with simple, yet profound wisdom along with moving stories of moral exemplars. It's FANTASTIC.
Today we visit the barn-studio to hang out with 500+ of my favorite books as we check out the studio set up for the upcoming Top 3 Most Life-Changing Book series! :)
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins. Hope you enjoy!
Mel Robbins is funny, witty and wise. Her TEDx Talk (called How to stop screwing yourself over) is one of the most popular of all time, with more than 18 million views. This book is also super popular—with over 1,000 Amazon reviews. It’s pretty awesome. Actually, the book is REALLY (!) good. In fact, Mel Robbins’ 5 Second Rule might just be one of THE most elegantly efficient Tools we can use to close the gap between who we’re CAPABLE of being and who we’re ACTUALLY being. (Seriously.) Big Ideas we explore include The 5 Second Rule (and how/when to rock it), how to win the game of life (hint: start, stay in, for the long game!), excitement + anxiety (and how they feel the same in the body), managing distractions (today a good day?), and changing your life with one moment of everyday courage.
Get The 5 Second Rule on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Rule-Transform-Confidence-Everyday/dp/1682612384
Learn more about Mel Robbins: https://www.optimize.me/authors/mel-robbins/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: 5…4…3…2…1… → !!!
- +1:The 5 Second Rule | 5… 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … BLASTOFF! (#788) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-5-second-rule/https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-5-second-rule/
- Why Your Snooze Button Sucks | … the Life out of Your Day (#791) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/why-your-snooze-button-sucks/
- +1: The #1 Key to Happiness + Flourishing | Hint: Become BFFs with your Inner Soul (#2) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-1-key-to-happiness-flourishing/
- +1: How to High Five Your Inner Daimon | My Philosophy in One Word (#3) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-high-five-your-inner-daimon/
- Optimus Jet Packs | Strap Yours on Today and GO! (#804) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/optimus-jet-packs/
- +1: +1 or -1 = Destiny Math | What Must YOU be? (#1) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/destiny-math/
Big Idea 2: HOW TO WIN
- PN: Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/art-and-fear-david-bayles-ted-orland/
- PN: Originals by Adam Grant → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/originals-adam-grant/
Big Idea 3: ANXIETY → EXCITEMENT
- +1: "I'm Excited!" | What to Say to Yourself When You’re Feeling Nerves (#27) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/im-excited/
Big Idea 4: FOCUS
- +1: WIN! WIN! WIN! | What’s Your Next Most Important Thing? (<- Crush That. Repeat.) (#421) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/win-win-win/
- +1:What’s Important Now? (Part 2) | How to Win 28 Olympic Medals (#276) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/whats-important-now-part-2/
Big Idea 5: ONE MOMENT
- +1: Carpe Punctum | You Can’t Seize Days—Only Moments (#227) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/carpe-punctum/
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As I was prepping for our upcoming Top 3 Most Life-Changing Books series, I realized I could create a little video on my Top 3 favorite teachers. Here it is!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday. Hope you enjoy!
This is our fourth Note on one of Ryan Holiday’s books. Ryan is one of my absolute favorite writers. One of the testimonials in the front of the book perfectly captures my sentiment. Screenwriter and director Brian Koppelman (Rounders, Ocean’s Thirteen and Billions) puts it this way: “I don’t have many rules in life, but one I never break is: If Ryan Holiday writes a book, I read it as soon as I can get my hands on it.” (btw: Cal Newport’s the first testimonial. He says: “Some authors give advice. Ryan Holiday distills wisdom. This book is a must read.”) Penguin Random House sent me an advance copy of this book. As I knew it would be: It’s fantastic. Of course, the book’s packed with Big Ideas and I’m excited to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!
Get Stillness Is the Key on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stillness-Key-Ryan-Holiday/dp/0525538585
Learn more about Ryan Holiday: https://www.optimize.me/authors/ryan-holiday/
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.. Hope you enjoy!
I’m a big fan of Kelly McGonigal and her ability to help us apply scientific wisdom to our lives. We’ve covered two of her earlier books: The Willpower Instinct and The Upside of Stress. So... When I got this book, knew I’d enjoy it. But, I didn’t anticipate JUST how much I’d love it. We have some great Notes on Movement (Spark, Spartan Up and No Sweat among my favorites), but Kelly’s book will be our new go-to for the science of WHY exercise/movement is so essential to our well-being. It’s PHENOMENAL. Reading about the SCIENCE behind stories of transformation (and how, as per the sub-title of her book: “Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage”) also made me that much more clear on the power of what we’re doing with all of our work and the importance of focusing so much on Energy (especially with our Mastery and Coach programs). Big Ideas we explore include: Hope Molecules (and how to create them), persistence highs (and how to create them), collective effervescence (and why it's so awesome), how we endure (hint: TOGETHER!), and OMMS!!! (Obstacles (literally!) Make Me Stronger!).
Get The Joy of Movement on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Movement-exercise-happiness-connection/dp/0525534105
Learn more about Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.: https://www.optimize.me/authors/kelly-mcgonigal/
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Scott Barry Kaufman is one of the world’s leading positive psychologists. We featured one of his earlier books called Wired to Create. So, when a bunch of our Optimizers recommended his new book called Transcend I was eager to get it. (Thank you!! Keep ‘em coming, please!) It’s FANTASTIC. In short, it’s an update on Abraham Maslow’s thinking—moving us beyond self-actualizing into the ULTIMATE realm of “transcending” ourselves in service to the world. Or, as Scott puts it in the sub-title to the book: “The New Science of Self-Actualization.” It’s an important, wise book. If you’re into the science of Optimizing and Actualizing, I think you’ll love it as much as I did. Check out the Notes, get it, etc. So… I imagine we’ll talk about a number of Big Ideas from that book. Today I want to chat about one in particular. Have you ever heard of “The Jonah Complex”? I hadn’t before Scott introduced me to it. We meet Jonah in the Old Testament. God has big plans for him. But… Jonah isn’t such a big fan of those big plans. So… He tries to hide from God and avoid his destiny. Of course, important detail to the story: You can’t hide from God. (Hah!) So, eventually, Jonah accepts his fate and does what he’s here’s to do. Scott talks about this in a chapter on “Self-Esteem” in which he walks us through a nuanced discussion about what healthy ambition (and pride) looks like vis-a-vis the less healthy expression of ambition and pride that shows up in what psychologists call "vulnerable” and “grandiose narcissism.” We’ll save that important, nuanced discussion for another time. For now, here’s how Scott frames it in Transcend: “Maslow argued that in order to avoid punishment from society, the person ‘becomes humble, ingratiating, appeasing, even masochistic. In short, due to fear of punishment for being superior, she becomes inferior and throws away some of her possibilities for humanness. For the sake of safety and security, she cripples and stunts herself. . . . That is, she is evading the task for which she was born, so to speak. She is evading her destiny.’ Maslow refers to this as the ‘Jonah Complex,’ a phenomenon described by the historian Frank Manuel. This phrase is based on the biblical tale of Jonah who, out of fear, tries to run from God’s prophecy, but he can find no place to hide. Finally, accepting his fate, he does what he is called to do.” He continues by saying: “So let me state this as clearly as possible: you may not be entitled to shine, but you have a right to shine, because you are a worthy human being. Changing your self-limiting narratives about your worthiness, asserting needs in a healthy way, overcoming your avoidance of fearful experiences, and taking responsibility for your behaviors—these actions strengthen and stabilize the vulnerable self. The great irony is that the less you focus on whether you are worthy and competent, and take that as a given, the greater the chances you will consistently accept your inherent worth.” That’s Today’s +1. Are you being called by God or whatever you call that power that’s bigger than you? If yes, are you answering the call? If not, are you quieting down long enough to hear that quiet voice? As you’ve probably picked up by now, I believe we are ALL being called to shine. So… Let’s humbly yet powerfully answer that call as we overcome our avoidance of fearful experiences, take responsibility for our behaviors and take it as a given that we are worthy. Then go give our families, communities, and the world all we’ve got. When? How about TODAY.
Larry King + James Pawelski interview link: https://the.positivevoices.com/live-audience-yes
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From Notes on Jim Afremow's Champion's Mind: https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-champions-mind-jim-afremow/https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-...
“Take a minute right now to think about your performance when you did not believe a good or respectable outcome was possible but you still found a way to make it happen. There is beauty in being ugly but effective (UBE) or having a good bad day (GBD) while you are not at your finest. Keep your head in the game and grind it out.”
There’s a powerful beauty in being ugly but effective and having good bad days. UBE + GBD. This is big. If we want to cultivate truly intense trust in ourselves, we need to know that we can pull it together when things start falling apart. Jack Nicklaus called it playing poorly well. Afremow tells us Rory McIlroy calls it “scrappy golf.”
Step #1 to making that happen is to KNOW that you will have x bad shots per round. It’s the unhealthy perfectionists among us (waving to my old self!) who struggle with this the most— thinking they should be able to get thru the day P.E.R.F.E.C.T.L.Y. (but only every day) and that if they don’t, it’s a sign of something being inherently wrong with them. (Hah.)
We need to hold our high standards of excellence while embracing the constraints of reality that (tragically!) we will never be perfect. Then... when the inevitable bad shot comes along, rather than beating ourselves up, we simply say, “Aha! There’s a bad shot. I knew you’d sneak in at some point. No big deal. Back to work.”
So... How’s your ugly? Here’s to being ugly but effective and having good bad days! #UBE + #GBD!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Happy Together by Suzann Pileggi Pawelski and James Pawelski. Hope you enjoy!
Suzie and James Pawelski are two of the world's leading positive psychologists. James cofounded the Master of Applied Positive Psychology program at the University of Pennsylvania with Martin Seligman while Suzie is a graduate of the program and a leading freelance writer and consultant. Together they've written an incredible book on "Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love That Lasts." I’ve been waiting for a very long time for the book that would make me say: “READ THIS BOOK if you want to figure out how to integrate Ancient Wisdom + Modern Science + Practical Tools to Optimize your relationship.” And, well, THIS book is it. I HIGHLY recommend it. In fact, it's not only my #1 Love book recommendation, it's also cracked the Top 10 all-time greatest list. Big Ideas we explore include The Relationship Gym (hit it!), Aristotelian Lovers (the REAL Soul Mates), SNAP (James geniuses x2), Know Thy... (self and thy partner!), and Love Is an Action Verb (let's commit to flourishing together TODAY!).
Get Happy Together on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143130595
Learn more about Suzann Pileggi Pawelski and James Pawelski: https://www.optimize.me/authors/suzann-pileggi-pawelski-mapp/ https://www.optimize.me/authors/james-o-pawelski-ph-d/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: RELATIONSHIP GYM
- Coping with COVID interview series via Positive Voices → https://www.positivevoices.com/copingwithcovid/
- +1: Falling in Love vs. STANDING in Love | One’s a Lot Easier than the Other (#134) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/falling-in-love-vs-standing-in-love/
- +1: Fortify Your Pertinacity | Seneca Says: “Until the Will to Good Becomes a Disposition to Good” (#864) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/fortify-your-pertinacity/
- +1: Work or Play? | Masters in the Art of Living Dissolve the (Apparent) Dichotomy (#525) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/work-or-play/
- #1: Happy Playbor Day! (I'll be celebrating with some Playbor! Lol) (#35) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTeT11AzLe0&t=221s
Big Idea 2: ARISTOTELIAN LOVERS
- PN: The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-nicomachean-ethics-aristotle/
- PNTV: The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWExd__bC7A
- +1: How to High Five Your Inner Daimon | My Philosophy in One Word (#3) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-high-five-your-inner-daimon/
- +1: Eudaimonism vs. Hedonism | Don’t Want to Be Depressed? Science Says… (#1166) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/eudaimonism-vs-hedonism/
Big Idea 3: SNAP
- +1: Commitments: 100% Is a Breeze | 99%? Not So Much. (#46) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/commitments-100-is-a-breeze/
- +1: Antifragile Confidence | ← = Agency Squared (#796) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/antifragile-confidence/
Big Idea 4: KNOW THY…
- VIA Character Strengths Survey → http://www.viacharacter.org/www/
- Happy Together website → https://www.buildhappytogether.com/
- +1: What's Your #1 Self-Care Habit? | Perhaps the Most Important Question We Can Ask Ourselves (#129) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/whats-your-1-self-care-habit/
- +1: What's Your Partner’s #1 Self-Care Habit? | Another VERY Important Question (#130) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/whats-your-partners-1-self-care-habit/
Big Idea 5: LOVE = ACTION VERB
- How to Journal Carpe Diem Style! → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFMOrHcrGWU&t=4s
- +1: How to Carpe Diem Journal (v2) | Let’s Seize the Day → TODAY! (#1118) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-carpe-diem-journal-v2/
- +1: Soul Mates 2.0 | How to Find One and How to Be One (#1119) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/soul-mates-2-0/
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from The Courage Quotient by Robert Biswas-Diener. Hope you enjoy!
Robert Biswas-Diener is known as the “Indiana Jones of positive psychology.” As per his bio, “his research has taken him to such far-flung places as Greenland, India, Kenya and Israel.” And, important note: “He is afraid of quicksand and snakes.” :) Robert is also the son of one of the leading positive psychology researchers: Ed Diener. We covered a book they wrote together called Happiness. This is basically the ONLY book on science of courage. It's fantastic. Big Ideas we explore include defining the numerator and denominator of our Courage Quotient (hint: Increase your "willingness to act" and "ability to control fear"), courage's two flavors (general + personal), courage blindness (and how to heal it), the power of playing our roles well (choose a courageous one!), being willing to fail and playing to win.
Get The Courage Quotient on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Quotient-Science-Make-Braver/dp/0470917423
Learn more about Robert Biswas-Diener: https://www.optimize.me/authors/robert-biswas-diener/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: THE QUOTIENT
- +1: How to Flourish | Science Says: PERMA (#280) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-flourish/
- +1: Courage | How to Pump Energy to Your Virtues (#159) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/courage/
- +1: The Courage Quotient | How’s Yours? (#1132) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-courage-quotient/
- +1: Aristotle’s Virtuous Mean | Versus the Vices of Excess + Deficiency (#247) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/aristotles-virtuous-mean/
- +1: Aristotle’s Doctrine of the (Virtuous) Mean | vs. The Vices of Excess and Deficiency (#466) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/aristotles-doctrine-of-the-virtuous-mean/
- PN: The Power of Agency by Paul Napper and Anthony Rao → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-power-of-agency-paul-napper-anthony-rao-ph-d/
- +1: "I'm Excited!" | What to Say to Yourself When You’re Feeling Nerves (#27) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/im-excited/
- +1: Your Infinite Potential | And Where to Find It (#4) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/your-infinite-potential/
- +1: Now What Needs to Be Done? | Remember: Feelings Follow Behavior (#72) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/now-what-needs-to-be-done/
- PN: Constructive Living by David Reynolds → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/constructive-living-david-reynolds/
Big Idea 2: BLINDNESS
- +1: Idiosyncratic Optimizing | Creating Your Own Unique Mixture of Awesome (#207) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/idiosyncratic-optimizing/
- FINDING JOE | Full Movie (HD) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8nFACrLxr0
- +1: Hero Bars | Your Fuel for Fear Doors (#699) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/hero-bars/
- +1: Navy SEAL Cookie Jars | David Goggins on Becoming Superman (#661) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/navy-seal-cookie-jars/
- David Goggins → https://www.optimize.me/authors/david-goggins/
- PN: It Takes What it Takes by Trevor Moawad → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/it-takes-what-it-takes-trevor-moawad/
- #1: How do you start your day? Here’s how I start mine. (Breakfast of Champions + Oura 1-2-3+!) (#5) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLO3HrC6-hU
Big Idea 3: ROLES
- How to Act Boldly | Choose Courageous Roles (#1134) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-act-boldly/
- PNTV: How to Think Like a Roman Emperor → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHObPl342XU
- Ellen Langer → https://www.optimize.me/authors/ellen-langer/
- PN: Counter-Clockwise by Ellen Langer → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/counterclockwise-ellen-langer/
- +1: You, Batman & Dora the Explorer | Time to Put on Your Heroic Costume? (#964) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/you-batman-dora-the-explorer/
- PN: The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-alter-ego-effect-todd-herman/
Big Idea 4: FAILURE: ACCEPT
- +1: Be Willing to Fail | Edison, Churchill and YOU! (#1135) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/be-willing-to-fail/
- +1: Creating Your Life Documentary | Note: It’s All an Important Part of the Process (#1136) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/creating-your-life-documentary/
- +1: Mistakes? They’re Just Mis-takes | You As the Director of Your Life (#59) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/mistakes-theyre-just-mis-takes/
- +1: A New Take on Mis-takes | Using Them as Fuel for Our Antifragile Fires (#1137) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/a-new-take-on-mis-takes/
- +1: Win or Learn | Three Questions to Ask after a Disappointing Performance (#96) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/win-or-learn/
- +1: Batting .300 | Is Hall of Fame Material (in Life + Baseball) (#499) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/batting-300/
Big Idea 5: PLAY TO WIN
- +1: Playing to Win | vs. Playing Not to Lose (#1138) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/playing-to-win/
- +1: The Psychology of Hope | Goals + Willpower + Waypower (#325) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-psychology-of-hope/
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson. Hope you enjoy!
Donald Robertson is one of the world’s leading thinkers, writers AND practitioners of Stoic philosophy. He’s also a therapist who integrates Stoicism into his work with individuals. This is our second Note on one of his great books. The first Note was on The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in which he connects the philosophical underpinnings of CBT (one of the most empirically-validated, effective modern therapies) to ancient Stoicism. This book is part biography and part philosophy. It’s all awesome. If you want to know how to think like a Roman emperor, start here. I think you’ll enjoy the book as much as I did.
Get How to Think Like a Roman Emperor on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/How-Think-Like-Roman-Emperor/dp/1250196620
Learn more about Donald Robertson: https://www.optimize.me/authors/donald-robertson/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: GOAL OF LIFE
- PN: The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by Donald Robertson → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-philosophy-of-cognitive-behavioural-therapy-donald-robertson/
- Stoicism 101 → https://www.optimize.me/stoicism/
- +1: Warriors vs. Librarians | Let’s Not Just Catalogue these +1s, Let’s LIVE Them (#66) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/warriors-vs-librarians/
- +1: The Cardinal Virtues | Of Stoicism + Science + Optimize (#1004) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-cardinal-virtues/
- +1: The Optimize Compass | And How to Make One (#1128) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-optimize-compass/
- +1: How to High Five Your Inner Daimon | My Philosophy in One Word (#3) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-high-five-your-inner-daimon/
Big Idea 2: IDEAL SAGE (+ YOU)
- How to Journal Carpe Diem Style! → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFMOrHcrGWU&t
-+1: What’s Your 0? | Let’s Turn It Into a φ (#1249) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/whats-your-0/
-+1: Pythagoras’s PM Review | Via His Golden Verses (#1019) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/pythagorass-pm-review/
Big Idea 3: STOIC JOY
- +1: The #1 Key to Happiness + Flourishing | Hint: Become BFFs with your Inner Soul (#2) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-1-key-to-happiness-flourishing/
- +1: The 5 (Greek) Keys to Optimizing | Areté + Eudaimonia + en*theos + Hērōs + Euthymia (#200) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-5-greek-keys-to-optimizing/
- +1: Aristotle’s “Happiness” | Isn’t Quite What You Think (#464) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/aristotles-happiness/
- +1: Scaffolding | Constructing Your Destiny (#174) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/scaffolding/
Big Idea 4: TIME PROJECTION
- +1: Disaster = | Virtue’s Opportunity (#1152) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/disaster/
Big Idea 5: CHOICE OF HERCULES
- +1: The Choice of Hercules | Vice Dressed up as Virtue (#1036) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-choice-of-hercules/
- 500+ Optimize Coaches Conquer a Spartan Race → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrGspQzbzf0
- +1: +1 or -1 = Destiny Math | What Must YOU be? (#1) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/destiny-math/
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Not too long ago, I mentioned the virtual Optimize Local Zoom group I joined. It was such an epic hangout. I’m still beaming from the download of Love (and Wisdom + Self-Mastery + Courage + …). Seriously. It VERY MUCH reminded me of the graduation weekend where I got to hang out with 500+ of our inaugural Optimize Coaches—which will always be a highlight of my life. There’s just something magical about getting together with people who share your values and are playing the same game with the same intense commitment to play it well. And, of course, as we’ve discussed many (!) times, the fastest way to Optimize your life ISN’T the Wisdom side of things per se. It’s the COMMUNITY side of things. Join a Community with super-high standards and BOOM!—the best you is more likely to join the party. With COVID-19 taking over the world and creating the need for social distancing, we’ve pressed pause on our offline Optimize Local initiative. But… And I have goosebumps as I type this, we WILL be leaning back into that when the time is right. (I still can’t believe we had Optimizers from over 75 countries and 750 cities around the world who raised their hands to get involved.) For now, you can join one of those virtual Optimize Zoom meetups by cruising over here. But… That’s not quite the point of this +1. Today I want to chat about one of the little things that came up in our chat. One of our beloved Coaches shared how her fundamentals slipped a bit when COVID hit and she felt it. Then her Optimize Buddy challenged her to get her step count back up. So, she re-started her morning walk-hikes. And it changed her life. Then she wound up walking more and more and pretty soon she was, in her Optimize Buddy’s words, kicking his butt—and he loved it! I can’t remember the exact number of steps she said she was getting but I do remember the fact that she shared a WEEKLY stat. I was struck by the fact that you could have fun measuring your steps by both the DAY and the WEEK. Of course, it’s obvious when I type that out but I always thought of my 10,000+ steps per day and never really thought about it on a weekly basis other than looking at the average daily count over the last week that my Suunto watch shares with me. So… 10,000 is our “go crush this!” target for our Coaches—which of course, is 70,000 steps/week. But, what’s a target a little beyond that? I thought: 100,000 steps per week would be a pretty cool goal. Then I wondered: What’s 100,000 divided by 7? Answer: 14,285.7 Suunto tells me that my current 7-day average number of steps is 18,794—which is a) pretty ridiculous (lol) and b) a reflection of just how much I love walking on our new Trail multiple times per day—it’s the PERFECT oscillating reboot. So… 100,000. Isn’t that a beautiful, round number? Wanna go to the next level with your step count and movement throughout the day and join me?! No pressure (seriously) as I know we all have different constraints in our realities and different things that fire us up. AND… Let’s remember this wisdom from Kelly McGonigal’s The Joy of Movement and make sure we’re on the right side of these stats: “In the United States, daily physical activity—as captured by an accelerometer—is correlated with a sense of purpose in life. Real-time tracking also shows that people are happier during moments when they are physically active than when they are sedentary. And on days when people are more active than their usual, they report greater satisfaction with their lives. Other experiments in the U.S. and UK have forced moderately active adults to become sedentary for a period of time, only to watch their well-being wither. Regular exercisers who replace physical activity with a sedentary activity for two weeks become more anxious, tired, and hostile. When adults are randomly assigned to reduce their daily step count, 88 percent become more depressed. Within one week of becoming more sedentary, they report a 31 percent decline in life satisfaction. The average daily step count required to induce feelings of anxiety and depression and decrease satisfaction with life is 5,649. The typical American takes 4,774 steps per day. Across the globe, the average is 4,961.” Here’s to the Wisdom of knowing that movement matters and the Self-Mastery to go out and practice our philosophy when it matters most… TODAY.
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Note: 10 more days to join us for Class III!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. Hope you enjoy!
Cal Newport is one of my favorite thinkers. He got his Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT and is now a Professor at Georgetown. He’s also a bestselling author of a number of books. Given the fact that the fastest way to Optimize your life is to STOP doing things that are sub-optimal AND the fact that (for nearly all of us) our use of technology is the #1 thing that “Needs work!,” it’s SUPER important for us to figure out how to best use all the technology available to us WITHOUT becoming lost in a tsunami of inputs. Enter: Our new philosophy of technology use: Digital Minimalism. Enter: My SUPER strong recommendation of the book and my ALL IN commitment to helping create a movement around the ideas in the book. As you know, I rarely say a book is a must read but this book is as close as it gets. Big Ideas we explore include the fact that your soul is engaged in a lopsided arms race, a definition + overview of digital minimalism, the importance of spending time alone (and the consequences of not spending adequate time alone), reclaiming leisure (get active!) and joining the Attention Resistance. Here's to Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World!
Get Digital Minimalism on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Minimalism-Choosing-Focused-Noisy/dp/0525536515
Learn more about Cal Newport: https://www.optimize.me/authors/cal-newport/
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from It Takes What It Takes by Trevor Moawad. Hope you enjoy!
Trevor Moawad is a mental conditioning coach to elite performers. He is well known for being the mental coach to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and has worked closely with prestigious NCAA football programs and coaches, the US Special Operations community, Major League Baseball, and the NBA. This book is, as per the sub-title, all about “How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life.” I loved it and, if you’re also equally fired up by the mental toughness in sports and life genre, I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. Big Ideas we explore include neutral thinking (much better than positive or negative), goats and G.O.A.T.s, the law of substitution (focus!), the illusion of choice (if you’re REALLY ALL IN, there is no choice), and drawing a line in the dirt (and getting to it… again and again and again!).
Get It Takes What It Takes on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Takes-What-Think-Neutrally-Control/dp/0062947125
Learn more about Trevor Moawad: https://www.optimize.me/authors/trevor-moawad/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: NEUTRAL THINKING
- PN: Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/rethinking-positive-thinking-gabriele-oettingen/
- +1: Etiology vs. Teleology | Freud vs. Adler (and Campbell and Me and…) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/etiology-vs-teleology/
- +1: First Things First | Second Things? Not at All (#275) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/first-things-first/
- +1: What’s Important Now? (Part 2) | How to Win 28 Olympic Medals (#276) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/whats-important-now-part-2/
- +1: WIN! WIN! WIN! | What’s Your Next Most Important Thing? (<- Crush That. Repeat.) (#421) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/win-win-win/
Big Idea 2: GOATS + G.O.A.T.S.
- +1: Goeswith | Our New Wisdom Word (Thanks, Alan Watts!) (#639) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/goeswith/
Big Idea 3: LAW OF SUBSTITUTION
- +1: A Wandering Mind | Is an Unhappy Mind (#1234) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/a-wandering-mind/
Big Idea 4: ILLUSION OF CHOICE
- +1: Commitments: 100% Is a Breeze | 99%? Not So Much. (#46) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/commitments-100-is-a-breeze/
- +1: Proving Yourself Right | vs. “I Hope This Works Out Alright” (#215) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/proving-yourself-right/
- +1: Sacrifices vs. Decisions | There’s a Big Difference Between the Two (#65) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sacrifices-vs-decisions/
- +1: Deciding vs. Wishing | 3 Steps on How to Get What You Want (#101) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/deciding-vs-wishing/
Big Idea 5: DRAWING YOUR LINE
- Joe De Sena → https://www.optimize.me/authors/joe-de-sena/
- +1: The Paradox of Choice | Maximizer vs. Satisficer <- Which Are You? (#416) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-paradox-of-choice/
- PN: The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-paradox-of-choice-why-more-is-less-barry-schwartz/
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg. Hope you enjoy!
BJ Fogg founded the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University. He is one of the world’s leading authorities on the science of behavior change. In this book, he introduces us to the core elements of his Fogg Behavior Model as we learn that habit change doesn’t need to be as hard as we make it. As BJ tells us: “We are not the problem. Our approach to change is. It’s a design flaw—not a personal flaw.” Big Ideas we explore include the three elements that drive behavior (B = MAP!), the ABCs of Tiny Habits (Anchor + (Tiny) Behavior + Celebration!), the power of anchor prompts (After I (ANCHOR), I will (NEW HABIT), and the power of celebration (get your Shine on!).
Get Tiny Habits on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Habits-Changes-Change-Everything/dp/0358003326/
Learn more about BJ Fogg: https://www.optimize.me/authors/b-j-fogg/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: B = MAP
- Optimal Living 101 classes → https://www.optimize.me/master-classes/
- +1: B = MAP | The Behavior Design Equation (#1198) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/b-map/
- +1: How to Delete a Behavior | Remove the Prompt and Make It Hard! (#1199) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-delete-a-behavior/
- +1: How to Delete a Bad Habit (Again!) | One Way: Make It Harder (#1233) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-delete-a-bad-habit-again/
- PN: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/digital-minimalism-cal-newport/
- +1: Character Flaws vs. Design Flaws | Note: There’s a BIG Difference (#1214) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/character-flaws-vs-design-flaws/
Big Idea 2: ABCs
- +1: The ABCs of Tiny Habits | Anchor + Behavior + Celebration (#1205) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-abcs-of-tiny-habits/
- Celebration | As Powerful as Mindfulness and Gratitude? (#1206) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/celebration/
Big Idea 3: SHINE!
- +1: Shine | The Result of Skillfully Celebrating our Successes (#1209) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/shine/
- +1: The Neuroscience of Seneca | Pleasant + Honorable = The Same (#1208) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-neuroscience-of-seneca/
Big Idea 4: INSTALL
- +1: How to Celebrate | Hint: IMMEDIATELY + INTENSELY (#1207) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-celebrate/
- PN: Mini Habits by Stephen Guise → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/mini-habits-stephen-guise/
- +1: The Weed | A Case Study in Habit Creation (#1213) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-weed/
- +1: How to Build a Good Habit | Easy as 1, 2, 3 (#657) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-build-a-good-habit/
Big Idea 5: DELETE
- +1: How to Delete a Behavior | Remove the Prompt and Make It Hard! (#1199) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-delete-a-behavior/
- The Fastest Way to Delete a Bad Habit | Hint: Remove the Prompt (#1211) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-fastest-way-to-delete-a-bad-habit/
- Prompt Begone! | No Behavior Happens Without a Prompt (#1212) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/prompt-begone/
- +1: Mistake-Learner’s High | Enjoy It as You Pursue Audacious Goals and Endlessly Evolve (#370) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/mistake-learners-high/
- +1: How to +3 It | When -1 → +1 = +3 (#1232) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-3-it/
-#1: Let’s take a walk! (Visit the Johnson Trail. lol) (#15) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg9SlllpG6c
- +1: Energizers vs. Enervators | The Art & Science of How to Take a Good Break (#181) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/energizers-vs-enervators/
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Hope | The Best Bridge? (#948) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/despair-hope/\n- +1: The Optimize Compass | And How to Make One (#1128) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-optimize-compass/ \n\nBig Idea 3: PM BOOKEND\n- PM Counts Twice | PM → AM + DAY + PM = #carpediem (#1007) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/pm-counts-twice/\n- +1: AM + PM Bookends | How to Create Masterpiece Days: Start Here! (#78) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/am-pm-bookends/\n- +1: “Shut-Down COMPLETE!” | Not “Shut-Down ALMOST Complete!” (#1171) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/shut-down-complete-2/\n- PNTV: The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-sleep-revolution-arianna-huffington/\n- PN: The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington (#390) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc41NbQoaw0\n- “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti → https://www.optimize.me/authors/jiddu-krishnamurti/\n- +1: Sleep Q: How Little Light Is Too Much? | A: Not a Lot! (#741) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleep-q-how-little-light-is-too-much/\n\nBig Idea 4: #1 TIP = DIGITAL SUNSET\n- +1: Digital Sunset | Bedtime for Your Electronics (#152) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/digital-sunset/ \n\nBig Idea 5: PRO TIP = EATING SUNSET\n- +1: Sleep Curfews | Caffeine + Exercise + Eating + Screens + Work (#917) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleep-curfews/\n- +1: Got Glymph? | How to Wash Your Brain (#895) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/got-glymph/\n- PN: The Longevity Paradox by Dr. Steven Gundry → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-longevity-paradox-steven-gundry/\n- +1: Glymph for the Win | Crazy Stats from My Oura Ring (#896) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/glymph-for-the-win/\n- #1s: Behind the Scenes → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuDYg_teIIc&list=PLj3yWdMwimwnHBIHfq6smL9JSwrTpU_ge\n\n► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL:\nGet the PhilosophersNote on Why We Sleep and 600+ other books by starting a Free 14-Day trial membership to Optimize: https://www.optimize.me/trial/\n\n► MORE GOODNESS:\n- Get the Optimize App for iPhone & iPad: https://www.optimize.me/apps/\n- Get the Optimize App for Android: https://www.optimize.me/apps/\n- Subscribe to the Optimize Podcast: https://optimize.me/podcast/\n- Follow Optimize on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriantheOptimizer/\n- Follow Optimize on Instagram: https://instagram.com/optimize.me/"}" data-sheets-userformat= "{"2":897,"3":[null,5,"mmm d, yyyy",1],"10":0,"11":3,"12":0}" data-sheets-formula= "='YT Description builder'!R1C2&'YT Description builder'!R2C2&'PNTV Dashboard'!R[0]C[-3]&'YT Description builder'!R4C2&'PNTV Dashboard'!R[0]C[-2]&'YT Description builder'!R6C2&'Post Titles + Descriptions'!R[0]C[6]&'YT Description builder'!R8C2&'PNTV Dashboard'!R[0]C[-3]&'YT Description builder'!R10C2&'Post Titles + Descriptions'!R[0]C[10]&'YT Description builder'!R12C2&'PNTV Dashboard'!R[0]C[-2]&'YT Description builder'!R14C2&'Post Titles + Descriptions'!R[0]C[9]&'YT Description builder'!R16C2&'Post Titles + Descriptions'!R[0]C[8]&'YT Description builder'!R18C2&'PNTV Dashboard'!R[0]C[-3]&'YT Description builder'!R20C2&'YT Description builder'!R21C2"> Optimize: https://optimize.me/ (← Get Free Stuff + Free 2-Week Trial!)
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. Hope you enjoy!
Matthew Walker is one of the world’s leading neuroscientists and sleep experts. He’s a professor at UC Berkeley (and former professor at Harvard) who has spent decades studying why we sleep and how to, as per the sub-title of this book, unlock the power of sleep and dreams. As you know if you’ve been following along, I’m a HUGE advocate of Optimizing our sleep as a fundamental practice in Optimizing our lives. This book has made me EVEN MORE bullish about the power of sleep. The consequences of chronically depriving ourselves of the sleep we need? Well, they’re astonishingly devastating—dramatically increasing the odds of having everything from mood disorders to cancer (and everything else we don’t want). Big Ideas we explore include the fact that you're more likely to get struck by lightning than have the gene that let's you get by on less than the recommended sleep, the universality of sleep (even worms sleep!!), resetting baselines, the iPad effect (did you know how much using one before sleep messes w/your melatonin?), and some tips to Optimize your sleep TONIGHT!!
Get Why We Sleep on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144324
Learn more about Matthew Walker: https://www.optimize.me/authors/matthew-walker-phd/
► RELATED RESOURCES:
Big Idea 1: FOUNDATION VS. PILLAR
- PNTV: Future Visions by Abraham Maslow (#391) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncur6rCM2-0
- PN: Future Visions by Abraham Maslow → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/future-visions-edward-hoffman/
- +1: Sleep: Even Worms Do It | Plus: One-Eyed-/Half-Brained-Bird Sleep (#744) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleep-even-worms-do-it/
- +1: Sleep: Before + After Edison | Know How Much Your Great Grandparents Slept? (#217) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleep-before-after-edison/
- +1: A Brief History of (Blue) Light | Save It for the Daytime (#915) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/a-brief-history-of-blue-light/
- +1: Digging Foundations | What the World’s Tallest Building Can Teach Us about Building the World’s Tallest You (#58) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/digging-foundations/
- +1: Foundation vs. Pillars | Our #1 Fundie? Sleep! (#911) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/foundation-vs-pillars/
- Oura Ring → https://ouraring.com/
- +1: Sleep Efficiency | Want 8 Hours? Be in Bed for 9! (#913) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleep-efficiency/
- +1: Think You Can Get By on Little Sleep? | Science Says: Think Again (Struck by Lightning Lately?) (#742) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/think-you-can-get-by-on-little-sleep/
- +1: Seneca: The Worse a Person Is the Less He Feels It | Aurelius: Don’t Like Yourself? Why Would I Care Whether or Not You Like Me? (#381) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/seneca-the-worse-a-person-is-the-less-he-feels-it/
- +1: Sleep: Crazy Stats | To Make Your Heart Skip a Beat (#747) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleep-crazy-stats/
Big Idea 2: THE BRIDGE FROM DESPAIR → HOPE
- +1: Despair --> Hope | The Best Bridge? (#948) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/despair-hope/
- +1: The Optimize Compass | And How to Make One (#1128) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-optimize-compass/
Big Idea 3: PM BOOKEND
- PM Counts Twice | PM → AM + DAY + PM = #carpediem (#1007) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/pm-counts-twice/
- +1: AM + PM Bookends | How to Create Masterpiece Days: Start Here! (#78) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/am-pm-bookends/
- +1: “Shut-Down COMPLETE!” | Not “Shut-Down ALMOST Complete!” (#1171) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/shut-down-complete-2/
- PNTV: The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-sleep-revolution-arianna-huffington/
- PN: The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington (#390) → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc41NbQoaw0
- “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti → https://www.optimize.me/authors/jiddu-krishnamurti/
- +1: Sleep Q: How Little Light Is Too Much? | A: Not a Lot! (#741) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleep-q-how-little-light-is-too-much/
Big Idea 4: #1 TIP = DIGITAL SUNSET
- +1: Digital Sunset | Bedtime for Your Electronics (#152) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/digital-sunset/
Big Idea 5: PRO TIP = EATING SUNSET
- +1: Sleep Curfews | Caffeine + Exercise + Eating + Screens + Work (#917) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/sleep-curfews/
- +1: Got Glymph? | How to Wash Your Brain (#895) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/got-glymph/
- PN: The Longevity Paradox by Dr. Steven Gundry → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-longevity-paradox-steven-gundry/
- +1: Glymph for the Win | Crazy Stats from My Oura Ring (#896) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/glymph-for-the-win/
- #1s: Behind the Scenes → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuDYg_teIIc&list=PLj3yWdMwimwnHBIHfq6smL9JSwrTpU_ge
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from Future Visions by Abraham Maslow. Hope you enjoy!
As you know if you’ve been following along, I love Abraham Maslow and feel a deep kinship to him and his work. We have featured two of the books he published during his lifetime: Toward a Psychology of Being and Motivation and Personality. Although this book has only ONE review on Amazon and I could only buy a used copy of it, I knew I’d love it. And, although I had already been deeply influenced by Maslow and his thinking, there was something about reading his unpublished essays and journal thoughts that made me feel that much more connected to this great man. Big Ideas we explore include Maslow’s thoughts on the “eupsychian ideal” (aka: the “eudaemonic ideal”!), the psychology of happiness (eudaimonology!!), Stoic philosophy (Maslow was a fan), vicious cultural influences (Maslow was NOT a fan!), and the Jonah Complex (ANSWER YOUR HEROIC CALL, already!!).
Get Future Visions on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Visions-Unpublished-Papers-Abraham/dp/0761900500
Learn more about Abraham Maslow: https://optimize.me/authors/abraham-maslow
► RELATED RESOURCES:
- All PhilosophersNotes TV episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj3yWdMwimwmSz4DXwtJkCeQ958RHnOfj
- PN: Motivation and Personality by Abraham Maslow → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/motivation-and-personality-abraham-maslow/
- PN: Toward a Psychology of Being by Abraham Maslow → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/toward-a-psychology-of-being-abraham-maslow/
- +1: Eudaimōnology | The Study of a Good Soul (#997) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/eudaimonology/
- The Optimize Coach program → https://optimize.me/coach/
- Martin Seligman → https://www.optimize.me/authors/martin-seligman/
- PN: Flourish | A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being by Martin Seligman → https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/flourish-martin-seligman/
- +1: The #1 Key to Happiness + Flourishing | Hint: Become BFFs with your Inner Soul → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-1-key-to-happiness-flourishing/
- +1: How to High Five Your Inner Daimon | My Philosophy in One Word (#3) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-high-five-your-inner-daimon/
- +1: The 5 (Greek) Keys to Optimizing | Areté + Eudaimonia + en*theos + Hērōs + Euthymia (#200) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-5-greek-keys-to-optimizing/
- +1: Put Your Virtues in Action | How to Flex Your Flourishing Muscles → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/put-your-virtues-in-action/
- +1: How to Flourish | Science Says: PERMA (#280) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-flourish/
- +1: Mediocrity vs. Excellence | How to Avoid Getting Stuck in the Middle of a Rugged Mountain (#95) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/mediocrity-vs-excellence/
- +1: Hedonic Eudaimonia | A Close Relative of Flow Junkies (#908) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/hedonic-eudaimonia/
- 14-Day Free Optimize Trial Membership → https://optimize.me/trial/
- +1: +1 or -1 = Destiny Math | What Must YOU be? (#1)
- Ellen Langer → https://www.optimize.me/authors/ellen-langer/
- +1: The Psychology of Possibility | Celebrating with 300 Burpees (#1009) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-psychology-of-possibility/
- +1: Prior Best = New Baseline | Your Best Days? That’s Your New Normal (#264) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/prior-best-new-baseline/
- +1: Capacities Clamoring to Be Used | Answering Your Soul’s Cries (#403) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/capacities-clamoring-to-be-used/
- +1: Optimize = Optimus | = The Best Version of You (#367) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/optimize-optimus/
- Hērō = protector
- +1: The Optimize Compass | And How to Make One (#1128) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-optimize-compass/
- +1: Hērōs | Building Strength for 2 (#107) → https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/heros/
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In our last +1, we chatted about the fact that your food label might be lying to you by stuffing a few variations of cancer candy (aka sugar) into your jam so “SUGAR” doesn’t make its way to the top slot. (Which is one of the reasons you and your Loved ones might be unknowingly consuming A LOT more sugar than you think and, unfortunately, suffering the SIGNIFICANT consequences.) Today I want to chat about some more wisdom from Mark Hyman’s great book Food Fix. In our next +1, we’ll focus on his #1 tip for Optimizing your personal health AND a powerful way to collectively pull a lever on systemic change. But, first, talk about the sugar = cancer candy theme for another moment. This is a BIG deal and something we want to REALLY get. So… Let’s go back to Tom Rath’s Eat Move Sleep again. Quick note: Tom is a super-conservative scientist at Gallup. He also has a “rare and catastrophic genetic mutation” that makes him vulnerable to cancer so he’s been battling multiple cancers ALL his life—which has forced him to study the subject in depth. Here’s what he tells us: “Sugar is a toxin. It fuels diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and cancer. At the current dose we consume, more than 150 pounds per person every year, sugar and its derivatives kill more people than cocaine, heroin, or any other controlled substance around. One report aptly describes sugar as ‘candy for cancer cells.’ It accelerates aging and inflammation in the body and subsequently fuels tumor growth. It is now clear that if you lower your sugar intake, you reduce your odds of developing cancer.” So, yah. Reduce your intake of sugar and reduce your odds of developing cancer. It’s really not that complicated. Only… You know how some less-than-virtuous executives thought that it was a good idea to confuse us with misleading food labels so we didn’t realize SUGAR was the primary ingredient in our jam? Well… Hate to break the news to you but they’ve ALSO been paying some of their friends to do some junk science to help them sell their junk food. Yep. Researchers are paid to make us think that sugar isn’t THAT bad for us. Did you know that the food industry spends more than $12 BILLION a year funding nutrition studies while the National Institute of Health spends only $1 billion? Yep. (Pause and reflect on that stat for a moment. The food industry spends more than $12 BILLION a year funding nutrition studies while the National Institute of Health spends only $1 billion.) And, not surprisingly, as Mark says, “Studies funded by the food industry are eight to fifty times more likely to find a positive outcome for their products.” He tells us that all this “junk science” winds up “polluting and diluting independent research, and confusing policy makers, the public, and even most doctors and nutritionists.” We’ll leave it at that for Today before this becomes a +33. SUGAR. IT DOES NOT DO A BODY GOOD. Period. Got any sugar-laden, ultraprocessed food you might want to throw out and quit buying? Is TODAY a good day to remove the Trigger and take the next step in Optimizing? -1 -1 -1 for the +1 +1 +1 win!!!
After drafting that last +1, I hit my 90-minute mark for my second Deep Work Time Block of the day, which, of course, triggered one of my keystone algorithms. “After 90-minutes of Deep Work, I take a 15-20 minute break.” So… I grabbed a little bite to eat and went on a short walk around our property. As I was walking, I contemplated the whole idea of “sin” and missing the mark in our lives. Joseph Campbell (who was also raised Catholic) came to mind. I just love his wisdom on the subject. We featured it in a +1 called “Father, Bless Me.” As you may recall, Campbell tells us: “Ramakrishna once said that if all you think of are your sins, then you are a sinner. And when I read that, I thought of my boyhood, going to confession on Saturdays, meditating on all the little sins that I had committed during the week. Now I think one should go and say, ‘Bless me, Father, for I have been great, these are the good things I have done this week.’ Identify your notion of yourself with the positive, rather than with the negative.” That’s awesome. Then, my thoughts were interrupted as a deer bounded away from me. She (or was it he?) paused about 50 feet away, stared at me as I stared back for an extended moment. Then she continued on her way. That’s awesome. Then my mind floated to Nathaniel Branden. I couldn’t remember the precise details of his thoughts on the subject, but I remembered the essence. I remembered he once said something about the fact that there’s something worse than "sinning” or missing the target. You know what that might be? … What’s your guess? What’s WORSE than missing the mark? … I remember that he said NOT HAVING high standards in the first place was, arguably, considerably WORSE than having them but failing to meet them. I reflected on that, finished my walk and came straight to my computer for a quick search to find the precise words he used and to create this +1. Enter: Mac search: “Nathaniel Branden.” Result: A couple Notes: The Art of Living Consciously and The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. I opened The Art of Living Consciously first. That’s an AWESOME book and Note but nope. Not there. So, I opened The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. Aha!! There it is. It’s the sixth and final pillar: Integrity. Here’s how Nathaniel puts it: “Integrity is the integration of ideals, convictions, standards, beliefs—and behavior. When our behavior is congruent with our professed values, when ideals and practice match up, we have integrity. Observe that before the issue of integrity can even be raised we need principles of behavior—moral convictions about what is and is not appropriate—judgments about right and wrong action. If we do not yet hold standards, we are on too low a developmental rung even to be accused of hypocrisy. In such a case, our problems are too severe to be described merely as lack of integrity.” Yep. That’s exactly right. And… That’s Today’s +1. Are YOU living in integrity with your ideals, convictions, standards, and beliefs? And… Remember: That presupposes we HAVE a clear sense of standards. So… What are yours? Let’s know them. And, let’s live them. As we solidify our intense trust in ourselves by getting better and better at hitting the mark. TODAY.
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Today we have fun talking about dropping into a data-mining Beast Mode of awesome. Hope you enjoy and LET'S DO THIS!!!
As we’ve discussed countless times, I start my days with at least a minute or three of journaling. These days it’s a super-quick sketch of our Optimize Virtue Compass then a quick trip through the Big 3 x 2 +1. So… The other day I sat down to begin my Deep Work session with the quick sketch of our compass. And… You know what I saw right after I wrote down the four cardinal virtues of Wisdom + Self-Mastery + Courage + Love? A cardinal. Hah! I kid you not. I’m sitting there at my desk in my new outdoor office and glance up from my journaling (right after writing those cardinal virtues!) to see a beautiful red cardinal perch itself on the limb of a tree a couple dozen feet away. And, I thought to myself: Thank you, Optimizing gods. Then it became official. I now have a new favorite bird: The cardinal. Which, of course, led me to Google. Google: “Why are cardinals the bird called cardinals?” (Slightly awkward phrasing but it got the job done. Thank you, Google.) Enter, our first result: “Northern cardinals are named for the males' brilliant red plumage, which reminded European settlers of the rich red vestments of Catholic cardinals in the church hierarchy. The bird's crest is also reminiscent of the headgear of some higher religious officials.” Fascinating. Then it was time for a trip to our friendly dictionary for Today’s etymological lesson. The Dictionary tells us that the noun form of cardinal can refer to either our friendly bird or Catholic dignitaries. The adjective form means “of the greatest importance; fundamental.” As in: “The four cardinal virtues are worth journaling every morning to remind ourselves of the game we’re playing and how to play it well." Now for the ancient origins of the word. Let’s see… Here it is: Back in the day when Latin was all the rage, the word cardo (from which we get cardinal) meant “hinge.” As in, the hinge of a door. Makes sense. Those cardinal virtues? They’re the hinges on which the door to our Optimus-best self opens. Let’s push that door open. TODAY.
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Today we spend some time with Abraham Maslow and his wisdom on embracing “misery privileges” in our life as we also connect some ideas from Ray Dalio and his mistake-learner’s high with the inevitable imperfections of life that give us an opportunity to get a little Wiser!
Hope you enjoy and let’s do this!
-bri
Today we spend some time with Abraham Maslow and his wisdom on embracing “misery privileges” in our life as we also connect some ideas from Ray Dalio and his mistake-learner’s high with the inevitable imperfections of life that give us an opportunity to get a little Wiser!
In Today’s #1, we go for a little walk on the Trail around our property. lol. Emerson makes a surprise cameo as we give you a little tour of our Trail and pond-turned-puddle along with an invitation to join us for Optimize Coach - Class III—which launches in less than one week!!!
Learn more, sign up, etc: https://www.optimize.me/coach
Love and let’s do this!
-bri
In our last +1, we Optimized our oral posture. Bet you didn’t think we’d be talking about that when you signed up for Optimize! (Hah.) I know I didn’t but here we are! Recall: We want to turn our S-shaped bodies into a J-shape and then close our lips and gently place our tongues up toward the front of the roof of our mouths. As it turns out, my favorite breathing expert, Patrick McKeown, wrote an awesome kid’s book in which he gives us a name for that spot. He calls it “The Magic Spot.” So… Teaching ourselves AND our kids how to breathe properly is SUPER important. (As in: WAY more important than we may realize.) Patrick’s book is called Always Breathe Correctly. I highly recommend it. The book features a wizard who teaches kids how to breathe. Of course, he teaches us that the nose is for breathing and the mouth is for eating while teaching us to breathe gently into our bellies, etc. And… He teaches us how to find that “Magic Spot”— with our tongues gently touching the area on the roof of our mouth right before our front teeth. When we hit that spot, we automagically close our lips and breathe through our nose. Which is why if I ever see Emerson with a gaping mouth, I’ll say, “Magic spot, buddy!” He’ll immediately smile, close his lips, and proudly breathe through his nose as I give him a thumbs up and a quick sign-language “Love you, buddy!” So… As you go through the day Today, if you ever happen to find yourself with a mouth gaping open and air going in through the wrong hole, perhaps you can playfully hear me say to you: “Magic spot, buddy!” Then we’ll smile together and celebrate our little win as we get our shine on. Together. One breath at a time. TODAY.
This morning we take the quick look at the ol’ Oura score and briefly reflect on the imperfect nature of sleep (especially when your wife stops breastfeeding and you sleep in a family bed! lol) then hit a ton of little things I thought might be interesting—ranging from thoughts on my pre-inputs creative process and systems and wrapping up with Being So Good and Energized and Awesome That They Can’t Ignore Us but they can Feel Us and Adore Us!
Hope you enjoy and Happy Monday.
Let’s do this!!!
-bri
This morning (after the 1-2-3!) I spent a few minutes going through the 100+ PhilosophersNotes on which I'll be doing PNTVs soon (YEEHAH!) and then got to work on my PN on Driven by Doug Brackmann. Here are some thoughts on Optimizing in general (Measure! Consistency!) and also on how to harness our drives in particular.
Hope you enjoy. Let's do this. TODAY!
-bri
Quick one this morning. 1-2-3, PNTVs are coming back—in black and white! lol—and this gem: “A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play, his labour and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself he always seems to be doing both. Enough for him that he does it well.” ~ Lawrence Pearsall Jacks
Hope you enjoy and here’s to dissolving the apparent dichotomies between our work and our play! TODAY!
-bri
This morning I did the normal 1-2-3 (x2) and celebrated completing the Mastery Series. Then I got to work on reading a book called “Together.” It’s by Vivek Murthy, who was the 19th Surgeon General of the United States. It’s AMAZING. I share a few of my favorite ideas from chapter #1 and also give a little behind-the-scenes look at how I read a book, mark it all up and get ready for a PhilosophersNote.
Hope you enjoy and let’s make sure we write that social prescription TODAY!
Love and high fives,
-bri
Today I had fun hammering out the Introduction Module for the Mastery Series. Fired up. Done!! YES!! I also filmed this #1 on the fascinating Audience Effect and another test. 9 hours in bed for 8 hours of sleep for the win!! :)
This morning I ran a little experiment and got out of bed a little earlier than I normally do. It’s always fascinating to see the data from experiments and use it to get a little better! In this case: I really like 8 hours of sleep so, note to self: Be in bed for 9 hours and get that little extra bonus kick of REM, yo!
Hope you enjoy and here’s to crushing the fundamentals and making Today and awesome day!
Today we’re going to take a quick look at THE Ultimate Algorithm for Optimizing. But, first, we drool over Alexandra’s RIDICULOUSLY awesome Oura #s. lol. Then we have fun with some wisdom from two Phils: My Coach, Phil Stutz, and NBA great, Phil Jackson. Guess what? They both say the EXACT same thing about how to win the game of life.
As Phil Jackson puts it (in The Last Dance ← awesome): “You’re only a success in the moment you perform a successful act. You have to do it again.” ← And again. And again.
btw: THAT is what our Optimize Mastery Series is all about. Join us for Optimize Coach - Class III? Kicks off in less than 2 weeks!!! https://www.optimize.me/coach/
That is all. That and LET’S DO THIS! Today.
This morning I worked on the “Prospering” session for our Mastery Series (which is the foundation of our Optimize Coach program). After a 1-2-3 / 1+2+3! Breakfast of Champions (including savoring some more SEAL mojo), we move on to a quick overview of how to get your Prospering on—starting with the etymology lesson on the fact that the word “prosper” LITERALLY means “to go forward with hope.” The opposite isn’t “to be be poor” per se—unless we’re talking about “poor in spirit.” The opposite of “prosper” is “despair”--to be WITHOUT hope.
Then, of course, we talk about how to get our prospering on. Hope you enjoy and hope you have an awesome day!
More on Sleep at: https://www.optimize.me/sleep/
More on Coach at: https://www.optimize.me/coach/
This morning I worked on the “Celebrating” session for our Mastery Series (which is the foundation of our Optimize Coach program). After a 1-2-3 / 1+2+3! Breakfast of Champions (including savoring some SEAL mojo), we move on to a quick overview of how to get your celebration on—starting with acceptance then moving on to gratitude and finishing with you winning (or learning!) all day every day as you step into the Optimizing arena and give us all you’ve got while celebrating the whole process with deep, eudaimonic joy.
Hope you enjoy and hope you have an awesome day!
This morning I thought it would be fun to share how I start my day. Jocko Willink has his 4:00 AM Timex watch. Awesome. I’m thinking I’ll share my Oura data every day and how I quickly use that data to get a little better via a three-step process we teach our Optimizers and Optimize Coaches: 1. What’s working? 2. What needs work? 3. What will I do differently?
BOOM! Repeat. Aggregate and compound and let’s see what we’re capable of as we show up day in and day out for an extended period of time.
I also share my Breakfast of Champions and some more thoughts on the messy process of creativity! Now it’s time to hit the Trail and then take my kids to the zoo. LET’S DO THIS. TODAY.
In our last +1, we got an inspiring (Hoosiers-inspired) pep talk from Admiral McRaven right before engaging in our next most important mission. I mentioned the fact that I had a chat with an Olympic swim coach shortly after reading that passage from McRaven. He and I chatted about that wisdom in the context of measuring the length of the pool, the number of inches the starting block is off the water. Etc. Etc. We also talked about flipping the switch and striking an Amy Cuddy-inspired power pose—which can literally change our underlying physiology by increasing our testosterone and decreasing our cortisol while priming us to give the world all we’ve got. Then I referenced a passage from Cuddy’s great book Presence in which she actually talks about an Olympic swim coach who used that very technique. Here’s the passage: “In the first month after my TED talk posted, I heard from an Olympic swimming coach who explained how he’d been using a power posing-type strategy—with great success—for years: encouraging some of his swimmers, beginning on the morning of the race, to physically behave as if they’d won their events. Swimmers, as he pointed out, are notorious for their use of dominant body language in the moments before races, not only to signal their power to their competitors but also to loosen their muscles and pump themselves up. Sometimes they will literally pound their chests, like gorillas. But the approach this coach used—encouraging swimmers to adopt ‘alpha’ nonverbal postures from the minute they wake up on race days—was most helpful to swimmers who’d been thrown off by a poor performance or who were feeling a wave of insecurity and self-doubt.” I love that. Imagine a swimmer on the morning of her event acting as if she’d already won (and getting the benefit of all that extra power). As Cuddy tells us: We need to fake it until we become it. Not to manipulate others and gain power over them but to slightly trick ourselves for the moment so we can gain personal power to express the best, boldest, most authentic version of ourselves. Love it. Let’s do it. Pom poms. Rah rah. Etc. And… I say: Why limit it to the day of a swimming event? How does the best, boldest, most authentic version of you think and breathe and walk and talk? Let’s bring that wonderfully bold version of ourselves to our lives all day ever day. Especially: TODAY!
After filming Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, and Focusing over the last 5 days (YES!), I took a step back and did some messy creative work on Celebrating. Today I’m excited to share some thoughts on how I plan to approach that Mastery Series class along with some powerful wisdom from Abraham Maslow.
Hope you enjoy and here’s to Radical Acceptance, Profound Gratitude and Ceaseless Celebration!
This morning I prepared for my film session on Focusing for our Mastery Series that is the core part of our 300-day Optimize Coach program. Here’s a super-quick look at some core ideas from that class. Hope you find it helpful!!! Here’s to having an awesome day, one FOCUSED (!) moment at a time!!
Remember: Soul Force = T x (E x F x W.I.N.)^C
This morning I prepared for my film session on Breathing for our Mastery Series that is the core part of our 300-day Optimize Coach program.
Here’s a super-quick look at some core ideas from that class. Hope you find it helpful!!! Here’s to having an awesome day, one Optimized breath at a time!!
Remember: 1. Nose. 2. Belly. 3. Exhale!!
This morning I was preparing to film a Mastery Series session for our Optimize Coach certification program. We have 7 core fundies: Eating, Moving, Sleeping, Breathing, Focusing, Celebrating and Prospering. Today I was prepping for Sleep.
So… Here’s a video with a super-quick overview of the wisdom we’ll be sharing with an emphasis on one of the key practices we want to engage in if we want to Optimize our Sleep. I call it “Training Tranquility.” If you’re having trouble falling/staying asleep you may want to try this out!
Hope you enjoy!!! Here’s to some epic sleep.
A couple +1s ago we spent some time pulling some weeds together as we created some new habits. How? By STARTING SMALL and MAKING IT EASY! (Am I repeating myself AND yelling?! Lol. Yes and Yes.) Today I want to spend a little more time on our new property. We’re going to talk about my new weed whacker and the little running Trail Emerson and I created. First, a confession. I’d never used a weed whacker before we arrived at our new place out here in the country. (Note: I did mow the lawn (and our elderly neighbor’s lawn) every weekend growing up but I never got promoted to the weed whacker.) And… Just so you know: I’ve spent more time at Home Depot over the last few weeks than I had in my entire life. (Hah.) It’s been awesome. New Identity: Rancher Bri! Yeehah! So… One of the first things I did after we arrived? I created a little running Trail around the perimeter of our property. It’s a heavenly little loop that just so happens to be almost exactly a third of a mile. (Of course, I think in threes so running a mile was a good opportunity to think of The Big 3.) Then Nama visited and suggested we create another part of the Trail at the other side of the property. I mapped it out and saw how it would perfectly connect with our existing loop. Then, after a nice day of Deep Work, I put on my Rancher Bri outfit and got to work. And that’s when I started thinking about neuroplasticity. Quick context: After going through my fair share of weed-whacker re-charges (and re-strings), I’m becoming a little more adept at this whole Trail-creation process. What I learned is that it’s best to start with a simple little narrow strip that’s about a weed-whacker wide to kinda draw a basic directional line of where you want the Trail to go. Once I get that, I go a little wider. Then I go a little wider. Then I’ll rake it out to see what I missed. Then I go back over it and make it just the right width. And, of course, I’m trimming some branches back that might be hanging in the way and all that jazz as I go. Then… Voila. We have a v1 Trail. Then, the more we go down that path, the more awesome it gets. As it turns out, that’s actually a pretty good metaphor for how our brains wire (and rewire) themselves as we create new behaviors. I think it was in The Brain That Changes Itself (an amazing book that, for some reason, I haven’t done a Note on yet) that I was introduced to another, similar metaphor. Enter: Google search for “The Brain That Changes Itself sled metaphor.” Yep. In that great old-school book on neuroplasticity, Norman Doidge quotes Alvaro Pascual-Leone who tells us about the fact that when you go sledding on a freshly-snowed-on mountain, you tend to create a little groove that you tend to follow—both on the way up and the way down. By the end of the day after a bunch of trips up and down, you’re MUCH more likely to follow the grooved pattern. (And, if you want to change those patterns, you're going to need to figure out how to block the old pathways and create some new ones!) That’s what I was thinking about as I weed-whacked the extra .2 miles to our Trail—extending it to a nice .5 mile loop. (Those two laps for a mile make me think of having Strength for 2! Yes. I always think in Optimize-eze. lol) So… Today’s +1. What Habit-Trails are you trying to create in your life? Let’s have a basic MAP of where we’d like to go, be willing to start small (Tiny!) and lay the path for new behaviors as we widen those neural pathways with each pass through. Weed whackers optional. Oh! Don’t forget. When you’re whacking away (on your new habits) in tall grass in a sub-tropical climate, the bug bites and scratches are to be expected. Yeehah! Let’s do this. Today.
Today we’re going to revisit BJ Fogg’s Behavior Design Lab at Stanford. We’ve already talked about his equation: B = MAP. (Recall: “Behavior happens when Motivation & Ability & Prompt converge at the same moment.”) Professor Fogg also has some ABCs to help us master the process of Optimizing our behavior: Anchor + Behavior + Celebration. Here’s how he describes the anatomy of Tiny Habits: “1. ANCHOR MOMENT An existing routine (like brushing your teeth) or an event that happens (like a phone ringing). The Anchor Moment reminds you to do the new Tiny Behavior. 2. NEW TINY BEHAVIOR A simple version of the new habit you want, such as flossing one tooth or doing two push-ups. You do the Tiny Behavior immediately after the Anchor Moment. 3. INSTANT CELEBRATION Something you do to create positive emotions, such as saying, ‘I did a good job!’ You celebrate immediately after doing the new Tiny Behavior.” Want to install a habit? (Yah? Which one? Seriously. Pick one now and let’s work on it together…) Know your ABCs: Anchor + Behavior + Celebration. What’s the existing routine that can serve as your Prompt? (Note: James Clear and Charles Duhigg call our “Prompt” a “cue” in Atomic Habits and The Power of Habit, respectively.) That “existing routine” is what BJ calls an ANCHOR. He tells us that “anchoring” our new behavior to something we ALREADY do is a really powerful way to Optimize the Behavior-changing process. Now that you’ve got your Anchor, it’s time for the new behavior. NOTE: We want that Behavior to be TINY. As in, CRAZY tiny. One of the examples BJ uses is that after (key anchor word: “after”) he went pee while working from home, he’d do two push-ups. That’s it. TWO. Not twenty. TWO. Now that we’ve got our Anchor and our (tiny!!) Behavior, it’s time to Celebrate. How? IMMEDIATELY and INTENSELY. We’ll talk about this more soon. For now, give yourself a little fist pump with a “YES!!! That’s like me!” (Or whatever it is you do when you celebrate something awesome.) Anchor + Behavior + Celebration. That’s Today’s +1. If you feel so inspired, MAP out the behavior you’d like to install. Then ABC it. Let’s change our lives one Tiny little Habit at a time. TODAY. +1. +1. +1. P.S. If you feel REALLY inspired, sing it with me: Now I know my ABCs. Next time won’t you sing with me?
Admiral William H. McRaven is a Retired U.S. Navy SEAL who served for thirty-seven years and commanded at every level. As a Four-Star Admiral, his final assignment was as Commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces. (During this time, he oversaw the covert mission that killed Osama bin Laden.) In 2014, he gave the commencement address to the graduates of the University of Texas at Austin. Millions of people wound up watching his speech on ten lessons he learned from his Navy SEAL training. (You can watch it on YouTube here.) He wrote a great little book expanding on those ten lessons. It’s named after the first lesson: Make Your Bed. (Joining 5,000+ 5-star Amazon reviewers, I HIGHLY recommend it. Get a copy here.) We’ll talk about why that’s his #1 tip soon. Today we’re going to talk about lesson #4: “Life’s Not Fair—Drive On!” in which we get introduced to the SEAL version of a sugar cookie. First, the wisdom. McRaven tells us: “It is easy to blame your lot in life on some outside force, to stop trying because you believe fate is against you. It is easy to think that where you were raised, how your parents treated you, or what school you went to is all that determines your future. Nothing could be further from the truth. The common people and the great men and women are all defined by how they deal with life’s unfairness: Helen Keller, Nelson Mandela, Stephen Hawking, Malala Yousafzai, and—Moki Martin. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, no matter how good you are, you still end up a sugar cookie. Don’t complain. Don’t blame it on your misfortune. Stand tall, look to the future, and drive on!” So… Each chapter-lesson features some wisdom gained from McRaven’s SEAL training along with some stories to bring the point home. This lesson features a story about him becoming a sugar cookie. In case you don’t know what a SEAL sugar cookie recipe looks like, it goes something like this: Run into the pounding surf wearing your boots and gear. Get yourself soaking wet from head to toe. Then roll in the sand until every inch of your body is covered in sand. Then go on with your day cold, wet and sandy as you enjoy that sugar cookie. McRaven tells us about a time when he was forced to do a sugar cookie. He couldn’t figure out what standard he failed to meet that resulted in the reprimand. Here’s the dialogue with his instructor: “‘Mr. Mac, do you have any idea why you are a sugar cookie this morning?’ Martin said in a very calm but questioning manner.’ “‘No, Instructor Martin,’ I dutifully responded. ‘Because, Mr. Mac, life isn’t fair and the sooner you learn that the better off you will be.’” Imagine that. You do everything JUST right. Bed’s made perfectly. Uniform is nice and crisp. You’ve rocked all your fundies and executed your business (or energy or relationship) strategy perfectly. And, even after doing your best... You FAIL. Then what? Then we remind ourselves of the fact (!) that life’s not fair as we “stand tall, look to the future, and drive on!” btw: McRaven’s instructor in that story was a guy named Moki Martin. He was the quintessential super-fit, perfect specimen of a SEAL. Then he got in an accident while training for a triathlon. Paralyzed from the legs down. “For the past thirty-five years, Moki has been in a wheelchair. In all those years, I never once heard him complain about his misfortune in life. Never once did I hear him ask, “Why me?’ Never once did he display an ounce of pity for himself.” Here’s to embracing the inevitable sugar cookies life serves up as we, one more time: “stand tall, look to the future, and drive on!”
Today we’re going to go back to Jim Kwik and his great book Limitless one more time. One of the key themes of the book is that we all have a unique blend of background and passions and skills. He echoes the wisdom we talked about in a +1 back in the day featuring wisdom from Ken Robinson in which Ken tells us that the right question isn’t “Are you intelligent?” but… “HOW are you intelligent?” Jim tells us that we’re all unique and that our challenge is to discover our special combination of awesome that makes us shine. Then he quotes Albert Einstein who once said: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it’s stupid.” And that’s Today’s +1. Let’s quit asking ourselves whether or not we’re intelligent. OF COURSE YOU ARE. (And so are your kids and colleagues and, well, everyone else you’ll interact with Today.) The question is: HOW are you intelligent? Seriously. How are you intelligent?! Think about ONE thing you do REALLY well. Perhaps SO WELL that you take it for granted. Let’s take that gift AS granted and go double down on it. T O D A Y.
In our last +1, we talked about the fact that, if we could figure out how to take 30 EXPONENTIAL steps, we’d be able to hop in a rocket and go around the Earth two DOZEN times. Rather than get 90 feet down the street, we’d get a few BILLION steps further in our joyful jaunt around the Earth. That’s crazy. And, well, that’s the power of aggregating and compounding seemingly small changes that can have huge impacts on our lives as we watch the magic exponentially grow. I LOVE all the metaphors we can use to think about the power of just showing up again and again and again. We’ve talked about the doubling penny, collecting coins, melting ice cubes, hitting the rock, figuring out combination locks, and rocking marginal gains. Obviously, the metaphors are just metaphors but they all make the same primary point: It’s all about CONSISTENCY. We need to show up again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and … BOOM! Magic. Which is why I was so fired up to make a little distinction while I was preparing for our Mastery Series session on Work in our Module on Carpe Diem. The basic theme of the class is how to create “Genius Work vs. Mediocre Work.” (I’ll save the details on that distinction for another +1.) As I was preparing for the class, I knew I was going to focus on the equation we’ve been talking about lately: Astonishing Work = Time x (Energy x Focus x What’s Important Now) or: T x (E x F x W.I.N.) Then I had a wonderful epiphany. I added a little “C” right at the end of that equation. Like so: T x (E x F x W.I.N.)c A choir of angels began to sing as I thought through the implications of the new, Optimized equation: Genius Work = Time x (Energy x Focus x What’s Important Now)Consistency I quickly made some notes. If your Energy is a 100 and your Focus is a 100 and you’re working on a 100-Level Important thing you’d get 1 million points of awesome. That’s 1,000 (!) times more awesome than if your Energy, Focus and WIN was at a 10. But… Get this. If we believe CONSISTENCY is an exponential force multiplier, then we’d be better off plodding along at the lower numbers but at least doing so consistently. Get this. Although (100 x 100 x 100) is 1,000,000 points of awesome, we’ve gotta know that if we get a ZERO in the consistency score then (100 x 100 x 100)0 = ZERO. Whereas, although (10 x 10 x 10) is only 1,000 points of awesome, we’ve gotta know that if we get a ONE HUNDRED in the consistency score then (10 x 10 x 10)100 = a HUGE number. It almost breaks the calculator coming in at 1e+300. ← That’s a 1 followed by THREE HUNDRED Zeros. 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Now, here’s the kicker. What do you think would happen if we were able to get ALL of our variables up to a 100? Our Energy is a 100. Our Focus is a 100. Our W.I.N. is a 100. AND… Our Consistency is a 100. What’s 1,000,000 to the power of 100? Can you guess? … Answer: It’s INFINITY. And, that’s Today’s +1. Want to have fun seeing just how Limitless you can go? Get your Energy Optimized. Get your Focus Optimized. Get your ability to focus on What’s Important Now Optimized. And then go do it CONSISTENTLY. Starting Today. +100 +100 +100 to the 100th power.
Continuing our brief foray through Jim Qwik’s brain and book, let’s talk about the power of getting into Flow. Jim tells us that being able to flip the switch and drop into a powerful Flow state is one of the keys to tapping into our (Limitless!!) superpowers. He quotes Steven Kotler in The Rise of Superman to make his point. Here’s how Steven puts it: “To put it another way: flow is the telephone booth where Clark Kent changes clothes, the place from where Superman emerges.” I LOVE that image of Clark Kent stepping into the phone booth of Flow and coming out as Superman. Reminds me of this +1 on Clark Kent flipping the switch and striking a power pose to get his Superman on. And… As I read this passage (and chapter from Limitless), I was reminded of our recent +1 on our new Astonishing Work Equation. Recall, if we want to REALLY crush it, we’d be wise to focus on three variables: Astonishing Quality Work = Time x (Energy x Focus x W.I.N.) I made the point that, math wise, if your Energy is at a 10 and your Focus is at a 10 and you’re working on the 10 What’s Important Now task, you can work ONE hour and still get a 1,000 on the Astonishing Quality Work scale. But… If your Energy is at a 1 and your Focus is at a 1 and you’re working on a 1-level What’s Important Now task, you’d have to work 1,000 (!) hours to match your Astonishing Quality Work score. BUT… You know what? That’s actually not even accurate. The reality is, when we’re REALLY plugged in, we can create at levels that are simply IMPOSSIBLE to create at in any non-awesome state. As such, I think we should swap out our 1 to 10 scale for a 1 to 100 to make the point even more powerfully. So… On a 1 to 100 scale, if your Energy is at a 100 and your Focus is at a 100 and you’re working on the 100 What’s Important Now task, you can work an hour and get 1 MILLION Astonishing Work points. Drop your Energy to a 10 and your Focus to a 10 and your W.I.N. to a 10 and your 1,000 is 1/1000th of what you could have done. Yep. That’s about right. Today’s +1. How’s your SuperFlow Math looking these days? What’s working Energy + Focus + W.I.N.-wise? What needs some work? And what ~~can~~ will you do to Optimize?! Here’s to stepping into the telephone booth of Flow and tapping into our Superpowers. TODAY!!!!
In our last +1, we had some fun playing with Cal Newport’s Deep Work equation. We modified it from: * High Quality Work Produced = Time Spent x Intensity of Focus
to: * High Quality Work Produced = Time Spent x Quality of Energy x Intensity of Focus
The basic idea: You can get a TON of high quality work produced when you Focus your best Energy. Today I want to add one more variable to our equation and then do some quick math to bring the point home. Let’s go back to that last sentence and drop in another variable. The basic idea: You can get a TON of high quality work produced when you Focus your best Energy on WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT NOW. Think about it. If we have GREAT Energy and we focus that like a laser beam on what’s truly most important right now? And then we write some algorithms to make THAT our default so we’re accreting more and more value day in and day out? We can create at an astonishing level. Enter the latest edition of our equation: * Astonishing Productivity = Time Spent x (Quality of Energy x Intensity of Focus x W.I.N.!)
Now, let’s do some math to bring the point home. For the sake of very round numbers while recognizing it’s much more nuanced than this, let’s say your Energy is at a 10. Your Focus is at a 10 and you’re working on a 10-level most important thing. That part of the equation would be 10 x 10 x 10 = 1,000. Note: You could spend ONE hour working like that and achieve a 1,000 score on the Astonishing Productivity scale. (Go you!) (Reminds me of our +1 on The 1-Hour Workday. ) Now, to play with the other side of the spectrum, let’s say your Energy is at a 1, your Focus is at a 1 and you’re working on a 1-level of importance. That part of the equation would be 1 x 1 x 1 = 1. Note: You’d have to work 1,000 hours that day to achieve the same level of Astonishing Productivity. (Hah.) Again, it’s a bit more nuanced than that and we can tweak the equation to weigh different variables differently, etc. BUT… The point remains. Get your ENERGY to as high a number as you can. FOCUS that (sun-like) Energy like a laser beam (through a magnifying glass) on THE MOST IMPORTANT THING and… VOILA. Astonishing Productivity. Do that again and again and again? And, well, you’ll not just produce at an astonishing level, you’ll enjoy the eudaimonic Flow that comes when you consistently high five your daimon. Let’s do that. TODAY.
Continuing our brief tour through Kate Hefferon’s textbook on Positive Psychology and the Body, let’s flip open to the chapter on “Positive Nutrition.” Hmmmm… I wonder what science has to say about the impact of our diets on our wellbeing… Guess where Kate starts her discussion? With sugar. She tells us: “Sugar has been a component within western diets since the sixteenth century. While 500 years ago, the average human would be lucky to come across sugar, it is estimated that today the average Westerner consumes 3 lb of sugar a week. Overall, our sugar consumption per year has risen from 5 lb per person, per year in 1700, to 152 lb per person in 2000. Recent research has found evidence that sugar, while not only bad for our waistlines, can have deleterious effects on our brain. Sugar has been found to shrink areas responsible for important functions such as memory and mood regulation, wearing on the hippocampus.” We’ve talked about this before but let’s pause and contemplate that math one more time. 500 years ago? Basically NO SUGAR. (Pause, reflect on that. Pretty please. With sugar not on top?) Then, 300 years ago, we were consuming about 5 lbs of sugar. Today? Today the average Westerner consumes 150 lbs of sugar every year. So… Millions of years of evolution. Close to zero consumption of sugar. Now 150 POUNDS of sugar on average EVERY YEAR. Hmmm… I wonder if that might have any negative consequences? Back to Kate who tells us that researchers “conducted a cross-national study (Korea, USA, France, Germany, Canada, New Zealand) on the relationship between sugar consumption and incidence of major depression. They found that ‘there was a highly significant correlation between sugar consumption (cal/cap/day) and the annual rate of depression.’ While this study has some major limitations, it highlights the importance of re-assessing the manufacturing of processed food and the role of sugar within our diets.” Today’s +1. SUGAR!!! One more time: It does a mind and body bad. Not only does it mess with our insulin/metabolism and lead to a lot of the crippling, chronic BODY diseases we’re dealing with as a society, it also wreaks havoc on our MINDS and leads to a lot of the crippling psychological challenges we’re dealing with as a society. I can’t think of a more powerful lever to Optimize our nutrition than getting really smart on how much sugar we’re consuming and having fun seeing just how much we can eliminate. So… How much sugar are YOU consuming these days? Note: It’s ubiquitous and probably a LOT more than you think… Here’s to the -1 -1 -1 for the +1 +1 +1 wins. TODAY.
In the last couple +1s, we talked about The Shattered Vase (and the power of taking those pieces and making a beautiful new mosaic) then we practiced The Art of Precious Scars (as we chatted about “golden repairs”). Let’s imagine that art sitting on a desk in our dojo-studio. We’ve got the mosaic and that golden-seamed vase. And… Right next to those pieces of art, let’s put a snow globe. A snow globe? Yep. Stephen Joseph actually introduced this metaphor in his book on posttraumatic growth. He used it in the context of being shaken up after a traumatic event and the fact that it takes time for the metaphorical snow to settle in our lives. But… When I imagined that snow globe, the first thing I thought of was our minds and what we often do to them right before we go to bed. Maybe it was because I was prepping for the PM Bookend session of our Carpe Diem module in our Mastery Series. We’ve talked (many times!) about the fact that your day begins the night before. Want to create a Masterpiece Day that starts with waking up nice and early (without an alarm!) feeling all refreshed and ready to rock? Well… TURN OFF YOUR ELECTRONICS and GO TO BED EARLY!! (Hah.) Seriously. Science is unequivocal. All that digital stimulation—both the blue light AND the raw inputs—right before you go to bed isn’t helping the Deep (And REM) Sleep cause!! You know what it’s like? It’s like shaking a SNOW GLOBE right before you go to bed. Your brain’s all hyped up right when you want it to be relaxed. That’s Today’s +1. Let’s leave the snow globe alone—quit shaking it by turning off all your electronic stimulation AT LEAST (!) an hour before you go to bed. Remember: Sleep. It does a body (VERY!) good. Let’s Optimize ours. TONIGHT.
Have you ever heard of “hedonic treadmills”? We talked about them briefly a few years ago in the context of this +1 on the science of hedonic adaptation. Basic idea: We adapt to all the “things” we get in our lives. That shiny new car isn’t so shiny a few months after we get it. Same thing with the new phone or TV or whatever. Sonja Lyubomirksy is one of the world’s leading researchers on the subject of hedonic adaptation. In The Myths of Happiness she tells us: “Indeed, it turns out that we are prone to take for granted pretty much everything positive that happens to us. When we move into a beautiful new loft with a grand view, when we partake of plastic surgery, when we purchase a fancy new automobile or nth-generation smartphone, when we earn the corner office and a raise at work, when we become immersed in a new hobby, and even when we wed, we obtain an immediate boost of happiness from the improved situation; but the thrill only lasts for a short time. Over the coming days, weeks, and months, we find our expectations ramping upward and we begin taking our new improved circumstances for granted. We are left with ‘felicific stagnation.’” So... We adapt to the hedonic pleasures in our lives. It’s like we’re on a treadmill. Moving faster and faster but not getting any further in our pursuit of true happiness. But... Here’s some exciting news: THERE ARE NO EUDAIMONIC TREADMILLS. You know what happens when we joyfully commit to using everything as fuel for our growth while living with more Wisdom + Self-Mastery + Courage + Love + Hope + Gratitude + Curiosity + Zest? We actually get happier. That’s Today’s +1. Let’s step off the hedonic treadmill and make some real progress in our lives as we focus on practicing our philosophy, high fiving our inner souls and FLOURISHING. TODAY.
In our last +1, we tapped into some wisdom from Brené Brown’s Braving the Wilderness as we wrote ourselves a permission slip and then hopped on the bus. Today we’re going to spend some more time with Brené. And, we’ll invite Pema Chodrön to the party. Brené tells us: “I love Pema Chodrön’s ‘Lousy World’ teaching on this topic. In it, Chodrön uses the lessons of the Indian Buddhist monk Shantideva to make a very powerful analogy about moving through the world constantly pissed off and disappointed. ... [She says]: ‘‘We’re laughing, but that’s what we all do. That is how we approach things. We think, if we could just get rid of everything and cover it with leather, our pain would go away. Well, sure, because then it wouldn’t be cutting our feet anymore. It’s just logical, isn’t it? But it doesn’t make any sense, really. Shantideva said, ‘But if you simply wrap leather around your feet.’ In other words, if you put on shoes then you could walk across the boiling sand and the cut glass and the horns, and it wouldn’t bother you. So the analogy is, if you work with your mind, instead of trying to change everything on the outside, that’s how your temper will cool down.’” As you may know, Pema Chodrön is a Buddhist monk and teacher. (We have Notes on two of her great books: When Things Fall Apart and The Places That Scare You.) You can watch that wonderful 2.5-minute YouTube video of her “Lousy World” teaching here. Short story: We complain about everything and everyone. All the time. It’s too hot. It’s too cold. He smells bad. She’s wearing too much perfume. All day every day. We think the answer is to change the world—to lay leather over all the thorns and rocks in our way. The answer, of course, is to simply wrap a little leather over our feet and voila! Problem solved. btw: Here’s how Shantideva puts it The Way of the Bodhisattva: “To cover all the earth with sheets of leather— Where could such amounts of skin be found? But with the leather soles of just my shoes It is as though I cover all the earth!” That’s Today’s +1. Let’s wrap some leather (vegan alternatives available) around our feet (and brains) and joyfully walk through the wilderness of life. TODAY!!!
In our last +1, we blew up some belly balloons with our kids. We breathed in through our noses, down into our bellies (can you make that balloon pop?!) then we breathed back out through our noses (slightly longer than the inhale). Ah… Repeat. ESPECIALLY when things start to get a little out of control!!! Which leads us to another little practice we’ve been playing around with at the Johnson House. (Note to self: This is a REALLY effective practice. Do it more!) So… You know those times when your kids start to get a little, shall we say, frazzled, which leads to you (and/or your spouse) (in my case: ME!), getting equally, shall we say, frazzled? Ahem. I know that reasonably well. Hah. So… Rather than let it all devolve into a circus, when I’m being Mr. Wise and Mindful Philosopher Guy, I remember to do wise and mindful things to smooth out the rough seas. This practice has proven to be particularly powerful. Step 1. Emerson and I leave the scene of the chaos by going to a different room in the house. Step 2. We sit knee to knee in what’s wonderfully known as “hero’s pose.” (To strike this pose: Kneel on the floor and drop your butt on your ankles. Use bolsters if necessary. Check out Yoga Journal for tips.) Step 3. We sit up nice and tall and look each other in the eye as we pull the thread through our head, breathing in deeply (through our noses) into our bellies, then exhaling (through our noses) slightly longer than our inhale. Repeat. In just a few breaths, our nervous systems are calmed down and we’re connected. Circus has left town. It’s actually SHOCKING how powerful this is. The hard part (as always!) is remembering to do it in the moment we need to do it. Note to self: Do it more often. That’s Today’s +1. Circus come to town? Try some hero breathing!!! T O D A Y !!!
A little over seven and half years ago, Emerson was born at home. We had an amazing midwife (named Mary Jackson) for both Emerson and Eleanor’s births. I’ll never forget the very first moments of Emerson’s life. I had the blessed honor of being the first to officially welcome him into the world. RIGHT after he was born (literally a couple seconds after), he looked at me and our eyes met. Then he wrapped his tiny (!) little hand right around my pinky finger. (MISTY!!!) We’ve recounted this special moment countless times. I like to say that we both said, “I LOVE YOU!!!” right when our eyes first connected and he wrapped that tiny hand of his around my pinky. So… One of the ways we like to recreate that moment is by holding hands while we’re walking. That, in itself, will always be one of my favorite things in life. But… We like to take it one step further and say “I LOVE YOU!” to each other in our own Top Secret way. In fact, we developed our own special language. It’s called Squeezy-eze. It’s super easy to learn. There’s actually only one phrase: “I LOVE YOU.” All you have to do is grab someone’s hand and… SQUEEZE IT a few times. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. I. LOVE. YOU. It’s like a Morse Code of awesome. And, well, that’s Today’s +1. If you feel so inspired, how about a little squeezy-eze of Love? Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. I. Love. YOU!!!
Continuing our little series on the science of courage, how about some more wisdom from Robert Biswas-Diener? In The Courage Quotient, he tells us: “Herein lies the intervention related to failure: accept it. We modern people have fallen in love with the idea that we are in control of our lives, and this worldview gives rise to an impulse to resist failure, to fight against the very notion of it. But just like the modern trend to defy age, the battle against failure is a lost cause. Failure is inevitable. We all experience it, in forms large and small. It is in your past and it is in your future. People with a high courage quotient understand that failure is a risk much of the time and unavoidable some of the time. Rather than trying to tiptoe around failure, they simply accept it as part of the process of success.” That’s from a chapter called “Be Willing to Fail.” It’s packed with powerful, practical wisdom. Like this: “Failure is a fantastic learning opportunity. Think of every time you have made a mistake and said to yourself, ‘Well, I will never do that again!’ A single instance of failure can serve as a powerful lifelong course correction. Failure also helps us regroup mentally and improve our skills and strategy so that later attempts at goals might be more successful. Where your courage quotient is concerned, here is the tricky part: you do not have to accept that failure feels good, just that it is inevitable and often beneficial. Accepting failure is not synonymous with actively pursuing failure or enjoying failure when it crashes down upon you. The trick is to acknowledge both the positive and the negative aspects of failure. You can tell yourself, ‘This does not feel good and I am very disappointed with myself,’ on the one hand, even as on the other you reassure yourself by saying, ‘This is also a growth opportunity for me. I will learn from this temporary experience and move on.’” And this: “Where the courage quotient is concerned it is instructive to realize that not everyone reacts to failure, or even the prospect of failure, in the same way. Some people—as I have mentioned and as we have all seen—allow failure to overshadow their lives, restricting their decisions and leaving them embarrassed, timid, or withdrawn. Other people appear to take failure in stride and are able to move beyond it after experiencing its temporary psychological sting. Thomas Edison famously said, recalling countless problematic attempts to create a working light bulb, ‘I failed my way to success.’ Winston Churchill too might be among the resilient. He once said, ‘Success consists of going from failure to failure without the loss of enthusiasm.’ Apparently the ability to reframe failure as part of a larger process— learning, say—is instrumental in being able to cope with it.” And, well, that’s Today’s +1. Want to Optimize your Courage Quotient? Be willing to fail. And, reframe your past failures as fantastic learning opportunities. Then get out there and give us all the Wisdom + Self-Mastery + Courage + Love you got. TODAY.
In our last +1, we all get issued our magic wand. It can alchemize any and all challenges into fuel for our growth. Thank you, Hermes and Epictetus!! I mentioned the fact that Ward Farnsworth shared that passage in his great book The Practicing Stoic. He shared it in a chapter on how Stoics deal with adversity in which he tells us: “Stoics avoid adversity in the ways that anyone of sense would. But sometimes it comes regardless, and then the Stoic goal is to see the adversity rightly and not let one’s peace of mind be destroyed by its arrival. Indeed, the aim of the Stoic is something more: to accept reversal without shock and to make it grist for the creation of greater things. Nobody wants hardship in any particular case, but it is a necessary element in the formation of worthy people and worthy achievements that, in the long run, we do want. Stoics seek the value in whatever happens.” As I read that passage and reflected on the fact that some adversity is NECESSARY for our growth, I thought of some wisdom from Robert Emmons and his great book Thanks! He tells us: “Not only does the experience of tragedy give us an exceptional opportunity for growth, but some sort of suffering is also necessary for a person to achieve maximal psychological growth. In his study of self-actualizers, the paragons of mental wellness, the famed humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow noted that ‘the most important learning lessons... were tragedies, deaths, and trauma... which forced change in the life-outlook of the person and consequently in everything that he did.’” So... Facing any adversity, my beloved Hero? Let’s wave Hermes’ wand, alchemize it into another opportunity to practice our philosophy as we give ourselves most fully to the world. TODAY.
In our last +1, we played the “I want to speak with your supervisor!” game. You play it yet? If not, try it. It’s truly awesome. As you’ll recall, the most important part of the process is to start with the end in mind—knowing that it’ll end with you praising the awesomeness of the rep who helped you. (btw: When you chat with the supervisor, tell THEM how great of a job THEY must be doing to have such a great team member. Then you get a double bump of awesome. ) So… Today I want to talk about how to get some bonus points as we practice our philosophy and play the game of life well. Here it is. Before you make the call—right before you commit to ending it with the supervisor chat—take a moment to practice a little gratitude. Presumably, you’re calling the company to get help with a service they provide. Well, what service is it? Recall that we have two options: We can take the service for granted OR we can take it as granted. As Robert Emmons tells us, we can act entitled or we can have the humble perspective to realize that we are so ridiculously blessed it’s astonishing. That’s Today’s +1. Super simple. Let’s use every opportunity we can to be grateful. As we practice our philosophy. TODAY.
In our last +1, we upgraded our conception of Soul Mates to Soul Mate 2.0. (At least I did!) Before we jump into the wisdom for Today’s +1, how about some fun Johnson family history?! Once upon a time (actually, almost exactly 13 years ago), Alexandra and I met. At the time I was running a social networking site called Zaadz that was all about connecting people who wanted to be the change and change the world together. Long story short, Alexandra was introduced to the site by a friend. She checked it out, found my profile page and said, “I’m going to marry that guy.” No joke! I get misty-eyed just typing that. We happened to have a mutual friend who happened to introduce us and, well, skipping some fun details, the rest is history. Now… One of the reasons we fell in love is that we both loved Leo Buscaglia and his book Love. In fact, Alexandra was the first woman I ever met who had actually read that book. TWICE no less! So… Today we’re going to talk about Love. More specifically: Leo Buscaglia’s Love. We’ll start with this gem (that captures the thesis of our Love 101 class): “As soon as the love relationship does not lead me to me, as soon as I in a love relationship do not lead another person to himself, this love, even if it seems to be the most secure and ecstatic attachment I have ever experienced, is not true love. For real love is dedicated to continual becoming.” Then there’s this lesson I’ve been blessed to learn and relearn (!): “One does not fall ‘in’ or ‘out’ of love. One grows in love.” And: “It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely.” And, finally: “If one wishes to know love, one must live love, in action.” Love. Let’s live it. TODAY.
Mark Divine is a former U.S. Navy SEAL Commander with twenty-five years of experience as an entrepreneur. He's the author of the incredible books The Way of the SEAL, Unbeatable Mind, and Staring Down the Wolf. In this conversation, we explore strategies for navigating challenges (and helping others to do the same), how to be uncommon, why anyone in a leadership position is a "Coach," why training the breath is so important, and more.
In our last +1, we spent some time with Carlos Castaneda and his Toltec Warrior. Today, we’re going to spend a little more time with this eccentric teacher. I’ve always found one passage of his to be particularly powerful. THIS one: “Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore, a warrior must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if he feels that he should not follow it, he must not stay with it under any conditions. His decision to keep on that path or to leave it must be free of fear or ambition. He must look at every path closely and deliberately. There is a question that a warrior has to ask, mandatorily: ‘Does this path have a heart?’” * “Does this path have a heart?”
← Well, that’s a powerful question, eh? How do we possibly answer that one?! Enter, some more Castaneda wisdom: “’But how will I know for sure whether a path has a heart or not?’ Anybody would know that. The trouble is nobody asks the question; and when a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him. At that point very few men can stop to deliberate, and leave the path.” Yikes. (Hah.) That’s Today’s (confronting) +1. Your path have a heart? Of course, there will always be times when a path with heart doesn’t feel quite as heart-centered as it could. Those times often require some re-energizing and micro-adjustments and re-committing and all that. And… There are other times when we’re just not on the right path. Those times may require some zero-based thinking and Deep Work to figure out what path IS the right one for us. In all situations, I believe this is why Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Trust thyself. Every heart vibrates to that iron string.” Here’s to courageously walking our paths with heart with deeper and deeper authenticity. TODAY.
In our last +1, we did some swooping and gliding and hunting with a red-tailed hawk and our bird-watching guide: Carlos Castaneda. Today I want to chat about that hawk again. I mentioned the fact that he’s not worried about whether or not he’ll find his prey. He’s just hunting. Calmly, 100% focused on the PROCESS. Letting the outcomes take care of themselves. He’s not up there flying around thinking to himself, “OMG. My family’s going to starve if I don’t pull it together and find a mouse soon. I’ve been flying around up here for TWO HOURS (!) already and I haven’t seen a single mouse. Where’d they go? OMG. OMG. OMG.” Enter: Castaneda and his wisdom: “Once a man worries, he clings to anything out of desperation; and once he clings he is bound to get exhausted or to exhaust whomever or whatever he is clinging to. A warrior-hunter, on the other hand, knows he will lure game into his traps over and over again, so he doesn’t worry.” Now… To be fair (and to state the obvious), our red-tailed hawk friend doesn’t have the prefrontal cortex to engage in any anxiety-provoking overthinking. (Or, well, any “thinking” for that matter.) Which reminds me of some parallel wisdom we explored back in the day. Remember our +1 on Squirrels, Einstein and You? As you may recall, that one was inspired by a pre-Trail drive. As I stopped at a stop sign right next to Byron Katie’s little chapel in Ojai, I spotted a squirrel racing across a telephone wire and thought to myself, “I wonder what that guy’s thinking?!” Then I reminded myself that he WASN’T THINKING. Then I thought of some wisdom from Jon Eliot’s Overachievement. He tells us: “Great performers focus on what they are doing, and nothing else... They are able to engage in a task so completely that there is no room left for self-criticism, judgment, or doubt; to stay loose and supremely, even irrationally, self-confident... They let it happen, let it go. They couldn’t care less about the results.” That’s Today’s +1. That red-tailed hawk? He’s the flying embodiment of great performers. Let’s be like him a little more. TODAY.
In our last couple +1s, we’ve been having fun spending some time with former Navy SEAL Commander and perennial wolf-tamer, Mark Divine. Most recently, we named our Courage wolf, “Daimon” and our Fear wolf, “Demon.” (As Dan Siegel and other mindfulness neuroscientists would say: It’s always wise to “Name It to Tame It!”) I mentioned the fact that I made a note on a piece of paper to make sure I included this Idea in our Mastery Series session on How to Create Antifragile Confidence, Heroic Courage and Response-Ability. I had a bunch of other ideas already on that sheet of paper. You know what I had written RIGHT ABOVE “The Two Wolves | Name ‘Em!”? “Learned Helplessness vs. Learned Optimism.” The story I’ll tell for THAT wisdom is basically all about Martin Seligman’s research that we discuss in our Notes on Learned Optimism and in this +1 on How to Learn Optimism. The weird part? Recall Mark’s description of what happens when we constantly feed the fear wolf: “If you constantly feed fear by thinking about the could-haves, the should-haves, the would-haves, and the can’ts in life—if you allow negative beliefs, attitudes, and conditioned behavior from whatever drama you experienced or stories you adopted—then the fear wolf gets stronger. Eventually he gets so strong that the courage wolf is left cowering, unable to fight back.” That’s almost a precise description of the “Learned Helplessness” state Seligman induces in his experiments. The (very!) good news? We can Learn Optimism. How? Well, that’s pretty much what we’re doing every day with these +1s and why we show up EVERY DAY. One more time: Let’s feed the Daimon-Courage Wolf. TODAY.
I’m the kinda guy who goes to a movie with a pen and paper ready to take notes. Well, I’m actually the kinda guy who (aside from when I’m on the Trail) pretty much ALWAYS has a pen and paper ready to take notes. So… The other day, I’m that guy in the movie theatre watching the most recent Star Wars installment: The Rise of Skywalker. Luke is chatting with Rey and drops some fantastic Optimizing wisdom that demands a little ink on paper. If my notes are correct, Luke says: “Confronting fear is the destiny of a Jedi. Your destiny.” “Confronting fear is the destiny of a Jedi. Your destiny.”
<- Isn’t that some solid wisdom? Makes you want to silently shout BRING IT ON!!, eh?! So… I go to Google to do a quick search to make sure I got the quote right. And… I find this awesome blog post on a site appropriately called “Star Wars Thoughts.” In it, our wise guide walks us through the role fear has played throughout the Star Wars saga. He tells us that Luke once told Yoda: “I’m not afraid!” You know what Yoda said in response? “You will be.” ← That’s SO good. And, that’s Today’s +1. Confronting fear. It’s the destiny of a Jedi. And an Optimizer. It’s your destiny. And mine. So… Let’s step into our infinite potential as we exit our comfort zones calmly and confidently and courageously chanting BRING. IT. ON. TODAY. P.S. Not too long after Luke dropped his wisdom bomb on Rey, I took my notebook out again to capture some wisdom from Poe who tells us: “We’re not alone. Good people will fight if we lead them.” Amen. Let’s do this.
In our last +1, we talked about making a Purpose upgrade—going from a grand conception of one “big purpose” for life (Purpose 1.0) to finding micro-moments of purpose all day every day (Purpose 2.0). I promised to chat about HOW to go about doing that Today. So… Here we are. Let’s bring Tom Rath back for some more wisdom from Life’s Great Question. Tom is a senior scientist at Gallup and shares some FASCINATING research he and his colleagues in the wellbeing-at-work industry have conducted. Get this. Tom tells us: “You can begin by connecting your daily efforts to the way they contribute to specific people’s lives—connecting what you do with who your work serves. There are now countless examples of how connecting your work to the meaning it creates for specific people leads to better results, as well as to more enjoyment in and satisfaction from one’s work.” He continues by saying: “In food service, for example, when a cook or someone preparing food can literally see the people they serve, it increases that customer’s satisfaction with the meal by 10%. If the cook and customer can both see one another, satisfaction with meal quality goes up 17% and service is 13% faster. You see a similar result across other professions.” And: “When lifeguards read stories of people’s lives being saved, they are more vigilant on the job. When telephone-based fund-raisers hear from the beneficiaries of their work, they are more motivated and raise far more funds for their cause. Even when the only people you serve are internal customers or colleagues, connecting the work you do with the direct contribution it makes has tangible benefits.” Plus: “In a Harvard study, field workers who harvested tomatoes watched videos of the way their contribution helped colleagues in the factory another step down the supply chain. In comparison to a control group, the workers who watched this short video experienced a 7% increase in productivity, as measured by tons of tomatoes harvested per hour.” ← Pause and reflect on that for a moment longer. That’s nuts! Finally, he tells us: “My takeaway from all this research is that people experience a far greater sense of belonging and more sustainable wellbeing when they connect their efforts in the moment with a larger influence on others.” That’s Today’s +1. Spotlight on YOU. What do YOU do? Who do you SERVE when you do what you do? Take a moment and actually identify a SPECIFIC person who you KNOW benefits from the day-to-day things you do. Seriously. One person. Could be a colleague. A customer. Whoever. ONE PERSON you know benefits from what you do. Got it? Fantastic. Let’s reflect on our contributions often. Remember: “People experience a far greater sense of belonging and more sustainable wellbeing when they connect their efforts in the moment with a larger influence on others.” +1 micro-moments of service +1 micro-moments of service +1 micro-moments of service. All day every day for the Purpose 2.0 meaning-filled life. Starting TODAY.
Richard Rohr is one of my new favorite teachers. Alexandra got me his book called Falling Upward after I told her how much I loved David Brooks’ The Second Mountain. Apparently it’s recommended alongside that book on Amazon. With 1,400+ reviews, Alexandra thought I might like it. And, well, YES!! Not only did I like the book, I loved it. (Check out those Notes for more.) And… I fell in love with Richard Rohr. Father Richard Rohr is a Franciscan priest. In fact, he’s been a Franciscan priest for FIVE DECADES. This has particular resonance for me. As we’ve discussed, I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school for twelve years. At my elementary school and primary church, our priests were Franciscan. Yet... The closest I’ve come to studying an integrated Catholic perspective thus far has been Anthony de Mello—a Jesuit priest. So... I found Father Richard’s wisdom particularly resonant for a range of reasons. Now... When I read a book, I use a blank note card as a bookmark. On that note card, I jot down related books and ideas I want to make sure we cover in our Notes together. After reading chapters in which he connected Odysseus and the Hero’s Journey to Christianity and our modern lives, at the top of the bookmark-card for this book I wrote this description of Father Richard: “If Joseph Campbell was a Franciscan monk.” I laughed as I typed that but it’s pretty darn close to being a great micro-bio. Throw in a little Ken Wilber and a TON of “elderly” wisdom and voila. We have one of my new favorite spiritual teachers. But that’s not quite the point of Today’s +1. Today I want to chat about a fantastic line from the book that comes pretty darn close to capturing the intention behind ALL of our work together. Here it is: “As Desmond Tutu once told me on a recent trip to Cape Town, ‘We are only the light bulbs, Richard, and our job is just to remain screwed in!’” How great is THAT? We’re only the light bulbs. Our job is just to remain screwed in. (Thank you, Bishop Tutu.) Not only does that line capture the essence of all of our work together, it’s also a great answer to Joseph Campbell’s question: “What am I? Am I the bulb that carries the light, or am I the light of which the bulb is a vehicle?” So... Here’s to keeping ourselves screwed in so the Divine Light can shine through us. TODAY!
In our last +1, we talked about being Efficient vs. Effective. Efficiency? It’s GREAT for managing our time and completing tasks. Not so great for creating EFFECTIVE relationships with people. We also hammered our “technology is the obstacle to presence!” theme one more time. (I promise to keep coming back to it.) Today I want to chat about another big relationship idea I’ve been meaning to discuss. We’re going to talk about the idea of “bids.” I’m pretty sure I learned about this from Dan Siegel. Enter: Search of my Mac for “bids”… Oh, wait. Actually, I learned about this from THE leading researcher on the science of effective marriages: Jon Gottman! In his GREAT book The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, Gottman tells us that we need to “Turn Toward” our partners and respond to their “bids.” Here’s how he puts it: “Hollywood has distorted our notions of romance and what makes passion sizzle. Watching Humphrey Bogart gather teary-eyed Ingrid Bergman into his arms may make your heart pound, but real-life romance is fueled by far more humdrum scenes. It is kept alive each time you let your spouse know he or she is valued during the grind of everyday life. In marriage, couples are always making what I call ‘bids’ for each other’s attention, affection, humor, or support. Bids can be as minor as asking for a backrub or as significant as seeking help in carrying the burden when an aging parent is ill. The partner responds to each bid either by turning toward the spouse or turning away. A tendency to turn toward your partner is the basis of trust, emotional connection, passion, and a satisfying sex life. Comical as it may sound, romance is strengthened in the supermarket aisle when your partner asks, ‘Are we out of butter?’ and you answer, ‘I don’t know. Let me go get some just in case,’ instead of shrugging apathetically. It grows when you know your spouse is having a bad day at work and you take a few seconds out of your schedule to send him an encouraging text. In all of these instances, partners are making a choice to turn toward rather than away.” “Turning toward” our partner instead of away from them. Gottman tells us that our partners are always making “bids” for our attention. Whether we accept their invitation to connect or not is one of the greatest predictors of the longevity of our relationship. Get this: Gottman did a 6-year follow-up study of newlyweds. For those who were still married, the partner’s responded to each other’s bids 86% of the time. For those who got divorced? They only responded 33% of the time. So… Today’s +1. How’s YOUR Bid Math? Let’s pay attention and see if we can notice some more bids and, of course, remember to TURN TOWARD our partners a little more TODAY.
In our last couple +1s, we flipped through my notes from session number 150-something with my Yoda/spiritual Godfather Phil Stutz. On page one we had: “Success doesn’t matter in this world, commitment does.” On the middle of page three we had: “Real enthusiasm is passing through the worst and realizing it’s the best.” Looking at the bottom of page three, we see: “How you react to dramatic things is good. How you react to SMALL things is GREAT! That’s where the power is.” As I reread my messy writing, I actually remember asking Phil to hold on a second so I could write that down. (Hah. Seriously.) I repeat: “How you react to dramatic things is good. How you react to SMALL things is GREAT! That’s where the power is.” As we’ve discussed, Phil (and all great teachers, really) is ALL ABOUT the SMALL THINGS. He calls our moment-to-moment experiences (with ourselves and others) “micro transactions.” Although we tend to ignore them and think only the “big” stuff is “really” important, he flips that around and says it’s the TINY things that matter the MOST. (Of course, by practicing with the small things, we’re well-trained to handle the “big” things when they inevitably arrive.) So… One more time: “How you react to dramatic things is good. How you react to SMALL things is GREAT! That’s where the power is.” David Allen comes to mind. As we’ve discussed, in our interview years ago, he said that “the sublime comes through the mundane.” That’s Today’s +1. Let’s bring our best. To the small things. TODAY. P.S. Fun family fact: Midway through writing this +1, I heard a ferocious banging on my office door. Like jumbo crazy loud. (Laughing.) My initial reaction was WTNotFantastic! (Laughing.) Then I ran my “If… Then…” algorithm and got ready to welcome my little man. And… What did I see? Emerson in his brand-new BRIGHT GREEN (hah) helmet standing next to his sister in her helmet. “Daddy!!! Look at my new bike!!!” Yep. His new bike we got last night was downstairs. He cruised down, hopped on it and rode around the house. To think I almost ruined that TINY moment by getting upset IN THE MIDDLE of writing this +1… (Laughing yet again.) Here’s to moving from Theory to Practice. With the little things. And little ones. TODAY.
Gratitude. Yes, we’ve been chatting about it quite a bit recently. That’s deliberate. You know how we recently established the (scientifically-validated) Top 2 virtues as Zest + Hope? Well… Positive psychologists arm wrestle a bit about those top two virtues. While Ryan Niemiec (via The Power of Character Strengths) tells us that Zest + Hope are our Top 2, Robert Emmons tells us that Gratitude is even more predictive of well-being than Hope. We’ll leave the arm-wrestling debate on the precise order of those Top 2 to our academic friends but let’s shine a BRIGHT LIGHT on the Big 3 Virtues: Zest + Hope + Gratitude. As I’ve been thinking about it, I actually like the order: Zest + Gratitude + Hope. We’re Optimizing our Energy-Zest so we can give our best to our Work + Love. (Zest is still the undisputed #1 Virtue—although I’d say it’s technically achieved as a by-product of Wisdom + Self-Mastery/Discipline on the the fundamentals.) Then… We practice Gratitude for the fact that we’re alive and for everything in our lives. (INCLUDING all the challenges, of course.) Then… We practice Hope as we see a better future via a specific goal that inspires us, know we can make it happen and make a plan to make it so. Zest + Gratitude + Hope. (Note: Throw in Love + Curiosity for the Top 5.) I love coming back to that and I’m constantly spinning those virtues around in my mind, trying to think about how to help us operationalize them more consistently in our lives. But… That’s not quite what I want to talk about Today. Today I want to talk about that “What Went Well and Why?” gratitude exercise I referenced not too long ago. It’s one of Robert Emmons’ top recommended practices. Here’s how Martin Seligman puts it in Flourish: “Every night for the next week, set aside ten minutes before you go to sleep. Write down three things that went well today and why they went well. You may use a journal or your computer to write about events, but it is important that you have a physical record of what you wrote. The three things need not be earthshaking in importance (‘My husband picked up my favorite ice cream for dessert on the way home from work today’), but they can be important (‘My sister just gave birth to a healthy baby boy’). Next to each positive event, answer the question ‘Why did this happen?’ For example, if you wrote that your husband picked up ice cream, write “because my husband is really thoughtful sometimes’ or ‘because I remembered to call him from work and remind him to stop by the grocery store.’ Or if you write, ‘My sister gave birth to a healthy baby boy,’ you might pick as the cause ‘God was looking out for her’ or ‘She did everything right during her pregnancy.’ Writing about why the positive events in your life happened may seem awkward at first, but please stick with it for one week. It will get easier. The odds are that you will be less depressed, happier, and addicted to this exercise six months from now.” Today’s +1. Here’s to celebrating many more awesome moments (and clarity on how they came about!) between here and our next +1! +1. +1. +1.
William Damon is one of the world's leading scholars on human development. As the Director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, Professor of Education at Stanford University, and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Damon's research explores how people develop purpose and integrity in their work, family, and civic life. In his most recent book, The Power of Ideals, Professor Damon shares how we all have the power to cultivate more noble, moral possibilities in our lives.
In our last couple +1s, we talked about the science of gratitude and explored some tips on Robert Emmons’ #1 practice: Gratitude Journaling. Today I want to chat about one of the distinctions I most loved from his book Gratitude Works! He tells us: “Think about and then write down those aspects of your life that you are prone to take for granted. Instead, take them as granted.” I just LOVE that distinction. Ungrateful people tend to take things (and people!) for granted. For example, we take for granted all of the astonishing modern benefits that make our lives possible: like a warm house, a car, a smartphone, the Internet and all the other magical marvels of modern life. Robert tells us we’d be wise to move from taking people and things FOR GRANTED to seeing them AS GRANTED. Let’s think about that for a moment longer. We can take the amazing people and goodness in our lives FOR GRANTED or AS GRANTED. It may not seem like a big deal, but it’s a REALLY big distinction. Science says: We’d be wise to remember that NONE of it is guaranteed. Making the shift to see that it’s ALL one big GIFT is at the heart of gratitude. In fact, it’s so important that we’re going to spend another moment on it tomorrow as we talk about the #1 obstacle to gratitude. For now… Let’s think of three things we normally take for granted and see if we can shift to seeing them “as granted.” Here are three things pop up immediately for me… #1: The computer on which I’m typing this. It’s easy for me to take this for granted (and get frustrated when it inevitably doesn’t work perfectly). But MY GOODNESS!!! It’s a MIRACLE. I can type on little black pieces of plastic and somehow (!) create letters that somehow (!) show up on the screen and on a website (Dropbox Paper) that I can edit and share with our team who can share it with you and with other Optimizers around the world. MIND BOGGLING. I hereby commit to, for this moment, seeing all of this AS GRANTED to me (via countless people over countless iterations over countless generations…). Grateful wow. #2: The house in which I’m typing this. As I looked up from the screen out my office window at the mountain I hike every morning I thought of how easy it is to take the fact that I live in a safe, climate controlled house FOR GRANTED. That’s crazy. I’m so blessed (by so many people—including YOU) that it’s not even funny. I shall now, for this moment, see it AS GRANTED to me. Thank you. #3: The bottle from which I’m drinking fresh water. I drink from a water bottle all day every day. Of course, it’s very easy to take that FOR GRANTED. But… Again… MY GOODNESS. That’s a miracle. Countless people around the world don’t have fresh water (gah) and ALL of us used to have to trek long distances to get our daily water (when we could find it). I hereby, for this moment, commit to seeing this gift AS GRANTED. And, for that I am grateful. Of course, we can go on all day every day on this. And STILL barely scratch the surface of all the benefits we receive. THAT’S THE POINT. And, that’s Today’s +1. What three things can you shift from taking FOR GRANTED to AS GRANTED? 1. _________________________________________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________________________________________ 3. _________________________________________________________________________
Alzheimer’s. Even just thinking about that dreaded disease freaks you out a bit, eh? Over 5 million people in the US alone have Alzheimer’s. 1 in 9 people over 65. We’re told that there’s little we can do to prevent it and even less (make that: nothing) we can do to reverse it. Well... What if we could put an End to Alzheimer’s? In his great book, The End of Alzheimers, and in this conversation, Dale Bredeson, MD shares how Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented, and in many cases its associated decline can be reversed.
In our last +1, we talked about how to sidestep depression and anxiety. I still can’t believe that scientists have identified a threshold for our step counts under which we make ourselves more vulnerable for anxiety and depression. As Kelly McGonigal tells us in The Joy of Movement: “The average daily step count required to induce feelings of anxiety and depression and decrease satisfaction with life is 5,649. The typical American takes 4,774 steps per day. Across the globe, the average is 4,961.” Right before those step count thresholds, she tells us: “Other experiments in the U.S. and UK have forced moderately active adults to become sedentary for a period of time, only to watch their well-being wither. Regular exercisers who replace physical activity with a sedentary activity for two weeks become more anxious, tired, and hostile. When adults are randomly assigned to reduce their daily step count, 88 percent become more depressed. Within one week of becoming more sedentary, they report a 31 percent decline in life satisfaction.” Those stats are nuts as well. Take a regular exerciser, force them to become more sedentary and VOILA! Their “well-being withers.” 88% (EIGHTY-EIGHT PERCENT!!!) become more depressed. Within ONE WEEK of becoming more sedentary, they report a 31% (!!!) decline in life satisfaction. Kinda makes you want to move, eh? It’s funny, because, having been a non-exercising and much more “anxious, tired, hostile and depressed” version of myself, I’ve often jokingly said that you couldn’t PAY me to NOT exercise. As it turns out, the researchers conducting studies like that often ran into challenges finding people willing to not exercise! (Apparently, I’m not alone.) So... One more time. Back to you. How can you move a little more? TODAY!!!
In our last +1, we left Zeno the leopard gecko in his terrarium and hung out with Zeno the founder of Stoicism. As we discussed, Zeno was a wealthy merchant who arrived in Athens via shipwreck, discovered philosophy and then told his students that “he had come to value wisdom more than wealth or reputation.” He valued wisdom so much that he used to say: “My most profitable journey began on the day I was shipwrecked and lost my entire fortune.” Today I want to talk about another Stoic practice we can use to get a firm grip on reality so we can alchemize our apparent misfortune into our greatest fortune. Stepping back for a moment, let’s remind ourselves of the fact that the Stoics took the whole idea of living with wisdom VERY seriously. They were ALL IN on playing the eudaimonia game and believed that living with virtue was THE means by which to win that game. Therefore… When a “disaster” struck, they stepped back (right there in between stimulus and response) and asked themselves, “What virtue can I put to work on this challenge?” Perhaps a little Wisdom to remind myself that setbacks are an inherent part of life? Perhaps a little Self-Mastery to actually practice my philosophy in the moment it matters? Perhaps a little Courage to step forward into growth and do needs to get done whether I feel like it or not? Or, perhaps I can practice the ultimate virtue of Love and bring kindness and presence and magnanimity to the moment? That’s Today’s +1. Facing any challenges? What =Virtue(s) can YOU apply to those challenges? Let’s move from Theory to Practice en route to Mastery. TODAY!!! +1. +1. +1.
Virtues > Behaviors model. Big Ideas we explore include Superman + Clark Kent (who's who?), activating your Heroic Self (the science of), motivation and emotion (share a common Latin root), virtues as super powers (more on the science of), and Crossing the Threshold (Today the day?)."}" data-sheets-userformat= "{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":3,"12":0}"> The Alter Ego Effect. This is one of the most fun and compelling and inspiring books I’ve read in a while. I REALLY (!!!) enjoyed reading it, had a ton of fun constructing and playing with some potential Alter Egos and highly recommend it. I also really enjoyed how high-performance coach and mental game strategist Todd Herman describes the science behind the power of “secret identities” to transform our lives and I loved the parallels between his perspective and our Big 3 Identities Virtues Behaviors model. Big Ideas we explore include Superman + Clark Kent (who's who?), activating your Heroic Self (the science of), motivation and emotion (share a common Latin root), virtues as superpowers (more on the science of), and Crossing the Threshold (Today the day?).
In our last couple +1s, we’ve been hanging out with Emerson, playing the “I Love You!” game and taking a quick look at the story of our world. Today we’re going to spend a little more time with Emerson and history. First: Quick aside. At the Optimize Coach graduation weekend, it was amazing how many of our Coaches came up to Alexandra and me and told us how much THEIR KIDS loved seeing Emerson in the +1s. (I actually got misty typing that.) They told us that the +1s with him were a great way to share the wisdom with their kids and that their kids looked forward to more +1s with the little philosopher. So… Here we are. Now… Back to The Story of the World: Volume 2: From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance. After the fall of Rome, Western Europe entered what is known as the “middle ages” or the “dark ages.” Then there was a “rebirth” or renewed interest in ancient ideals that fueled the Renaissance. As you know, a key player in the Renaissance was a guy named Galileo. (In addition to his creation of a super-powerful telescope that let him view the moons of Jupiter that strengthened his belief in Copernicus’s theory that Earth revolved around the sun, did you know that Galileo also invented the thermometer? Might want to give ol’ G a virtual fistbump of gratitude every time you check the temperature Today!) Which leads us to page 339 of The Story of the World Volume II and to the point of Today’s +1. Here’s the passage: “Galileo was one of the first modern scientists, because he used the experimental method to find out how the world worked. Rather than trying to decide whether or not his ideas lined up with philosophy, Galileo made theories about the world and then tested them through doing experiments. ‘Measure what is measurable,’ he once said, ‘and if something cannot be measured, figure out how it can be.’” Now… I LOVE (!) the idea of running Optimizing experiments (but only all day every day) (N = 1!), but it’s that last part that got me to fold the page over. “Measure what is measurable.” … “And if something cannot be measured, figure out how it can be.’” When I read that, I immediately thought of virtue. If we believe all the ancient wisdom traditions (and modern science!), virtue is THE #1 thing that’s driving our sense of flourishing and well-being. But… Are we measuring it? And… How do we measure it? Hmmm… Of course, there are an infinite number of ways to attempt to measure virtue, but I think the most important thing to do is to simply step back long enough from the hustle and bustle of daily living and all the “time management” we do and think about “virtue management” long enough to appreciate just how important it is. Which is why we encourage you (and require our Coaches!) to reflect on your virtues EVERY SINGLE MORNING—identifying who you are at your best, articulating the virtues THAT version of you embodies, and then committing to BEING that Optimus-best version of yourself TODAY. Then, for the super-serious-Optimizing scientists among us, we check in at the end of the day (channeling our inner Pythagoras) to see how we did so we can get a little better tomorrow. That’s Today’s +1. Virtue. Let’s measure it. TODAY.
In our last +1, we had fun with the ultimate riddles of life—from skunks and giraffes to watches and pearls. And… The answer to pretty much all of life’s riddles? Love. After Emerson gave me that answer to the hero-virtue riddle, we went to visit the ladies in the bath to tell mommy about his answer. Which, of course, led to a whole ‘nother round of riddles. Today we’re going to talk about the riddle I got from Ellen Langer—the “mother of mindfulness” research and the creator of the “psychology of possibility.” In our interview, she asked me this little riddle… Ellen: “What’s 1 + 1?” … Before we carry on, whaddya think? What’s 1 + 1? … Got it? Awesome. Now, back to the show… Ellen: “What’s 1 + 1?” Me: “Uhhh…” (The quick look inside my head in that moment: “I know the answer can’t be 2 but…” “Hmmmm…” Insert thought from Part X: “Well! At least we’re filming this so I’ll look ridiculous!” Quick reply by Optimus: “That wasn’t helpful Part X. Just have fun and answer the question, B.” ← Yes, all of that happened in the span of a couple seconds. lol) Me: “Uhh… 2?” Ellen: "Nope. The right answer is ‘It depends.’” Then Ellen (in full Professor Langer mode) proceeded to school me on the importance of mindfully approaching life and its challenges. If you’re adding two of the Arabic numeral “1”s together, she explained, the answer is 2. But… If you’re putting two pieces of gum together, the answer is 1. And, as we discussed in the Joov-light powered bathroom the other night, if you’re putting two “1”s right next to each other, the answer is “11.” Put a sperm and an egg together and you get one baby (or maybe two!). You get the idea… And… That’s Today’s +1. If you feel so inspired, have fun riddling your friends and family as we remember to approach life a little more mindfully. Today.
Irresistible. That’s the perfect word to describe the growing array of addictive technologies that are capturing so much of our attention these days. And, it’s the perfect name for Adam Alter's latest book. Alter is an associate professor of marketing at NYU’s Stern School of Business, and a leading expert on, as the sub-title suggests, “The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked.” In this conversation, we explore how to create a healthier relationship with our technology so . we can Optimize our lives and actualize our potential.
Ellen Langer is a professor of psychology at Harvard and one of the world's leading experts on the science of wellbeing, and what she refers to as the "psychology of possibility." Dr. Langer was first female professor to gain tenure in the Psychology Department at Harvard University, and is the the author of eleven books--including Mindfulness, The Power of Mindful Learning, and her Counterclockwise--and more than two hundred research articles. She has been described as the “mother of mindfulness” and through her work, Dr. Langer challenges us to overcome our mindless patterns, let go of false limits, focus on the process and notice all the wonders present in our lives.
In our last +1, we spent some time with John Maxwell and reflected on his wisdom on the pinnacle of leadership influence: Moral Authority. Recall: “Moral authority is the recognition of a person’s leadership influence based on who they are more than the position they hold. It is attained by authentic living that has built trust and it is sustained by successful leadership endeavors. It is earned by a lifetime of consistency. Leaders can strive to earn moral authority by the way they live, but only others can grant them moral authority.” Today I want to talk about another little gem from his most recent book called Leadershift. He tells us that Babe Ruth (apparently) said: “Yesterday’s home run won’t win today’s game.” Isn’t that AWESOME?! “Yesterday’s home run won’t win today’s game.” That’s Today’s +1. Yesterday’s home run? Well… Congrats on rocking it yesterday but… That epic performance is not going to win TODAY’s game. So… Start again. (And again… And again…) Build the chair. Light the fire. TODAY. +1. +1. +1.
In our last +1, we talked about the research on the fact that The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking. Today I want to talk about another way to make what we’re learning stick. We’re going to consult with Barbara Oakley on this one. Barbara taught one of the most popular classes in history. Nearly 2 million people from 200 countries have taken her Coursera class called Learning How to Learn. She also wrote a book on how to learn called A Mind for Numbers where she tells us: “The legendary Charles Darwin would do much the same thing. When trying to explain a concept, he imagined someone had just walked into his study. He would put his pen down and try to explain the idea in the simplest terms. That helped him figure out how he would describe the concept in print. Along those lines, the website Reddit.com has a section called ‘Explain like I’m 5’ where anyone can make a post asking for a simple explanation of a complex topic. You may think you really have to understand something in order to explain it. But observe what happens when you are talking to other people about what you are studying. You’ll be surprised to see how often understanding arises as a consequence of attempts to explain to others and yourself, rather than the explanation arising out of your previous understanding. This is why teachers often say that the first time they ever really understood the material was when they had to teach it.” That’s Today’s +1. Want to master something? Explain it to someone. Like they’re 5. TODAY.
In our last couple +1s, we talked about a key (arguably the #1 key) predictor of our long-term health/morbidity: our visceral fat. We also discussed the Optimized WHtR (Waist-to-Height Ratio!) that gives us some insight on how we’re doing with that facet of our lives. (+1 +1 +1 for the <.5 win!) There are, of course, a number of things we can do to Optimize our WHtR. Eat + Move + Sleep Fundies for the win! But… The #1 thing? Nutrition. At the end of the day, if we want to get our weight Optimized, we need to get our nutrition Optimized. (And, that requires us to get our metabolism/insulin Optimized.) For the record: I’m agnostic as to whether you should go vegan or paleo or keto or carnivore or whatever strikes your fancy. I am, however, very (!) committed to a) encouraging you to GO ALL IN on whatever path you choose while b) remaining open to experimenting as new data comes in while c) making sure whatever path you choose includes limiting/eliminating sugar and flour and ultra-processed foods while d) reminding you that the more weight you need to lose, the MORE committed you’ll need to be, the more important the margins will be, and the brighter your lines will need to be. But that’s not quite the point of Today’s +1. Today I want to talk about the fact that exercise, as awesome as it is, is PRIMARILY a WELL-BEING tool not a WEIGHT-LOSS tool. We talk about this in our Notes on Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney’s book The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living. It’s one of their “Ten Clinical Pearls.” They tell us: “Exercise is a wellness tool. It is not a weight loss tool.” They also tell us: “Exercise done by heavy people causes a lot of collateral damage. Think ankles, knees, hips, and low backs. So here’s a radical idea… let heavy people try carbohydrate restriction first, lose some weight (which most do without resorting to exercise), and then let them decide when to become more active once they are empowered, energized, and lighter of foot. Making heavy people exercise is punitive. Enabling heavy people to lose weight and then become more fit is smart.” So… Exercise is unquestionably awesome for our overall well-being. It’s like that little bit of Ritalin and Prozac a la John Ratey’s Spark. And, as Sonja Lyubomirsky tells us in The How of Happiness, it’s been shown to be as effective as Zoloft in reducing depression. But, again, remember: Exercise is NOT primarily a weight-loss tool. It’s a wellness tool. I often think of this when I’m out on the trail and see significantly overweight people training super hard. It makes a LOT more sense to slow down and get your weight down THEN train. To put it in perspective, I used to carry something heavy for the first and last 5 minutes up to the start of the trail—either a 50-pound sand bag or a bucket filled with 50 pounds of gravel-rocks. (That’s like me!) People often looked at me and asked, “What are you carrying?!” Then we’d have a sweet, Love 2.0 moment as we chat about Spartan Races, etc. But... No one ever pauses to think about the fact that running with 15 to 25 to 50+ extra pounds is AT LEAST as weird as me carrying a 50-pound bag of sand or a 50-pound bucket of rocks! So... If you’re carrying extra weight, consider putting ALL your energy into dropping it THEN hitting your higher-impact aerobic training. (Note: Carry on with the lower-impact MAF aerobic goodness and resistance training during the transition!) One more time… Let’s remember: “Exercise is a wellness tool. It is not a weight loss tool.”
In our last +1, we talked about the PM ritual Pythagoras came up with 2,500 years ago (!) that the Stoics liked to follow: "Allow not sleep to close your wearied eyes,
Until you have reckoned up each daytime deed:
*‘Where did I go wrong? What did I do? And what duty’s left undone?’*
*From first to last review your acts and then*
*Reprove yourself for wretched acts, but rejoice in those done well.”*
Today we’ll step back a bit and put in an AM Intention practice to go with that PM Reflection practice. Let’s go back to Donald Robertson’s How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. He encourages us to follow another one of Aurelius’s practices and “Contemplate the Sage.” Specifically, he tells us that Marcus made it a practice to think about the virtues he admired in others that he aspired to put into practice in his own life. He also tells us: “In addition to the virtues of real people, the Stoics were also known for contemplating the hypothetical character of an ideal Sage, or wise person.” Then he shares my favorite practice: “In addition to asking ourselves what qualities the ideal wise person might have, we can ask what qualities we might hope to possess in the distant future. For instance, what sort of person would you hope to be after having trained in Stoicism for ten or twenty years?” When I read that I immediately thought of our Carpe Diem journaling process. In our Mastery Series, after establishing the ultimate game we’re playing (and how to play it well), we walk you through a Steven Covey-inspired eulogy exercise in which you attend your own funeral and listen to what your loved ones have to say about you. Pause for a moment, if you feel so inspired, and imagine that scene. You’re gone. It’s your funeral. Who says what? Specifically, what VIRTUES do you hope people use to describe you and your presence in their lives? WRITE THOSE DOWN. We then proceed to help you get more clarity on who you are at your Optimus-best so that you can more consistently express those virtues TODAY. We need to move out of the abstract, “Oh, yah. That’s how I’d like to be remembered” to a VERY concrete, “Well, if I really think those qualities are important, then TODAY is the day to live in integrity with them.” (Right?) Which leads us right into the next piece of wisdom Donald shares which also happens to map over nearly perfectly with what we encourage our Optimizers to do. He tells us to reflect on your ideal self and those virtues you intend to embody every morning. Write them down. Imagine your ideal self interacting with people Today. Who are you? How do you show up? That’s essentially what Aurelius did. We call our Optimize process “Carpe Diem Journaling.” We start by getting clarity on our Optimus-best selves in our Big 3 of Energy + Work + Love. Then we briefly reflect on that best-self Identity and write down the virtues that version of you embodies. Then we identify the #1 behavior we’ll engage in that day as we re-commit to being that version of ourselves TODAY. Donald encourages us to add a PM reflection so we can go through what he calls daily “learning cycles.” At the end of each day, he tells us to ask ourselves three simple questions: 1. What did you do badly? 2. What did you do well? 3. What could you do differently?
Those three questions happen to be exactly the questions Lanny Bassham tells us to reflect on after a performance. Only, he switches #1 and #2—starting with the positive. Shall we start that reflection process Today? How about RIGHT NOW? If you feel so inspired, reflect on those three questions for your day so far today: 1. What did you do well? __________________________________________________ 2. What did you do badly? __________________________________________________ 3. What could you do differently? __________________________________________________
Fantastic. Imagine your life in ten to twenty years if the ONLY thing you changed was adding that simple reflection practice into your life. Here’s to aggregating and compounding those incremental gains over an extended period of time so that BEST version of us is the one looking back at us in the mirror in ten or twenty years.
In our last +1, we had fun chatting about the diploma we give to our Optimize Coaches. It so perfectly captures the underlying purpose of all of our work together that I’d like to share it again. Here it is one more time: * Having demonstrated a commitment to areté through the mastery of ancient wisdom, modern science, and the fundamentals of Optimal living—both in their own life and in service to others—let it be known that * [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE] is hereby recognized as a Certified Optimize Coach and granted all privileges thereunto appertaining, for as long as they continue to demonstrate their commitment through practice. * In witness whereof, we hereby commit to do our best to operationalize virtue and live with areté, honoring the fundamentals and striving to be our Optimize = Optimus = Best = Eudaimōn = Hērō selves in Energy, Work, and Love.
Today I want to chat about one particular subtle little thing from this section: “… is hereby recognized as a Certified Optimize Coach and granted all privileges thereunto appertaining, for as long as they continue to demonstrate their commitment through practice.” I actually laughed as I bolded that. for as long as they continue to demonstrate their commitment through practice. Our program is 300-days long. We graduate after doing a Spartan Race together on Saturday. Then you know what happens on Sunday? We start again. It’s Day 1. Yes, after completing our program and demonstrating Mastery, our Coaches “graduate.” They’re now “certified.” Then, inspired in part by the the Navy SEALs who need to “earn their tridents every day,” we start again. And again. And again. It’s Day 1. EVERY DAY. Why? Well, as we talk about all the time, moving from Theory to Practice to Mastery isn’t a “Check me out, I’m done!” kinda thing. It’s a constant and never-ending process in which we strive to show up, work our always-evolving protocols and see just what we’re capable of as we make our prior best our new baseline and give the world all we've got. If that sounds like fun, we’d love to have you join us in our 2020 Optimize Coach program. Either way, of course, we’re ALL IN on supporting you and helping you make 2020 THE greatest year of our lives and the start of the greatest decade of our lives. Love and let’s do this!
Last night as I was falling asleep, I was reflecting on the wonderful time I spent with a dear friend who came up to Ojai for a hike to chat about his next hero’s journey. We talked about some of the key themes of our upcoming Mastery Series/Optimize Coach program. (Fun fact: Looks like he’ll be doing the program with TWO of his kids—which makes my soul smile.) So… One of the things we discussed was creating Masterpiece Days. Of course, we talked about the fact that our day starts the night before (PM counts twice!), the importance of being creative before we’re reactive and all that jazz. We also spent a fair amount of time talking about The Fundamentals (Eat! Move! Sleep! Breathe! Be Present! Prosper!) and how important it is to Optimize our Energy so we can show up most fully in our Work and our Love. But what I found myself thinking about as I was falling asleep was the fact that when most people start to think about architecting their ideal days, they start with “Time Management.” Optimizing the nuts and bolts of how we manage our time is, of course, important. But I think there’s something more important and essential than managing our time. As Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr put it in The Power of Full Engagement, we need to manage our ENERGY. When we prioritize Energy Management, things like our PM Bookends (with its shut-down complete and digital sunset rituals) become obvious high priorities. So… Energy Management > Time Management. But… There’s something FAR more important than either Energy Management or Time Management. Virtue Management. This is, essentially, what all (!) the great philosophers and spiritual traditions have taught us since the dawn of time. Live with Wisdom. And Self-Mastery. And Courage. And Love. Why? So we can more consistently close the gap between who we’re capable of being and who we’re actually being as we joyfully show up as the Optimus-best version of ourselves in service to our families, communities, and world. When? TODAY. P.S. We’d be honored to welcome you to our 2020 Mastery Series and Optimize Coach programs. You can sign up now. Based on the feedback of the 1,000+ Optimizers who participated in our inaugural class, I KNOW we can help you make 2020 THE greatest year of your life and the start of the greatest decade of your life. Let’s do this!!!
Emily Fletcher was a Broadway performer living the dream. Only… Her hair was graying at 27, she was always stressed and had chronic insomnia. One of her fellow Broadway performers was always super calm and confident. Emily asked her how she did it. The woman told her that she meditated. Emily rolled her eyes. Then she decided to give meditation a try. After ONE day of meditation, her insomnia was gone. She was hooked. Soon after, she quit Broadway, traveled to India to study more deeply then became a meditation teacher and created something called the “Ziva Technique” which she’s taught to thousands of people. In her book Stress Less, Accomplish More, Emily walks us through the science of WHY meditation is so powerful and then introduces us to the “3 M’s” of her Z Technique: Mindfulness, Meditation and Manifesting. As you know if you’ve been following along, I’m a HUGE fan of meditation. I’ve missed ONE day in the last 12+ years. If you’ve been looking for a book that will help you get started on your meditation journey and/or take your existing practice to the next level, I think you’ll love it. It’s a great place to start. Today I want to chat about one of my favorite distinctions from the book. Emily tells us: “The single most important piece of meditation advice you can hold with you as you dive in is this: Thoughts are not the enemy. Remember that the mind thinks involuntarily just like the heart beats involuntarily, so please don’t try to give your mind a command to be silent. Instead, know that thoughts are okay—they’re actually a useful part of this process and now you have your trusty anchor, one, to come back to when you notice you’ve taken a mental field trip.” I always love it when an author prefaces some wisdom with “The single most important thing you need to know about X is...” As we’ve discussed, IF that happens, THEN I sit up a little straighter (gently pulling that thread through the head, of course) and pay even closer attention. So... Sit up a little straighter and pull that thread if you feel so inspired as we note: “The single most important piece of meditation advice you can hold with you as you dive in is this: Thoughts are not the enemy.” Have YOU “tried” to meditate but felt like a failure because you couldn’t stop thinking? Well... Uh... Know this: You’re not SUPPOSED to be able to stop your brain from thinking. PERIOD. Emily tells us that she’s NEVER (!) had a session in which she didn’t have a single thought bubble up. It’s not going to happen. EVER. Why? Because, and I just love this line: “The mind thinks involuntarily just like the heart beats involuntarily.” <- Isn’t that a beautiful, empowering way to think about it? The mind THINKS involuntarily just like the heart BEATS involuntarily. Yes, you can slow your heart rate quite a bit by learning how to breathe deeply, training wisely and all that jazz. BUT... You can’t just flip the switch OFF. SAME WITH YOUR BRAIN. We can learn how to slow our thoughts down (interestingly, via the same mechanisms we use to slow our heart rates down: deep breathing, good sleep, exercise, etc.) BUT... We can’t just flip the switch OFF. <- Isn’t that empowering? Knowing that, when our minds inevitably move away from our anchors, we can just say “Oh, well” like Herbert Benson recommends and get back to our practice—in this case, to allowing our mantra to gently bubble up in our consciousness as we deeply relax our minds and bodies. So… One more time: Our thoughts are not our enemies. In fact, a meditation in which we have a LOT of thoughts bubble up is actually, potentially, one of our BEST meditations because the process of sitting and calmly bringing ourselves back to our anchor allows us to “digest”/“release” those thoughts that would otherwise have remained locked up in our minds and bodies. As Emily says: “Thinking during meditation is actually an indicator that some stress is leaving the body. This is where the healing happens. Better out than in, right? When you feel those thoughts coming up and out, know that it is stress exiting your nervous system.” And: “If you remember one thing from this whole book, let it be this: A deep meditation is no better for you than a shallow meditation. I’m going to say that again for dramatic effect. A deep meditation is no better for you than a shallow meditation. I am defining a deep meditation as one in which time passes quickly, you have few thoughts, and you generally enjoy the sitting. In a shallow meditation, the time may pass more slowly, you may feel like you are just sitting there having thoughts the whole time, and you may not enjoy the sitting itself. Both are beneficial for you. A deep meditation means the body is getting deep rest; a shallow meditation means the body is releasing stresses in the form of thoughts. One is not better for you than the other. Write it on your mirror, make a T-shirt, tattoo it on your forehead. I know it sounds crazy and counter to everything you have likely heard about meditation so far, but it’s true.” Here’s to just showing up and brushing our brains. TODAY.
This is Optimize +1 #1,000. I don’t really know how to best start this one other than by saying: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Seriously. I am so honored to be a part of your life—whether that’s occasionally or every day. And I’m deeply grateful to have your support so I can do what I do. Thank you. Today I want to celebrate YOU. And… I want to shine a special light of awesome on all of you heroically gritty Optimizers who have actually been with us for ALL 1,000 Optimize +1s. !!! We’ve actually created a little virtual Hall of Fame. It’s time to induct our first wave of honorees. (If we missed you, sorry! Please let us know and we’ll retroactively add you!) Ahem. Here we go… charles agrusa Kay Garkusha Peggy Rakas SYLVIO FERREIRA TORRES Nat Barcellini Tricia Nelson Jaya Chauhan Hussein Jinnah Jordan Bernard Angèle Verrier Judi Wearing Khaled Sultan Georgina Ingram Hal Simonson Angela Stokes Gianni Bergandi Solène Hyordey Esther Ratsch SRINIVAS BNS Abhay Gulmire Ajay Panackal Riccardo Gelmini Soraia Kutby Jason Simmonds Bogdan Petrutescu Matt Willcocks Michael J Smith Kippy Jo Berry Candace Pollock Sidney Hutter Dennis Schvejda Tony Vito Ana Pichardo Matt Ramsey Steve Mortimer Travis Thomas Zack Feeney Cheree Simons Shane Starke Deb Kronsberg Shelly Auld Stephen Stohler Paulo Oliveira Stephanie Martinez Caron MacLane Betsy Newlon Dawn Hoffmann Nancy Stahl Candace Pollock Mark Fischer Kristie Kuehnast Gieta Beckmann Kat Bloom Derrick Wulf Luke Gilson Daniel Keller Pattie Beaven Dennis Miller Tim Brown David Newman Wendy Holt Michael Balchan Tara Bogdon Dushan Bosotov Carl Brenner Bharat Singh Lisa LaMont Josée Boutin Michele Herkimer Katherine Long Henry Mason Cath Cooney Kevin Stallmo Ryan Phillips Virginie Kidwell Patrick Köhn Jaya Chauhan Catherine Cullen Antonis Katsarakis David Lee Jr Bud Search Brendan Malloy Bruce Ollis Helen Thorgalsen Marta Ribas Aygemang Clay Geoff Downey Kyle Abel Win Callender Arvind Gopal Susie Berman KERRY MEACHAM Jericho Robles Lori Lang RICHARD RINCK Joe Goryl Fernando Orta Cheryl Wheeler Aneesh Ghosh João Alves Ernest Wassmann Stephanie Scott Cathy Dodd Kay Garkusha Pam Holzapfel Yohanse Manzanarez Stephanie Criner Susan Benson Genevieve Jones Anne Dwane Bill Turner Andy Moriarity Jonathan Schreter Glen McNiel Laurie Struck Emmanuel Ryckeboer Hayley Schmidtke Louise Soifer Wendy Holt Tania May Summer Teixeira Randall Grayson Blaine Hart Jamie Erwine Grace Christensen Jill Young Scott Miller James Abney Marie Anne Patenaude-Alexandre Steve Medland Tirth Pat Alma-Jade Chanter Julie Beck Jeffry Myers Ben Robins Jason Deppen Mark Davis Carl Blackburn Michael Metcalf Mari Lynch Laura Larsen-Strecker Scott Miller Mike Lange Pamela Castillo Diane Martin
In our last +1, we hung out with my two favorite Joes: Scholar of the Hero’s Journey (and Grandpa in my spiritual family tree) Joseph Campbell, and gritty heroic exemplar (and soul brother), Joe De Sena. Today I want to spend a little more time with Joe De Sena. Let’s open up his latest book The Spartan Way. Page 14. He tells us: “Through work and endurance racing I have come to know many people. Some of them were unforgettable. These great ones all shared the same core qualities. I call them the Spartan Core Virtues. Combine these qualities into one person and you have the ideal boss, the valuable employee, the perfect business partner, or comrade in any endeavor. Here’s a short description of each of the Spartan Core Virtues. Self-Awareness: Know who you are and who you are not. If you don’t, you’ll be confused daily. Commitment: Stick to it because the world is filled with people who don’t. You’re better than that. Passion: If you’re not passionate about what you do, you’re not going to be great at it. Take things seriously and learn to be passionate. Discipline: Set your rules and stick to them. Be disciplined about it. Prioritization: Deal with the important things—important being what you define as important—first. Grit: Get gritty. Break out of your comfort zone. Do the hard, scary shit. Find your passion and persevere. Courage: This is the ability to stay focused and work relentlessly with both intensity and passion through virtually anything, especially through failure. Optimism: See the world as you want it to be, not as it is. Be ever hopeful. Integrity: If you’re not honest with yourself and others, then what are you? Wholeness: Live the life of a complete and whole Spartan.” There ya go. The Ten Spartan Core Virtues. Repetition is the essence of mastery, so let’s go through them again. This time, if you feel so inspired and didn’t already do a quick inventory on how you’re doing with each, please do. Self-Awareness + Commitment + Passion + Discipline + Prioritization + Grit + Courage + Optimism + Integrity + Wholeness. So... What’s awesome? What needs work? What can (and will!) you start doing differently? Let’s remember: It’s ALL (!!!) about OPERATIONALIZING VIRTUE. +1. +1. +1. P.S. One of the things Joe and I joke about is that I’m his brother from Athens. (Hah.) Embodying those Spartan virtues? Well… That, of course, is what Aristotle taught us when he said that the summum bonum (the highest good!) is to live with eudaimonia—to flourish by having a “good soul.” How do we do that? LIVE VIRTUOUSLY!! (Again, echo, the one-word summation of ALL of our work together? Areté. Express the best version of yourself moment to moment to moment and voila! Enter: Eudaimonia + a deep sense of flourishing.) More on all that soon (and forever)…
Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness have written a couple great books together. First, they gave us Peak Performance. Then The Passion Paradox. Today we’re going to talk about one of the central themes of The Passion Paradox. (Tomorrow we’ll chat about some goodness from Peak Performance.) So… Passion. It’s AWESOME! Except when it isn’t. Enter: The Passion Paradox. As Brad and Steve put it: “Mindlessly living with a passion can be extremely harmful and destructive. Mindfully living with a passion can be the key to a life well lived.” They tell us that psychologists differentiate two types of passion by calling the unhealthy kind “Obsessive Passion” and the healthy kind “Harmonious Passion.” Obsessive Passion is toxic. It has two primary facets: 1. Focusing too much on extrinsic results (like fame, wealth, achievement, etc.); 2. Being too worried about failure. Harmonious Passion, on the other hand, gives us a deep sense of joy. Whereas the toxic passion is focused on the pursuit of extrinsic rewards, the healthy passion is focused on intrinsic drivers. As Brad and Steve put it: “Enter harmonious passion: a feeling that emerges when you are wrapped up in something primarily for the joy of the activity, when your engagement is not merely a means to an end but rather an end in itself. Harmonious passion manifests mainly from activities that are freely chosen without contingencies; when you do something because you enjoy it, not because it offers potential rewards, and not to avoid negative repercussions. Not every moment of harmonious passion is necessarily pleasing, but overall, it is deeply fulfilling. It aligns closely with the ancient Greek notion of eudaimonia, or a kind of happiness that results not from overwhelming pleasure but from striving to meet one’s full potential by engaging in activities that one considers meaningful. In the 1970s, the late psychologist and humanist philosopher Erich Fromm wrote of something similar, which he called productive activity, where happiness isn’t related to the attainment of possession or rewards but rather to ‘the process of ever growing aliveness . . . for living as fully as one can is so satisfactory that concern for what one might or might not attain has little chance to develop.’ The great paradox, however, is that although external achievement is never a primary goal of harmonious passion, when you become completely immersed in what you’re doing for the joy of the activity itself, it is often a by-product. Those who focus most on success are least likely to achieve it. Those who focus least on success, and focus on the process of engaging in their craft instead, are most likely to achieve it.” That’s Today’s +1. First: Shout out for eudaimonia. :) Second: Pop quiz: How’s YOUR passion? Here’s to the Harmonious variety in which we seek mastery and experience the joys of mindfully embracing our passion—while letting the outcomes take care of themselves.
In our last +1, we did our best Boss impersonation as we reinterpreted our sweaty palms and racing hearts as a sign we’re EXCITED and READY TO GO rather than as a sign that something’s wrong. When I read that passage in Marie’s book, I immediately thought of some parallel wisdom from Jon Eliot’s Overachievement. Recall that Eliot is the guy who told us that we want to keep our V-12 engines and learn how to manage all that power rather than swap it out for a lawnmower engine. And, he told us that we want to be more like squirrels than Einstein when we get ready to perform. So… Here’s the passage I thought of as I read about the Boss’s Bossness. Eliot tells us: “The physical symptoms of fight-or-flight are what the human body has learned over thousands of years to operate more efficiently and at the highest level. Anxiety is a cognitive interpretation of that physical response.” Aha! That energy we feel when we’re about to perform? Eliot tells us we need to remember two more things: "1. Everything that your body does to you when the pressure is on is good for performance... 2. Pressure is different from anxiety; nervousness is different from worry.”
One more time: Everything is inherently empty of meaning. We get to CHOOSE the meaning we give to any and everything that’s happening to us. (Period!) So, might as well choose the optimal response. Excited about anything Today? Me, too. Let’s do this!
A few +1s ago, we had fun chatting about the starting and finish lines of my first business, eteamz. I mentioned that it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows and we briefly discussed the fact that I’ve failed WAY MORE times than I’ve succeeded. (btw. As a recovering fixed-mindset perfectionist, it was therapeutic for me to type that. Hah. Seriously.) Today we’re going to remind ourselves to embrace the mis-takes and failures of life that INEVITABLY (and NECESSARILY!!) occur as we strive to do great things in pursuit of mastering ourselves in service to the world. This gem is pretty epic and worth contemplating: “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” Then there’s Adam Grant’s wisdom from Originals where he quotes Randy Komisar—one of the best entrepreneurs/investors alive: “Whether you’re generating or evaluating new ideas the best you can do is measure success on the kind of yardstick that batters use in baseball. As Randy Komisar puts it, ‘If I’m hitting .300, I’m a genius. That’s because the future cannot be predicted. The sooner you learn it, the sooner you can be good at it.’” And… There’s Michael Jordan’s wisdom via Carol Dweck’s Mindset (one more time!): “Michael Jordan embraced his failures. In fact, in one of his favorite ads for Nike, he says: “I’ve missed more than nine thousand shots. I’ve lost almost three hundred games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot, and missed.” You can be sure that each time, he went back and practiced the shot a hundred times.” As we look forward to 2020 and commit to making it the best year of our lives (and the start of the best DECADE of our lives!!) let’s reframe our mis-takes and failures as foundation-building fuel for our heroic quests. Capitalize all those mistakes. Use the data wisely. And, one more time: Give us all you’ve got. TODAY.
We talk a lot about the futility of arguing with reality. As Byron Katie so perfectly says, “When I argue with reality I lose. But only 100% of the time.” (Hah.) Today we’re going to take another look at that wisdom from a slightly different angle. We’ll invite a couple of modern Zen Masters to the party: Joko Beck and Phil Jackson. We’ll start with legendary basketball coach Phil Jackson’s wisdom. In his book Sacred Hoops, he tells us: “In Zen it is said that the gap between accepting things the way they are and wishing them to be otherwise is ‘the tenth of an inch of difference between heaven and hell.’ If we can accept whatever we’ve been dealt—no matter how unwelcome—the way to proceed eventually becomes clear. This is what is meant by right action: the capacity to observe what’s happening and act appropriately, without being distracted by self-centered thoughts. If we rage and resist, our angry, fearful minds have trouble quieting down sufficiently to allow us to act in the most beneficial way for ourselves and others.” Thank you, Phil. Now for Joko Beck. In Everyday Zen, she tells us: “If we require that life be a certain way, inevitably we suffer—since life is always the way it is, and not always fair, not always pleasant. Life is not particularly the way we want it to be, it is just the way it is. And that need not prevent our enjoyment of it, our appreciation, our gratitude.” That’s Today’s +1. When/if we find ourselves a little (or a lot annoyed) Today—whether that’s with our kids or our colleagues or ourselves—let’s see if we can step back and notice the gap between what’s happening in the moment and what we want to be happening in the moment. That tenth of an inch? Let’s close it. -1. -1. -1. for the +1 win! P.S. If you’re getting all crazy-ragey? Well, you just fell into a mile-long chasm between reality and your fantasy of what should be happening. Good news? Just snap your fingers, love what it is and that gap magically vanishes.
In our last +1, we spent some time with Todd Herman, Batman, Dora the Explorer and YOUR most heroic self. Today we’re going to connect all that goodness to wisdom from the classic peak-performance book The Inner Game of Tennis by Tim Gallwey. Here’s how he puts it: “‘Asking for qualities’ describes the other kind of role-playing. When introducing this idea, I usually say something like this: ‘Imagine that I am the director of a television series. Knowing that you are an actor that plays tennis, I ask if you would like to do a bit part as a top-flight tennis player. I assure you that you needn’t worry about hitting the ball out or into the net because the camera will only be focused on you and will not follow the ball. What I’m mainly interested in is that you adopt professional mannerisms, and that you swing your racket with super self-assurance. Above all, your face must express no self-doubt. You should look as if you are hitting every ball exactly where you want to. Really get into the role, hit as hard as you like and ignore where the ball is actually going.” “Asking for qualities.” That’s one of Gallwey’s three practices for communicating with what he calls Self 2—which is basically your Optimus-best self that innately knows how to crush it if we’d simply get out of our own way. (The other two practices? Letting go of judgments and the art of creating images of the outcomes you want to see.) Today we’re going to walk onto the set of the movie that is our lives. You’re the star. (Go you!) (Well, technically, we’re ALL just bit players in the game of life so perhaps we should adopt that view, eh?) So… What roles are you playing these days? (Perhaps you can use the Big 3 Identities for Energy + Work + Love.) Now… How would you show up in your life if you acted like a top-flight pro in your given field, adopted professional mannerisms and did your thing with super self-assurance—with no doubt and pure confidence? Let’s ACT LIKE THAT. Today. Seriously. How would you walk, talk, breathe and be if you were acting like the best possible version of yourself? Be that. And let’s watch our performance (and enjoyment) soar.
In our last +1, we revisited Ellen Langer at her “Psychology of Possibility” lab at Harvard to learn that words matter. As you may recall, simply priming people with words associated with old age (via a crossword puzzle!) will cause them to walk more slowly to the elevator than those who weren’t primed with those words. rubs eyes One more time: Astonishing, eh? And… One more time: WORDS MATTER. A lot. Langer shares that study and wisdom in her book Counterclockwise in a section in which she also talks about “placebos” and other truly fascinating studies. Here’s how she puts it: “When we see mind and body as parts of a single entity, the research on placebos takes on new meaning and suggests we can not only control much of our disease experience, but we may also be able to extend our ability to gain, recover, or enhance our health. Placebos often come in the form of a single word that captures a richer mindset. In one study I conducted with my students, we explored the mindset most of us have regarding excellent vision air force pilots have. All participants were given a vision test. One group of participants were then encouraged to role-play ‘air force pilots.’ They dressed the part and, in uniform, sat in a flight simulator. They were asked to read the letters on the wing of a nearby plane, which were actually part of an eye chart. Those participants who adopted the ‘pilot’ mindset, primed to have excellent vision, showed improved vision over those who were simulating being in the simulator and simply asked to read an eye chart from the same distance.” WHAT?! Just having people pretend that they’re air force pilots can improve their vision? SERIOUSLY? Yes. That’s Today’s +1. What’s YOUR “single word that captures a richer mindset”? Let’s pop that mantra-placebo word all day Today. And, if you feel so inspired, why not even dress the part as well?
Geoff Colvin’s Talent Is Overrated is a great book. It falls into the “Effort Counts Twice” / Deliberate Practice bucket of how to reach our Peak via Grit, etc. It’s packed with great stories about, as per the sub-title of the book: “What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else.” (Here’s a short hint to the answer: “No matter who they were, or what explanation of their performance was being advanced, it always took them many years to become excellent, and if a person achieves elite status only after many years of toil, assigning the principal role in that success to innate gifts becomes problematic, to say the least.”) (Note: That doesn’t mean Talent Is IRRELEVANT, just OVERRATED when compared to extraordinarily hard work. Again: See Effort Counts Twice for Angela Duckworth’s math on the subject!) So… Today I want to share one of my favorite stories from that book. Here it is. Colvin tells us: “A study of figure skaters found that sub-elite skaters spent lots of time working on the jumps they could already do, while skaters at the highest levels spent more time on the jumps they couldn’t do, the kind that ultimately win Olympic medals and that involve lots of falling down before they’re mastered.” (Aha! Stretching out of our comfort zones into our stretch zones (but not into our panic zones!) for the win!) Colvin then tells the story of Shizuka Arakawa, who won the gold medal in figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. As you may know, she rocked some crazy move called “a layback Ina Bauer” — which basically required her to bend backward “almost double with the feet pointing in opposite directions — leading into a three-jump combination.” You can watch her gold-medal winning performance here. (Note1: The move we’re talking about occurs at the 1:45 mark.) (Note2: If you aren’t moved to tears of joy as you watch such a beautiful expression of human excellence then…. well… I don’t know what to say other than rewatch it?!) Now…. When most of us watch something like that it simply looks IMPOSSIBLE to do. (And, for most of us, it pretty much is.) But… As we watch that performance in AWE, we would be wise to remember that Shizuka, who won the gold at twenty-four, had been training for NINETEEN years. NINETEEN years!! Consistently pushing her edges. Falling down again and again and again... In fact, Colvin calculated the number of times she probably fell and says: “Landing on your butt twenty thousand times is where great performance comes from.” And… That’s Today’s +1. Ineffably elegant grace? It’s the by-product of being willing to inelegantly fall on your butt (on cold ice, no less!) 20,000 (!!) times. Olympic cameras back on you. Let’s cruise back into our respective metaphorical ice-skating rinks to train like world-class performers as we wear our falls like medals and remember this parting wisdom from Colvin: “The evidence offers no easy assurances. It shows that the price of top-level achievement is extraordinarily high. Perhaps it’s inevitable that not many people will choose to pay it. But the evidence shows also that by understanding how a few become great, anyone can become better. Above all, what the evidence shouts most loudly is striking, liberating news: that great performance is not reserved for the pre-ordained few. It is available to you and to everyone.”
The other day I found myself re-reading our Notes on Christopher McDougall’s great book Natural Born Heroes. Although we’ve talked (many times) about the fact that the ancient word for hero literally meant “protector,” I realized that (somehow!) I’ve never shared McDougall’s brilliant wisdom that catalyzed my emphasis on the whole idea of all of us becoming modern heroes. So… Let’s take a quick look at how McDougall so wisely puts it. He tells us: “And what Plutarch taught them is this: Heroes care. True heroism, as the ancients understood, isn’t about strength, or boldness, or even courage. It’s about compassion. When the Greeks created the heroic ideal, they didn’t choose a word that mean ‘Dies Trying’ or ‘Massacres Bad Guy.’ They went with hērōs—‘protector.’ Heroes aren’t perfect; with a god as one parent and a mortal as the other, they’re perpetually teetering between two destinies. What tips them toward greatness is a sidekick, a human connection who helps turn the spigot on the power of compassion. Empathy, the Greeks believed, was a source of strength, not softness; the more you recognized yourself in others and connected with their distress, the more endurance, wisdom, cunning, and determination you could tap into.” That’s Today’s +1. Heroes care. It’s that simple. And… As aspiring modern heroes, we demonstrate that love and compassion by building the strength for two. So… For whom do YOU aspire to have strength? And… How will you build just a little more strength Today? Plus… How can you use the strength you have in service to the world just a little more Today? Modern Hērōs unite!! Let’s do this.
As we’ve discussed, a mantra is literally “a tool of the mind.” By repeating a mantra over and over and over again (spiritual teachers say!), it takes hold in our subconscious and subtly shapes our mind. Eknath Easwaran is a huge fan and advocate of mantras. He sold me on their power years ago and I’ve experimented with many but I haven’t really found one that stuck. Until now… I think I might have found my new go-to mantra. Here it is: “Thank you.” As in: “Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.” Followed by: “Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.” Followed up by: “Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.” Repeat. Especially when you find yourself triggered by something (or someone). “Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.” “Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.” “Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.” It’s kinda weird what happens when I do that. I go from feeling stressed/annoyed/whatever to feeling truly GRATEFUL. I don’t even have to do anything other than kickstart the mantra. After a few reps, my mind comes up with things for which I can be grateful in the midst of whatever might be challenging me. Gratitude just kinda bubbles up. Bubbles of gratitude like: “Thank you for the challenge itself—which is giving me the opportunity to actually practice these ideas.” “Thank you for all the amazing things you have done for me, o’ person who is currently pushing my buttons.” Etc. Etc. Etc. It’s almost weird how powerful it is. Perhaps that’s why Meister Eckhart once said: “If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” That’s Today’s +1. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Not too long ago, we talked about Sleep Curfews. Five of them, to be precise. One for Caffeine. Another for Exercise. Plus Eating. Plus Screens. Plus Work. As you may recall, Caffeine has a half-life of 5 to 6 hours so try to cut back on that by around noon or 2 or whatever you find works best for you. Exercise late in the day gets your core temperature all jacked up when it should be mellowing out, so aim for at least 3 hours before bedtime. (And, remember that exercise also gives you a 12-hour mood boost so might as well pop a happy pill early in the day, eh?) Eating was a fun one. The standard advice is to eat at least 2 hours before bedtime. (And def don’t snack right before/in the middle of the night.) Want to go gonzo with the glymph? Eat at least 4 (FOUR!) hours before bedtime. Then we have Screens. Again, turn off the screens AT LEAST an hour before bed. More if you’re feeling it. Finally, we had a Work “shut-down complete” target. We left that one up to you and I said mine was no later than 5:00 pm. So… Today I want to add a new curfew. Let’s call it the “Stress Curfew.” I violated this one the other day and, as I found myself wide awake (over)thinking in the middle of the night, I vowed to use the data as wisely as possible to recommit to some bright lines as I Optimized. (I almost gave myself a mistake-learner’s high I was so buzzing.) (Almost.) (lol) Technically, you could say I violated BOTH my digital sunset Screen Curfew AND my shut-down complete Work Curfew when I was using Alexandra’s phone to work on a (somewhat intense) business issue way past my normal 5:00 pm curfews. Now, it was only 6:45 pm when I put down the phone but that’s an hour before I usually go to bed (laughing at myself; who does that?) and a couple/few hours later than I usually do that kind of work so my brain was hopping WAY (!) more than it usually is that late in the day. Enter: That poor night of sleep and a poor Oura readiness score to show for it. Good news: I rebounded from the 83 readiness score to back-to-back 95’s with an even deeper appreciation for just how much the seemingly little things matter. (Marginal gains!!) The lesson for me: There are VERY few things that are that important that they can’t wait until the next day to be addressed. And… I’m MUCH more likely to be able to solve them wisely when I’m well-rested. THEREFORE, honor your curfews, yo! That’s Today’s +1. Do YOU have a Stress Curfew? (Should you?)
Agency. It’s one of my favorite words and psychological concepts (and a cornerstone of our Optimize Coach program). So, when I saw this book I immediately got it and read it and here we are. Paul Napper and Anthony Rao are leading consultants and clinicians (who have both held academic positions at Harvard Medical School). In their great book, they define agency as “the ability to act as an effective agent for yourself—reflecting, making creative choices, and constructing a meaningful life.” Then they provide practical, scientifically-grounded wisdom on, as per the sub-title of the book: “The 7 Principles to Conquer Obstacles, Make Effective Decisions, and Create a Life on Your Own Terms.” In this Note, we take a quick look at the 7 principles and shine a spotlight on the first 3 with a focus on how we can Optimize our agency TODAY!!
In our last +1, we talked about A World With~~out~~ Heroes and the fact that “A hero sacrifices for the greater good. A hero is true to his or her conscience. In short, heroism means doing the right thing regardless of the consequences.” Then we challenged ourselves to choose THIS DAY (!) to be one of them. Today we’re going to talk about some more brilliant metaphorical wisdom from Brandon Mull’s wonderful storytelling mind. Quick context: In Beyonders, our main characters gets transported to another world. In that world, an evil Emperor reigns. Few people have chosen to stand up to the Emperor. Those who look like they might be significant threats are harassed and, if they’re lucky, get invited to a place called Harthenham to enjoy the “Eternal Feast.” Basically, this is a place where you have ZERO issues. A place where you can enjoy all the most indulgent foods and pleasures you can imagine—where you have no worries at all and can literally live better than a king who has to worry about his kingdom. When presented with an invitation to Harthenham, many heroes give up their quest and cash in their ticket to the Eternal Feast—where they proceed to waste away the rest of their lives. I’ll save the spoiler alert about what happens with our young hero. Today we’ll focus on the brilliant metaphorical representation of OUR desires to get to a place where WE have no further toil or challenges. The Eternal Feast. (Doesn’t that sound scrumptiously inviting?!) We have a word for that. Exoneration. (Thanks, Phil + Barry!) Wouldn’t it be so amazing to no longer have to work so.darn.hard? No more bills to pay. Kids to feed. Laundry to fold. No more (often) overwhelming creative challenges. Or health issues. Or, well, ANY problems at all? Ahhh… Wouldn’t that be SO NICE?! Insert: Laughter. Plus: More laughter. Hah. Reminder: We will NEVER (!) be exonerated from challenges. And, the sooner we get that fact (and remember it when we forget it) the faster we’ll reduce the “Resistance” part of the “Suffering = Pain x Resistance” equation as we get back to practicing the ancient art of acquiescence and the modern art of loving what is. That’s Today’s +1. Let’s reject our invitation to the Eternal Feast. And get back to serving the greater good. Heroically. Today. (And tomorrow. And…)
Ryan is one of my absolute favorite writers and I'm excited to sit down with him to chat about his latest book, Stillness is the Key. One of the testimonials in the front of the book perfectly captures my sentiment. Screenwriter and director Brian Koppelman (Rounders, Ocean’s Thirteen and Billions) puts it this way: “I don’t have many rules in life, but one I never break is: If Ryan Holiday writes a book, I read it as soon as I can get my hands on it.”
Not too long ago we talked about the fact that the word prosperity literally means “to go forward with hope.” Then, as you may recall, I challenged us to take some time to create a prospectus that inspires us to invest in the project that is our masterpiece lives such that we consistently MOVE FORWARD WITH HOPE. Then… I realized that this is pretty much exactly what we’re trying to do with our Coaches on a daily, micro-prospectus level via something we’re calling “Carpe Diem” journaling. Carpe Diem. Seize the day!! How? Create a micro-prospectus. How? Well, one way is via The Big 3 (x 2): Energy + Work + Love (x Identity + Virtues + Behaviors). In (very) short: Identity: Who are you at your Optimus best Energy + Work + Love-wise? Virtues: What virtues do you embody as you express your best in each of those Identities? Behaviors: What’s ONE thing that best version of you would do TODAY Energy + Work + Love-wise? That’s it. #carpediem You can do the whole thing in a minute by writing 9 words. Or, you can spend a few more minutes if you feel so inspired. Super simple micro-prospectus. When? Today. Tomorrow. The day after that. Stoke the fire of hope. And… Prosper! (btw: We’ll be unpacking this whole process a LOT more in our upcoming Mastery Series. For now, here’s a little one-page journal sheet you can play with. And, here’s Michael showing you how to rock it.)
My wife Alexandra has been a huge fan of Marie’s for a long time. I knew she was awesome. But... As I told Alexandra: “I had no idea Marie was THAT awesome!!!” My excuse: I’ve been in hermit-mode and have done nothing but read books for 5 years (no blogs/videos/etc.) so I wasn’t able to get the full sense of Marie’s heroically brilliant and grounded and HILARIOUS power until this book came out. I’ve read and created PhilosophersNotes on well over 500 books. This is one of my ABSOLUTE (!) favorites of all time. I HIGHLY (!!!) recommend it. It’s in the same league as some of my other favorites like Deep Work Atomic Habits and The 5 Second Rule. (In fact, on my chalkboard right now, I actually have “EVERYTHING IS FIGUREOUTABLE” right above “5-4-3-2-1-GO!” -- Winning combo!) The book is PACKED (!) with Big Ideas and I’m excited to share my chat with Marie about a few of her favorites.
One of the core themes of our work together (in these +1s and in our Coach program, etc.) is the power of constantly (!) experimenting as we find little ways to Optimize. All day. Every day. Repeat. (Again.) (And again.) (And again!) All done with a big eudaimonically joyful smile—as if we’re playing the greatest game ever created. (Which, of course, we are.) So… We’ve called it a bunch of things. In a business environment, the whole idea of kaizen is super popular. (Kaizen is Japanese for “improvement.” … Synonymous with “Optimize”?) While Tony Robbins calls it “CANI!” (As in “Constant And Never-ending Improvement.”) So… I’m riffing on that basic theme during our fundies session on Sleep—reminding us all of the power of chipping away and looking for marginal gains as we have fun with the whole CANI thing. Only, I suggested we swap out the “I” for “E” and make it “Constant And Never-ending EXPERIMENTING” (rather than “Improving”). I then made the (weak) suggestion that perhaps we could pronounce it: CAN-EE! To which Michael Balchan (my right-hand guy with our Coach program) playfully suggested we call it “CANOE!” (short for “Constant And Never-ending Optimizing Experimentation”) as he made some side-to-side canoeing motions. To which I said, “PERFECT!” C.A.N.O.E-ing!! Constant And Never-ending Optimizing Experimentation. That’s Today’s +1. What’s one little experiment YOU can run Today? Let’s grab our CANOEs and hop in the Optimizing River of Flexibility.
In one of our very first Notes, we took a quick look at Brendan Brazier’s The Thrive Diet. I read the book when it came out nearly a dozen years ago. Loved it. Then Brendan and I met at an event, became friends, etc. If you’re looking for ideas on how to be a high-performance plant-based athlete/human, I think you’ll enjoy Brenden and his work. He’s a former professional endurance athlete and the formulator (and cofounder) of the Vega nutrition brand. Today we’re going to chat about one of my favorite Ideas from his book. It popped into my head during the Q&A with our Coaches after our session on Sleep as we discussed having curfews on our caffeine while remembering the fact that when we routinely get less than 6 or 7 hours of sleep we DOUBLE (!) our risk for cancer. First, here’s the wisdom from Brendan: “I consider coffee drinking an uncomplementary stress. I view it as a form of credit, similar to shopping with a credit card. You get energy now that you don’t actually have, but you pay for it later—when the ‘bill,’ or fatigue, hits. (Simply drinking more coffee to put off the inevitable is like paying off one credit card with another: It will catch up with you sooner or later.) You’ll most likely pay a high interest rate as well, needing more time to recover than if that energy had not been borrowed in the first place. This is the beginning of a vicious cycle.” Let’s call that “Borrowed Energy.” Now, let’s connect that to the Matthew Walker gem we keep on talking about: “Two thirds of adults throughout all developed nations fail to obtain the recommended eight hours of nightly sleep. I doubt you’re surprised by this fact, but you may be surprised by the consequences. Routinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night demolishes your immune system, more than doubling your risk of cancer.” So… You know what MOST of those two-thirds of adults who aren’t getting enough sleep do to make up for the fatigue they almost certainly feel most days? They (of course) BORROW ENERGY. In the form of caffeine via coffee, sodas, tea, etc. And/or sugar, etc. Now… It would be GREAT if we actually had a running tab on all the energy we’ve borrowed. Some super simple energy budgeting App like Mint for Energy. One glance and we can see how much more energy we borrowed Today and how high our interest rates are, etc. Unfortunately (and this is TRULY unfortunate), we don’t. Instead, we go on borrowing more and more and more energy. Day in and day out. Week in and week out. Month in and month out. Year in and year out. Decade in and decade out. And then… We don’t just continue to feel fatigue… Instead… We double our risk of getting cancer and make ourselves unnecessarily vulnerable to all the other chronic illnesses we don’t want. And… WHAM! Our debt is due. And we run a vey high risk of paying a VERY steep price in the form of one of those dreaded chronic diseases that are currently plaguing our modern society. Let’s remember that the vast majority of chronic diseases could be prevented with a few simple (fundamental!) lifestyle changes. I repeat myself (yet again): One of the biggest levers we can pull? Get a good night of sleep. Stop borrowing so much Energy. Pay down your Energy debt. Start building your Energy wealth portfolio. Today. (How will you +1 it, my Energized friend?!)
Today is, of course, October 2nd, 2019. Let’s hop in a time machine. Destination: 150 years ago: 1869. Cars don’t exist yet. Neither do phones. (Let alone a smartphone.) So… Imagine me sending this to you via telegram as we appreciate all the marvels of modern life. 150 years ago Today a great soul was born: Mohandas Gandhi. Let’s celebrate by taking a moment to reflect on his iconic “Be the change you want to see” wisdom. We’ll let another great soul who spent her life in India lead our reflection today. As you may know, Mother Teresa once said: “If each of us would only sweep our own doorstep, the whole world would be clean.” Yep. That’s about right, eh? What change do YOU want to see in the world? Are you BEING it? Awesome. Here’s to sweeping our front porches as we do our little part in making the whole world clean.
In our last couple +1s, we’ve been hanging out in our guts. (Good times!) Surprisingly, that’s where we discovered 90% (!) of our serotonin and 70-80% (!!) of our immune systems. Crazy, eh? Today we’re going to spend another moment on the subject. Get this: Although modern medicine pretty much ignores the gut as its standard of care focuses on alleviating symptoms rather than Optimizing systems, the idea that our guts play a central role in our well-being isn’t a new idea. Let’s jump into a time machine and rewind the clock about 2,400 years. Destination: Ancient Greece. It’s time to meet the father of medicine: Hippocrates. You know what he said? “All disease begins in the gut.” Dr. Gundry echoes that wisdom and adds a little bonus gem (via The Longevity Paradox) where he tells us: “As Hippocrates famously and wisely said, ‘All disease begins in the gut.’ The good news is that all disease can be stopped there as well.” That’s Today’s +1. What’s ONE thing you KNOW you could be doing to Optimize your nutrition? Is TODAY a good day to make that happen? Fantastic. High fives. Low fives. Mid fives. (Right around the gut!) Etc. Let’s do this!!!
Dr. Steven Gundry is Tony Robbins’ doctor. He’s a former world-class heart surgeon. These days he focuses on longevity. His new book is called The Longevity Paradox. Sub-title: “How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age.” It’s fantastic. I highly recommend it. The main theme of the book is that our longevity, paradoxically, is driven by the most ancient parts of us—the bacteria and other “foreign” stuff living in our guts (and on our bodies). Today, I want to focus on one of the practical ideas from that book that might wind up being one of the most significant Optimizing levers I’ve pulled. (Ever.) (Seriously.) It’s called “Brain Washing.” Short story. I’ve known for awhile that I should have my last meal earlier than I’ve been having it. Dr. Gundry finally sold me on why I should at least test what would happen if I ate my last meal FOUR hours before going to bed. Yes, four (!) hours before I go to bed. Now, I go to bed as early as 7:30 PM so that means I’m eating my last meal around 3:00 or so. It sounded absurd to me as well when I first contemplated it. But… The data coming in so far is almost even more absurd. We’ll talk about that more in our next +1. For now, let’s talk about glymph. Glymph? Yep. GLYMPH. Ever heard of it? Here’s how Dr. G puts it: “A few years ago, researchers discovered a system that allows cerebrospinal fluid (that clear fluid we tap when we stick a needle into your spine) to flow through the brain, cleaning out the spaces in between cells, just as lymphatic fluid does in the rest of your body. This is called the glymphatic system. To make room for the fluid to wash out your brain, your cells actually shrink in size when you are in deep sleep. This allows the full ‘brain wash’ process to go twenty times as fast when you are in deep sleep as when you are awake and helps explain why a good night’s sleep is so restorative. When you get an adequate amount of deep sleep, you literally wake up with a refreshed and rejuvenated mind that has been swept clean of junk and debris.” So… We’ve all heard of our lymphatic system. It’s an essential part of our immune system featuring a clear fluid called “lymph” that helps rid our bodies of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials. But... What about our glymphatic system? I never really paid attention to it until I read this book. It’s a BIG deal. Want to keep your brain all squeaky clean? Well... It’s the glymph in our GLYMPHATIC system that’s responsible for getting rid of all the toxins, waste and other unwanted materials from our BRAINS. Which kinda begs the question: How do we Optimize THAT process? Back to Dr. G. He tells us: “The glymphatic system is most active during the specific stage of deep sleep that happens very early in the sleep cycle. And the glymphatic system, just like your digestive system, requires a great deal of blood flow. This means that if you eat too soon before going to bed, your blood will all flow to your gut to aid in digestion and will not be able to reach your brain to complete the all-important brain wash.” He tells us that this “brain wash cycle” is probably the “single most overlooked and misunderstood aspect of neurodegenerative diseases.” He also tells us that, luckily, there’s a simple solution: “Leaving as big a gap as possible between your last meal of the day and your bedtime.” His specific recommendation? Again: Eat your last meal at least FOUR hours before you go to bed. That’s Today’s +1. Got glymph? What time was YOUR last meal last night? How can you Optimize that a little more Today? -1. -1. -1. -1. Glymph for the win!
This morning I was doing my normal thing. In the process, I came up with a little insight I’m excited to share. First, the quick recap of what led to the insight. Of course, my day started yesterday when I shutdown early the day before (4:00 PM; right after my every-Monday coaching call), hung out with the fam then went to bed super early (7:30 PM) and deliberately spent 10 hours in bed (getting 9 hours of sleep including 1 hour 24 min of REM sleep and 2 hours 23 min of deep sleep). Then I was up at 5:30 AM (I’m sleeping in these days, folks! lol) with an Oura readiness score of 95 (having fun gaming it). 20-min Meditation, 5-min Movement then AM1 Deep Work. I started the Deep Work with our quick “Carpe Diem” journaling session—noting my Identities + Virtues + Behaviors for Energy + Work + Love. (Note: This practice is a cornerstone of our Mastery Series/Optimize Coach program. Aspiring Coaches need to log 200 days of Optimize Carpe Diem journaling as one of the requirements to get certified.) Then I spent some time doing some strategic planning for 2020 and beyond. That journaling looked something like this. At the top I wrote “Philosopher” (technically, I drew the Φ symbol to represent Philosopher). Then I wrote “Soul Force” then “Elegant Simplicity” then “Focus” then “Flow.” (Note1: Every (!) time I write down “10,000” in the +1 column in 25 years, I imagine the 70-year-old version of me smiling and waving and saying, “Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Optimize +1!” (That actually gets me misty just typing that, imagining the potential of us hanging out for that long.) Note2: If all goes as currently planned, we’ll share that +1 exactly 3 months after I turn 70 on August 22, 2044.) Below that Body of Work goodness, I sketched out the three primary components of our biz as I currently see them. These include what I call “Core Wisdom” which is basically the +1s, PNs, and 101s as articulated above in the Body of Work chart. I draw an arrow to infinity to represent my (current) plans to do those forever as the foundation of our work together. (And, so I can be like this guy.) Then I draw a big “greater than” symbol (>) to represent the fact that all that “Core Wisdom” is going to be distilled into what I’m calling a “Mastery Series.” Imagine my absolute best stuff distilled into a “this will change your life” program that will, well, change your life. (lol) Then I draw a “less than” symbol (<) to represent that all THAT energy goes into “Optimize Coach” to represent the fact that a select group of people will go through the Mastery Series and not only master the wisdom for themselves but use our Optimize protocol to Coach others on how to Optimize their lives. Ultimately, my sketch looks kinda like this: CORE WISDOM > MASTERY SERIES < OPTIMIZE COACH But none of that is really the point of Today’s +1. (Although I do like sharing my thought process and I hope you enjoy it as well. I feel like we’re creating something together and I think it’s important to share my (often messy!) creative process as we have fun creating something awesome together.) So… Below all THAT, I reminded myself of my/our Mission. Change the world. One person at a time. Together. Starting with you and me. Then I wrote down: “Elegant Simplicity” + “Fierce Consistency” + “Energized Tranquility” + “Operationalizing Virtue.” THEN… I drew two venn circles. Next to the one on the left I wrote “ELEGANT SIMPLICITY.” Next to the one on the right I wrote “PROFOUND SERVICE.” And all THAT gets us to the point of Today’s +1. After writing “PROFOUND SERVICE” I got up and cruised over to the dictionary. I was curious what “profound” literally meant. Do you know what the word means? Apple Dictionary tells us that profound is an adjective that has a couple definitions: 1 (of a state, quality, or emotion) very great or intense: profound feelings of disquiet | profound social changes. 2 (of a person or statement) having or showing great knowledge or insight: a profound philosopher. Those are interesting, but what I really wanted was the etymology of the word. It’s from the Latin profundus—which means “deep” and is made up of two little words: pro (before) + fundus (bottom). I literally laughed when I read that. Profound. It means DEEP. As in “right before the bottom.” The best part? I have a chat with Cal Newport scheduled for this afternoon. I can’t wait to tell him that Deep (PROFOUND!) Work is what allows us to engage in Deep (PROFOUND!) Service. And THAT, my friend, is Today’s +1. Let’s serve profoundly. Today.
In our last +1, we talked about the Fundies and how (ahem) fundamental they are to our Optimizing and Actualizing. Eat! Move! Sleep! Breathe! Be Present! Prosper! As I said, if I could whisper one thing in my younger self’s ear, I think it would be to MASTER those guys as I’m firmly convinced that when we get our PHYSIOLOGY properly Optimized, the rest tends to follow pretty smoothly via the super-strong connection we’ve created between our “normal” selves and our eudaimonic, Optimus-best selves. Today I want to talk about another Idea from the Big Picture lecture on the subject. Remember the Spinny Fingers we talked about back in the day? Basic recap: Find a safe place to spin around and get yourself dizzy. Then do one of two things. First: After getting yourself nice and dizzy, stop spinning and start looking aimlessly around the room. Up over there. Down there. All around. What happens when you have no central point to ground yourself? You get DIZZIER. Shake that off. Then, if you feel so inspired, get yourself nice and dizzy again. Only this time, rather than aimlessly looking around, press your palms and fingers together in front of your face (like you’re praying) and STARE intently right at your fingertips. What happens when you have a central point in which you can ground yourself? You IMMEDIATELY get balanced. Dizzy begone. (Try it. It’s pretty cool.) So… All of that brings us to the point of Today’s +1. The next time you find yourself getting all dizzy by life, consider pausing and asking yourself three simple questions. 1. What’s my #1 self-care habit? Am I honoring it or have I let it slip? 2. What’s the #1 thing I could START doing that would have the most positive impact in my life? 3. What’s the #1 thing I could STOP doing that would have the most positive impact in my life?
The #1s x 3 #1 Self-Care = ________________. #1+ = ________________. #1- = ________________. I call those “Equanimity Anchors.” How are yours?
In our last +1, we talked about lint on the projector’s lens and the fact that, as per Byron Katie, “every perceived problem appearing ‘out there’ is really nothing more than a misperception within your own thinking.” As I imagined us all busting out a nice little cloth to clean up our own lens rather than trying to change things “out there,” I thought of another great spiritual teacher. He lived a couple thousand years ago. In the land of Galilea. His name was Jesus. You know what he said? Well, in our Note on The Jefferson Bible, we flip open to the Bible, Matthew 7:3 where we find this eternally epic wisdom gem: “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerst not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite! First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Yep. That’s precisely it. And, that’s Today’s +1. See any “mote” in thy brother’s (or sister’s or spouse’s or child’s or colleague’s or…) eye? Settle down. Look in the mirror. Work on the beam in your own eye. (btw: For curious souls, a “mote” is “a tiny piece of a substance.” Think: Sawdust. A beam? It’s much bigger. Focus on that big thing in your own eye.)
Continuing our series on how to build a bonFIRE, today we’re going to chat about The Big 3 of creating Financial Independence (and Interdependence) as we win the ultimate game of life, Realizing Eudaimonia. Let’s flip open our copies of The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins for this wisdom-love. As we briefly discussed in our last +1, JL is a tough-love, lovable Uncle kinda guy. He originally shared his “simple path to wealth” via a series of letters he wrote for his daughter. Those letters became a blog series. Obviously check out the book and JL’s site for the deep dive (and, I’m a lover of wisdom not a financial planner so…), but here’s The Big 3 in a tiny nutshell. 1. Avoid debt.
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Spend (WAY) less than you make.
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Invest the rest.
That’s it. Do that. Give it time. And… Voila. Well, obviously there’s a LOT more to it than that. But, as they say, the NUMBERS are simple. It’s the LIFESTYLE changes that are hard. One more time: 1. Avoid debt. Like the plague. Seriously. Debt is TOXIC to your freedom. Think: Shackles. 2. Spend (WAY!!!) less than you make. JL and the FIRE Co. tell us to save AT LEAST 50% of total earnings savings rate. ← Yes, you read that right. Spend AT LEAST 50% less than you make. Want to buy freedom? It’s not cheap. But it’s a lot more shiny than that shiny stuff. Although no longer cool, it’s as wise as ever: LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS. Way below. (But only if you want what really matters: The eudaimonic happiness that freedom helps us buy.) 3. Invest the savings. More specifically: In Index funds. More specifically, in Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Index Fund. This is kinda what JL is known for. He tells us we should all consider Jack Bogle a hero. Bogle founded The Vanguard Group (and invented index funds) forty years ago. JL provides some very (!) compelling arguments for why Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Index Fund is the secret sauce. (Warren Buffett pretty much agrees, btw.) So… That’s Today’s +1. How to make FIRE. 1 + 2 + 3.
At this stage, most people have heard of Dale Carnegie’s uber-bestselling book How to Win Friends and Influence People. It was originally published in 1936 and has sold 15 million copies. It helped kicked off the whole self-development movement and is one of the bestselling self-help book of all time. (It was #19 on Time magazines list of all-time most influential books.) Having said that, I actually avoided reading it for over 20 years. I just couldn’t get past what appeared to be a pretty shallow, transactional view of human relationships so… Alas, a couple years ago I finally submitted to the pressure of countless requests to do a Note on it (hah) and really enjoyed it. But that’s not quite the point of Today’s +1. This is. Did you know Dale wrote another book a dozen years later called How to Stop Worrying and Start Living? It’s true. And, it’s AWESOME. Quick question: You ever worry? * Insert laughter here * Once again: Of course you do. You’re human. Want a quick tip on how to stop worrying and start living? Dale offers a bunch of practical wisdom but this is one of my favorites: “George Bernard Shaw was right. He summed it all up when he said: ‘The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not.’ So don’t bother to think about it! Spit on your hands and get busy. Your blood will start circulating; your mind will start ticking—and pretty soon this whole positive upsurge of life in your body will drive worry from your mind. Get busy. Keep busy. It’s the cheapest kind of medicine there is on this earth—and one of the best.” Obviously, it’s a bit more nuanced than that but… Yep. That’s about right. As George Bernard Shaw says: “The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not.” And, as Dale Carnegie says: “Spit on your hands and get busy. Your blood will start circulating; your mind will start ticking—and pretty soon this whole positive upsurge of life in your body will drive worry from your mind. Get busy. Keep busy. It’s the cheapest kind of medicine there is on this earth—and one of the best.” * Insert spit on your hands * Let’s get busy. And stay busy. While, of course, properly oscillating and shutting down completely when the time’s right. Today.
In our last couple +1s, we talked about Seneca’s wisdom on the importance of “fortifying our pertinacity” until our will to do the right thing becomes a disposition to doing the right thing. That’s basically EXACTLY what we talked about a little bit ago when we explored the Algorithms Module we recently went through in the Mastery portion of our Optimize Coach program. As you may recall (bonus points and high fives if you’ve already tattooed this line on your Optimizing consciousness), I often say that it’s all about using our Willpower wisely to install Habits that run on autopilot via Algorithms. Here’s a super-quick recap of the basic idea that I think we REALLY want to get. (btw: I just got goosebumps as I typed that.) (Yes, as we’ve established by this stage, I’m weird. Things like this get me that fired up.) So… Our basal ganglia is an ancient part of our brain. In fact, it’s 500 million (!!!) years old. All mammals have it. Among other things, it basically figures out what behaviors seem important to us (because we do them often) and decides to save us all the effort of having to think about doing them by helping us do them automatically. Thank you, basal ganglia. Now, this is super helpful for the good stuff. My hunch is you don’t need to negotiate with yourself every night when it’s time to brush your teeth. And, you probably just automatically put on your seat belt when you get in a car. Thank you, basal ganglia. Of course, this isn’t so helpful for the sub-optimal behaviors. We’ll save that chat for another time. Today I want to talk about a handy-dandy little framework I developed for our Coaches to help them Master the process of (I repeat!) using their Willpower wisely to install Habits that run on autopilot via Algorithms. I encouraged them to think about a Pilot, Co-Pilot and Autopilot. The Pilot? That’s your Daimon. That (Optimus!) best part of us that basically always knows the right thing to do and is always whispering in our ears. (If we’d only slow down long enough to listen!) The Co-Pilot? That’s you. Our job, as I see it, is to simply PAY ATTENTION to what that Pilot is guiding us to do and then, of course, DO IT more consistently. The Autopilot? That’s our basal ganglia. It’s WAITING for us to program the optimal behaviors. It’s almost like the basal ganglia is our pre-installed brain “hardware” and our job (as Co-Pilots) is to listen to the Pilot then program the behavioral “software” that gets us doing the right thing more and more consistently. Obviously, part of a longer chat but there ya go. That’s Today’s +1. Pilot. Co-Pilot. Autopilot. You playing your role well? What little behavioral software upgrade is your Pilot asking you to program these days? Is TODAY a good day to fortify your pertinacity such that the (Optimus!) best you becomes the default you? F A N T A S T I C. Happy Optiflying!! +1. +1. +1.
Skipping the longer philosophical chat about the ethics of being a conqueror, Today we’re going to chat about Alexander the Great. More specifically, we’re going to talk about him and a knot. The Gordion Knot. You know the story? Wikipedia tells us that legend has it that, once upon a time, the ancient people known as the Phrygians (who lived in what is now modern Turkey) didn’t have a king. An oracle declared that the next man to enter their capital city driving an ox-cart would become king. (That’s one way to do it, eh? ) So… A peasant farmer drove an ox-cart into town and, lo and behold, became king. His name was Gordias. In gratitude, his son Midas dedicated the ox-cart to the main Phrygian god (kinda like their version of Zeus) and tied it to a post with a super-intricate knot. As in, "good luck untying THAT knot” kinda knot. A Roman historian described it as "several knots all so tightly entangled that it was impossible to see how they were fastened.” Fast forward. Another oracle declares that whoever can unravel the crazy knot would become the ruler of all of Asia. (That’s one way to do it, eh?) Fast forward. Many men attempt to unravel the knot. No luck. Fast forward. It’s now 333 bce. Alexander the Great cruises into town. He tries to untie the knot himself and has no luck. So… Being Great and all, he just decides to pull out his sword and slice the knot in half with a single blow. (That’s one way to do it, eh?) And then, of course, he went on to fulfill the prophecy as he conquered Asia. Enter: The Gordion Knot. Back to Wikipedia which tells us: “It is often used as a metaphor for an intractable problem (untying an impossibly-tangled knot) solved easily by finding an approach to the problem that renders the perceived constraints of the problem moot (‘cutting the Gordian knot’).” That’s Today’s +1. Got any seemingly impossible knots in your life? How’s the unraveling going? Is there, perhaps, a more direct and/or forceful approach to resolving the issue than you may have tried so far? Here’s a sword. Just in case it comes in handy.
We’re kinda on a roll with the whole envy-squishing theme, so why not one more? In our last +1, we talked about the fact that if we’re going to compare ourselves to others (please don’t! lol) we might as well do it right—recognizing the fact that EVERYONE experiences ups and downs en route to their particular flavor of awesome. That wisdom reminds me of some parallel wisdom from Alan Stein’s great book Raise Your Game. Here’s what he has to say about envy: “My friend Paul Bioncardi of ESPN loves to say, ‘You will always lose the Comparison Game.’ Why is that? Because it’s rigged. It has no function besides enlarging self-doubt. I’m typing this chapter on board a flight to South Dakota. Among the 250 passengers on this plane, I can quickly find someone better looking, funnier, more successful, taller, more muscular, smarter. It won’t take long to find someone who scores higher than me on almost any metric.” Alan concludes: “If I use these people as my measuring stick—to determine my self-worth and value—I will always lose.” The Comparison Game. Want to know who ALWAYS loses that game? You. And me. And everyone who plays it. But only every single time. (Reminds me of Byron Katie’s wisdom: “When I argue with reality, I lose—but only 100% of the time.”) (Also reminds me of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s wisdom: “Envy is ignorance. Imitation is suicide.”) That’s Today’s +1. Let’s channel our inner Faulkner and play the Optimize Game: “Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.” P.S. You know who ALWAYS wins the Optimize Game? You. And me. And everyone who plays it. But only every single time. (Remember: Simply striving to be your best is a pre-win.) +1. +1. +1. FOR THE WIN!!!
In our last +1, we reflected on the idea that little (and big) oopses provide us with opportunities to appreciate that we’re still alive as we practice gratitude that something much worse didn’t happen. “At least THAT didn’t happen!” For me, when I broke my arm, I was grateful I didn’t break my neck. When I tripped and nearly fell the other day, I was grateful I had an abdominal strain and not a trip back to the ER for my arm. Whenever I think of this re-framing exercise, I think of a dear friend of mine we lost in a tragic speed-flying accident. One of the most beautiful, inspiring, energized people I’ve ever met. Went out for a flight off a mountain he’d jumped off countless times. Wings didn’t open the way they should have. BAM. Gone. I have tears in my eyes as I type that. I often think how grateful he would be if he had just broken an arm or even his neck. Then I alchemize that pain into a virtual fist-bump and hug for his daimon and re-commit to savoring this one precious life of ours. All of which makes me think of our Stoic philosopher friends. For multiple reasons. Today we’ll chat about their thoughts on death. We actually already talked about one of their practices in our +1 on Rehearsing Your Death. In that one, as you may recall, Seneca tells us: “Rehearse death. To say this is to tell a person to rehearse his freedom. A person who has learned how to die has unlearned how to be a slave.” Today we’ll let Marcus Aurelius add his perspective. Here’s how he puts it: “Were you to live three thousand years, or even thirty thousand, remember that the sole life which a man can lose is that which he is living at the moment; and furthermore, that he can have no other life except the one he loses... This means that the longest life and the shortest amount to the same thing. For the passing minute is every man’s equal possession, but what has once gone by is not ours.” He also tells us: “Take it that you have died today, and your life’s story is ended; and henceforward regard what future time may be given you as an uncovenanted surplus, and live it out in harmony with nature.” That’s one way to think about it, eh? And that’s Today’s +1. If you feel so inspired, let’s actually do the exercise. Imagine this: You just died. Bam! You’re gone. And... You got the good fortune to come back starting... … Now! OK. Now, let’s see if we can live with a fresh appreciation that every (!) moment (!) is a gift. Here’s to appreciating the “uncovenanted surplus” of moments. Today.
This morning on the Trail I was thinking about Mister Rogers and his challenges creating (recall our “tortures of the damned”!) along with Dr. Seuss and all his creative challenges. Then I was thinking about all the challenges I (and we all) face as I (and we all) strive to do my (and our) life’s work. (And… I was thinking about that gap that pretty much always exists between what we see in our mind’s eye and what winds up on our proverbial canvases.) I thought to myself, “Are there any artists truly happy with their work?” At precisely the moment I finished framing that question in my head I glanced down and saw a snail a few feet ahead of me. And I smiled. It was a just a normal, mid-size snail. The kind we see all the time and usually just kinda take for granted and ignore. But this morning I could see just how elegantly perfectly his (or was it her?) shell was designed. I mean, it was a piece of art!!! And then it hit me… The “Guy” (or was it “Gal”? Or was it…?) who created THAT piece of art? He/She/It was definitely happy with His/Her/Its creation. Then I looked around and saw all the other imperfectly perfect art on display—from the trees to the dirt to the rocks and the weeds and the shrubs and the sky and, well, everything. It was kind of an epiphanal moment for me. That’s Today’s +1. Let’s celebrate all the art in our lives. And try to emulate the satisfaction of the ultimate Creator as we diligently, patiently, persistently, humbly and JOYFULLY strive to make our lives (and all its creations in it) a masterpiece!
Continuing our trip through Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky’s brilliant brains and equally brilliant book Make Time, Today we’re going to have fun with a little history lesson combined with a super-simple way to start chipping away at all those twitchy smartphone touches. (I still can’t believe the average person touches their phones 2,617 times per day!!!) Jake and JZ give us a ton of great tactics to rock their four-step process. (Recall: Highlight + Laser + Energize + Reflect! btw: You know YOUR Highlight for Today?) In fact, they share 87 tips and tricks to Optimize! In the “Laser” section, after teaching us how to create a “distraction-free phone” (hint: clear your home screen, remove email apps, social media and unnecessary notifications) they encourage us to consider getting a simple watch—you know, those things that just tell time. Here’s the little history lesson. They tell us: “In 1714, the British government offered a £20,000 prize (that’s $5 million in 2018 money), to anyone who could invent a portable clock that could be used aboard ships. It took nearly fifty years and dozens of prototypes until finally, in 1761, John Harrison created the first ‘chronometer.’ It was a technological marvel that changed the world even though it was barely portable—the clock had to be mounted in a special cabinet and stowed belowdecks for its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean aboard the HMS Deptford.” Isn’t that awesome?! They continue: “Today you can buy a portable clock—that is, a digital quartz wristwatch—for ten bucks. It’s always accurate. It’s lightweight and waterproof. It can wake you up after a nap or remind you to take dinner out of the oven. It’s an amazing piece of technology.” That’s Today’s +1. Want a super-simple and equally powerful way to reduce our compulsive smartphone usage? Consider getting a portable clock. And… Let’s salute the crew of the HMS Deptford on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic as we appreciate that miraculous moving time piece we can put on our wrist as we remember to appreciate just how awesome our modern lives are—ESPECIALLY when we Optimize how we choose to use all the amazing technology!
A couple +1s ago, we hung out with Mister Rogers in his barrelful of songs. Today I want to hop in the pool with him and then do something extra special. First, some more wisdom from The World According to Mister Rogers. Fred tells us: “I like to swim, but there are some days I just don’t feel much like doing it—but I do it anyway! I know it’s good for me and I like to keep my promises. That’s one of my disciplines. And it’s a good feeling after you’ve tried and done something well. Inside you think, ‘I’ve kept at this and I’ve really learned it—not by magic, but by my own work.’” Of course, I LOVE the fact that Fred swims every day. Whether he (insert whiney voice) feels like it or not. He knows it’s good for him and he likes to keep his promises. So… splash See ya in the pool! But it’s not his discipline to swim every day that I want to talk about Today. It’s what he does AFTER he gets out of the pool. He steps on the scale. And what does it say? “143.” When did it say that? Basically EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! of his adult life. Do you know WHY he was so enamored with his scale saying “143”? Well, “I” has 1 letter, “L-O-V-E” has 4 letters and “Y-O-U” has 3 letters. 1-4-3. His ENTIRE LIFE—all the way down to his weight!!—was one big expression of “I love you.” Today’s +1. Makes me wonder: What are YOU committed to? Is there a way to have fun connecting your weight to that mojo? +1. +4. +3. P.S. Fred was 6 feet tall. So am I. I weigh a little more than Fred but not that much. Although I’m currently in the 150’s, I’ve been playing around with different potential combos for my weight. When/if it’s in the 140’s again, I’m thinking 149 might be cool. 1 is for our “I’ and 4 is for “L-O-V-E.” What about the 9? Let’s go with: “E-U-D-A-I-M-O-N-S.” I love YOU and YOUR eudaimon. Yes, I do.
In our last +1, we talked about being the change we want to see in the world. I asked: What change DO you want to see? (Well… What is it?! And… Are you being it?!) That makes me think of another 20th century icon: Mister Fred Rogers. In his great little book The World According to Mister Rogers, we get to immerse ourselves in a collection of wisdom-gems from the great man. Including this one: “The values we care about the deepest, and the movements within society that support those values, command our love. When those things that we care about so deeply become endangered, we become enraged. And what a healthy thing that is! Without it, we would never stand up and speak out for what we believe.” Mister Rogers “enraged”? Yep. You want to see his fierce courage in action? Watch this 6 minute, 50 second video of him testifying before congress. Note: Please make sure you notice how he channeled that rage into pure love. Notice how pure love broke through the armor of a hitherto harsh foe. (I’ll be surprised if you, like the Senator in that hearing, don’t get goosebumps (and/or tears) FEELING the soul force of Fred Rogers standing up and speaking out for what he believed in and dedicated his life to.) What’s fascinating for me is how similar Fred’s approach is to Gandhi’s. As we discussed, one of the primary themes of that book is Gandhi’s evolution/transformation in which he learned to alchemize his anger into an unstoppable “soul-force.” He did this via what he called “satyagraha.” Satyagraha is a word he coined combining two Sanskrit words. It basically means “holding onto truth” and is the foundation of his (and MLK’s) “nonviolent resistance” to evil. So... What values do YOU care about the deepest? What movements within society support those values and command your love? Are those values endangered? If so, let’s become enraged and celebrate the power of that emotion as we alchemize that fierce love into noble action—standing up and speaking out for what we believe.
Today I’d like to let you know that I officially have a new job. It’s one I’m quite excited about. First, a little context. You know that Ferrari pit crew guy I’ve been obsessing about? You know, the one we watched in this little video. (I’m literally getting that picture framed so I can put it up in my office, btw.) As you may recall, his sole job is to yank off the right-front tire while his 21 buddies play their roles as well as they can as they create some poetry in motion. Well, that’s my new job. Only YOU are the Race Car Driver. Imagine me poised and ready to yank off your front-right tire so you can get back on track Optimized and ready to rock every day. Because that’s what I’ll be doing for as long as I’m lucky enough to serve in your crew. That’s Today’s +1. Have a great Race Day, my friend. Oh! P.S. Two quick little things. 1. What’s the most important thing for you to do in your Race Today? 2. How will YOU swap out someone’s front-right tire Today?
That is all. That and LET’S DO THIS!!!
In our last +1, we talked about Twyla Tharp’s thoughts on reading and thinking. Recall her comment that: “If I stopped reading, I’d stop thinking. It’s that simple.” (Amen!) Today I’d like to talk about HOW she reads. I really like her perspective because it’s pretty much EXACTLY how I read. And, well, people are always asking me how I read a book so let’s go with this wisdom as a perfect proxy to my process. Twyla tells us: “When I’m reading archeologically, I’m not reading for pleasure. I read the way I scratch for an idea, digging down deep so I can get something out of it and use it in my work. I read transactionally: How can I use this? It’s not enough for me to read a book. I have to ‘own’ it. I scribble in the margins. I circle sentences I like and connect them with arrows to other useful sentences. I draw stars and exclamation points on every good page, to the point where the book is almost unreadable. By writing all over the pages, I transform the author’s work into my book—and mine alone.” That’s Today’s +1. Here’s a nice bold pen for your archeological reading-digging!
Have you ever read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho? It’s amazing. I’ve read it a bunch of times. Guess how many copies the book has sold since Paulo wrote it over 30 years ago… 65 MILLION! (!!!) It’s been translated into 80 (!!) languages (which takes the prize for the most translated book by any living author) and is widely considered one of the ten best books of the twentieth century. But you know what? Before becoming one of the best-selling books of ALL TIME, it was one of the WORST-selling books of all time. (Hah!) In fact, here’s a little story Paulo shares in the foreword to the 25th Anniversary edition of the book (it’s almost as good as the story itself!): “When The Alchemist was first published twenty-five years ago in my native Brazil, no one noticed. A bookseller in the northeast corner of the country told me that only one person purchased a copy the first week of its release. It took another six months for the bookseller to unload a second copy—and that was to the same person who bought the first! And who knows how long it took to sell the third. By the end of the year, it was clear to everyone that The Alchemist wasn't working. My original publisher decided to cut me loose and cancelled our contract. They wiped their hands of the project and let me take the book with me. I was forty-one and desperate.” Then what? He says: “But I never lost faith in the book or ever wavered in my vision. Why? Because it was me in there, all of me, heart and soul. I was living my own metaphor. A man sets out on a journey, dreaming of a beautiful or magical place, in pursuit of some unknown treasure. At the end of his journey, the man realizes the treasure was with him the entire time. I was following my Personal Legend, and my treasure was my capacity to write. And I wanted to share this treasure with the world. As I wrote in The Alchemist, when you want something, the whole universe conspires to help you. I started knocking on the doors of other publishers. One opened, and the publisher on the other side believed in me and my book and agreed to give The Alchemist a second chance. Slowly, through word of mouth, it finally started to sell—three thousand, then six thousand, ten thousand—book by book, gradually throughout the year.” Fast-forward. Eight months later an American visiting Brazil picks up a copy of The Alchemist at a local bookstore and asks if he can translate it. One thing leads to another which leads to another which leads to Bill Clinton leaving the White House with a copy of the book and Madonna and Will Smith raving about it. Then it hit the New York Times bestseller list and stayed there for more than three hundred weeks. He says: “People continue to ask me if I knew The Alchemist would be such a huge success. The answer is no. I had no idea. How could I? When I sat down to write The Alchemist, all I knew is that I wanted to write about my soul. I wanted to write about my quest to find my treasure.” That’s Today’s +1. Two parts. First: If you’re one of the 17 people on the planet into Optimizing who hasn’t read The Alchemist yet, what are you waiting for? Second: What’s your personal quest? What do you REALLY (!) want?! Remember: “There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth... And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
In our last couple +1s, we’ve had fun (at least I have!) briefly chatting about the first two steps Paul Napper and Anthony Rao encourage us to take in pursuit of cultivating our Agency such that life’s challenges are just nutritious treats fueling our hero’s journeys. Step 1: Control Stimuli. Step 2: Selectively Associate. Today we’re going to talk about Step 3: Move. Here’s how Paul and Anthony put it: “Focusing on movement, and on the nutrition and rest necessary to keep you active and in balance, increases mental and physical strength and stamina–essential building blocks to all body and mind functions.” Want a strong sense of personal power? Well, as we discuss ALL.THE.TIME!!, you better ENERGIZE. Let’s hear it from their perspective. They tell us: “We all know what it feels like to sit around like a slug all day, not getting outdoors and moving about. But when we get some real movement in, it is a kind of agency in itself. It primes our minds and our senses to fully engage in the world.” They continue: “When we say Move, we really mean this: Pay attention to your body so that you can provide it with what it requires to be healthy and in balance, because when your body is out of balance, your mind is out of balance. To achieve this, engage in physical movements in multiple ways, rest adequately, and eat nutritious food. Your agency depends on it. Without physical health and balance in your life, everything else will wobble and decline. Flexibility, strength, and stamina are the most obvious things that begin to deteriorate when you’re physically out of balance. But likewise, your motivation, your ability to pay attention, and your ability to delay gratification are adversely affected. Most important to realize, with unhealthy amounts of movement, rest, nutrition, your psychological state–your thinking skills and ability to manage your emotions– deteriorates, and along with it your personal agency.” That’s Today’s +1. What’s the one thing you know you could be doing that could most benefit your life if you did it consistently starting Today? Got it? Now forget it. (Hah.) What’s one TINY (!!!) little thing you could do RIGHT NOW (!) that would be a fun way to demonstrate some mastery and build your agency? Let’s do it. Together. (Mine? I’m going to take a nice, calming, deep breath in through my nose down into my belly. Then pause for a moment before smiling and exhaling back out through my nose—slightly longer than my inhale—as I relax my body and get ready to give the world some more of what I’ve got!)
In our last little flurry of +1s, we had some fun with Mel Robbins’s 5 Second Rule. Have you tried it out yet? 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… - GO!!! That might be THE most elegantly efficient Tool we’ve discussed to help close the gap between who we’re CAPABLE of being and who we’re ACTUALLY being. (Operationalizing Areté for the win!) Now, one of the key themes of Mel’s book and reasons why that tool is so powerful is the fact that, in addition to getting us to take action RIGHT NOW on what matters most, her 5 Second Rule also builds something that scientists call “agency.” (Mel actually doesn’t use the word “agency” to describe it; she focuses on a parallel idea called “locus of control.” We’ll save that idea for another time.) Agency. It’s a beautiful word. One of my favorites in fact. Science says it’s one of the secret sauces to Optimizing. So, when I fortuitously stumbled upon a book called The Power of Agency on Amazon, I immediately got it and read it. It’s written by Paul Napper and Anthony Rao—two leading consultants and clinicians who have both held academic positions at Harvard Medical School. In their great book, they define agency as “the ability to act as an effective agent for yourself—reflecting, making creative choices, and constructing a meaningful life.” In the book, they provide practical, scientifically-grounded wisdom on, as per the sub-title: “The 7 Principles to Conquer Obstacles, Make Effective Decisions, and Create a Life on Your Own Terms.” We’ll explore a few of the most powerful, practical Ideas on how to BUILD our agency over the next several days. Today I just want to make the connection between DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE and cultivating a strong sense of personal power (aka agency). Well… That and I also want to have a little fun. Imagine that you’re a Secret Agent. (DoubleO-You perhaps. Short for OptimizingOptimusYOU, of course!) You work for your Daimon. What mission is he/she asking you to carry out? Have you chosen to accept it? What’s your next step? Get on that! This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… - GO!
In our last +1, we talked about our new Optimus launch code: "5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Now what needs to be done?” Although I didn’t make the second part of the little launch mantra explicit, we connected Mel Robbins’s brilliant 5 Second Rule with David Reynold’s Constructive Living Rule. It’s always awesome to see teachers from such different backgrounds say basically exactly the same thing. As you may recall, Reynolds is a Zen therapist who wrote a great little book called Constructive Living. He tells us: “Our behavior is controllable in a way that our feelings are not. There is a very special satisfaction for the Artist of Living who works within life’s limits to produce a fine self-portrait. The more control we develop over our actions, the more chance we have of producing a self we can be proud of.” His mantra? “Now what needs to be done?” (We have a +1 on this already but it’s worth a replay.) Don’t feel like doing something you know you need to do? No problem. “Now what needs to be done?” Happen again? Fantastic. “Now what needs to be done?” (Laughing.) Repeat. All day. Every day. And, if you’re feeling it, rock the 5 Second Rule with it as well. "5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Now what needs to be done?” That’s Today’s +1. One more time: "5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Now what needs to be done?” Step forward into growth. Flip the switch. Close the gap between who you’re CAPABLE of being and who you’re ACTUALLY being. Again and again and again. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… BLASTOFF!
A couple +1s ago, we hung out with a world-class Ferrari pit stop crew and took a moment to celebrate all the people in OUR pit stop crews while committing to stepping up our pit crew games for those we’re blessed to serve. Today I want to talk about WD-40. I’ve actually been meaning to talk about it for awhile and Today seems like a good day. Of course, I have no idea if pit stop crews use WD-40 (I’m pretty sure the Ferrari guys don’t—lol) but it seems like a good opportunity to slip in a fun story so here we are. WD-40. For those who may not be familiar with the super-lubricating product, Wikipedia tells us that “WD-40 is the trademark name of a penetrating oil and water-displacing spray. The spray is manufactured by the WD-40 Company based in San Diego, California.” But that’s not the point of Today’s +1. I want to talk about the origin story for WD-40. Pop quiz: Do you know how they came up with that name? Well, on the company’s web site they tell us: “WD-40® literally stands for Water Displacement, 40th formula. That's the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who developed the product back in 1953. The chemist, Norm Larsen, was attempting to concoct a formula to prevent corrosion—a task which is done by displacing water.” That’s a nice way to say that our chemist friend Norm Larsen failed 39 times trying to figure out how to create a solvent to prevent corrosion but then finally figured it out. On attempt #40. And then they figured out thousands of ways to apply his new solvent to everyday challenges. I kinda like that arc. Dozens of failures. Oops. Figured it out. Awesome. Then figured out how to scale the new discovery to solve a ton of other challenges. Even more awesome. Skipping any more unpaid product promotion (lol)… Today’s +1. Have you ever failed over and over and over again before finally succeeding? (Of course you have. Let’s celebrate that!!) And… Are you, perhaps, in the middle of another series of experiments to figure out how to master something? (I hope so, heroic one!) Let’s squirt a little WD-Optimizing40 on our challenges and get back to work in the laboratories of our lives as we get a little closer to a fun breakthrough origin story!
Way back in the early days of our +1 Optimizing together, we talked about the fact that our limbic systems evolved to deal with a single lion roaring at us at a time. As we said in that little chat on Lions vs. Jungles, that lion’s roar triggers a fight or flight response. We fight or we flee. And, hopefully, we live to talk about the tale later. But, the important thing to note is that the stress from that event, although extremely acute, is also extremely short-lived. We respond to the challenge and move on. Our nervous system resets itself, all good. These days, we’re so bombarded with stimuli that it’s as if, to use Alberto Villoldo’s metaphor, the ENTIRE JUNGLE is roaring at us ALL DAY EVERY DAY. Yikes. The result? A whole lot of enervated anxiety. Today I want to talk about the single best predictor of people’s fear and anxiety. Pop quiz: Can you guess what it is? We’ll find the answer at the end of this little passage from Kelly McGonigal’s The Upside of Stress. She tells us: “Stress caused by the news, as opposed to stress caused by your life, is unique in its ability to trigger a sense of hopelessness. Watching TV news after a natural disaster or terrorist attack has consistently been shown to increase the risk of developing depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. One shocking study found that people who watched six or more hours of news about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing were more likely to develop post-traumatic stress symptoms than people who were actually at the bombing and personally affected by it. It’s not just traditional news programs that instill fear and hopelessness; stories of tragedy, trauma, and threats dominate many forms of media. In fact, a 2014 study of U.S. adults found that the single best predictor of people’s fear and anxiety was how much time they spent watching TV talk shows.” There ya go. “… a 2014 study of U.S. adults found that the single best predictor of people’s fear and anxiety was how much time they spent watching TV talk shows.” Today’s +1. Two quick questions. 1. How’s your fear and anxiety? 2. How much time do you spend watching TV talk shows?
Bonus questions: See any connections and/or ways to Optimize? Here’s to dealing with the inevitable stressors of life without introducing unnecessary ones!! +1. +1. +1. via -1. -1. -1.
In our last couple +1s, we talked about the art and science of lining up our dominoes in one neat and shiny staircase to moon-heaven. It all sounds so nice and easy when it’s mapped out like that, eh? (Hah.) But… Alas, there are a few important asterisks to that little story. As important as it is to have clarity on what’s important and worthy of our life force, nothing is ever quite that straightforward in real heroic living. And, of course, it’s impossible to line up ALL the dominoes and see them perfectly arrayed before you actually start the journey. That’s Today’s +1. Embrace the mess. It’s a feature of the Hero’s Journey, not a sign that something's wrong with you and your approach per se. And, remember: The greater the challenge, the greater the need for a protocol to keep our emotional stamina Optimized. That is all. Here’s to joyfully embracing the wonderfully messy process of Optimizing and actualizing. Especially when you don’t feel like it. (Hah!) High fives from me and my daimon to you and yours! P.S. Let’s do this!!
The other day I headed to Google to look up the meaning of the phrase “force multiplier.” Short story: When we initially launched our Optimize Coach certification program, I said that I believed our program could be a catalytic force multiplier in helping people Optimize their lives so we can change the world together. After the first couple of months working with our first class of Coaches, I am more certain of that catalytic power than ever before. Enter: A quick Google search on “force multiplier” so I could wrap my brain around the precise definition of that powerful phrase. The best (and first) answer came from PersonalMBA.com. (Thanks, guys! And, thanks Google for connecting us!) Here’s how they put it: “Force Multipliers are tools that help you Amplify your effort to produce more output. A hammer is a force multiplier. Investing in Force Multipliers means that you'll get more done with the same amount of effort.” Brilliant, eh? Would you rather hammer a nail in with your hand or with a hammer? Same basic swinging motion of effort. But the hammer delivers a lot more output with the same effort, eh? (While, obviously, saving your hand from the ouch! Hammer for the win!) While taking a quick gander at other definitions and examples of force multipliers, I stumbled upon a brilliant blog post about some wisdom from retired four-star general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Here’s how Powell puts it: “In the military, we are always looking for ways to leverage up our forces. Having greater communications and command and control over your forces than your enemy has over his is a force multiplier. Having greater logistics capability than the enemy is a force multiplier. Having better-trained commanders is a force multiplier. Perpetual optimism, believing in yourself, believing in your purpose, believing you will prevail, and demonstrating passion and confidence is a force multiplier. If you believe and have prepared your followers, the followers will believe.” “Perpetual optimism.” ← Isn’t that a beautiful phrase? Well, it might just be our most powerful force multiplier. Tomorrow we’ll talk about a little distinction to that wisdom. Today I’d like to do a quick check in. How’s your belief in yourself? And your belief in your purpose? And your belief that you will prevail? Let’s remember that our passion and confidence are force multipliers. Our “followers” (be they our kids or our colleagues or our staff or OURSELVES!) are A L W A Y S watching and taking our lead. So, let’s lead wisely. Let’s multiply our power via perpetual optimism!! How can you boost your optimism just a little more Today?
In our last couple +1s, we’ve had fun exploring some wisdom gems from my recent PhilosophersNotes binge-athon. Today we’re going to talk about another great Idea from another great Note. This one’s on Stephen Cope’s The Great Work of Your Life. Quick context: Stephen is the director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living. Kripalu is the largest yoga research institute in the Western world. (And being the director of “Extraordinary Living” may be the coolest job title ever, eh?) As the Senior Scholar in Residence at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, he has been integrating Eastern contemplative traditions and Western philosophy and psychology for years. In his great book, Stephen brings the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita to life in our modern lives. One of the big themes of the book is the idea of dharma. He tells us: “The yoga tradition is very, very interested in the idea of an inner possibility harbored within every human soul. Yogis insist that every single human being has a unique vocation. They call this dharma. Dharma is a potent Sanskrit word that is packed tight with meaning, like one of those little sponge animals that expands to six times its original size when you add water. Dharma means, variously, ‘path,’ ‘teaching,’ or ‘law.’ For our purposes in this book it will mean primarily, ‘vocation,’ or ‘sacred duty.’ It means, most of all—and in all cases—truth. Yogis believe that our greatest responsibility in life is to this inner possibility—this dharma—and they believe that every human being’s duty is to utterly, fully, and completely embody his own idiosyncratic dharma…” Dharma. I just LOVE that word. And, I love the idea that “every single human being has a unique vocation” and that “every human being’s duty is to utterly, fully, and completely embody his own idiosyncratic dharma.” That’s Today’s +1. What’s YOUR idiosyncratic dharma? Here’s to honoring our sacred duty as we give the world all we’ve got.
In our last +1, we explored the relationship between our food rotting and us rotting. Recall: The longer the shelf life of the food we eat, the shorter our lives will be! That wisdom was from Michael Pollan’s Food Rules. In fact, it’s Rule #13: “Eat only foods that will eventually rot.” Today we’re going to talk about another Food Rule. Food Rule #57 to be precise. “Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does.” Funny. Here’s how Pollan puts it: “American gas stations now make more money inside selling food (and cigarettes) than they do outside selling gasoline. But consider what kind of food this is: Except perhaps for the milk and water, it’s all highly processed, imperishable snack foods and extravagantly sweetened soft drinks in hefty twenty-ounce bottles. Gas stations have become ‘processed corn stations’: ethanol outside for your car and high-fructose corn syrup inside for you. Don’t eat there.” That’s Today’s +1. Don’t eat at a gas station. Ever again. Hah. Seriously.
Why We Sleep is a life-changing kinda book. We’re going to spend a few more days mining a few more of the many gems from Matthew Walker’s masterpiece. Today we’re going to flip open our virtual Optimize magazine to the kind of ad we’d allow in there. Here it is: “AMAZING BREAKTHROUGH! Scientists have discovered a revolutionary new treatment that makes you live longer. It enhances your memory and makes you more creative. It makes you look more attractive. It keeps you slim and lowers food cravings. It protects you from cancer and dementia. It wards off colds and the flu. It lowers your risk of heart attacks and strokes, not to mention diabetes. You’ll even feel happier, less depressed, and less anxious. Are you interested?” ← Wow!! I’ll take it! You? Matthew continues: “While it may sound hyperbolic, nothing about this fictitious advertisement would be inaccurate. If this were a drug, many people will be disbelieving. Those who were convinced would pay large sums of money for even the smallest dose. Should clinical trials back up the claims, share prices of the pharmaceutical company that invented the drug would skyrocket. Of course, the ad is not describing some miracle new tincture or a cure-all wonder drug, but rather the proven benefits of a full night of sleep. The evidence supporting these claims have been documented in more than 17,000 well-scrutinized and scientific reports to date. As for the prescription cost, well, there isn’t one. It’s free. Yet all too often, we shun the nightly invitations to receive our full dose of this all natural remedy–with terrible consequences. Failed by the lack of public education, most of us do not realize how remarkable a panacea sleep truly is.” I always love it when the fundamentals are pitched like a miracle pill. Jonathan Haidt’s similar ad for meditation comes to mind: “Suppose you read about a pill that you could take once a day to reduce anxiety and increase your contentment. Would you take it? Suppose further that the pill has a great variety of side effects, all of them good: increased self-esteem, empathy, and trust; it even improves memory. Suppose, finally, that the pill is all natural and costs nothing. Now would you take it? The pill exists. It’s called meditation.” Then there’s John Ratey’s magic from Spark: “I tell people that going for a run is like taking a little bit of Prozac and a little bit of Ritalin because, like the drugs, exercise elevates these neurotransmitters. It’s a handy metaphor to get the point across, but the deeper explanation is that exercise balances neurotransmitters — along with the rest of the neurochemicals in the brain. And as you’ll see, keeping your brain in balance can change your life.” (btw: After shattering my arm, I couldn’t exercise/sweat for a month. Gah!!! I really missed my little daily dose of Ritalin and Prozac and I’m really happy to be popping those metaphorical pills again! Alas, I’m still months away from full burpees but I’ll take what I can get for now!) So, yah. Sleep is a magic pill. So is meditation. And exercise. The more of those metaphorical pills we pop, the less of the other stuff we’re likely to need, eh? P.S. Actual sleeping pills? Matthew dedicates a chapter to outlining why they are a REALLY bad idea. They don’t help induce real, restorative sleep. Science says CBT-I is a much better option!!
In our Optimize Coach certification program, we kick the party off by establishing the game we’re playing in Module I: Eudaimon-ology in which we connect ancient wisdom (Aristotle!) to modern science (Seligman!) to establish the fact that it’s all about flourishing/having a “good soul” via living with virtue. Then we move on to get clarity on how to Operationalize Virtue—going from theory to practice to mastery. When? TODAY!!! After a quick look at Module II: The Big 3 x 2 (aka: Energy + Work + Love x Identity + Virtues + Behaviors), we spend six (!!!) weeks on Module III: #carpediem as we begin systematically architecting our Masterpiece Days to cultivate emotional stamina and consistently express the (Optimus!) best version of ourselves. We remind ourselves of the fact that our day actually begins the night before. As such, the first thing we focus on Optimizing is our PM Bookend. The #1 thing we focus on there is our digital sunset—aka, when we turn off our blue-light emitting devices to allow our brains to simmer down so we can get a good night of sleep so we can wake up the next morning feeling refreshed and energized. All of which gets us one step closer to the point of Today’s +1. During our two hours (!) of Q&A for that session, one of the questions a Coach asked was if it made a difference whether they read via an iPad or a book at night. I gave my thoughts on the subject. Then, literally the next day, I got more clarity on the SCIENCE behind the answer. Enter: Matthew Walker’s brilliant book on the science of Why We Sleep. (Note: If you’re going to read one book on sleep, this is it.) Short story: Bring people into a lab. Have them read a book on an iPad a few hours before going to sleep. Then have the same person read a printed book on a different night. Then measure their melatonin. Here’s what you’ll find: “Compared to reading a printed book, reading on an iPad suppressed melatonin released by over 50% at night. Indeed, iPad reading delayed the rise of melatonin by up to three hours, relative to the natural rising the same individuals experience when reading a printed book. When reading on the iPad, their melatonin peak, and thus instruction to sleep, did not occur until the early morning hours, rather than before midnight. Unsurprisingly, individuals took longer to fall asleep after iPad reading relative to print-copy reading.” Crazy but true: Reading on your iPad suppresses melatonin production (a key pacing event for great sleep) by a remarkable 50%!! So... Today’s +1: Reading tonight? Consider going old school and reading a print book. Your melatonin will thank you. And your future, tomorrow self will thank you for the energy boost as well.
Mike Erwin joins us as a guest teacher for this class! CEO of The Character Center, co-founder of the Positivity Project, and co-author of the book Lead Yourself First, Mike is passionate about inspiring leaders across the country. His secret sauce to leadership? Solitude! (More specifically, freedom from the input of other minds.) In this class, Mike debunks the assumption that great leaders must always be accessible and uncovers the personal + organizational benefits of leaders who seek out periods of solitude. Want the competitive advantages of clarity, creativity, emotional balance + moral courage? Get your solitude on!
In our last +1, we did some severe pruning with Steve Chandler and Ralph Waldo Emerson. (How’d that go for you? More specifically: What went for you?) Today we’re going to spend some more time doing creative gardening with Steve. Now, as we discussed in our +1 on our radish farm (oops!), I’m not much of a gardener. (Hah.) So… I’d never heard of “grow lights” before but I love the way Steve captures their metaphorical power. Here’s how he puts it in CREATOR: “When an aware person (someone who knows and realizes that they are creative energy itself) notices that the sales of their services have been neglected—resulting in lower income—they simply turn their light (creative energy) toward the sales process. ‘Whatever you give your attention to grows’ is not just some positive slogan—it’s how the world actually works. The more you become aware that you are infinite, creative energy, the more you can see yourself as light. Think of it the way a gardener uses a ‘grow light.’ Sometimes called a ‘plant light,’ grow lights make it easy to grow plants indoors. Grow lights are used for horticulture, indoor gardening, indoor hydroponics, and aquatic plants. Shine a grow light on your indoor plant and you ignite enough photosynthesis for the plant to grow. Creativity is just like that light. You can shine your grow light anywhere. On your business, on relationships, on your exercise routine, on your music, and on your education.” Love it!!! Want to grow something in your life? SHINE THE LIGHT OF YOUR AWARENESS ON IT. Yep. That’s the trick-ticket. Which kinda begs two questions: 1. What would you like to see more of in your life? And, 2. How can you shine a little more grow light on it?
Today a good day to get on that, my CREATOR friend?!?
In our last +1, we had some fun soaking our minds in some epic “To Dare or Not to Dare” wisdom. We kicked that party off with a Søren Kierkegaard gem. This one: “To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.” (How’s your daring going?) Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. (Thank you, Wikipedia.) He was also the purveyor of other epically quotable wisdom gems. Including this one: “God has given each of us our ‘marching orders.’ Our purpose here on Earth is to find those orders and carry them out. Those orders acknowledge our special gifts.” That’s Today’s +1. God has given each of us our marching orders. What are YOURS? Let’s know that our purpose here on Earth (and why we do all we do together Optimizing!) is to find those orders and carry them out. So… What are your special gifts? How are you/will you give them to the world? One more time: What are your marching orders? Let’s find them and follow them. TODAY!
In our last +1 we talked about the fact that, as per legendary tough guy Vince Lombardi, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Then we operationalized a super-simple antidote to cowardice via a super-simple PM Bookend routine. (How’d that go for you?) I mentioned the fact that we’d connect that fatigue-coward phenomenon to my heart rate monitor. So, let’s. Not too long ago, I introduced you to my Suunto watch. Love it. Works great. … Except when it doesn’t! Every once in awhile, I’ll be training at a mellow pace and my watch will be telling me that my heart rate is WAY higher than it could possibly be. To put it in perspective, my target Maffetone-approved aerobic zone is 131 to 141. I usually train in that zone every other day. On my mellow recovery days, I do the same trail at a slower pace and stay well below that 131. So, imagine my surprise one day when I’m going at a super mellow pace and look down at my watch to see it telling me that I’m at 160-something. I’m like, “Really? No way. That’s not possible. I’m pretty sure I’m not blowing up right now.” (Hah.) So… I got my strip detector things a little wet via a little spit. Didn’t help. I took off my heart rate monitor strap. Put it back on. Still didn’t help. I’m basically standing still and it’s telling me I’m still blowing up. Hah! D’oh. Hmmmmmm… Now… As a Professional Optimizer/Lover of Wisdom, I’m not allowed to waste lemon squeezing opportunities so, after a moment of almost-frustration I carried on with my hike and decided to simply ignore the data. Which is when the metaphorical learning moment hit me. That data from the heart rate monitor was, for whatever reason, literally USELESS for me during that workout. So I ignored it. Guess what? You know that voice in your head that shows up when you’re tired? You know, the voice that says: “Life sucks boo hoo yada yada yada blah blah blah. Etc. Etc. Etc.” Guess what? When you’re tired, that “data” your mind throws at you is about as useful as my broken heart rate monitor. IGNORE IT. Carry on with your day. Go build your Emotional Stamina muscles as you execute your protocol and practice having good bad days. Then figure out what “Needs work!” so you can wake up tomorrow feeling WAY better—with a working monitor that gives you good data. That’s Today’s +1. Happy Trails!
Michael J. Gelb is the world’s leading authority on the application of genius thinking to personal and organizational development. He is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, accelerated learning, and innovative leadership. Gelb leads seminars for organizations such as DuPont, Merck, Microsoft, Nike, Roche and YPO. He brings more than 35 years of experience as a professional speaker, seminar leader and organizational consultant to his diverse, international clientele. Michael Gelb is the author of 14 books on creativity and innovation including the international best seller How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day. (1998) How to Think Like Leonardo has been translated into 25 languages and has appeared on the Washington Post, Amazon, and the New York Times best seller lists.
Continuing our time with my dear friend Katherine Collins, let’s talk about another micro-moment of Divine wisdom from our recent chat. Quick context. As you know if you’ve been following along, I’ve spent half of the last 20 years in Founder/CEO mode and the other half in Philosopher/Lover-of-Wisdom mode. Although I’m not really into astrological signs (lol), I happen to be a Gemini and that myth happens to describe one of my primary challenges pretty well. I often feel a pull to be one OR the other. A CEO or a Philosopher. Which recently made me think of the word ambivalence. Which led to a trip to my 2,084-page American Heritage dictionary. I flip to page 56. Here’s the definition: “the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.” Alright. Got it. But what I’m really interested in is the etymology of the word. Get this: ambi means “on both sides of” and valence comes from the same root as valor and valence—it basically means “strength.” So, I reflect on the idea that ambi-valence basically means to be on both sides of strength and that, from my perspective at the time, the result of that is WEAKNESS. Now, let’s head back to my chat with Katherine. I share that little distinction with her. To which she replies by saying something along the lines of: “Well… We could look at it that way. Or… We could say that you have TWO simultaneously STRONG channels through which you can express your gifts.” To which I say, “God Bless you, Katherine.” (Hah. Seriously.) Which leads us to Today’s +1. Do you feel any ambi-valence in your life? What if we could reframe that “ambi-valence” into “HEROIC-valence”?! I wonder… How can we take you and your multi-faceted awesome and channel ALL that awesome into heroic strength? Seriously. How? Get on that. We need you and ALL your gifts. One more time: Be not afraid. Give us all you’ve got. (Pretty please.)
In our last couple +1s, we talked about the 11 virtues that show up on our shiny new Optimus medallions and make an appearance in our Optimus meditation. Wisdom + Arete + Confidence + Purpose + Self-Awareness + Telos + Energy + Presence + Courage + Love + entheos. I’ve been playing around with those virtues in my formal meditation practice and while I’m rowing and while I’m training and before I fall asleep and after I wake up and, well, a lot. (Laughing. “That’s like me!”) I’ll either go through the meditation we walked through in our last +1 (with the I Am [Insert Virtue] on the inhale followed by the power-statement on the exhale) or just pull a virtue out that I think would be useful in the moment and repeat it in my mind—feeling its power flowing through me. Which makes me think of mantras. And makes me surprised we’ve done over 700 (!) +1s so far (go us!) and we haven’t talked about one of the most powerful tools to train our mind. I mean… Do you know what the word mantra literally means? It’s a Sanskrit word. Basically: The man part means “mind” and the tra part means “tool.” So… A mantra is literally* a “tool of the mind.” Today’s +1. Want to Optimize your mind? Mantras are a good place to start. Pick a word. Or a collection of words. (Virtues perhaps?) And get to work on your mind.
Continuing our exploration of how to endure the pain of walking over burning (psychological) coals in pursuit of the upper limits of our potential, let’s talk about one of Matt Fitzgerald’s recommended “coping strategies” to Optimize our perception of effort and get closer to that wall of our potential. Today we’re going to talk about The Psychology of Pain. (Cue weird music?) Short story: Researchers have studied how different people deal with pain and have discovered that some people are MUCH better at dealing with it (and, as a result, perform at a much higher level in the midst of experiencing pain). Get this: There are basically two ways you can deal with the prospect of experiencing pain. You can accept it. Or you can try to suppress it. (Which one do you think is more effective?) Here’s how Matt puts it: “Research on the psychology of pain has produced similar findings. A number of studies have compared the effects of two contrasting anticipatory attitudes—acceptance and suppression— on pain perception. Some people have a natural tendency to look ahead to the repetition of a familiar pain stimulus with acceptance. They tell themselves, ‘This is going to hurt, but no worse than before.’ Other people try to cope with the same situation through suppression, a form of denial. They tell themselves, in effect, ‘I really hope this doesn’t hurt as much as it did the last time.’ Psychologists have generally found that, compared to suppression, acceptance reduces the unpleasantness of pain without reducing the pain itself. For this reason, it is a more effective coping skill. ... In common language, this attitude of acceptance toward an impending disagreeable experience is called ‘bracing yourself.’” Today’s +1. How do YOU deal with prospective pain? Here’s to bracing ourselves, K N O W I N G pain is inevitable on our hero’s journeys and then #OMMSing our way to awesome. +1. +1. +1. P.S. Check out our +1 on Kristin Neff’s pain equation for more. Remember: Suffering = Pain x Resistance.
In our last +1, we talked about you feasting on your Hero Bars—using memories of your past success as fuel to walk through fear doors today. (You grab three for Today?) All of those Cookies and Hero Bars remind me of an idea from former Navy SEAL Alden Mills’ great book Be Unstoppable. I read it years ago and recently re-read it with Emerson. It’s a fantastic parable about a young captain who meets a wise, older mentor-captain who teaches him how to Optimize and actualize his potential to become a “Master and Commander.” Emerson and I loved it. The Master Captain (who goes by Persistent Pete), has eight actions he teaches his young protégé. (One of which reminds me of the Hero Bars! We’ll talk about it tomorrow.) The Actions form the acronym UPERSIST. Emerson can rattle them off. In fact, let’s invite him in so he can share! Action #1: Understand Your Why Action #2: Plan Action #3: Energize to Execute (Alden may go with “Exercise” to Execute but we expanded it to “Energize” so we can include our other fundies of eating and sleeping!) Action #4: Recognize Your Reason to Believe in Yourself Action #5: Survey Your Habits Action #6: Improvise to Overcome Obstacles Action #7: Seek Expert Advice Action #8: Team Up! Today’s +1. Do UPERSIST?! Let’s do a quick run through: First: What’s your #1 goal these days? (Seriously. What is it?!) What’s your why? How’s your plan? You energized? What reasons do you have to believe in yourself? (← Hint: Those are our Hero Bars!) How are your habits? You improvising to overcome (inevitable!) obstacles #OMMS style?! Need to seek advice from any experts? And… How can you team up a little more today? There ya go. A super-quick take on how to Be Unstoppable. WEPERSIST!!
In our last +1, we talked about the wonderful little book-gift I received from Cal Newport and we reflected on a particular passage from that book (Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin) that really jumped out and grabbed me. The essence of that passage? Our presidential luminaries differed in many ways. But they ALL shared a “fierce ambition.” Of the heroic kind. Today I’d like to talk about another passage from the book. This one’s from page 106. I actually STARTED reading the book on this page because, in his thoughtful gift note, Cal told me that the wisdom on that particular page made him think of me and of our recent chats. Here’s how page 106 starts: “What fired in Lincoln this furious and fertile time of self-improvement? The answer lay in his readiness to gaze in the mirror and soberly scrutinize himself. Taking stock, he found himself wanting. From the beginning, young Lincoln aspired to nothing less than to inscribe his name into the book of communal memory. To fulfill what he believed to be his destiny, a different kind of sustained effort and discipline was required, a willingness to confront weakness and imperfection, reflect upon failure, and examine the kind of leader he wanted to be. The passage continues: “The diligence and studiousness he exhibited during this period of introspection would have been remarkable in a young student; in a man of forty, it was astounding.” Um. Yah. That’s powerful. (btw: Self-efficacy 101 style, this is one of the reasons reading biographies of great humans is such a wise thing to do—we gain strength in other people’s examples!!) That passage is from Part II of the book in which we learn about all the EXTRAORDINARY (!) challenges our heroes faced in their quests to fulfill their destinies. (Lincoln’s was dramatic. He was so depressed after letting down his constituents in Illinois after his tenure as a state legislator that his friends feared for his life and removed every sharp object from his house.) Fierce ambition. Equally huge failure. Then what? Then our hero doesn’t feel like a hero. Then what? Then he (or she) gets to work. As we’ve discussed countless times, this isn’t supposed to be easy. (And, thinking that it should be easy is probably the biggest challenge we face.) Echo: We’re not sidestepping lizards en route to our destiny. We’re battling dragons. As such, building our heroic strength for two demands a FIERCE commitment to self-improvement (Optimizing!!) to match that fierce ambition to make a difference. As Lincoln said, “I must die or be better.” Today’s +1. How about YOU? How’s your fierce ambition? And… How’s your strength-building going? Here’s to having the audacity to dream big and the heroic humility and self-mastery to do the work we need to do so we can most fully give ourselves to the world. Starting Today. Continuing forever. +1. +1. +1.
Continuing our theme of seeking/conquering fear, let’s have some fun with Jon Eliot and his wisdom from Overachievement. Here’s how he (brilliantly!) puts it: “Working on techniques to manage stress is a bit like trying to win the Indy 500 by putting a governor on the engine of your race car or swapping out a powerful V-12 for a V-4 because it offers a ‘quieter ride.’ You wouldn’t do that. Not if you were after the checkered flag. Not if you were racing star Jeff Gordon. No superstar is about to give his opponents an edge. Nor should you by trying to relax when the pressure’s on.” So… Important question. Do you want to win the race of life? Or… Would you simply prefer to have a “quieter” ride? (I say “YES!!!” to both, please! lol) Ideally, we show up with THE most powerful engine possible AND we have fun learning how to handle that Beast as we drive at record-shattering speeds, eh? Let’s do that. But let’s agree not to get so overwhelmed by the sensations of fear that we swap out our race car engine for a lawnmower engine, eh? P.S. More wisdom from Jon Eliot: “I have discovered that I cannot enhance anybody’s performance without getting them not only to live with the butterflies that come with high-pressure jobs, but to embrace that kind of physical response, enjoy it, get into it. That’s the real first ticket to being a performer who thinks exceptionally.” P.P.S. Another John comes to mind here. JFK once said: “Don't pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men [and women].”
Gary Taubes wrote a great book called The Case Against Sugar. Basic idea: If you were a detective in charge of figuring out a series of crimes and you noticed a common pattern among those crimes, you’d be smart to put the pieces together and see if you could narrow your search down to a single suspect. Right? Well… That’s what Taubes does in his book. The crimes? All the chronic diseases wreaking havoc on our society—from diabetes and obesity to heart disease and cancer. Short story: All those chronic diseases are associated with metabolic dysfunction. And the fastest way to make your metabolism dysfunctional? Sugar. Enter: The case against it. Remember our Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn? She discovered telomerase—the stuff that replenishes telomeres. Here’s how she puts it in The Telomere Effect: “When we want to spot the parties responsible for metabolic disease, we point a finger at the highly processed, sugary foods and sweetened drinks. (We’re looking at you, packaged cakes, candies, cookies, and sodas.) These are the foods and drinks most associated with compulsive eating. They light up the reward system in your brain. They are almost immediately absorbed into the blood, and they trick the brain into thinking we are starving and need more food. While we used to think all nutrients had similar effects on weight and metabolism — a ‘calorie is a calorie’ — this is wrong. Simply reducing sugars, even if you eat the same number of calories, can lead to metabolic improvements. Simple carbs wreak more havoc on metabolism and control over appetite than other types of foods.” Blackburn is at UCSF. She references her colleague Robert Lustig when she makes the point above. As we discussed in our last +1, Lustig is one of the world’s leading research endocrinologists. You know what he says about sugar? He tells us that sugar is the “Darth Vader” of the nutrition world. This little statistic might be THE most powerful one we’ll ever read regarding just how dangerous sugar is. (I repeated it half a dozen times in Optimal Weight 101). “If you had any residual doubt about ‘a calorie is not a calorie,’ this analysis should remove it. Every additional 150 calories per person per day barely raised diabetes prevalence. But if those 150 calories were instead from a can of soda, increase in diabetes rose sevenfold. Sugar is more dangerous than its calories. Sugar is a toxin. Plain and simple.” I repeat: “If you had any residual doubt about ‘a calorie is not a calorie,’ this analysis should remove it. Every additional 150 calories per person per day barely raised diabetes prevalence. But if those 150 calories were instead from a can of soda, increase in diabetes rose sevenfold. Sugar is more dangerous than its calories. Sugar is a toxin. Plain and simple.” That’s crazy. 150 additional calories from any source? No big deal. 150 additional calories from a CAN OF SODA? DIABETES GOES UP SEVENFOLD. Know this: “Sugar is more dangerous than its calories. Sugar is a toxin. Plain and simple.” Please tattoo that on your consciousness. (Right after throwing away your sodas!) And… To be clear: This isn’t just about risk for diabetes. It’s a metabolic issue—which is all about how every cell in our bodies produce Energy—which means it affects EVERYTHING. Today’s +1. If you feel so inspired, go throw away all the sodas in your house. (Hah. Seriously.) The Case Against Sugar is REALLY solid. If we’re serious about Optimizing our Energy and well-being (for ourselves and for our kids), reducing/eliminating it should be a top priority. #caseclosed
In our last +1, we took a quick trip to Michelangelo’s studio and saw the Optimus You sitting there in the uncarved marble. Then we did a little chiseling at some behaviors that might be getting in the way. Today’s +1 is another super-quick one. Pop quiz: You know what moment Michelangelo decided to capture when he carved David? Hint: It wasn’t his moment of celebration right after he “officially” became a hero by defeating Goliath. It was his moment of DECISION. It was the moment he DECIDED to step up and do his best to serve profoundly and, ultimately, heroically. That (and I have goosebumps as I type this) was what Michelangelo (rightly) considered the most heroic moment of David’s life—the moment he DECIDED to step up and strive to be a hero. Guess what? (Echo!!) We get to make those micro-decisions all day every day. Here’s to choosing wisely, David.
In our last +1, we met Joe De Sena’s kettlebell named Leo. (I laugh as I type that.) As you may recall, little Leonidas goes everywhere Joe goes. Traveling around the world? Mr. Leo gets checked in. Heading to the office in the morning. Leo’s going, too. All day every day. Joe and his 44-pound cast-iron little Leo are BFFs. Now, as I was preparing for Greatest Year Ever 2019, I was reflecting on that epic love story and thinking about the importance of having symbols to capture our most important intentions. For Joe, that kettlebell represents his commitment to obstacle immunity and to honoring the pledge he’s made to help 100 million people Optimize their lives via his Spartan Races—which I find to be SUPER inspiring. I wondered: What symbol can I create for myself that will capture my commitment to stepping up and into the next-best version of myself as a social entrepreneur and leader—doing my part to help 100 million (!!) people Optimize their lives by combining the power of Wisdom + Community + Virtue? For about 5 seconds, I considered taking Joe’s lead and carrying around my own 44-pound kettlebell. But, a) that’s crazy (even by my standards—lol) and b) that’s Joe’s thing. So… I scratched that idea and simply placed my 44-pound kettlebell a few feet from my wall calendar so I nearly trip over it every time I capture a micro “That’s like me!!” WIN. Then it hit me. I’ll wear the little Spartan sweatband you get when you do a Spartan Race with the competitive folks. Yep. That’s it. I used to keep it on the corner of my desk as a reminder but I picked it up and put it on. Obnoxiously obvious = perfect. So… I hereby formally introduce you to my own little Leo. You met my Suunto Spartan Ultra watch not too long ago. Well, here’s his pal. He prefers to go by his full name: Leonidas. Every time I glance down at him I think of the ancient Spartan King and of my commitment to be Spartan (and Athenian! lol) strong as I strive to cultivate my virtue and give the world all I’ve got. All of which leads us to Today’s +1. How about YOU? What are you most committed to in this precious life of yours? What symbol can you create to capture that commitment? Note: If you’re feeling particularly iconoclastically feisty: The more obnoxiously obvious (for you and everyone around you) the better.
Cal Newport joins us as a guest teacher for this class! He is one of my favorite thinkers. He got his Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT and is now a Professor at Georgetown. He’s also a bestselling author of a number of books. Given the fact that the fastest way to Optimize your life is to STOP doing things that are sub-optimal AND the fact that (for nearly all of us) our use of technology is the #1 thing that “Needs work!,” it’s SUPER important for us to figure out how to best use all the technology available to us WITHOUT becoming lost in a tsunami of inputs. Enter: Our new philosophy of technology use: Digital Minimalism.
Meditation. At this point, most of us are pretty aware of the fact that it’s been proven to be pretty epic for our well-being. Congrats, high fives, curtsies, etc. if you’re rockin’ a meditation practice already. If you’re not investing a few minutes of your day into meditation yet, what’re you waiting for?! Perhaps you’re telling yourself you don’t have the time? Well, we know that’s a pretty flimsy excuse (hah!) but if you’re not meditating and you have a tough time falling asleep at night, here’s some fun little data from Arianna Huffington’s The Sleep Revolution that will help us quantify the IMMEDIATE time-ROI you’ll get by meditating. Arianna tells us: “A 2009 Stanford study found that a six-week mindfulness meditation course helped people who have trouble sleeping fall asleep twice as quickly, in fifteen minutes instead of thirty-three minutes.” Recap: If you have trouble falling asleep, learning to meditate (and doing so consistently) can help you fall asleep twice as quickly—in FIFTEEN minutes rather than THIRTY. That 15 minutes you invest this morning in meditation? You’ll get it back tonight. And… You’ll get all the other benefits of meditation as well. Check out Meditation 101 for more. For now, how about a one-minute meditation to get your practice going starting today? Sit up nice and straight. With “dignity” as Jon Kabat-Zinn would say. Pull that thread your head. Chest up. Chin down. Relax. Smile. Breathe in through your nose, down into your belly. Exhale slowly through your nose. Repeat. Five times. Congrats! You’re a meditator! Here’s to your calm confidence and energized tranquility today AND tonight—as we remember the instant ROI from a simple meditation practice.
In our last +1, we talked about the Optimize Master’s program (aka Optimize Coach!) and had fun with some wisdom on moving from theory to practice—reminding ourselves that the theory (although important!) is just the rudimentary stuff. The ADVANCED work is the actual PRACTICE. Here’s what was kinda weird. As I was drafting that +1, I was doing some quick key word searches on my Mac to find the quotes I wanted to pull. I grabbed one from Ernest Holmes’s Creative Mind and Success and one from Vernon Howard’s The Power of Your Supermind. But before I found the right quote from Holmes, I opened up another one of our Notes on another one of his great books The Art of Life. (Fun note: I went through a phase where I was REALLY into understanding what all the old-school New Thought guys thought and read basically all their stuff.) Anyway… As I did that little searching and opened up a few PDFs, I noticed that the first Big Idea from both The Art of Life and from The Power of Your Supermind (books written by two different teachers fifty years apart), said almost EXACTLY the same thing. Big Idea #1 in our Notes on The Art of Life by Ernest Holmes: “You are using the Law of Life every time you think. No matter how long you may have been using It wrongly in your ignorance, the very day, that hour, yes the very moment, you begin to use this Power rightly, the effect of having used It wrongly will pass from your experience. Does it make any difference how long a room has been dark when you introduce a light; how long the earth has been parched when refreshing rain comes to bring new life, a new seed time and a new harvest to the fields?” Big Idea #1 in our Notes on The Power of Your Supermind by Vernon Howard: “It is a mistake for anyone to think he has lived too long in his old, unsatisfactory ways to make the great change. If you switch on the light in a dark room, it makes no difference how long it was dark because the light will still shine. Be teachable. That is the whole secret.” So… There ya go. That’s Today’s +1. Flip on the light. When? Today. (Then reflip it every time it goes off, of course!!)
In our last +1, we talked about our inaugural Optimize Coach program (there’s still a little more time to sign up and join hundreds of other passionate Optimizers in making this the greatest year of our lives while helping others in our lives do the same, btw). Specifically, we discussed the very first email we send out with the very first micro-exercise to invite Optimus Us to the party. It goes like this: Stand up. Expand. Relax. Pull the thread thru your head. Take a deep breath (in thru the nose, down into the belly, etc.). Chest up. Chin down. Relax a little more. Expand a little more. Smile. “Hi, Optimus!!” We’re going to start (and end) every single one of our 43 weekly sessions together with that exercise. CONSTANTLY remembering to physically flip the switch from the not-quite-Optimus version of ourselves to the “Let’s do this!!!” Optimus version of Us. As I wrapped my brain around the importance of this little exercise and how to integrate it in our lives, I was thinking that it’s kinda like our Presence phone booth—the one Clark Kent pops into to change from his meek self into his Heroic Superman identity. Which led me to Google. Google: “I’d like some love on ‘Clark Kent to Superman transformation,’ please.” You’ll notice that he goes from a hunched over, apologetic, squeaky-voiced sub-Optimus version of himself to, well, Superman. It’s almost as if the script said: “Stand up. Expand. Relax. Pull the thread thru your head. Take a deep breath (in thru the nose, down into the belly, etc.). Chest up. Chin down. Relax a little more. Expand a little more. Smile.” (Side note: At 45 seconds you may notice some room for coaching with that mouth breathing. “Love it, Clark! Well done on standing up nice and tall, expanding while relaxing and smiling knowing you’ve got it going on. Tiny little thing: Let’s keep that breath coming in (and out) through the nose. Nice, light, deep into the diaphragm, slightly longer exhale with a smile! Yep. That’s it. SUPERMAN’s in the house!!” lol) That’s Today’s +1. Let’s remember Amy Cuddy’s wisdom on the power of Presence and Richard Wiseman’s wisdom on The As If Principle as we practice flipping (and reflipping/ducktaping!) the superhero identity switch—living as the new version of you 24/7/365… sending the old you on permanent vacation. One more time… “Stand up. Expand. Relax. Pull the thread thru your head. Take a deep breath (in thru the nose, down into the belly, etc.). Chest up. Chin down. Relax a little more. Expand a little more. Smile.” “Hi, Optimus!!”
In our last +1, we took a nice stroll down Brian’s Biographical Byway—exploring the power of flipping Identity switches. (You make any distinctions? Flip any switches?) btw: That Seneca quote with which we wrapped up that +1 always knocks my socks off: “It is not because things are difficult that you do not dare. It is because you do not dare that things are difficult.” Today I want to go back to Atomic Habits and explore an Idea that didn’t make it into the Note. It has to do with Michael Phelps. And his genes. And how they impacted his pants inseam length. And how that affected his Olympic greatness. Get this: At this stage, we all know that Phelps is one of the greatest athletes of ALL TIME. He’s won more gold medals (23!!) than anyone in the history of the Olympics. He’s a case study in grit. In his autobiography No Limits, he shares the key character traits he believes led to his astonishing success. But… One of the things he doesn’t mention is the fact that his body just so happens to be near-perfectly architected for absolute dominance in his chosen sport. He’s 6’4. Perfect. His wingspan is considerable longer that his height. Awesome. And… His torso is crazy long. Like CRAZY long. (lol) A “normal” 6 foot 4 inch guy has a 34-inch inseam. Phelps? His inseam is 30 inches. (Which, Google says, would hover around the “petite” to “small” range if he were shopping for women’s pants.) The Swimming Gods have blessed that man!! And… Of course, Effort Counts Twice and that guy put in the effort of 10 Olympians—squeezing every drop of potential out of his uniquely shaped body and dominating his sport for a very long time. But that’s not quite the point of this +1. This is: James Clear tells us that if we want to achieve greatness in our lives, we need to make sure we’re focusing our precious life force in a domain in which our talents and passion are a good fit. If Phelps had tried to be a runner he would have failed miserably. His dimensions are precisely the opposite of what’s required there. He needed to be in a pool for us to see him shine. Today’s +1. What “pool” do you belong in? Are you in it? Go take your hedgehog out for a swim or a walk or a run or whatever it is you love to do. Match your strengths to the domain in which you’re building the habits to most fully express your life force. Show us what you’ve got. All of it. (Pretty please and thank you!)
In our last +1, we talked about how to make yourself a quadrillion (!!!) times better. The recap there: Just let the magic of compounding 1% gains work for you. Every day. 10 years. Boom! Of course the fine print includes the fact that, although inspiring, that’s (obviously) pretty much impossible as NO ONE, not even the best among us, are perfect (thanks, Maslow!) and we won’t be the first. But contemplating the sheer potential force of compounding tiny gains is pretty inspiring. Now, as I wrapped my brain around that power and imagined each of us stepping into that next-best version of ourselves (then repeating the spiraling up again and again!), Ralph Waldo Emerson came to mind. In Self-Reliance, he has a great line about the fact that great human beings have an aura about them. He says that it’s almost as if they have a bunch of angels escorting them. As he puts it: “The force of character is cumulative. All the foregone days of virtue work their health into this. What makes the majesty of the heroes of the senate and the field, which so fills the imagination? The consciousness of a train of great days and victories behind. They shed an united light on the advancing actor. He is attended as by a visible escort of angels.” That sounds about right. And you know what “angel” is leading the rest of the angels? Our proud daimons. High fives to you and yours!
In our last +1, we talked about how the Peak Performance guys recommend we craft our optimal work-to-rest ratio. Pop quiz: You recall the ratio? Pop answer: 50 to 90 minutes ON. 7 to 20 minutes OFF. Making nice rhythmic waves… (More importantly: You practice it yesterday?) Today, as promised, I want to talk about the importance of creating boundaries lest we teeter into the realm of burnout and/or never leave the realm of sub-awesome performance. First, let’s talk about the boundaries required to get into true, 100% ON mode. Guess what… All that multi-tasking? Flitting back and forth from one thing to another? That’s NOT awesome. (Cap’n Obvious here with a friendly public service announcement.) We need to create bright-line boundaries and focus on ONE Thing—the most important thing—if we want to have a shot at operating in our upper threshold of productive performance. We all know that. (Right?) Yet… Do you still paper cut your attention and never really go deep because you’re too busy multitasking? Well, as the Peak Performance guys put it: “For 99 percent of us, effective multitasking is nothing more than effective delusional thinking.” So, to be ALL IN ON, we need to eliminate distractions and truly go ALL IN for our 50 to 90 minutes of peak performance work. Got it. Then what? Then we need to truly recover during that 7 to 20 minutes OFF phase. Go for a walk, meditate, take a nap. (If you’re a nut like me, go throw some spears in your backyard.) But, whatever you do, don’t go online and read the news and/or catch up on your social feeds or anything else that’s going to blow up your brain (and nervous system and neurotransmitters) and not offer you a true recovery period. Again, boundaries. 100% On. 100% Off. Repeat. But only if you like sustainable peak performance. Remember: Boundaries or burnout. Oh! And this is even more important at the end of the day. Remember our chat about “Shut-down complete!”? Well, that’s a really good boundary to make sure you properly recover via some epic sleep while also ensuring some solid Deep Love time. Boundaries = Awesome.
Continuing (and concluding) our trip through Steve Chandler’s wise brain (and great book, Reinventing Yourself), let’s talk about campfires. Campfires? Yep. Campfires. So… You’re out camping. It’s night time. You light a fire. It keeps you warm. You wake up the next morning. The fire is out. You’ll need to light another fire tonight to get warm again. Now, do you complain about the fact that you need to create another fire? Or, do you just accept that that’s how it is? Unless you pretty much exclusively speak Victimese, you accept that reality and simply make another fire, right? Well… Steve tells us that the “human spirit” is JUST like that campfire. You need to re-light it EVERY SINGLE DAY. Most people don’t like that fact. They want their fire to burn all day every day from the moment they wake up until the moment they fall asleep (with pleasant dreams included as well)—with as little effort as possible. That’s called entitlement. You can also call it wanting to be exonerated from all future effort. As it turns out, Phil Stutz says almost exactly the same thing. Only the metaphor he uses in our chats is that of a chair. He says that when you build a chair on the physical or material plane of life, it’s there the next day. BUT… (And this is another big “but”!!) On the spiritual plane, that chair you built today WON’T be there tomorrow. You need to get back to work RE-BUILDING it. Every day. Whether you like it or not. Kinda like the campfire of the human spirit. Today’s +1. At the end of the day today, use the wood from the chair you built to fuel the campfire you need to build every night—knowing that you’ll need to build both again tomorrow morning. And… Know that when we really get this, we’re nearly invincible. Why? Well, we stop complaining when we inevitably feel a little off and simply get to work doing the things we KNOW will help us feel great. THAT is the source of ultimate confidence. And it’s ours. Here’s to your comfie chairs that act as kindling for your warm fires!
Arianna Huffington (CEO of Thrive and co-founder + editor in chief of The Huffington Post) went from being a sleep-deprived executive to a sleep evangelist after passing out and banging her head following years of a grueling work! In this book, she brilliantly walks us through the crisis we’re facing, the history of sleep, the science of sleep and, most importantly, what we can do to Optimize our sleep. I highly recommend it. Big Ideas we explore include the fact that sleep is the #1 most underrated health habit, how to master sleeping well, the #1 tip (and #2-4), how much sleep the wealthiest human on the planet gets (hint: target: 8!), how athletes train their sleep (guess what time Tom Brady goes to sleep!), and why you should set a WORK-DOWN alarm so you don't need a WAKE-UP alarm.
Ready to make 2019 the Greatest Year of Your Life? Me, too. It’s time to Operationalize Virtue—getting (even more) clarity on what our Optimus selves look like and getting even better at consistently showing up AS that best version of ourselves. In this class, we review why we do what we do together, take a quick trip to hell (yikes!) then to Michelangelo’s studio (yay!) then we get to work sculpting our Energy, Work and Love—taking the time to wrap our souls around our Identity + Virtues + Soul Goals + Algorithms that will drive our Masterpiece Days as we Dare to step thru Fear Doors into all we’re destined to be. Hope you love it and looking forward to LITERALLY making this year the greatest year of your life in an unending string of such awesome years!
Dr. Mercola is a super-popular alternative health physician who runs the equally popular site Mercola.com. In this book, we get a look at his “Mitochondrial Metabolic Therapy” program. MMT for short. As you could probably guess, this is a high-fat (+ “adequate” protein + low-carb) diet. If that approach fires you up, I think you’ll love the book. If not, well… :) Big Ideas we explore include: meeting our mitochondria (the key to health), why “adequate” protein is where it’s at (not low or moderate or high but “adequate”!), mTOR (the cancer switch), good fats (vs. bad ones), peak fasting, and how to win the urge war.
In our last +1, we talked about LeBron James and the fact that he tries to get 11 to 12 hours of sleep per day when he’s training. (So does Roger Federer. And, Tom Brady is in bed at 8:30.) Let’s talk about LeBron a little more today. Renowned mental toughness coach Bob Rotella kicks off his book How Champions Think with a story about how LeBron thinks. It goes something like this. Once upon a time early in LeBron’s career, Rotella spent some time working with LeBron. He knew the basics. Six-eight. A chiseled two hundred fifty pounds with explosive speed. A proven superstar. But it wasn’t until they sat down and chatted that he REALLY got LeBron’s power. Rotella asked him about his goals. LeBron told him: “I want to be the greatest basketball player in history.” Rotella thought: “Beautiful. This is a truly talented guy.” He tells us what he was MOST impressed by: “It was not that he had physical gifts. It was LeBron’s mind.” Specifically, it was the way he saw himself that most moved Rotella: “The vital importance of that sort of attitude is the foremost thing I have learned about exceptionalism in my decades of work with people striving to be great.” That’s worth repeating. Rotella has worked with THE top performers for DECADES. The “foremost thing” he has learned about exceptionalism and people striving to be great? The vital importance of seeing themselves and their potential with such audacious (!) clarity. Which begs the question: How do YOU see yourself? Now, continuing our story… After LeBron told Rotella he wanted to be the greatest basketball player in history (!!!), Rotella asked him where he thought he stood in relation to that goal. LeBron told him he thought he was doing pretty well but that he wasn’t going to be the greatest if his teams didn’t win championships and they weren’t going to do that unless he became a better three-point shooter. Long story short: Rotella told him to create a video montage of him nailing threes from every spot on the court. Set it to music. Watch it every night. FEEL it. Program his subconscious mind. And, he told him to hire a shooting coach, work with him every day and make two hundred three-point shots off the dribble every day while imagining the best defender guarding him. Then make another two hundred catch-and-shoot three-pointers. “I told him I didn’t care how many shots it took to make those four hundred three-pointers, or how long it took. If he wanted to be great, he would find the time and find the energy.” Rotella continues: “The actual number of shots I suggested was not as important, in my mind, as the idea that LeBron would set a practice goal for himself, commit to achieving it every day, and wait patiently for the results.” Fast-forward. LeBron went from being a 29% three-point shooter in his rookie season to a 40% beast—collecting a few championships en route to his quest to be the greatest player ever. Of course, this Idea has nothing to do with LeBron James and his three-pointers. It has to do with YOU. In what domain are you committed to being exceptional? Where do you think you stand in relation to that goal? And what do you think you need to do every day (!!) to have a shot at being your exceptional best? Find the time. Find the energy. Be an exception. Be exceptional.
Susan Peirce Thompson is a Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester. She’s an expert in the psychology of eating and creator of Bright Line Eating Solutions, “a company dedicated to helping people achieve long-term, sustainable weight loss.” Plus... She used to be obese and, as she says, addicted to everything. She integrates her background in neuroscience with her personal experience conquering her diet and other addiction issues in this super popular book. Big Ideas we explore include why bright lines are where it’s at, the susceptibility quiz, the saboteur, self-perception theory, and the four bright lines of eating.
Solitude. It’s the secret sauce to leadership. But... In their great book Raymond Kethledge and Michael Erwin tells us: “Solitude is a state of mind, a space where you can focus on your own thoughts without distraction, with a power to bring mind and soul together in clear-eyed conviction. Like a great wave that saturates everything in its path, however, handheld devices and other media now leave us awash with the thoughts of others. We are losing solitude without even realizing it.” Big Ideas we explore include the big 4 of solitude (clarity + creativity + emotional balance + moral courage), the threats from our "Input Age," how MLK and Eisenhower used solitude, FOMO (get over it!) and how to change the world (starting with YOU!).
Today I’d like to talk about a little more wisdom from Seth Godin’s Icarus Deception. As we’ve discussed, his book (and his entire body of work for that matter), is basically a plea for us to step up and into our highest potential. He tells us: “Your ability to follow directions is not the secret to your success. You are hiding your best work, your best insight, and your best self from us every day.” That’s inspiringly true. (Note the references to “your best,” “your best,” “your best.” And, think: Optimus, optimus, optimus.) But here’s the passage that’s been rattling around in my head: “It’s too bad that so much time has been wasted, but it would be unforgivable to wait any longer. You have the ability to contribute so much. We need you, now.” It’s funny because when I recalled that passage in my head, I thought he said, “It’s unfortunate that so much time has been wasted. But it would be unforgivable to wait any longer.” Unfortunate vs. Unforgivable. Unfortunate vs. Unforgivable. Unfortunate vs. Unforgivable. That’s the phrase that’s been bubbling up for me… Yah. It’s a bit of a bummer we’ve wasted so many years (or decades!) living at less than our best. (“Gosh darnit!! GAH!!! Oh, to have that time back!!!”) Yet… As UNFORTUNATE as that wasted time is, it’s UNFORGIVABLE to wait any longer. So, let’s capitalize all the lessons learned and GET BUSY GIVING OUR BEST SELVES MOST FULLY TO THE WORLD. How might you do that just a little more today? Remember: Unfortunate vs. Unforgivable. And give us what you’ve got!!
Robert Lustig is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology and a member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at University of California, San Francisco. He has authored 120 peer-reviewed articles and 70 reviews and is a leading voice on childhood obesity. And, his YouTube video “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” has been viewed over 7 million times. Obesity is a global pandemic. It’s astonishing how rapidly it’s expanding. And it’s COMPLETELY preventable. Lustig has dedicated his career to helping us understand the causes and how to “beat the odds against sugar, processed food, obesity and disease.” Big Ideas we explore include: Meeting the Darth Vader of the Food Empire (“Hi, sugar!”), two hormones driving the show (insulin + leptin), which fat you need to worry about most (big belly vs. big butt fat!), why so many diets work (reduced sugar + fiber), exercise (best ROI in medicine) and voting with ever dollar we don’t spend.
With all this talk about sports heroes and scoring touchdowns and winning forever, I think it’s time to remind ourselves that sports simply provide the perfect (over-simplified) context for SPIRITUAL truths. That’s why we love watching the Olympics, Super Bowls and World Cups so much. When we watch an athlete performing at their absolute (optimus!) best we’re simply reminded of our own heroic potential. Of course, we want to make sure we get off the couch and get into the arena of life and use their demonstration of greatness as an inspiration for our own pursuit of excellence (rather than as mere entertainment by people who are somehow gifted in ways in which we aren’t). (Remember: According to Anders Ericsson, the preeminent researcher on what makes great people great: We ALL have “The Gift.”) So… Bringing it back the spiritual arena, Today we’re going to talk about Rumi. As you may know, Rumi was one of the greatest spiritual beings in history and his beautiful poetry is beloved around the world. He was a Sufi—which is, essentially, a Muslim mystic. He was born in the 13th century in what is now Afghanistan. He lived and taught in Konya, Turkey which was, at the time, the capital of the dominant Selcuk Empire. I smile as I recall studying Rumi and visiting his grave in Konya on my little philosophical tour over 15 years ago (during which I also studied Socrates in Athens, Jesus in Jersualem, and Marcus Aurelius near the Danube in Hungary). So… What does he say about how we should live? Well, in terms of the intensity with which our sports heroes lived, I love the way he encourages us to play the much bigger game of life. These passages capture some of his spiritual intensity: “I am burning. If anyone lacks tinder, let him set his rubbish ablaze with my fire.” “Travelers, it is late. Life’s sun is going to set. During these brief days that you have strength, be quick and spare no effort of your wings.” “He is a letter to everyone. You open it. It says, ‘Live!’” Yep. All in. If Rumi played football, he would have played it like Jerry Rice. If he coached basketball, he would have coached it like John Wooden. Today’s +1. If you feel so inspired, I’d love to have you join me in opening Rumi’s letter. Let’s spare no effort of our wings as we set ourselves on fire so that others may feel the warmth of our glow and we can change the world, one person at a time, together, starting with you and me. Today.
Elizabeth Blackburn won the Nobel Prize for her discovery of telemorase - “the enzyme that replenishes telomeres, which protect our genetic heritage.” Elissa Epel is one of the world’s leading health psychology researcher. Together, they have created a great book that walks us through the best of what we know about telomeres, why they’re so important and what we can do to Optimize them. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about telomeres, THIS is the book to read. Big Ideas we explore include why telomeres are the secret sauce to aging well, the fact that your cells are listening to your thoughts (#1 tip? Shift from a threat response to a challenge response!), how to mind your telomeres (move from negative thinking to resilient thinking), how to eat, move, sleep your way to happy telomeres, and a challenging question: What will YOUR cellular legacy be?
Robb Wolf is a former research biochemist and is one of the leading thinkers/writers/practitioners in the Paleo or Ancestral Health movement. The essence of this book is the that while there are general principles of nutrition that work for everyone AND... Ultimately we need to figure out what works best for us as individuals if we want to rock it. Big Ideas we explore include: the fact that one size diets do NOT fit all (remember: "rough" tools vs. precision tools), discordance theory (there's a mismatch between our genes and our environment!), an anti-inflammatory diet (aka Paleo aka Phase I), personalized nutrition (aka 7-Day Carb test aka Phase II), the other pillars of health (sleep, stress, move, connection), and genetic + environmental lotteries (what to do if you lost them--lol).
A couple +1s ago, we talked about Optimizer Jessica’s kind words and then had fun talking about Mr. Anonymous Troll Guy as well. Today I want to talk about a line from Jessica’s little note that I didn’t share before. In addition to her kind words about my commitment to sharing my own struggles and how that has helped her build resilience, she said this: “Furthermore, the partnership he and Alexandra have built is exemplary — I only wish they weren’t so hard to emulate!” Now, again, I’m super touched by that and honored that we serve as potential relationship exemplars and I know Jessica wasn’t saying that she thought we were perfect… AND… (Laughing as I type this…) As Maslow said and we discuss ALL THE TIME (but still nowhere near enough!), THERE ARE NO PERFECT HUMANS. And, by extension, THERE ARE NO PERFECT RELATIONSHIPS. And, as I always like to say: You and I won’t be the first perfect people. Nor will we have the first perfect relationship. (At least Alexandra and I certainly won’t!) Here’s what’s funny. The morning after we received that note (LITERALLY the morning after!), Alexandra and I got into a nice little argument. Now, to be clear, we weren’t crazy yelling at each other or anything, but it was a nice little testy one. (Laughing.) About what? Well, that’s the best part. Basically about the proper way to Optimize and build sustainable habits. (Laughing.) I won’t bore you with the details but the point I want to make is that, and I know this is obvious but I want make sure we’re all on the same page, WE AREN’T PERFECT. Individually or together. NOT EVEN CLOSE!!! Again, I realize that’s obvious, but I want to make it jumbo explicit. Why do you think I work so hard on this stuff? And why do you think I come back to the same themes again and again and again? BECAUSE I NEED IT!!! (More laughter.) Ahem. So, yah. There ya go. btw: In a chat with Cal Newport not too long ago (we’re actually chatting in a couple hours—which I’m really looking forward to), we talked about my Big 3: Energy + Work + Love. He was breaking it down with his “I-have-a-Ph.D.-from-MIT brain” when I shared my Wildly Important Goal for “Love.” It’s always evolving but, basically, it’s to celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary with Alexandra and be best friends with my adult kids. I told him that no one sets a goal like that unless not hitting it is a possibility. (Laughing yet again.) In other words, Alexandra and I being married in another 39 years isn’t a foregone conclusion. We have challenges like everyone else. And, we’ll choose to work on them and preserve/Optimize our relationship as a key component of our Optimizing and actualizing or we won’t. But the challenge remains. For all of us. Again, I repeat, off the soapbox now in a more relaxed tone: There are no perfect human beings; and, there are no perfect relationships. So, I’m honored to be an exemplar for those who find inspiration in my life and I’m absolutely (!!!) committed to being worthy of that role. AND… That’s Today’s +1. Let’s remember that NO ONE is perfect. And, as hard as we work, we won’t be the first. Then let’s rub our hands together at all the challenges we face and strive to be imperfect, always-Optimizing-and-actualizing exemplars for our families, communities and world.
James Clear has a super-popular website (jamesclear.com). Millions of people visit it every month and hundreds of thousands subscribe to his email newsletter. After reading this book, I can see why. He’s a great writer and distills the essence of habit formation into, well, its fundamental components—the “atomic” structure if you will—while showing us how those TINY little incremental improvements add up to MIGHTY results. I rarely say a book is a must-read but this one’s as close as it gets. Big Ideas we explore include: The math behind 1% gains compounding over a year (and a decade!), navigating the Plateau of Latent Potential (ever given up on a habit? Take note!), the importance (and etymology) of our Identity (get this: it literally means 'repeated being ness'), The 4 Laws of Behavior Change (remember: cue + craving + response + reward and... make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, make it satisfying), and the Sorites Paradox (can a single habit change your life?).
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. Hope you enjoy!
James Clear has a super-popular website (jamesclear.com). Millions of people visit it every month and hundreds of thousands subscribe to his email newsletter. After reading this book, I can see why. He’s a great writer and distills the essence of habit formation into, well, its fundamental components—the “atomic” structure if you will—while showing us how those TINY little incremental improvements add up to MIGHTY results. I rarely say a book is a must-read but this one’s as close as it gets. Big Ideas we explore include: The math behind 1% gains compounding over a year (and a decade!), navigating the Plateau of Latent Potential (ever given up on a habit? Take note!), the importance (and etymology) of our Identity (get this: it literally means 'repeated being ness'), The 4 Laws of Behavior Change (remember: cue + craving + response + reward and... make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, make it satisfying), and the Sorites Paradox (can a single habit change your life?).
In our last +1, we met one of my heroes, Mrs. Kristie Kuehnast. I smile with joy (and in awe) every time I imagine her fifth-grade students coming back into the classroom after their mile run to sit down and watch a new +1 or PNTV. High fives, Kristie. We appreciate you. (Oh! Please walk through a cloning machine about 50 million times. Thank you.) We also briefly touched on Yuval Noah Harari’s perspective on the subject of Education. Today I want to revisit some more wisdom from his new book. As we discussed, Yuval shines a spotlight on 21 of the biggest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. With the rise of artificial intelligence, information technology and biotechnology, things are changing at an incomprehensible speed. And, it’s only going to speed up, not slow down. He tells us: “The danger is that if we invest too much in developing AI and too little in developing human consciousness, the very sophisticated artificial intelligence of computers might only serve to empower the stupidity of humans.” He also tells us: “To avoid such outcomes, for every dollar and every minute we invest in improving artificial intelligence, we’d be wise to invest a dollar and a minute in advancing human consciousness. Unfortunately, at present we are not doing much in the way of research into human consciousness and ways to develop it. We are researching and developing human abilities mainly according to the immediate needs of the economic and political system, rather than according to our own long-term needs as conscious beings. My boss wants me to answer emails as quickly as possible, but he has little interest in my ability to taste and appreciate the food I am eating. Consequently, I check my emails even during meals, which means I lose the ability to pay attention to my own sensations. The economic system pressures me to expand and diversify my investment portfolio, but it gives me zero incentive to expand and diversify my compassion. So I strive to understand the mysteries of the stock exchange while making far less effort to understand the deep causes of suffering.” Let’s focus on the end of that passage… Which are you most interested in understanding? The fluctuations in the stock market? Or the fluctuations in your own well-being, and, by extension, the well-being of those around you and the world at large? I remember a coaching session where an Optimizer and I had fun making the distinction that, rather than waking up and immediately checking the stock market, he may want to consider waking up and checking in how his ULTIMATE stock was doing—that stock being his OWN CONSCIOUSNESS, of course. Seriously. When you wake up, what do you do? Do you check in on the most precious “asset” you’ll ever have? (Again, I repeat: That would be YOU and your well-being, of course!) Or, do you immediately check in on the world—whether that’s the stock market or the news or your email inbox? Byron Katie comes to mind. She tells us: “The greatest stock market you can invest in is yourself. Finding this truth is better than finding a gold mine.” Amen. Today’s +1. How can you invest in yourself a little more today? Here’s to celebrating (and tapping into!) our gold mines.
When I first saw the title for this book I thought to myself, "Really, Steve? THIS is what you think I need to hear? That nobody wants to read my sh_t? I thought we were working on our Resistance and winning the War of Art!" Then I bought the book and embraced the tough love with a growth mindset. Big Ideas we explore include WHY people don't want to read your sh_t (or engage with your product/or listen to your talk, etc.) (hint: they're REALLY BUSY!), how to be worthy of their attention, why the hero's journey is essential for effective storytelling (the 10 main points), doing what scares you the most, and the importance of giving us your gift (mine the gold, please!!).
Weight. It matters. A lot. Although I’m obviously not a weight-loss guy, as I prepped for Energy 101 I realized that we needed to talk about Optimizing our weight. Enter, this class—which could more accurately be called Optimal METABOLISM 101. Fact is, if our weight is off, our METABOLISM is off. Specifically, our insulin levels (which disrupts another hormone called leptin that regulates our appetite). In this class, we take a quick look at why it’s so hard to Optimize our weight and how to make it easy (or at least a lot easier!).
A few +1s ago, we talked about Walter Russell and the sound of joy. Today I’d like to talk about another one of his powerful insights. Here it is. He tells us: “Mediocrity is self-inflicted. Genius is self-bestowed.” Here’s the slightly longer version: “I believe that every man has consummate genius within him. Some appear to have it more than others only because they are aware of it more than others are, and the awareness or unawareness of it is what makes each one of them into masters or holds them down to mediocrity. I believe that mediocrity is self-inflicted and that genius is self-bestowed.” Today’s +1 is very simple. Are you bestowing genius upon yourself or inflicting mediocrity? Well, which is it? Genius. Mediocrity. I agree with Walter (and countless other teachers). We ALL have “consummate” (Golden Buddha!) genius within ourselves. Can you see it?
This is Steven Pressfield’s 19th book. It’s the 10th book of his I’ve read and it’s the 4th book on which I’ve done a Note. As with all of his books, this one is written in his inimitable, pithy style. (In fact, as I consulted my dictionary for the precise definition of the word pithy, I realized just how much his style epitomizes that word. Pithy means “concise and forcefully expressive.”) Big Ideas we explore include defining the artist's journey (vis-a-vis the hero's journey; note: we all live both journeys!!), our #1 job (say hello to your muse), the superconsciousness (shuttle back and forth!), destiny acorns (daimon meet genius), how to let your soul shine (hint: SHOW UP!), Jay-Z in his studio (enter: 10,000 micro hero's journeys), and: Ready or not (you're called!!).
Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney are both academic researchers and professors who have been studying sports nutrition, ketogenic diets and peak performance for decades. To put it in perspective, Dr. Stephen Phinney (with his MD from Stanford and PhD from MIT) coined the phrase “keto-adapted” in 1980. Big Ideas we explore include: the accepted dogma (vs. compelling data), two fuel tanks (you want to go hours or days?), veto-adaptation (how to), protein (necessary but in moderation), fat (your most important fuel; the good and bad!), and the macro breakdown (here it is!).
In our last couple +1s, we talked about the lead-up to a recent keynote talk I gave and some wisdom gleaned in the process—including practicing the “Bring it on!” and “I’m excited!” tools THE MOMENT I experienced doubt/fear/etc. and… Hanging towels over mirrors to reduce the ol' self-consciousness. Today I want to talk about being a ballet dancer. (Hah.) Well, actually, I want to talk about some of my favorite feedback from the event. I had some great conversations with the people at the event but one nice little comment really stuck. Short story: While I was holding Eleanor while Alexandra and Emerson were enjoying a quick little hot tub session at the hotel on Friday night, a woman who attended the event strolled by. We had a nice little Love 2.0 moment. She told me that she was trained in Russian ballet and that one of the first things she noticed when I started talking was my posture. She said that in her ballet training, she was taught to simultaneously go up AND go down. And that, apparently, I did that really well. She said I looked like I could be a ballet dancer. I said, “That’s AWESOME. Thank you!” But, as awesome as that is (lol), that’s not quite the point of Today’s +1. Today I want to talk about three things: Head Threads + Power Poses + Thor’s Hammer. I take my posture/gait kinda seriously. (I think it was Phil Maffetone who says that how we hold ourselves (how we stand/walk/etc.) is, essentially, the sum total of our overall well-being and communicates to everyone around us.) So… During my meditation this morning, the essence of this +1 bubbled up and I actually got up to capture the ideas (which is a very rare thing for me to do). There are three essential things I think we want to have in mind posture-wise. First, Head Threads. Quick recap: As per the Alexander Technique training I did on a tiny little island in Greece back in the day, imagine having a thread that runs from the top of your head down through your spine. Gently pull it up—lengthening (and widening) your spine. When you sit. When you stand. When you walk. All day every day. Experts in that method say that’s one of the keys to grace and poise. Then we have Power Poses: I also like to think of Amy Cuddy’s research on the power of our posture. As it turns out, Amy was actually a ballet dancer as well. Recall her research on how to cultivate Presence. One of her big things, of course, is to strike a power pose. Channel your inner Superman or Wonder Woman. When you sit. When you stand. When you walk. All day every day. Experts in this field of research say this is one of the most effective ways to cultivate our presence and power. Finally we have Thor’s Hammer: Eric Goodman is one of the world’s leading biomechanic experts. He wrote a book called True to Form. You know who wrote the foreword to his book? Thor!! Well, technically, it was Chris Helmsworth but he attributes his superpowers to Eric’s wisdom. The key tip from Eric I have in my mind often throughout the day? “Chest up. Chin down.” Try it. Chest up. Chin down. All day. Every day. Thor says: It does a body good. That’s Today’s +1. Let’s (literally!) embody the idea of buoyancy by simultaneously having levity AND gravity. Remember: Head Threads. Power Poses. Thor’s Hammer. Simultaneously UP and DOWN. And, most importantly: Let’s dance!
We’ve been talking a fair amount about the idea that some of history’s greatest creators didn’t work all that much. To be clear, they worked hard and (very importantly!) CONSISTENTLY, but the fact is that it’s really hard to put in any more than 4 to 6 hours of really high-quality work. Of course, we all have our own idiosyncratic professional responsibilities. And, in addition to Deep Work, we all have (and, for the record, all of history’s greatest creators had!) some Team Work and some Monkey Work to do. (Even hermits like me can’t get all that to zero—as hard as I may try! lol) But I get the fact that, for a lot of people, the idea that we can structure our lives such that we’re basically hammering out four hours of deep work and then calling it a day feels a bit impossible. Fair enough. Maybe we can’t currently (or ever!) wave our wands and instantly manifest our ideal Masterpiece Days. But… a) Have you actually stepped back and REALLY thought about how you COULD structure your life so you more consistently execute a pretty epically masterpiece day? b) What about just ONE hour of Deep Work hammer time per day? If four hours feels like an “impossible” stretch, can you carve out ONE hour to go DEEP on what REALLY matters most to you before jumping into the whirlwind of other people’s priorities? Perhaps part of that Deep Work time can be dedicated to mapping out how you create four hours of sheer awesome such that you can consistently accumulate twenty hours of REALLY solid Deep Work per week?! (And, the “impossible” becomes “what’s for breakfast” as per a recent +1?) You know how much four hours of Deep Work per day/twenty hours of Deep Work per week adds up to in a year? 1,000 hours. You know how many hours that adds up to in a decade? 10,000 hours. You know who you would be if you logged in 10,000 (!!!) hours of REALLY Deep Work? Of course you don’t. That, as Ellen Langer would say, is UNKNOWABLE. But… You know what? I’m super-curious to know what it could look like. How about YOU? That’s Today’s +1. If you’re struggling to find your Deep Work rhythms, how about an hour of awesome today? Let’s run the math on that as well… You know how much one hour of Deep Work per day or five hours of Deep Work per week adds up to in a year? 250 hours. You know many hours that adds up to in a decade? 2,500 hours. You know who you would be if you logged in 2,500 (!!!) hours of REALLY Deep Work? (… Echo…) Of course you don’t. That, as Ellen Langer would say, is UNKNOWABLE. But… You know what? I’m super-curious to know what it could look like. How about YOU? Here’s to your 1-Hour (Deep)Workday!
In our last +1, we talked about the fact that we need to train our recovery the same way we train our Deep Work. We want to create nice, rhythmic waves in our lives and prioritize rest. One great way to do that? Deep Play. I briefly mentioned the fact that, as Alex Pang tells us in his great book Rest, when we look closely at the routines of some of history’s greatest, most creative and most prolific creators what we find is that they don’t actually work that much. Here’s how he puts it: “Figures as different as Charles Dickens, Henri Poincaré, and Ingmar Bergman, working in disparate fields in different times, all shared a passion for their work, a terrific ambition to succeed, and an almost superhuman capacity to focus. Yet when you look closely at their daily lives, they only spent a few hours a day doing what we would recognize as their most important work. The rest of the time, they were hiking mountains, taking naps, going on walks with friends, or just sitting and thinking. Their creativity and productivity, in other words, were not the results of endless hours of toil. Their towering creative achievements result from modest ‘working’ hours. … If some of history’s greatest figures didn’t put in immensely long hours, maybe the key to unlocking the secret of their creativity lies in understanding not just how they labored but how they rested, and how the two relate.” That again, is from a chapter he calls “4 Hours.” As in, the greatest creators tend to work only 4 hours a day. But, they put first things first and GO DEEP. Then, they recover. The 4-Hour Workday. ← That would be an epic book. btw: For those paying close attention, you may recall that we actually had a very similar +1 not too long ago featuring wisdom from Anders Ericsson and Tony Schwartz. We called that one The 4.5-Hour Workday. I love how we come back to the same wisdom again and again (and again!!). As Tony Robbins says, repetition is the mother of skill; or, in our case, repetition is the mother of wise Optimizing. (One more aside: I’m reminded of a recent philosophical ping-pong chat with Cal Newport. We talked about the fact that all great traditions come back to the same themes and I remarked that Optimizing by integrating ancient wisdom + modern science + practical tools like we do is kinda like looking at all the facets of a gem from different angles so you can appreciate its full beauty.) One more little facet of the Today’s gem then we’ll get back to our 4-Hour Workday. We’ve talked a lot about Scott Adams and Stephen King. Alex talks about their daily rhythms and tells us: “Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, works about four hours a day on the strip and other writing; as he points out, ‘My value is based on my best ideas in any given day, not the number of hours I work.’ Stephen King describes four to six hours of reading and writing as a ‘strenuous’ day.” There ya go. Get clear on what matters. GO DEEP. Daily. Accrete value in your most important work. Recover. Deeply. Repeat. That’s Today’s +1. Now, go enjoy your 4-Hour Workday!
Jordan Peterson is one of the world's leading intellectuals. He's a Canadian clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Toronto. (Before that, he taught at Harvard.) He’s published over 100 scientific articles and he’s super-popular on YouTube. This book is wonderfully intense and equally thoughtful. Peterson’s integration of everything from evolutionary psychology, politics, religion and morality is astounding. After taking a super-quick look at all 12 Rules, Big Ideas we cover include the importance of mastering the flow or Order + Chaos (and why RULES are so important), Rule #1 (stand up straight, shoulders back! Remember lobsters...), Rule #2 (Treat yourself better! Remember pets...), Rule #6: Clean up your life (remember to start stopping...), and the fact that your Being is in your Becoming (which is connected to Rule #4...).
Continuing our theme of wisdom gleaned from ~~Zen~~ Optimize in the Art of Spartan Racing, let’s talk about spiritual obstacle course racer, Sri Swami Satchidananda. Sri Swami Satchidananda was an obstacle course racer? Well, yah! Satchidananda was one of the most revered Yoga Masters of the 20th century. He wrote a great book called The Golden Present. It’s one of those books that has a chapter for each day of the year so you can work through the wisdom and create your greatest year ever. Guess what wisdom he shared in Chapter #1, January 1st? … What wisdom do you think he thought was most important to kick off your year strong? Quick answer: How to see life as one big obstacle course. Longer answer, in his words: “Life must be a challenge. Only then is it exciting. In an obstacle race, you are forced to surmount all the obstacles: to jump over the hurdles, go through the barrels, crawl under the rugs, climb over walls. What would happen if, to avoid all that, you went around all the obstacles and asked for the winner’s cup? Would they give it to you? No. They would say, ‘You must go back and face all the obstacles.’ ... Make your life as exciting as possible, but always think of it as fun. The adversities as well as the harmony should be enjoyable. Don’t become sober and morose and have a castor oil face in the name of spirituality. Just be happy. Jump with joy. Even if you make a mistake, say, ‘Hey, I did this? Great! What a wonderful lesson I learned!’ If you really want to, you can make everything fun.” Amen and high fives, Swami!!! That’s PRECISELY why my sport-hobby involves me PAYING to go over and under and through obstacles so I really get the sports-metaphor that so perfectly captures the essence of life. So… Today’s +1. Two key things. 1. Make your life as exciting (and challenging!) as possible. 2. And always think of it as FUN!!!
Friendly Optimizing reminder: Life is one big, preciously brief game. As India.Arie says, If you create the game then you create the rules And if you just be you There's no way you can lose So… Get out there and have fun. Jump with joy—right over any and all obstacles you face today!
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Lead Yourself First" by Raymond M. Kethledge and Michael S. Erwin. Hope you enjoy!
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Nicomachean Ethics" by Aristotle. Hope you enjoy! Aristotle's writings have been extraordinarily influential since ancient times. This treatise is named after his son and is a collection of his lecture notes--imagining attending his Lyceum and listening to him teach 2,300 years ago! Of course, it's packed with culture-changing Big Ideas. Some of my favorites we cover include the ultimate end: eudaimonic happiness (vs. "happiness" as most of us think about it!), how to achieve that eudaimonia (hint: "virtuous activity of the soul" aka areté), how to win the Olympic Games (hint: you can't just show up; you need to ACT!), the doctrine of the mean (and the vice of deficiency + excess) and the virtue of magnanimity: meet YOUR great soul.
In our last +1, we talked about Zen in the Art of Spartan Spear Throwing and the recent installation of a spear throw setup in our backyard, complete with bails of hay, etc. (Yes, we’re ALL IN at the Johnson house.) How about YOU? Do you have a deep commitment to mastery in your life? Remember: Even the most mundane practices can be a portal into ~~enlighten~~Optimizement. So… I’m in my backyard throwing my spear and thinking about Steven Pressfield’s wisdom. As I had fun walking back and forth covering the 30 feet between the hay bales and my starting point, I was also thinking about some Lanny and Troy Bassham wisdom. As we’ve discussed, Lanny wrote a book called With Winning in Mind. Troy wrote a book called Attainment. We briefly talked about some of their wisdom on how average vs. elite performers practice in our +1 on why Buddha kept on meditating after his enlightenment. Short story: Lanny and Troy tell us that AVERAGE performers practice something until they can get it right. ELITE performers, on the other hand, practice until they CAN’T GET IT WRONG. That’s how to roll. And that’s worth a repeat: AVERAGE performers practice something until they can get it right. ELITE performers, on the other hand, practice until they CAN’T GET IT WRONG. So… Today’s +1. How are YOU approaching your life and the most salient aspects of it? Trying to get it right? Or working so hard you can’t get it wrong? Let’s avoid the “Meh, I’m good enough” zone of competence as we chase excellence. Let’s go from average to elite to our optimus best. Then let’s keep going.
Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Reinventing Yourself" by Steve Chandler. Hope you enjoy! I got this book years ago when I first started working with Steve Chandler. At the time, I read and listened to a ton of his stuff. Steve and I worked together one-on-one for a couple years. This is our sixth Note on his books. It was super fun to reread this book and dive back into Steve’s down-to-earth and empowering wisdom. I love his short, to-the-point, funny style. Big Ideas we explore include the difference between being a Victim vs. an Owner (this is the #1 key on "How to Become the Person You've Always Wanted to Be), lifting real weights not the Styrofoam stuff (but only if you want to get strong!), the fact that Yes lives in the land of No, 10 things you'd do if you had no fear (pick one and go!), and campfires (they're a lot like human spirit--ya gotta re-create one every day!).
In our last +1, we talked about the fact that Americans check their phones 8 BILLION times every day. (Wow.) We also talked about the fact that (at least 5 billion of) those 8 billion checks are essentially kryptonite for the love in your life. Today I want to talk about some more wisdom from Yuval Noah Harari’s new book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. But first, let’s talk about horses. I live in a small town in Southern California called Ojai. I’m pretty sure it’s one of the very few places in the world where people ride their horses next to Teslas. (Hah.) Now, of course, no one in town is getting around primarily via horses, but it’s always fun to see a few people on horseback cruising through town or to see a few horses “parked” outside the local cafe. So… The other day I saw a fresh horseshoe print on my Trail. For whatever reason, I thought of Elon Musk’s talk to governors. Note: I pretty much never watch YouTube videos or TED Talks. I read books. Period. (Hah.) But, a good friend of mine (thank you, Michael!) strongly encouraged me to watch this talk. So, I did. And, I’m glad I did. I highly recommend it for a fascinating look at one man’s vision of the future. (Check it out here.) So… In this discussion, Elon talks about the future of cars. Long story short, he tells us that, at some point in the not-too-distant future, ALL cars will be self-driving. It’s not a question of IF, it’s a question of WHEN. To make his point, he tells us that just as some people still ride horses for fun, none of us ride horses as a primary means of transportation these days. Likewise, some people will have fun driving a car around in the future, but that won’t be the primary means of transportation in x years. That, my friends, is what I thought of when I saw a horseshoe print in the dust of my Trail. (Hah.) Well, that and a passage from Harari’s new book. In a chapter on “Work” he talks about the HUGE shifts in our global economy that will result from the advances in artificial technology. He tells us: “The benefits for human society are likely to be immense. AI doctors could provide far better and cheaper healthcare for billions of people, particularly for those who currently receive no healthcare at all. Thanks to learning algorithms and biometric sensors, a poor villager in an underdeveloped country might come to enjoy far better healthcare via her smartphone than the richest person in the world gets today from the most advanced urban hospital. Similarly, self-driving vehicles could provide people with much better transportation services, and in particular reduce mortality from traffic accidents. Today close to 1.25 million people are killed annually in traffic accidents (twice the number killed by war, crime, and terrorism combined). More than 90 percent of those accidents are caused by human errors: somebody drinking alcohol and driving, somebody texting a message while driving, somebody falling asleep at the wheel, somebody daydreaming instead of paying attention to the road. … Self-driving vehicles will never do any of those things. Though they suffer from their own problems and limitations, and though some accidents are inevitable, replacing all human drivers by computers is expected to reduce deaths and injuries on the road by about 90 percent. In other words, switching to autonomous vehicles is likely to save the lives of one million people every year. It would therefore be madness to block automation in fields such as transport and healthcare just in order to protect human jobs. After all, what we ultimately ought to protect is humans—not jobs. Displaced drivers and doctors will just have to find something else to do.” Of course, the long-term economic ramifications of all this are beyond the scope of Today’s +1. Two things I want to focus on. First: Let’s take a moment to appreciate just how quickly our world is changing and that a lot of the things we take for granted as the peak of sophistication will be viewed, in the not-so-distant future, as a bit like riding a horse. Second: You know what Harari tells us is the most important quality for us to cultivate (and to teach our children) to prepare for such a rapidly changing world? Well, he says that “for every dollar and ever minute we invest in improving artificial intelligence, it would be wise to invest a dollar and a minute in advancing human consciousness.” In short, we need to Optimize. Let’s.
We’re going to have a hard time actualizing our potential if we have a hard time getting out of bed. Energy is SUPER important. In fact, it’s the engine for our actualization. In this class, we’ll integrate a lot of the most essential aspects of eating, moving, and sleeping. But first, we’ll start by stepping back and recognizing just how important it is that we flip the switch in our minds—raising our standards and TRULY committing to being our best, most energized selves so we can change the world together, one person at a time, starting with YOU and me.
In our last +1, we talked about my quest to be a Spartan champion in 2025 and how that’s resulted in a lot of WINing TODAY. (How’re your goals-systems?!) Today I want to talk about being a Champ Champ Champ. ← I laugh as I type that. Note: This +1 is a bit ridiculous. So… Quick context: After one of the best mixed martial arts coaches in the world (Firas Zahabi, owner of Tristar gym and Georges St Pierre’s coach) became an Optimizer then sent a note telling me how much he loved the PhilosophersNotes (thanks, Firas!), I learned more about Firas and his mastery of his craft and, in the process, paid more attention to the UFC. In the process, I stumbled across Conor McGregor before he was the superstar he is today. It’s cliché to say that I could see that he had a spark of something different about him but, well, he did. And, he does. While embracing Maslow’s wisdom that there are no perfect human beings, I’ve enjoyed watching his entertaining, charismatic rise to superstardom. Short story for those who may not know: Conor McGregor is an Irish mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who is the first person in the premier “league” of MMA (the UFC) to win championships in TWO weight classes. It’s a pretty impressive feat. It’s especially impressive and inspiring because he went from being an apprentice plumber to a kid with a dream receiving welfare checks to winning those two world championships and making something like $100 million in his first professional boxing match against one of the all-time greats. Now, in addition to being a great fighter, Conor is also a great promoter. All of which brings us closer to Today’s +1. After winning the two championships, he took to calling himself “Champ Champ.” I laugh as I type that as it’s so wonderfully ridiculous. “Champ Champ.” (Hah.) So… As I’ve been stepping up my athlētē game, I’ve been having fun with different mantras during my meditation, during training and during everyday life. Optimus is one of my favorite ways to focus my energy on being my best. I also like “World-Class.” And, as the bar has moved up, “World-Champion” might have been getting some airtime in my head. Of course, my athletic goals are really just a means to Optimize my Energy which is really just a means to Optimize my Work and my Love so I’ve been having fun playing with different ways to capture all Big 3 commitments in one mantra. That’s when “Champ Champ Champ” popped into my head. ← I laugh as I type that and I laughed when it first appeared in my head. (Which I take as a very good sign.) Yep. That’s the standard. A World-Class → World-Champion Athlētē AND a World-Class → “World-Champion” Husband and Father AND a World-Class → “World-Champion” Philosopher-Teacher-Leader. That’s like me. Champ Champ Champ. How about you? What’s the best version of YOU look like Energy + Work + Love-wise?! Any fun ways to bring your commitments to life?
Here’s a quick look at our next class: Energy 101!
(You can get instant access to dozens of archived classes, hundreds of PhilosophersNotes and Optimize +1s and this class when we release it by becoming an Optimize member: optimize.me )
I created this class after my friend Matt McCall (who helps run the Pritzker Group Venture Capital fund) asked me to do a talk for 60 of their portfolio CEOs. He was thinking “Optimizing for Supheroes 101.” I loved that idea and decided it would be the perfect context to share my absolute best stuff and here we are.
In this extra-long class, we start by connecting “Optimizing” and “Hērō” to their ancient Greek philosophical roots then we proceed to walk thru how to go about integrating ancient wisdom, modern science and practical tools to harness our soul force to build strength for two such that we can create our best, most heroic lives.
We’ve been talking a lot about how champions maximize minutes—giving everything they’ve got into being the best versions of themselves. Thank you, John Wooden, Vince Lombardi, and Dan Millman for your wisdom. Today we’e going to invite Gandhi to the party to establish the fact that this isn’t a SPORTS idea, it’s a SPIRITUAL ideal. Here’s how Gandhi puts it: “Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory.” Full effort is full victory. We do our best, let go of the results and then get back to doing our best. That wisdom is a central theme of Gandhi’s handbook, the Bhagavad Gita. Now, for a fun twist, let’s bring the conversation back to sports. Have you ever heard of The Legend of Bagger Vance? It’s an old-school movie starring Will Smith and Matt Damon. Guess what they’re doing? Playing golf. Short story: Matt Damon (playing Rannulph Junuh) has lost his mojo on the course. His caddy Will Smith (Bagger Vance) teaches him to trust his swing again. The movie is based on a book written by a guy named Steven Pressfield who, in addition to being a great author, is also a master of the creative process. I consider his trilogy on the creative process must reads. (See Notes on The War of Art, Do the Work and Turning Pro.) But get this: “The Legend of Bagger Vance” is really just the “Bhagavad Gita” on a golf course. (Get it? Bagger Vance… Bhagavad Gita…) In the Gita, we have a reluctant warrior named Arjuna (sounds a lot like Rannulph Junuh, eh?). Arjuna is counseled by the mighty Krishna who, basically, tells him to trust his swing and do what he’s here to do. Take that spiritual wisdom, put it on a golf course, throw two huge stars in there and voila, we have a sports movie delivering some pretty legit wisdom. Which, of course, is why sports are so popular. The super-clearly-defined rules of a given sport give us an opportunity to see life’s bigger challenges play out in a 60-minute game. For now, let’s bring all this wisdom back to our lives via a couple more sources of wisdom. In The War of Art, Pressfield tells us that we need to go from being “amateurs” to being “Professionals” in our creative lives. One of the key attributes of the professional? Here’s how he puts it: “The professional has learned that success, like happiness, comes as a by-product of work. The professional concentrates on the work and allows rewards to come or not come, whatever they like.” In other words, full effort is full victory. We do our best, let go of the results and then get back to doing our best. Pressfield got that wisdom from the Gita. Flip open that classic manual on the art of living to find this gem: “The awakened sages call a person wise when all his undertakings are free from anxiety about results.” In other words, full effort is full victory. We do our best, let go of the results and then get back to doing our best. That’s Today’s +1. Remember: Full effort is full victory. Let’s do our best, let go of results and then get back to doing our best.
In our last +1, we continued our chat about the fact that your perfection is already there. It’s just waiting for you to follow Rule #1 and quit doing yourself harm. I said that that just requires a little more discipline from you. (And me.) Which makes me think about the connection between our ego and the divine within. This is part of a much longer discussion. But here’s the quick take. Most people think we need to “get rid of” our ego or subdue it or tame it or otherwise maim it if we want to tap into the most divinely spiritual within us. I don’t agree with that approach. I prefer to think of it more like Joseph Campbell. And Ken Wilber. And Nathaniel Brandon. Campbell tells us that he doesn’t understand why there’s all this talk about annihilating the ego when, in fact, it’s our egos that keep us in the game. Then Wilber tells us that it’s not “ego-minus” but “ego-plus.” We need a strong ego that’s plugged into something bigger than ourselves. THAT’s when the magic happens. Then we have Nathaniel Brandon who tells us that even if we think “letting go of” the ego is either desirable or possible (he and I don’t think it’s either), successfully letting go of your ego would, by definition, require you to have a firm grip on your ego before you could let it go. (Think about it for a second: How can you let go of something you never had hold of?) All of which leads me to how I think we should think about our ego. Of course, there are so many different definitions of what the “ego” is that we can get dizzy trying to keep up. I prefer to think of the ego in a classic Western psychoanalytic frame a la Freud. In that model we have three components: our “id,” our “superego” and our “ego.” Our id is that impulsive part of us that wants everything right.this.second. Doesn’t matter whether it’s good for us or not. Just give it to us. NOW. Say hello to all your addictions—be they digital (“Hi, smartphone!”) or chemical (“Hi sugar and flour and alcohol and…”). Our superego is basically the conditioned part of us that’s constantly judging all those things your id did and wondering what in the world you were thinking. (It also really really really wants people to like us and can lock us into conformity.) Then we have our ego. Our ego is that part of us that keeps our id and superego in check. We NEED a STRONG ego to make sure we don’t spin out of control alternating between a hyper-impulsive/addictive version of ourselves and a hyper-conforming/ashamed version of ourselves. All of which brings us back to where we started: DISCIPLINE. How do you get your ego to be strong enough to deal with the pulls of the id and the superego? You dominate your environment. You cultivate a heightened level of self-awareness to know how to make yourself proud and then you match that self-awareness with an equally high level of self-mastery such that you consciously, joyfully do the right thing moment to moment to moment. You know what happens then? Your golden light shines through. Your divine spiritual essence (however you want to define it) finally has a stable home in which to hang out and shine forth. So… Here’s to your ego. Get it strong. Then plug it into something MUCH bigger than yourself and shine with the radiant enthusiasm only discovered when we live in integrity with what we know to be true.
Alexandra joins us as a guest teacher for this class! Learn how to activate your superpowers, increase your mojo & have more fun.
In our last +1, we talked about the science of social comparison and reiterated the fact that it’s toxic. Remember, as per Sonja Lyubomirsky: “You can’t be envious and happy at the same time. People who pay too much attention to social comparisons find themselves chronically vulnerable, threatened, and insecure.” Plus: “The happier the person, the less attention she pays to how others around her are doing.” Today we’re going to talk about what we can do when we inevitably find ourselves feeling the itch of envy. I love how T Harv Eker puts it in The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. He says: “Bless that which you want. If you see a person with a beautiful home, bless that person and bless that home. If you see a person with a beautiful car, bless that person and bless that car. If you see a person with a loving family, bless that person and bless that family. If you see a person with a beautiful body, bless that person and bless their body.” There ya go. That’s Today’s +1. Feel a little envious? Remember, you can’t be envious and happy at the same time. Notice something you wish you had a little more of in your life? BLESS the people who are blessed to have it. Then get back to living your life as well as you possibly can. You’ll be considerably happier NOW and considerably more likely to experience the same blessings in the future.
In our last +1, we talked about my mission to become a Spartan World Champion. My heart skips a beat just typing that. (Which, btw, is a good “reverse indicator” as my Yoda would say. Btw2: When Phil and I chatted about my contemplations about raising my standards and going all in on the Spartan mission, he told me that I MUST go for it or the Universe will fire me from my job. Laughing.) So… The title of that last +1 was “Becoming a Champion.” Today’s it’s called “Being a Champion.” We’re going to talk about another coach of champions: Ben Bergeron. Ever heard of him? If you don’t know who he is, have you ever heard of CrossFit? If you’re alive and into Optimizing, my hunch is that you almost certainly have. One more question: Ever watch the CrossFit Games where the world’s best CrossFit athletes get together and see who is “The Fittest on Earth”? Those world-class CrossFit Games athletes are absolute BEASTS. As in: ASTONISHINGLY strong, skilled and tough. Only 40 men and 40 women (and 40 teams) make it through the regional qualifiers to the world championships. Most of the athletes who make it there are just happy to be among the world’s best. But a select few are there to win it. Those are the athletes Ben Bergeron coaches. In fact, he’s coached his athletes to six world championships. In 2016 he coached BOTH the men’s champion AND the women’s champion. (Which is kinda crazy awesome when you think about it.) All of that to say, Ben wrote a GREAT book called Chasing Excellence in which he shares his approach. We’ll chat about it a bit more in the next few +1s. Today I want to focus on one simple point. He and his athletes never talked about being champions. They were too focused on ACTING like a Champion NOW. Here’s how two-time champion Katrín Davíðsdóttir puts it: “Though I moved halfway around the world with the goal of making it back to the CrossFit Games, Ben and I never actually talked about the Games. We didn’t talk about qualifying, we didn’t talk about finishing in the top ten, and we certainly didn’t talk about winning. What we did talk about was giving full effort in every single moment of every single day, and becoming the best we could possibly be.” Today’s +1. You may or may not have aspirations to be an “official” “champion” of anything in your life. Of course, that’s fine. (Although I’d encourage you to think for a moment about what you COULD be the absolute best in the world at Jim Collins Hedgehog Style.) But, if you’re this far into this +1, I’m going with the assumption that you’re at least moderately committed to Optimizing. (Hah.) So, reach over to the virtual stovetop in your mind, turn the heat up to 212 degrees, and think about YOU at your ABSOLUTE (!) BEST. Then be that version of you Today. Moment to moment to moment. Put your old identity on a permanent vacation and act like a Champion.
A few +1s ago we talked about Stuart Wilde. He’s an old-school self-help teacher who used to lecture with Wayne Dyer and Louise Hay and Deepak Chopra. He’s really funny. He’s also a fascinating blend of super-esoteric spirituality AND super-intense discipline. (As per our “Dominate Your Life!!” +1!!) Today I want to chat about a practical little exercise I’ve been using from his great book Infinite Self. Short story: The book is, as the title suggests, all about connecting to a power that’s infinitely (!) bigger than us. Call it whatever you want—God, the Universe, the Field, the Force. Doesn’t matter. But, I think we’d all agree that there’s SOMETHING bigger than us that’s beating our hearts and growing our toenails while somehow finding the time to expand the universe at the mind-boggling speed of around 68 kilometers per second per megaparsec. So… Stuart tells us that we’d be wise to figure out how to make that infinite power a more conscious, consistent part of our lives. He offers 33 steps. Step 1 is to FEEL the force WITHIN you NOW. It’s not some abstract thing out there. It’s within you. Now. Check out the Notes for more. For now, the exercise. The next time you feel annoyed by something or someone in your life, step back and imagine yourself as a 250-foot tall version of yourself. You’re so tall that you can basically straddle your city and stand WAY above your little self—barely even seeing the tiny little problem(s) you’re dealing with at the moment. And, if you want to go astronaut-style all in on it, just imagine yourself as a 250,000-MILE tall version of you—so big you can touch the moon with your finger. That should do the trick. From either of those vantage points, look down at your city or our planet and try to find your little self and your little problems that feel so big when you live from such a contracted place. How do things look from THAT perspective? Exactly. Like a non-issue. Guess what? That’s the accurate perspective. All of which leads us to Today’s +1. Anything or anyone annoying you? Say hello to the 250-foot (or 250-mile!) tall version of you. Look at your problems from that vantage point. Smile. Wave. Then do what needs to get done.
Continuing our underwater theme for a moment longer, have you ever heard of hagfish? They’re pretty creepy. (I apologize in advance for the visual image here but I think it’s worth it…) Here’s how Steve Chandler describes hagfish in Time Warrior: “To really live now there are two things I want to phase out of my life forever: (1) Resentments about the past and (2) Worries about the future. These two activities, strengthened by repeated indulgence, are like hagfish. Hagfish? Many people don’t know what hagfish are, but they are just like worries and resentments. In the real, undersea world, hagfish are blind, slimy, deepwater eel-like creatures that dart into the orifices of their prey and devour them, alive, from the inside. Kill the hagfish in your life. Then you can live now and maybe procrastinate later.” Um. Hmmm… Wow. That’s a heck of a way to kill your prey, eh? Dart into their orifices and then devour them, alive, from the inside? Yikes. And, well, that’s Today’s +1. Got any hagfish in your life? Any resentments and/or worries that’re eating you from the inside out? Is now a good time to kill those hagfish before they get you? Fantastic. Good luck with that!
In our last +1, we talked about W.H. Auden’s (genius) quip that routine, in an intelligent person, is a sign of ambition. (I laugh with joy every time I type that.) Then we did a quick check in on your ambition. And, hopefully, we dialed it up a notch and made sure that your routines were reflecting that strong desire to Optimize and actualize in service to your family, community and world. Today I want to talk about work and play. A lot of people think those two things are separate. I think you’re doing it wrong if your work ISN’T play. Abraham Maslow would agree. He once said that one of the hallmarks of self-actualizing people is that they get to a place where “apparent dichotomies” are dissolved. In Motivation and Personality, he has a chapter in which he describes the “19 Characteristics of the Self-Actualizer.” Check out the Notes for a super-quick look at all 19 of those self-actualizer characteristics. For now, know this: The 19th characteristic of self-actualizers is their “Resolution of Dichotomies.” For example, he tells us: “The dichotomy between selfishness and unselfishness disappears altogether in healthy people because in principle every act is both selfish and unselfish.” Another dichotomy that dissolves for self-actualizers? The dichotomy between work and play. What happens when work IS play? And when play IS work? Well, then you get a statement like this from author James Michener in his autobiography: “The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him, he’s always doing both.” That’s the way to roll. Here’s to mastering the art of living. Let’s have fun writing the rules to the game that is our lives and then playing it with all the joy and intensity and excellence we can muster—letting others decide whether we’re working or playing. For us, we’re always doing both.
A couple +1s ago, while celebrating Yuval Noah Harari’s lack of a smartphone, I mentioned the fact that we don’t need to become smashing Luddites in response to the tsunami of technology that hammers us all day every day. But… We ALSO want to make sure we don’t become addicted users. The best solution? Be an Optimizite. Let’s make the best use of technology to sculpt the best possible version of yourself. (Recall that Optimize comes from the Latin optimus which literally means “the best.”) That’s the central theme of Conquering Digital Addiction 101—which might be my favorite master class so far. Here’s the deal. You know how Facebook and Instagram and Google make money? By, essentially, hacking and then selling your attention. They work REALLY REALLY REALLY (!!!) hard to make sure you spend MORE and MORE and MORE time on their sites and apps. Then they SELL your attention to (literally) the highest bidder. Now, of course, there’s nothing inherently evil about this per se. These companies often provide astonishingly cool and equally valuable services. But the way they’ve set up their business model essentially REQUIRES them to, as this must-see 60 Minutes exposé called “Brain Hacking” puts it: HACK your mind. Now, we often say we watch stuff like that for “free” but, technically, we typically pay for it via xx seconds of your attention (which is sold to a sponsor who shows us their ad). Alternatively, you can upgrade your YouTube account and NOT watch ads—which is a really compelling alternative business model that doesn’t require a company to focus so much on mining your attention. Saving the bigger picture business model discussion for another time, get this: That whole economy is called the “attention economy” (and could be called the “mind-hacking economy”). You know how much money is made hacking your mind every year? Some researchers put the number at $7 TRILLION dollars. S E V E N. T R I L L I O N. D O L L A R S. $7,000,000,000,000!!! That’s a lot of zeroes. (12 in fact.) And… That’s a lot of hacking. And… A lot of addicted users. Which brings us to another point of the class and of this +1. Technologists refer to their customers as “users.” You know who else refers to their customers as “users”? Drug dealers. (Hah. And d’oh.) Seeing that our smartphones and emails and apps light up the same addiction centers of our brains as cocaine and alcohol and other drugs, it’s a fitting parallel. It’s also why Bill Maher refers to “social media tycoons” as “tobacco farmers in t-shirts.” Only, he says, the tobacco guys only wanted your lungs. Tech titans want your SOUL. Again. I’m NOT saying we should all go smashing our phones and computers Luddite style. But I AM saying that you’ve gotta wonder why Steve Jobs wouldn’t even let his own kids use the iPad he was so excited about. And why so many tech execs follow his lead and RADICALLY limit their kids’ use of the very products they build. As Adam Alter says in Irresistible: “It seemed as if the people producing tech products were following the cardinal rule of drug dealing: never get high on your own supply. This is unsettling. Why are the world’s greatest public technocrats also its greatest private technophobes? Can you imagine the outcry if religious leaders refused to let their children practice religion?” All of which leads us to the practical point of Today’s +1. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “Not at all! I’m 100% Optimizite, baby!” and 10 being “Oh… yikes! I’m a 10 Addicted User!” where are you on the addicted-user spectrum? 1 ----------------------------------------- 10 And… Most importantly: How can you take a step or three toward the Optimizite side of that spectrum today? Here’s to wisely unplugging from the $7 trillion mind-hacking economy long enough to become all that we’re capable of being!
In our last +1, we talked about Professor Harari’s two world maps—one before The Scientific Revolution that was all filled in (including areas they knew NOTHING about) and one after that had plenty of empty spaces (accounting for all they things they didn’t know). Then we talked about YOUR maps. And, hopefully, we all added a good deal more empty space in our maps—especially that space outside our comfort zones that leads to the unknowable zone of our infinite potential. Today I want to chat about the importance of running our own scientific experiments. Of course, admitting our ignorance is an absolutely essential first step to gaining new knowledge. But, then we’ve gotta throw on our lab coats and get to work! Before we go there though, how about another quick little history lesson? So, we all know that Christopher Columbus “discovered” the continent that became known as America. But... He refused to believe it. When he landed on the Bahamas he thought he had discovered islands en route to East Asia. As Professor Harari puts it: “He called the people he found there ‘Indians’ because he thought he had landed in the Indies—what we now call the East Indies or the Indonesian archipelago. Columbus stuck to this error for the rest of his life. The idea that he had discovered a completely unknown continent was inconceivable for him and for many of his generation.” Then, get this: America was mistakenly named by map-maker Martin Waldseemüller who thought explorer Amerigo Vespucci discovered it. As Harari says, “There is poetic justice in the fact that a quarter of the world, and two of its seven continents, are named after a little-known Italian whose sole claim to fame is that he had the courage to say, ‘We don’t know.’” Alright. Back to the Scientific Optimizing. Today’s +1. Let’s throw on our lab coats and goggles and grab our clipboards. It’s time to run some experiments. In fact, let’s follow Ralph Waldo Emerson’s wisdom and make EVERYTHING an experiment. btw: My hunch is you’re familiar with this quote: “All life is an experiment. The more experiments the better.” The full passage is even better. As Ralph says: “Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they are a little coarse and you may get your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice? Up again, you shall never be so afraid of a tumble.” So, my dear Scientifically-Experimenting-Ignoramus-Optimizer friend: What experiments have YOU run lately? Let’s measure our little (and big) tests as objectively as we can—making the connection between the mundane things like “When I eat that, my nose gets stuffy” and “When I’m online late at night I sleep poorly and that diminishes my energy and optimism which makes me grumpy which slows down my actualization” to... Whatever else you need to shine the light of ignorance on! Then, of course, we need to take that data and APPLY it to our lives. As Harari points out, it’s APPLIED scientific knowledge that leads to power. We can only gain new power by moving from theory to PRACTICE. So, my dear Scientifically-Experimenting-Ignoramus-Optimizer friend: What data have you gotten from recent experiments and, most importantly, how will you apply that knowledge to your life TODAY? Here’s to your lab coat and clipboard. And don’t forget the goggles.
Wallace D. Wattles was an old-school Philosopher-Optimizer who wrote The Science of Getting Rich. He also wrote a little book called The Science of Being Great. (Both of those titles are, of course, finalists for best titles ever.) In The Science of Being Great he has a great line that has been tattooed on my brain since I read it. He said: “The world needs demonstration more than it needs instruction.” The world needs DEMONSTRATION more than it needs INSTRUCTION. Isn’t that a powerful statement?! (Kinda makes you wonder what you’re demonstrating, eh?) For example, we know that kids don’t do what they’re told or taught, they do what they SEE. So, it’s pretty obvious we better model the behaviors we want to see in our kids if we want them to grow up to be great humans. All of which leads us to a little personal story—one from a couple months ago that features me in a (laughably) low moment in my parenting career. Short story: My dad cursed like a sailor. In fact, he literally WAS a sailor. (Hah.) He enlisted in the Navy when he turned 18 and his language was just astonishingly bad. (So bad he’d literally make my devout Catholic mom cry at times. I can laugh now but it wasn’t funny then.) Anyway… I rarely curse and I’ve been committed to never cursing in front of the kids. So, I was particularly appalled at myself (laughing) when, on an evening when I was particularly tired and Emerson was acting particularly like a (tired) 5 year old, I got so annoyed by the meditation cushion (oh, the irony!) he dropped on my face when I wasn’t looking as I was laying on the ground playing with Eleanor that I got up, walked out of the room and mumbled in a voice considerably louder than I intended: “You’re such a little sht!” What happened next? Well, he was at the door and IMMEDIATELY said, “No! YOU’RE such a little sit!” Again, I can laugh as I type this as a) It’s been awhile and b) He had no idea what the word was and hasn’t repeated it since and c) I got some serious mileage on the "Needs Work!” front but… It was a really powerful opportunity for me to remember that the world needs DEMONSTRATION more than it needs INSTRUCTION. All of which leads us to Today’s +1. What are you demonstrating? Any behaviors that make you wince that you’d like to clean up and throw out? Let’s do this!
Today we’re going to talk about walking. Walking is awesome. In fact, it’s so old-school epically awesome in helping thinkers think that our ancient friends even had a Latin phrase to capture its power: Solvitur ambulando. <- "It is solved by walking.” Nietzsche would agree. He said: “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.” Kierkegaard would agree. He put it this way: “I have walked myself into my best thoughts.” Then we have Immanuel Kant. He was so consistent with his daily walks that his neighbors could set their clocks to the time he passed their houses. (They even named a street after him called “Philosopher’s Walk.”) Then we have Charles Darwin. For nearly FORTY years he followed his schedule with “clockwork” precision. And, you know what made it on the schedule every day? His walk. He was so committed to it that he actually leased his neighbor’s land just so he could do a complete loop on what became known as Sandwalk (although he preferred to call it his “thinking path”). Then there’s Aristotle. He and his followers walked so much as they thought and taught and philosophized that they were known as the “peripatetics”—which literally means “walking up and down.” Of course, modern scientists have proven just how powerful walking is for creativity. (Especially in nature!) So, yah. Ancient and modern philosophers agree: Walking is pretty powerful. But, pop quiz! You know what NONE of those philosophers had on their deep-thinking walks? SMARTPHONES. Of course, none of them lived in a world with such a nonstop tsunami of digital distractions but I can assure you that no self-respecting, deep-thinking lover of wisdom would bring a device that would subject them to OTHER people’s thoughts on a walk intended to tap into THEIR own thoughts. … How about you? Today’s +1. Go for a walk. (Ideally somewhere easy to get to yet beautiful.) And leave your smartphone at home. (Or in the car/whatever.) Say hello to your deep thoughts for me.
In our last +1, we talked about the fact that batting .300 over the course of your Major League Baseball career gets you in the Hall of Fame. Today we’re going to continue the baseball metaphor. Pop quiz for baseball fans: You know how many perfect games have EVER been thrown?! (For those who may not know, a perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball (via Wikipedia) as “a game in which a pitcher (or combination of pitchers) pitches for a victory [in a game] that lasts a minimum of nine innings in which no opposing player reaches base.”) So… Get this: According to Wikipedia, Major League Baseball has been around for 140 years. Over 210,000 (!) games have been played. And only 23 (!) perfect games have ever been pitched. And… No player has ever thrown more than one perfect game. 140 years. 210,000 (!) games. Only 23 perfect games. And NO pitcher has ever done it twice. Yet you and I want to have perfect lives. (Hahahahahhaha!) I’m also reminded of John Wooden. He was all about GOING for perfection but only doing so KNOWING we’ll never actually get it! Here’s how he puts it: “Perfection is what you are striving for, but perfection is an impossibility. However, striving for perfection is not an impossibility. Do the best you can under the conditions that exist. That is what counts.” (Sounds a lot like our Guiding Stars and Distant Shores, eh?) You know what else Wooden said? This: “When you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur. When you improve conditioning a little each day, eventually you have a big improvement in conditioning. Not tomorrow, not the next day, but eventually a big gain is made. Don’t look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens—and when it happens, it lasts.” (Sounds a lot like our Optimize +1s, eh?) And, one more Wooden gem (all of these are from his book called Wooden, btw): “Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: Did I make my best effort? That’s what matters. The rest of it just gets in the way.” Today’s +1. Let’s make our best effort. Let’s “seek the small improvement one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens—and when it happens, it lasts.” +1. +1. +1.
In our last +1, we talked about the science of daydreaming. Quick recap: Stay out of the “poor attention control” and “guilty-dysphoric” realms and in the “positive-constructive” mode. Here’s another way to think about it. (Thanks again to Manoush Zomorodi!) When your mind is wandering and you’re kinda randomly thinking about your life, do you imagine yourself as the CONQUERING HERO of your own story (positive-constructive!) or the SUFFERING MARTYR (guilty-dysphoric) of the story? It’s a big distinction. We want to get REALLY (!) good at noticing when we’re falling into the “woe is me” helpless Victim orientation and SHIFT it into the “Let’s do this!!” Creator orientation. How? Well, again, what do you think we’re doing with all these +1s? I’m basically trying to give you a super-stocked toolshed/armory of tools and weapons and tips and tricks and hacks you can use THE MOMENT you find yourself losing your connection from the best version of yourself. It all starts with mastering our fundamentals: eat! move! sleep! (Ever notice how the martyr shows up a LOT more when you’re TIRED? Me, too. That’s why Vince Lombardi says that “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”) Let’s actually keep things simple and focus there today. Do you know your #1 Self-Care Habit? Is it eating well? Exercising? Sleeping? Meditating? Doing deep work? Helping others? …? …? What’s the thing that, if you DON’T do it, pretty much guarantees a sub-optimal day? (For me it is, unquestionably, getting a good night of sleep.) You? This is my #1 Self-Care Habit: ______________. This is the #1 thing I can do to Optimize it Today: ________________. That is all. Here’s to doing the things that help the Conquering Hero show up more and more consistently. And, here’s to stepping back and looking at the fundamentals whenever we get a little Whiney-Martyr wobbly! +1. +1. +1.
In our last couple +1s, we’ve talked about your breathing. If you haven’t checked out the full Optimal Breathing 101 master class yet, you might dig it. For now, how about a quick look at the THREE simple rules of optimal breathing? Here they are: 1. Breathe through your nose 2. Into your belly 3. And exhale slightly longer than you inhaled
1 + 2 + 3 = Magic. How about a quick inventory then a closer look? First, the quick inventory: 1. You breathing through your nose? (Most people don’t. Go look around and/or in the mirror. Do you see a mouth gaping open?) 2. Do you breathe deeply (yet calmly) into your belly? (Most people don’t—especially if you breathe through your mouth!) 3. And, is your exhale slightly longer than your inhale? (This is the fastest way to relax!)
Now, for the closer look: Rule #1. Breathe Through Your Nose (EXCLUSIVELY!) When? All day. Every day. (Including while sleeping and training.) Why? Well, check out the class for a full description (and/or the Notes on The Oxygen Advantage, etc.) but here’s the basic idea. * First: Your nose filters, humidifies and conditions air in ways your mouth simply can’t. * Second: Know that we NEVER used to breathe through our mouths except for the most extreme instances of physical exertion. (Think: Lion chasing you.) * Third: When you breathe through your mouth, you tend to “overbreathe” via short, shallow, fast breaths that disrupt the oxygen to carbon dioxide levels in your body. Although it might sound weird, it’s the CARBON DIOXIDE that actually gets the oxygen out of your red blood cells and into your tissues and organs and you need to slow down your breathing (via your nose!) to get the CO2 right and, as a result, the O2 where you want it.
Rule #2. Breathe into Your Belly Fill up the lower part of your lungs. Flex your most underappreciated and underutilized muscle in your body. Get your diaphragm rocking!! Note: Don’t take “big” breaths via your mouth into your chest. Take nice, mellow, quiet, DEEP breaths into your belly. Repeat. All day. Every day. Rule #3. Exhale Slightly Longer than You Inhale. This is the fastest way to flip the flip the vagal switch and turn on your parasympathetic nervous system and R E L A X. Whenever you think about it: Exhale longer than you inhale. (Finish strong as we like to say at the Johnson house!) Squeeze your diaphragm. Get all that air out. Why? Well, did you know that breathing is responsible for 70% (!!!) of your body’s detoxification? Elimination and sweat only take care of 30%. (Kinda surprising, eh?) But, guess what? If you’re not breathing right, you’re not detoxifying fully. And, of course, you’re not fueling your cells properly. Enter: Compromised vitality and increased potential of getting all the things you don’t want. Therefore: Nose. Belly. Exhale. Practice. Practice. Practice. Today’s +1. How about a nice, deep, calm breath. In through your nose… Down into your belly… Out through your nose with a nice, long exhale. Ah… Here’s to your Optimal Breathing!
Technology is, obviously, awesome. We’ve been using “tech” tools for 2.5 million years since our protohuman ancestors first picked up a stone and used it as a tool. 1.8 million years ago, “we” figured out how to make an acheulean hand axe which was a pretty epic innovation at the time.
So, with the advent of smartphones in what’s known as the “Input Age,” I’m not suggesting we should all become tech-smashing Luddites. But… (And this is a big but!), I also don’t think we should underestimate just how much we play the role of addicted users caught up in the mix of a $7 TRILLION attention economics (/mind-hacking!) industry.
The solution: Become Optimizites—use technology wisely to become the BEST you rather than mindlessly let your 1 million-year-old prefrontal cortex get hacked all day every day.
In the class, we walk through the costs of addiction, then talk about how to conquer it so we can sculpt our ideal lives.
Since our time with George Leonard exploring his ideas on Mastery, I’ve been thinking about him a lot. I realized that I forgot to share another one of my favorite Ideas from his great little book that has most changed my life. It’s super simple but equally powerful. First, the context. In a section on getting energy for mastery, George tells us: “A human being is the kind of machine that wears out from lack of use. There are limits, of course, and we do need healthful rest and relaxation, but for the most part we gain energy by using energy... It might well be that all of us possess enormous stores of potential energy, more than we could ever hope to use.” Of course, as we discuss often, we need to remember to oscillate and train our recovery, etc. but we’ve also gotta know that human beings GAIN energy by USING energy. We’re the kind of machine that wears out from LACK of use. Which reminds me of super-energized Leonardo da Vinci’s wisdom: “Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind. So we must stretch ourselves to the very limits of human possibility. Anything less is a sin against both God and man.” (Cue choir of angels on this one: ”So we must stretch ourselves to the very limits of human possibility. Anything less is a sin against both God and man.”) So… George offers a few tips on how to Optimize our energy for mastery. One of them is to set priorities and make decisions. He tells us: “Indecision leads to inaction, which leads to low energy, depression, despair.” Another tip is to get on the path of mastery and STAY ON IT. He says: “Much of the world’s depression and discontent... can ultimately be traced to our unused energy, our untapped potential.” All of which leads us to two questions and then the point of Today’s +1. Question #1: Got any decisions you need to make? Question #2: Are you using your potential?! And, now to the main event: As an Aikido master, George tells us: “It’s instructive to watch the immediate surge of clarity and energy during training that comes from the simplest act of writing one’s name on a notice.” I don’t know about you, but after I’ve put my “name on a notice” (aka signed up for a Spartan Trifecta for the year including a 13+ mile race up and down ski slopes at elevation with bonus energy points for racing with the elite age group guys), my energy and clarity and intensity of (and consistency of!) training IMMEDIATELY shifts. How about YOU? Has that ever happened to you in the past? And, most importantly: Got any sign-up forms waiting for you? Yah? What makes you smile (and maybe makes your heart skip a beat) just imagining doing it? A 5k? A triathlon? A Spartan Race? Getting your black belt? What’ll it be? That’s Today’s +1. If you’re feeling so inspired, go put your name on a notice. Watch the immediate surge of clarity and energy during your training.
Breathing. It’s easy to take for granted but when you stop to think about it, it quickly becomes obvious just how powerful it is. Get this: You can live for weeks without food and days without water but, of course, only minutes without oxygen. Plus: Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen you consume while breathing is responsible for 70% (!) of your body’s detoxification. Yet… If you’re like most people, you’re probably doing this simple, should-be-easy fundamental wrong. In this class, we’ll look at why CO2 is (somewhat paradoxically!) actually the variable we want to be Optimizing if we want to get the O2 out of our hemoglobin and into our cells. Then we’ll look at the Three Rules for breathing perfectly as we Optimize your breathing for calm, focused energy.
Continuing our good times with Confucius, here’s one of the gems from his Analects that has tattooed itself on my brain since I read it a decade ago. “The Master said, He does not mind not being in office; all he minds about is whether he has qualities that entitle him to office. He does not mind failing to get recognition; he is too busy doing the things that entitle him to recognition.” How great is THAT? Would you like a little more recognition than you’re getting? OK. That’s fine. Now take a deep breath and get back to work doing whatever it is you think will EARN you that recognition. Repeat that process whenever the desire for (more) recognition arises. That’s Today’s +1. Well, that and this passage from James Allen’s As a Man Thinketh—which is also tattooed to my brain along with big chunks of that entire essay. Imagine working tirelessly and then, one day, things just shift. Here’s how Allen poetically puts it: “And you, too, youthful reader, will realize the Vision (not the idle wish) of your heart, be it base or beautiful, or a mixture of both, for you will always gravitate toward that which you secretly most love. Into your hands will be placed the exact results of your own thoughts; you will receive that which you earn; no more, no less. Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your Vision, your Ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration: in the beautiful words of Stanton Kirkham Davis, ‘You may be keeping accounts, and presently you shall walk out of the door that for so long has seemed to you the barrier of your ideals, and shall find yourself before an audience - the pen still behind your ear, the ink stains on your fingers - and then and there shall pour out the torrent of your inspiration. You may be driving sheep, and you shall wander to the city - bucolic and open mouthed; shall wander under the intrepid guidance of the spirit into the studio of the master, and after a time he shall say, 'I have nothing more to teach you.' And now you have become the master, who did so recently dream of great things while driving sheep. You shall lay down the saw and the plane to take upon yourself the regeneration of the world.’” Here’s to the ink stains on your fingers when the curtains rise and the world applauds and you say, “Did I win?”
I can’t resist. One more +1 on Aristotle. So… The Olympic Games started in Olympia (not too far outside of Athens) in 776 BC. A few centuries later, Aristotle told us that you can’t just SHOW UP at the Olympics and look like a great athlete, you have to actually COMPETE. Here’s how he puts it: “Just as at the Olympic Games it is not the best-looking or the strongest men present that are crowned with wreaths, but the competitors (because it is from them that the winners come), so it is those who act that rightly win the honours and rewards in life.” To recap his point: You can’t just KNOW how to live virtuously. You need to actually LIVE with virtue. I repeat: Theory is rudimentary philosophy. Practice is the advanced work. And, I’m reminded of Donald Robertson’s genius wisdom on the difference between being a warrior of the mind and a mere librarian of the mind. As we’ve discussed, in The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy he tells us: “The ancients conceived of the ideal philosopher as a veritable warrior of the mind, a spiritual hero akin to Hercules himself, but since the demise of the Hellenistic schools, the philosopher has become something more bookish, not a warrior, but a mere librarian of the mind.” Today’s +1. Is there a “theory” you need to make a “practice”? Yah? Which one? And how will you bring it to life today?! Here’s to leaving the library and heading into the Olympic arena that is our lives.
In our last +1, we talked about Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and the fact that his word for “happiness” was VERY different than our word. Eudaimonia, as we discussed, literally means “good soul” and implies a powerful sense of actualizing our potential—succeeding in expressing the best within ourselves. Today we’re going to focus on HOW Aristotle teaches us to create THAT type of “happiness.” Pop quiz: Can you guess? … Pop answer: In a word: Virtue. In a Greek word: Areté. Aristotle tells us that the ONLY way to have a “good soul” and experience the deepest sense of well-being and happiness is to, essentially, express the best version of yourself moment to moment to moment. To live with virtue. Here’s how he puts it: “But what is happiness? If we consider what the function of man is, we find that happiness is a virtuous activity of the soul.” * “Virtuous activity of the soul.”
Wow. Isn’t that BEAUTIFUL. * “Virtuous activity of the soul.”
Just for a moment… Imagine a culture in which our sense of happiness was grounded in a commitment to “virtuous activity of the soul.” Then imagine YOUR life in which your happiness was connected to the virtuous activity of your soul. What’s that mean? We’ll talk more about how to hit that target via Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean tomorrow. For now: At a choice point today, just ask yourself, “What would my soul like me to do right now? What would ‘virtuous activity’ of the best within me look like?’” Then, of course, have fun high-fiving your inner soul as you rock it.
In our last +1, we talked about the fact that 25 minutes every day = 2 YEARS of your life. Did you figure out how you’re wasting time and make some progress eliminating that time wasting activity? If so, high fives. If not, here’s a tip. In Bored and Brilliant, Manoush Zomorodi gives people a 7-Day Challenge to invite more boredom and more brilliance into their lives. Challenge #4 is pretty epic. It’s the fastest way to add two years back to our lives. Here’s how she puts it: “Your instructions for today: Delete it. Delete *that app. ... You know which one is your albatross. The one you use too much. The one you use to escape—too often, at the expense of other things (including sleep). The one that makes you feel bad about yourself. Delete said time-wasting, bad-habit app. Uninstall it.” Yep. THAT app. Which one is it? Want two years of your life back? Delete it. Now. I know it’s going to hurt but so is you looking back on your life from your deathbed and wondering why you squandered so much precious time and didn’t go ALL IN on living your greatest life so… Jim Rohn’s wisdom comes to mind: “We will all experience one pain or the other—the pain of discipline or the pain of regret—but the difference is that the pain of discipline weighs only ounces while the pain of regret weighs tons.*” Let’s pay in ounces. Delete THAT app. (NOW! Seriously. You’re the Boss, but let’s do this!!)
George Leonard was an aikido master who wrote a great little book called Mastery. It’s a tiny little book packed with a ton of wisdom. I highly recommend it. There’s one particular passage that’s been tattooed on my mind since I read it over a decade ago. We’re going to talk about that tomorrow. Today, we’re going to take a quick look at how Leonard describes mastery and the other paths that can trip us up. First, pop quiz! When you think of the path of Mastery and the Master who walks that path, what vision comes to mind? How would YOU describe it? Take a moment and noodle that. Alright. Here’s how Leonard describes mastery. He tells us that “We fail to realize that mastery is not about perfection. It’s about a process, a journey. The master is the one who stays on the path day after day, year after year. The master is the one who is willing to try, and fail, and try again, for as long as he or she lives.” That’s mastery. It’s a PROCESS. When we commit to the path of mastery we stay on that path day in and day out. YEAR after YEAR. (Reminds me of Steven Pressfield’s wisdom about Turning Pro—and how your life changes the day you truly flip the switch and go from amateur to Professional.) The alternatives to Mastery? Well, Leonard tells us we can be what he calls a “Dabbler” or a “Hacker” or an “Obsessive." Here’s the quick look. The Dabbler: Gets really into something for awhile and loves the quick results but the moment the newness fades, he or she’s off to the next new thing—rationalizing that it just wasn’t a good fit. Hence, no mastery. The Obsessive: A bottom-line type of person who wants to get the tennis stroke right on the first lesson and, when results start to slow, pushes even harder to make it work, ignoring the fact that plateaus are part of the path of mastery—pushing and pushing mercilessly to create a continuing upward curve. Then? Injury/burnout/etc. Followed by a sharp, sharp decline. Hence, no mastery. The Hacker: After sort of getting the hang of something, the hacker is content to stay at a plateau—never really improving his skills beyond the first basic level. Hacking, hacking, hacking. Hence, no mastery. The Master. The Dabbler. The Obsessive. The Hacker. And YOU. How are you showing up these days? Now… I was going to ask you how you think you can bring a little more mastery to your life but then I realized I should probably give you Leonard’s #1 tip first. Here it is: “How do you best move toward mastery? To put it simply, you practice diligently, but you practice primarily for the sake of the practice itself.” Aha! Practice. Again. So… Today’s +1. What’s the most important thing in your life right now? And… What’s your DAILY (!) PRACTICE to Optimize that thing or the Big 3 things? For me? 1. Energy = AM Trail (I never miss a day = my commitment to the practice/mastery) 2. Work = AM Deep Work (Again, I (literally) never miss a day = my commitment to the practice/mastery) 3. Love = AM Kid Time (I too often miss a day here! lol. Although my shut-down complete is pretty legit this still needs work and is being reinstalled!)
You? 1. Energy = __________________ 2. Work = __________________ 3. Love = __________________
Here’s to your Mastery and the simple practices that keep us on the path!
In our last +1, we talked about Rule #1 of Nutrition. You remember what it was? Basic idea: It’s not what you start eating that has the most positive impact. It’s what you STOP eating. There aren’t any Fountains of Youth in nature; there ARE poisons. And, you can’t eat enough broccoli to make up for all that pizza. (So, what did you eliminate?) Although I did share his high-level perspective, I didn’t share John Durant’s perspective on what he thinks we should remove as I wanted to make his general advice apply whether you’re Paleo or Vegan or Pegan or whatever. Today we’re going to look at his top recs at what qualifies as “poison” and should, therefore, be removed. Note: I share this with a respectful tip ‘o the hat to the Grain Lovers out there. John tells us (and, of course, many others who share his perspective echo this): “Top on this list [of poisons] are industrial foods (sugar, vegetable oils) as well as the seed-based crops they’re made out of (cereal grains, legumes). Think of these as slow-acting poisons when consumed in large quantities.” Very few people are going to argue that sugar is good for us. (And certainly not in the quantities in which we consume it today: 150+ lbs per person per year. The fact that we can consume more sugar in one meal than our ancestors would consume in an entire year = not good.) Then we have veggie oils. We’ve talked about it before, but they’re not good for inflammation. (Although, when I was in the hospital waiting room while my brother had his surgery, for some odd reason Dr. Oz dedicated his show to trying to convince us that corn oil is awesome. Hah. We’ll save that for another chat.) Then we have grains and legumes. If you fall into the Paleo-esque camp, you won’t have a tough time agreeing with the statement that we can ”Think of these as slow-acting poisons when consumed in large quantities.” If you enjoy grains and legumes and your digestion and health are perfect then congrats! If you enjoy those foods and your health and digestion can use some Optimizing, you might want to experiment with a little elimination! As per the Hartwigs in It Starts with Food (their Whole360 program was super-helpful years ago after my decade-long low-fat-vegan stint): “The marketing from big cereal companies would have you think that cereal grains are highly nutritious—and that if you don’t eat them, you’ll miss out on all sorts of vitamins, minerals, and fiber that you can get only from grains. That’s simply not true. Grains are not (we repeat, not) nutrient-dense when compared with vegetables and fruit.” Plus: “Another way that a diet high in grains leads to suboptimal nutrition is in terms of opportunity cost: If there are more whole grains on your plate, then there’s probably less of some other food—like vegetables—on your plate. And that lowers the overall micronutrient density in your diet too. In summary: There is not a single health-promoting substance present in grains that you can’t also get from vegetables and fruit.” I laugh as I type this given the near-religious fervor with which people approach their nutrition. Again, YOU’re the Boss. Given your nutritional philosophy, are there any foods that you think you might to eliminate? Have fun. That is all!
Nathaniel Branden was a fascinating guy. As a teenager he wrote a fan letter to Ayn Rand—which she ignored. Then he wrote another letter a little later which led to an intimate relationship and collaboration. We’ll save the details of that relationship for another discussion. For now, let’s look at some wisdom from The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem where Nathaniel tells us about a little self-awareness exercise called “sentence completion.” Here’s how he puts it: “Sentence-completion work is a deceptively simple yet uniquely powerful tool for raising self-understanding, self-esteem, and personal effectiveness. It rests on the premise that all of us have more knowledge than we normally are aware of—more wisdom than we use, more potentials than typically show up in our behavior. Sentence completion is a tool for accessing and activating these ‘hidden resources.’” How’s it work? Like this. Take a sentence stem (like: “Living consciously to me means...”) and create 6-10 completions of that sentence. Only rule is that each ending needs to create a grammatical sentence. Write quickly, don’t stop to “think” and, as Nathaniel says: “Any ending is fine, just keep going.” Let’s try it out on this sentence stem: If I bring 5 percent more awareness to my activities today… That’s Today’s +1. Here’s to tapping into the wisdom that’s always right there waiting for us!
We’ve talked about how exercise is kinda like taking a little bit of Ritalin and a little bit of Prozac, but somehow we’ve gotten this far into our +1 series without talking about the fact that exercise is as effective as Zoloft in reducing depression. Get this. In The How of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirksy walks us through a little experiment. Bring clinically depressed individuals into a lab. Split them into three groups. The first group is assigned to four months of aerobic exercise while the second group gets an antidepressant medication (in this case Zoloft) and the third group gets both. The exercise group does three, forty-five minute sessions per week of cycling or walking/jogging at a moderate to high intensity. Fast-forward four months. As Sonja says: "Remarkably, by the end of the four-month intervention period, all three groups had experienced their depressions lift and reported fewer dysfunctional attitudes and increased happiness and self-esteem. Aerobic exercise was just as effective at treating depression as was Zoloft, or as a combination of exercise and Zoloft. Yet exercise is a lot less expensive, usually with no side effects apart from soreness. Perhaps even more remarkably, six months later, participants who had ‘remitted’ (recovered) from their depressions were less likely to relapse if they had been in the exercise group (six months ago!) than if they had been in the medication group.” She continues by saying: “No one in our society needs to be told that exercise is good for us. Whether you are overweight or have a chronic illness or are a slim couch potato, you’ve probably heard or read this dictum countless times throughout your life. But has anyone told you— indeed, guaranteed you—that regular physical activity will make you happier? I swear by it.” Any time one of the leading, conservative scientists in the field guarantees (!) ANYTHING I sit up straight and pay attention. And, in this case, I put on my shoes and hit the trail.
In Self-Image 101, we talked about how to create the most heroically awesome version of yourself by integrating the “Optimus” you and the “entheos” you into the “Hērōs” you. We also talked about Other Image 101—aka: How do you see OTHERS? Walt Whitman helped us out with this idea. He once said: “In the faces of men and women, I see God.”* Which begs the question: When you look in the faces of men and women, what do YOU see? That’s actually Today’s +1. When you’re out and about today (and, perhaps even more importantly: when you’re in and hanging out with your family today!), take a moment to step back and SEE the absolute best, most divinely awesome essence of the people with whom you’re interacting. And, remember: It’s hard to see in others what we’re not seeing in ourselves. Therefore… Let’s make sure the first person in whom we see God this morning is that person looking back at us in the mirror. Here’s to bowing to the divine within yourself and to the divine within all those you meet today! +1. +1. +1.
Here's another little gem from Dan Pink’s To Sell Is Human. (The man is a brilliant writer and a treasure-trove of goodness.) He tells us that, according to research from McKinsey: “the typical American hears or reads more than one hundred thousand words every day.” Think about that for a moment. 100,000 words. EVERY DAY. When I think about that, I immediately think of a few things: A Lion, a King, and a Monk. Specifically, I think about Alberto Villoldo’s wisdom that we are now exposed to more stimuli in ONE WEEK than our ancient ancestors were exposed to in their ENTIRE LIFETIMES. As he says, we evolved to deal with one lion roaring at us at a time. Now, with 24/7/365-global news, it’s as if the entire jungle is roaring at us all day every day. (Which, btw, is one of the reasons why obsessive news and talk show consumption is correlated with anxiety, depression, etc.) (Another btw: Here’s a crazy stat from Nasha Winters in The Metabolic Approach to Cancer. She tells us: “We can slug down more sugar in thirty minutes than our ancestors would consume in an entire year.” <- Yikes. And we wonder why we're all so sick…) That’s our Lion. (Side note: Emerson and I just read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and are now working our way through the Chronicles of Narnia. Love it.) Then there’s our King. Stephen King to be precise. In On Writing, King says that the hardest part of his creative journey was when he was a full-time high school teacher trying to make it as a writer. Although he loved the kids, at the end of the week he felt like his brain had been attached to jumper cables (!) and it was REALLY hard to simmer down and write anything worth reading. Then there’s our Monk: Thich Nhat Hanh. He tells us that everything we are exposed to is a “nutriment” that needs to be “digested.” Those 100,000 words we hear and read every day? Your brain has to process them and digest them just like all the food you eat (and that sugar you might be consuming!). All of that to say… To put it very directly: If you’re the “typical” American, jamming your consciousness so full of words (and stimulation) all day every day, you probably have a VERY hard time ever coming up with an original thought. (Laughing. Sorry to break the news…) At least that’s MY experience when I open the tap a bit too much to news—I find myself waking up in the morning thinking about what’s going on in the world vs. what I want to CREATE in the world. Of course, as with everything, there’s a balance. How’s yours? btw: This is also why I very rarely have any music on (and never any talk shows) when I’m driving (that’s my silent time to decompress and think and integrate!) and why I NEVER (!!!) bring any technology with me when I’m in nature hiking (that’s my silent time to decompress and think and integrate!). Again, we all need to find our path and our optimal balance. How’s yours? To the extent we’re committed to being more CREATIVE than REACTIVE, I say we trim that 100,0000-word count down and remember Mark Twain’s quip that anytime he finds himself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect. And, of course, there’s Krishnamurti’s genius line that being well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society is no measure of health. Let’s break away from the noise and make some noise in the world!
Emerson is learning how to read and I’m the lucky guy who gets to teach him. The other day Emerson wrote his first word: “mom.” Then he busted out “dad.” Then he was able to write his name by himself. (I get a little misty just typing that.) I don’t hang on to much “stuff” but those first, handwritten words are now my most prized possessions. Philosophically, it’s amazing to see how something that is super hard — like, for example, Emerson writing an “a” — suddenly becomes “easy.” Of course, I might take more than a moment to celebrate the now awesome “a” and remind Emerson that there was a time when that was really hard. And, we often quickly roll through the other things that were hard before they became super easy. If you were a fly on the wall of the Johnson house you might here something like this: “Remember how you used to poop in your pants!” (We both get a kick out of that one.) “And, now it’s super easy to go in the toilet!” “And, remember how you used to suck your thumb and it was super hard to stop? But then you decided to and BAM! Now it’s easy!” “Remember when writing that ‘a’ was hard?! And NOW look at it! You make it look easy! WOW.” Then we like to connect the dots between hard and easy. Me: “How’d you get so good at doing that ‘a’?!” E: “Practice.” Me: “Yep. That’s how you get good at anything, huh?” Together: “Practice. Practice. Practice.” Me: “You can pretty much do ANYTHING you want, buddy, with enough practice!” I have mist in my eyes as I type that. And, I say the same thing to you (and, of course, to myself): “You can pretty much do ANYTHING you want, buddy, with enough practice!” Only question is: What do you want? (Seriously. What do you really want in your life?!) Ready to pay the price? Here’s to pooping in the toilet and remembering that everything is hard before it’s easy.
Yesterday we reviewed our Motivation Equation. I hope you took the time to hang out with your #1 Wildly Important Goal and run it through the little magical formula. And, if not: Pardon the soapbox moment but… Um… Well, hmmmm… We can’t incrementally crush it together if we’re not actually PRACTICING these ideas on a consistent (read: daily!) basis. We’ve gotta move from THEORY to PRACTICE and there’s only ONE way to do that… PRACTICE! PRACTICE!! PRACTICE!!! Ahem. I am now stepping off the soapbox. Today we shall review another super powerful not-so-secret weapon: WOOP! As I mentioned in our last +1, we’re currently working on a big project. As such, I’m employing all the best stuff I know to rock it. And, it’s now officially I M P O S S I B L E for me to not WOOP something I really care about. I mean, recall that science shows just how powerful this little practice can be in making our dreams a reality so… The key? Once again: Start with a vision of your ideal. That’s your WISH. Know the OUTCOMES you think you’ll experience—aka why you’re fired up. Then… Rub that vision up against reality by seeing the OBSTACLES you might face then create a PLAN to deal with it. Voila! You’ve created a “necessity to act” and you’ve increased your odds of success. So… Today’s +1. Let’s revisit your #1 Wildly Important Goal. (Note: Number ONE. Not ten. Or five. Or even two or three. ONE.) Bust out a blank piece of paper or use our Worksheet. Let’s run through the WOOP! process. What’s your WISH? If everything went perfectly, what, specifically, would you see in your life? (Awesome.) What’s your OUTCOME? In other words, WHY are you fired up about achieving this? What benefits will you achieve? (Awesome.) Now… What OBSTACLES do you think you might face? Yep. That one. And that one. Don’t forget that one. (Awesome.) Finally… What’s your PLAN?! What will you do to go over and under and through those inevitable obstacles? OMMS!! (Awesome.) W O O P! There it is. Again and again and again. Let’s do this!
One of the themes we come back to again and again is the basic idea of loving what is — whether that’s via Byron Katie’s wisdom or the Stoics or the Serenity Prayer. Here’s another take on it that I’ve found super helpful. Vernon Howard tells us: “If your grand purpose in life is to wake up, then whatever happens to you is good, for it can prod you into self-awakening.” And, he says: “If it takes apparent misfortune to turn us into true philosophers and doers of good to receive good, then apparent misfortune is our greatest fortune.” Well that’s one way to look at it, eh? Indeed it is. A very powerful way. So… Today’s +1. What’s your GRAND purpose? The ultimate big ol’ purpose of your existence? Mine? In short: To actualize my potential. In service to the world. While enjoying the process. Now, with THAT goal in mind, I can bring Vernon’s wisdom to mind and alchemize pretty much E V E R Y T H I N G into great fortune. From the mundane issues with the kids or the biz to the bigger challenges in life. It’s ALL antifragile fuel for the fire of actualization. All of it. So, again… What’s your grand purpose? Get clear on it. Then make the connection between your response to this moment and that target. Let’s use E V E R Y T H I N G as fuel for our growth. That’s how to turn apparent misfortune into great fortune.
In Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche tells us: “He who cannot command himself should obey. And many can command themselves, but much is still lacking before they can obey themselves.” How epic is that?! Let’s slow down and read it again: “He who cannot command himself should obey. And many can command themselves, but much is still lacking before they can obey themselves.” To translate: Can’t figure out what you should do? No big deal. Just get used to following orders from someone else. Have a sense of what you should do but can’t follow through? Well, much is still lacking then, my friend. We must be able to command ourselves then obey those commands. It’s why Leonardo da Vinci said: “One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself.” And… Well, pretty much E V E R Y O N E (! ! !) says that self-mastery is the secret sauce (to being the Boss of your own life). (It’s also why, if I had to summarize my entire philosophy in one word I’d go with areté.) So… Today’s +1. What the most important “command” the wise, Commander-in-Chief version of you would give to the “rest” of you? (aka: What’s the #1 thing you KNOW you could be doing that you’re not doing?) And… Is now a good time to obey that wise Commander? Fantastic. Command. Obey. Repeat. Spiral up today.
Dan Pink tells us that To Sell Is Human. Although only 1 in 9 Americans is technically in sales, he says that the other 8 in 9 spend a ton of their time in “non-sales selling.” In fact, the research he commissioned shows that we spend around 40% (!) of our time (or 24 minutes out of every working hour!) trying to move people to do things—whether that’s pitching an idea to colleagues or trying to change someone’s behavior. (That’s, obviously a lot. And, being good at that is, obviously, important to our professional and personal success.) Then there’s the personal time we spend “selling”/”moving” others—from selling our kids on a philosophical idea (“mistakes are awesome!”) or your spouse on how to Optimize your nutrition (“sugar isn’t awesome!”). In that context, he tells us we need some new ABCs of selling. As you may know, the “ABCs” of the old-school, hard-core sales approach are “Always be closing.” That, to say the least, is not where it’s at. Now? Now, Dan says, it’s all about “Attunement + Buoyancy + Clarity.” Check out our Notes for more. Here’s the jumbo-quick look: Attunement is basically the ability to connect with others. We get there via three things: humility, trying to figure out what the other person is thinking (this is more effective, btw, than trying to figure out what they’re feeling) and strategically mimicking their movements and words (but doing it subtly and acting like a human being without being weird about it). Buoyancy is actually what I want to focus on today. More on that in a moment. Then we have Clarity. We need to be able to concisely communicate the essence of our offer—finding the 1% of what really matters while asking good questions, etc. So… All that to arrive at Bouyancy. Bouyancy is how we stay afloat in the “ocean of rejection” we all feel when we try to “sell” people on our ideas and/or products, etc. Dan offer us tips to stay buoyant before, during and after our pitch. Before: We want to make sure our self-talk is empowering (he offers a fascinating twist here that we’ll talk about in our next +1). During: We want to keep our positivity ratios Optimized. 1:1 isn’t going to do it. Nor will 2:1. Research shows that 3:1 is the sweet spot. (Note: 11:1 isn’t going to work either!) After: We want to make sure our “explanatory styles” are rocking. Check out the +1 on How to Learn Optimism featuring Martin Seligman’s 3 P’s for more. Now, we’re ready for the point of Today’s +1. You know that positivity ratio? We want to target 3:1. Too little positivity isn’t going to work. AND (very important and!), TOO MUCH positivity isn’t going to work either. I love the way Dan frames Barbara Fredrickson’s wisdom on this: “Fredrickson sees the healthy positivity ratios ... as a calibration between two competing pulls: levity and gravity. ‘Levity is that unseen force that lifts you skyward, whereas gravity is the opposing force that pulls you earthward. Unchecked levity leaves you flighty, ungrounded, and unreal. Unchecked gravity leaves you collapsed in a heap of misery,’ she writes. ‘Yet when properly combined, these two opposing forces leave you buoyant.’” Levity + Gravity = Buoyancy. I love that. How’s your levity? How’s your gravity? Fantastic. Here’s to your buoyancy!
In our last +1, we talked about our 80/20 180 phase in which we implemented a number of high-leverage lifestyle changes. After that stabilization and Optimizing process, we went deep into what research shows to be a REALLY powerful targeted therapy for cancer: a ketogenic diet. In fact, we hired the woman who literally wrote the book on it. That book is called Keto for Cancer. Its author, Miriam Kalamian has been my brother’s day-to-day nutritionist for the last x weeks. She and her book are AMAZING. If you’re wondering what nutritional approach we’re following, THAT’s it. I’m laughing as I type this but my brother went from pretty much eating whatever he wanted whenever he wanted in whatever quantity he wanted to following a nutritional plan with the precision of an Olympic athlete such that he knows, in his words, whether or not he can have a couple more walnuts with lunch. (HAH!) All of which begs a few questions. First, you may wonder: What’s a ketogenic diet? And, why is it relevant? Well, a therapeutic ketogenic diet is a very low carbohydrate, adequate protein, high healthy-fat, nutrient-dense diet that shifts your body’s primary source of energy metabolism from glucose to what’s known as “ketones.” The ketones produced in a therapeutic ketogenic diet are relevant because THIS is how we strike cancer where it’s weak. Here’s the deal. Remember our chat about the fact that “cancer loves sugar”? Well, cancer cells don’t just love sugar, cancer cells pretty much literally (!!!) can’t live without sugar. (I have goosebumps as I type that.) Know this: You don’t need to rewind that far in our 1.5-million-year evolutionary history to arrive at a time when the next meal wasn’t guaranteed (let alone arriving as “edible foodlike substances” that was made in a factory and available in your fridge all day every day — all consumed with basically no effort, etc.). Know this: We evolved to not just survive during times of food scarcity but to THRIVE. This fact required what’s known as “metabolic flexibility.” Healthy cells had to be able to burn either glucose or ketones for fuel. (Side note: Here’s a little known fact that all dieticians know but nearly all keep secret: We can function just fine with ZERO carbs. We NEED fats and proteins. We do NOT NEED carbs.) But… And might just be THE most important point in our entire discussion about how to conquer cancer so let’s pay attention here: CANCER CELLS ARE METABOLICALLY INFLEXIBLE. Which means that cancer cells can’t make the switch from using glucose for fuel to using ketones. (Whereas healthy cells easily can.) And THAT is how you checkmate the seemingly immortal cells and their out-of-control growth. Leverage their metabolic inflexibility. Cut off their fuel source. Step on their Achilles heel. Practically speaking, what that means is we need to drastically reduce carb intake (in the range of around 20 net carbs per day). When done with precision (ideally with the guidance of a nutrition pro) within the healthy fat, adequate protein, nutrient-dense parameters Miriam maps out in her book, you radically change your energy metabolism — nourishing your healthy cells with ketones while starving your cancer cells of glucose. This is why my brother measures his glucose and ketones all day every day. He’s driven the glucose down: now in the 80s — which, again, is an epically awesome drop from the 145 diabetic, cancer-feasting-on-glucose zone to the optimal, “where’s the glucose?!” cancer cell starvation diet zone — WHILE driving his ketone levels up. Again, nourishing the metabolically flexible healthy cells while exploiting the metabolically INflexible cancer cell’s Achilles. THAT is how we use targeted nutritional therapy to win the war on cancer.
This is an introduction to Public Speaking 101. Get the workbook + watch the full class here: https://www.optimize.me/public-speaking
We’ve had a lot of people ask for a class on Public Speaking. It tends to freak a lot of people out which is why Idea #1 features Jerry Seinfeld’s quip that most people are so afraid of public speaking that they’d prefer to receive a eulogy than give one. (Hah.) Alas, if you have any fears over speaking in public, you’re not alone. Enter: Common humanity. And, enter my own stories about my fears and my favorite ways to alchemize that energy. (“I’m excited!” + “Bring it on!” + threat vs. challenge, etc.) Other Ideas include Rule #0 (aka, it’s not about you), Rule #1 (aka BE you—amplified!), systematically organize (and overprepare!), plus Optimizing your pre-shot routine before letting it rip!
So, on one hand, as per our last +1, science shows that genes play a surprisingly small role in the cause of cancer. Yet… Guess where nearly all of that $100 billion of research money has has been spent? Yep. We’ve spent $100 billion dollars on research and we spend $100 billion dollars on cancer medications every year operating under the assumption that cancer is, primarily, a genetic issue. To put it directly, that appears to be the essence of why we’ve failed to win the war on cancer. We’ve been looking at it from the wrong perspective. Result: No improvements in the real death rates since the 1950s. Here’s the short story on the two conflicting theories regarding the origin of cancer: The dominant theoretical orientation within Western medicine is something called the “somatic mutation theory” (or “SMT”) of cancer. It basically says that cancer is CAUSED by genetic mutations. Now, there’s no question that cancer cells are pretty wacky genetically. In fact, the sheer complexity of mutations that exist even within one individual with cancer (let alone across individuals with various types of cancers) is why it’s so hard to treat cancer from this paradigm. But the question we need to ask is: Is cancer CAUSED by genetic mutations, or are those mutations a downstream EFFECT of some other cause? Thankfully, researchers have been asking this question. Enter: The metabolic theory of cancer. The METABOLIC theory of cancer (vs. the genetic theory of cancer) says it’s dysfunctional ENERGY METABOLISM that precedes the genetic instability (and all the other hallmarks of cancer). And, guess what? That’s a HUGE distinction. Why? Because your theory drives your therapy. Get the theory wrong and you get the therapy wrong. You just might spend an awful lot of money on research and treatment and get no real improvements. To put it directly: When a loved one’s life is on the line, that’s no longer an abstract statistic. It’s a matter of life and death. P.S. Did you know that some cancer medications cost $100,000 for a year’s worth of treatment that only extends life by three months? That’s (shockingly) true. There has to be a better way, eh? Yes. And… The good news: There is a better way. P.P.S. Thomas Seyfried is one of the world’s leading researchers who is persuasively arguing for the metabolic theory of cancer. His 15-page (+ 7 pages of references) peer-reviewed article in the scientific journal Nutrition & Metabolism called “Cancer as a metabolic disease” is a MUST READ. Print it out, read it. Bring a copy with you to your next appointment with your oncologist and team, etc. This is the scientific foundation for the theoretical framework we will be using to inform our metabolic approach to therapy. P.P.P.S. It’s essential that we understand the fact that what we’re talking about here is not a “cleanse” or a “detox” or anything along those lines. Although many inspiring anecdotal stories exist out there on the Internet about various juicing/cleansing/detoxing protocols, that’s NOT what we’re talking about here and, with blessings to all those who have benefited from and swear by them, I would never bet my life (or my brother’s life or your life) on those approaches. What we’re talking about here is a scientifically-grounded look at an alternative theory of cancer supported by a growing body of peer-reviewed, empirically sound data. There’s a BIG difference between that and the “cancer cures” we can find on the Internet. And, that’s one of the reasons why most primary care physicians and oncologists freak out when they hear you’re doing something other than traditional approaches. We’ve shared all this research with our traditional team. And, we’ve gotten smart about how to communicate our approach. Which (along with the astonishing (!) therapeutic benefits my brother has experienced thus far) has led our oncologist to say to my brother, “If I were diagnosed with what you have (stage IIB pancreatic cancer), I’d do what you’re doing.” Why would he say that? Because, pancreatic cancer is notoriously hard to treat from a traditional (read: genetic origin!) perspective. And, you know when he said that? It wasn’t in our first meeting. In that initial meeting when he delivered the prognosis he literally didn’t look at my brother once. He had the very difficult job of communicating a very heavy prognosis and all my brother could see from the table was the side of his doctor’s face as he described what was going on to Rick’s wife, Kristin. It wasn’t a good day to say the least. He changed his tone after he looked at my brother’s PET scan that showed NO SIGNS of cancer—after 5 weeks of SUPER intense nutritional and lifestyle therapeutic intervention that we’ll discuss. (Although we didn’t have a “before” PET scan to compare it to, that’s not supposed to happen with stage IIB pancreatic.) He and the other doctor who reviewed the PET + CT scans said, “If we didn’t know you had cancer, we wouldn’t know you had cancer after looking at those scans.” Now, there are a lot of variables at play and, again, we didn’t have a baseline to compare it to, and this is a sample size of one and we have a long way to go in our Optimizing journey, etc. etc. etc. but I am extremely confident that our metabolic approach to my brother’s cancer helped halt his cancer’s growth. And, I know we’re not alone as there are so many exemplars with similar results following a similar approach out there. I’m excited to share some of the practical steps we’ve taken in line with the metabolic approach to cancer. But, first, I want to spend a little more time establishing the theoretical framework as it’s important we get it on a high level. Which we’ll do in our next +1…
What You Can Do on a Daily Basis to Optimize Your Nutrition in an Easy and Practical Way.
In our last couple +1s, we had some fun at the hospital with our Stoic friends Seneca and Epictetus. Recall Epictetus’ wisdom that sometimes good philosophy feels more like a trip to the hospital than a spa. (Ouch!) Seneca echoes this wisdom in Letters from a Stoic where he says, “Be harsh with yourself at times.” Now, of course, this does NOT mean that we need to go around like that albino monk from The da Vinci Code mutilating ourselves. (Yowsers!) But… It DOES mean that, at times, with a base of (and, ultimately, OUT OF a deep sense of) self-compassion, we need to give ourselves a Zen stick to the head and wake up from the bad habits that might be dragging us down. As with the virtuous mean chat we had awhile ago, there’s a virtuous mean here. TOO MUCH harshness is destructive — we’ll develop a sense of self-loathing that Aristotle would consider a vice of excess. TOO LITTLE harshness on the other hand, and we run the risk of being a bit too self-contented. That would be a vice of deficiency. The virtuous mean rests right there in the middle path — where we’re appropriately correcting our weaknesses WITHOUT self-criticism per se, just a nice firm “needs work” look in the eye as we embody more and more of our ideals. The great Sufi philosopher Rumi comes to mind. He tells us: “This discipline and rough treatment are a furnace to extract the silver from the dross. This testing purifies the gold by boiling the scum away.” In other words, be harsh with yourself at times. Check yourself into the hospital for the surgery. Throw yourself into the furnace. Let’s extract the silver from the dross. Purify the gold within by boiling away the scum. When? Now. And again and again and again. How? With a knowing, joyful, Stoic-Sufi-Optimizing smile.
Once upon a time in a land far away, there was an old farmer. This man had a horse. Then, one day, his horse ran away. All the neighbors said, “Gah!! That’s such a bummer. What bad luck.” The man said, “Maybe. It is what is.” Then, one day, the horse returned!! And, lo and behold, the horse brought along a bunch of wild stallions with him! All the neighbors said, “Wow!! That’s incredible. What good luck!” The man said, “Maybe. It is what it is.” At this point in the story, I should mention that the man also had a son. This son was pretty excited about the new horses. Especially one particularly wild stallion he wanted to ride. So, he hops up on the horse and, WHAM! He gets slammed to the ground and breaks his leg. All the neighbors said, “Ohhhhhhhhh, man! What bad luck. I can’t believe that happened. Now your son can’t work the fields. That’s really bad.” The man said, “Maybe. It is what it is.” Then one day, the army came marching into the small village. There was a war and the king demanded that all able-bodied young men join them in their battle. Our man’s son with the broken leg was spared. All the neighbors said, “Wow. Your son has been saved! What good luck.” The man said… Well, at this stage you know what the man said. Today’s +1. How do YOU respond to life’s events? Is it all either “good” or “bad”? Or, perhaps, is it just what it is? P.S. Shakespeare must have had this Zen story in mind when he had Hamlet say that “there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
In our last +1, we talked about Phil Stutz’ great phrase: “Endlessly evolving process.” Phil likes to draw upward spiraling loops to describe the flow of evolving into the best version of ourselves. In fact, his spiraling loops are almost identical to Ray Dalio’s spiraling loops. Remember his? We unpacked his 5-Steps to Success model not too long ago. The super-quick recap: You start with an audacious goal. Then you fail. Then you figure out why you failed. Then you design a better solution to your challenge. Then you get to work on the solution. Then you spiral up and repeat that process of evolving into a slightly better version of you. (For how long? E N D L E S S L Y.) Now, Dalio tells us that it’s REALLY important to fall in love with that process. ESPECIALLY (!) the part most people shy away from — that whole failing part. “But can’t I just evolve without all those mistakes?” (Insert laughter from all philosophers ever.) (Still laughing.) “No. You can’t.” Therefore, the wisest among us (with Dalio in the lead on this one) tell us that we want to so fall in love with the process of making mistakes and then getting a little better that we’re kinda like a runner who hits a certain point during his or her run where the pain goes away and the “runner’s high” takes over. Dalio calls this the “mistake-learner’s high.” You’re so engaged in the dynamic process of Optimizing that you L O V E the mistakes — knowing that they’re just part of the process of going after something audacious and the perfect data/fuel to Optimize just a little more today. And, we all know that it’s all about aggregating and compounding those tiny little gains over an extended period of time, right? So… Today’s +1. Made any mistakes lately? Can you see how those mistakes are an ESSENTIAL part of your (endlessly evolving) process of achieving your audacious goals?! Fantastic. Keep that in mind today. And tomorrow. And the day after that. Enjoy your mistake-learner’s high!
Please extend your pointer finger and shake it as if you’re lecturing someone — saying something like, “You shouldn’t do this, this and this! Do that, that and that!” Thank you. Now, look at your hand and count how many fingers are pointing at the person you’re lecturing and how many fingers are pointing back at you. Unless you’re missing a digit, you should see one finger pointing at the lucky recipient of your lecture and THREE fingers pointing back at you. You may want to pay attention to that the next time you’re lecturing someone. Debbie Ford tells us that this practices is a really handy way to notice our “shadow” — the stuff we haven’t integrated in our own lives that, unfortunately, we tend to project onto others. She tells us to “attend our own lectures” because, more often than not, whatever lecture we’re giving someone else is the one WE desperately need to attend. Today’s +1. The next time you start telling someone all the things you think they need to start doing more of or less of or whatever, imagine you’re a student diligently taking notes on the lecture you’re giving. You might just find that the lecture you’re giving them is what YOU most need to hear! (And, btw, the sooner you actually do the stuff you’re lecturing other people about, the sooner you’ll stop lecturing them about it. ;)
Susan Peirce Thompson wrote a great book called Bright Line Eating. She has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and is one of the world’s leading experts on the psychology of eating. Before all that, Susan was addicted to cocaine and food and basically everything else — which gives her a very nice vantage point from which to talk about how to recover from addiction. In her book and programs, she applies the bright lines of Willpower 101 we talk about all the time to the fundamentals of Nutrition 101 we talk about all the time. Her top two bright lines for eating? Eliminate sugar and flour. Don’t reduce or eat them more moderately. E L I M I N A T E. Susan walks us through all the reasons those edible foodlike substances act more like drugs than food and she points out the havoc they cause in our bodies. But today I want to focus on a question she often gets asked when she encourages people to make a 100% Commitment to those two bright line rules. People often say (insert at least a slightly whiney voice): “But… Isn’t that extreme?” “I mean, really? I have to say no to donuts and cookies and pastries and pizza and…?” “Isn’t that just sooooo extreme?” NO, she says. Cutting off your limbs because you have diabetes is extreme. Getting checked into the hospital one Tuesday afternoon then losing half your stomach after having gastric bypass surgery because you have a cancerous growth near your pancreas that is a serious threat to your life? THAT is extreme. Removing sugar and flour? Not so much. Today’s +1. Eliminate the sugar and flour. Like, jumbo 100% eliminate. Unless you think it’s too extreme and you’d prefer the alternative down the line.
Matthew Kelly has written a number of great books. We have Notes on three of them: Perfectly Yourself, The Rhythm of Life and Off Balance. In Off Balance, Mathew tells us that if we want to change the trajectory of our lives (and/or careers), we need to change the period of time we think about. Here’s how he puts it: “So, the first step is, don’t be in too much of a hurry to create the ideal life you have imagined. Personal and professional satisfaction are built like a castle, one brick at a time. We tend to overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can do in a week. In the same way, we tend to overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in a decade. Take a decade view. Give yourself a decade to build the life you have imagined for yourself, one that is rich and overflowing with personal and professional satisfaction. Until you take the decade view, until you begin to imagine and plan what you can do in a decade, you have not even begun to explore your potential.” The decade view. What’s YOURS look like? Seriously. Pull out a blank piece of paper. Wave the wand. What’s your life look like? That’s Today’s +1. P.S. From a career/income perspective, Matthew brings the point home by reflecting on how much various people at McDonalds make depending on the time horizon for which they’re responsible. Here’s a super quick look: * 90 second = Drive-thru clerk = $7-$8/hr * 8 hours = Shift manager = $12-$15/hr * 3 months = Store manager = $20/hr * 1 year = Regional manager = $35-$40/hr * 20 years = CEO = $10,000/hr (= $20m/year)
Note: The same returns apply to every aspect of our lives. For example, if our time horizon for our happiness is the next 5 minutes, then we’ll prioritize eating the donut, having the extra drink or smoking the cigarette. And, guess what? Although it’s easy to take for granted, with that approach we’re not even guaranteed a decade. Of course, none of us are guaranteed even an extra moment beyond this one but we want to choose wisely and our #1 priority should be making sure we’re giving ourselves the best shot to be around in a decade, eh? Here’s to a beautiful decade view. See your Future Self. And prioritize your next moment accordingly.
When I worked with Steve Chandler, one of the themes of our work together was “creating wealth through profound service.” I just love that phrase: “Wealth through profound service.” Steve wrote a great book called Wealth Warrior and he’s the one who inspired me to look up the ancient meaning of the word “astonish.” It’s from the Latin ex "out" + tonare "to thunder." It literally means "to leave someone thunderstruck.” Or, as I like to say, “to strike with lightning.” Steve says that most people have the wrong standard. They’re thinking about “customer satisfaction.” But, he says, how uninspiring is the idea of merely “satisfying” someone? Much better, he says, to ASTONISH. I, of course, agree. All that’s nice, but how do we do that? Well, I think the essence of it is found at the nexus point of those three circles we talk about in the +1 called “How’s Your Hedgehog?” in which we talk about Jim Collins’ perspective on how great businesses (and lives!) are created. In short: Collins tells us we need to find the nexus point of what we truly Love to do, what we can be Great at, and what the world Needs (and, if it’s a biz we’re talking about, what the market is willing to pay for!). As I was preparing for Abundance 101, I was thinking about those ideas and also thinking about Cal Newport’s great book So Good They Can’t Ignore You in which he tells us about the perils of following your Passion Mindset at the exclusion of your Craftsman Mindset. Longer chat but I don’t think it’s either/or. Which led me to sketch the three venn circles for the one millionth time. But this time I wrote: Passion Mindset + Craftsman Mindset + Servant Mindset. I think that if we want to actualize our potential (in creativity, enjoyment and wealth) we need to truly LOVE what we do. My standard? You love it so much you’d pay to do it. That’s a Passion Mindset. (Of course, as Professionals we need to do what needs to get done whether we feel like it or not, so I’m not saying it’s all sunshine and rainbows and unicorns but we’ve gotta start with the Love!) And… If we want to actualize our potential (in creativity, enjoyment and wealth), we need to be ALL IN committed to mastering our craft and doing GREAT work. Enter: The Craftsman Mindset. Finally, it’s not enough to Love it and strive to be Great at it, we need to find a way to share our Passion and Craft with the world. And, we need to do the often hard work of figuring out how to truly create value by giving people what they really want and are willing to pay for. Enter: The Servant Mindset. So… Three Mindsets: Passion + Craftsman + Servant. Find the nexus of those three mindsets. Optimize the bliss out of each. THAT is how we astonish. And, over the long run (!), that’s how we create wealth through profound service. Today’s +1. Sketch your three circles. Take a quick inventory. How’re you doing? What’s awesome? What needs work? And, most importantly: What can you do today to Optimize 1%?! Passion + Craftsman + Servant. +1. +1. +1.
A couple +1s ago we talked about taking a systems approach to disease vs. just a symptoms approach. We referenced Dr. Junger’s metaphor of a wise gardener tending to the roots. Which reminds me of T Harv Eker’s line: “In every forest, on every farm, in every orchard on earth, it’s what’s under the ground that creates what’s above the ground. That’s why placing your attention on the fruits that you have already grown is futile. You cannot change the fruits that are already hanging on the tree. You can, however, change tomorrow’s fruits. But to do so, you will have to dig below the ground and strengthen the roots.” Here’s another metaphor and pop quiz to bring the point home. If you had a boiling pot of water and you wanted to easily and permanently make the water stop boiling, would you: a) Drop in two ice cubes at regular intervals; or, b) Turn the flame off/move the pot off the heat? Option b) for the win! Seems so simple... Yet, somehow, in a world where over fifteen million people have purchased Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, we’ve failed to implement Habit #1 to “Be Proactive.” Instead, we throw our hands up in the air at all the symptoms we experience (from acid reflux and headaches to depression and cancer) and, rather than go after the causes of these ailments, we reach for another couple ice cubes to temporarily reduce the heat while doing nothing to deal with the flame at the root of the underlying problem. Option a) for the loss! Of course, we all do it at times. Enter: Common Humanity. And, enter: Today’s +1. What “ice cubes” are you relying on? And, what little (or big) thing can you do TODAY to deal with the root cause of the issue more proactively? Ice cubes begone! (Except for iced tea. That’s awesome.)
Continuing our Anticancer theme, let’s chat about another brilliant idea from David Servan-Schreiber’s book, Anticancer. Imagine this. It’s 1942. Hitler has amassed an army of one million Nazi soldiers. They’re pushing to take over Russia — which finds itself so undermanned that adolescents and schoolgirls who have never used a firearm are joining the fight. Miraculously, the Russians are able to resist. But, knowing they can’t sustain the defense, their leader shifts their strategy and decides to attack the German supply lines deep within German-controlled territory. And, it works. Without the supply lines, the million soldiers are forced to retreat. That’s the Battle of Stalingrad — one of the most influential battles of the European front in World War II. And, David tells us, that’s the PERFECT metaphor for how we need to approach cancer. We need to cut off the supply lines. And FORCE cancer’s retreat. How? Well, we talked about the four levers a few +1s ago: Environment + Nutrition + Mind + Body. Now it’s time for the Anticancer Nutrition chat. That’s our next +1. For today: Whether you’re actively fighting cancer or just committed to preventing it, let’s imagine pulling the levers to cut off cancer’s supply lines.
Elizabeth Blackburn won a Nobel Prize for her research on telomerase — the enzyme that nourishes our telomeres. She wrote a book called The Telomere Effect with another world-class researcher named Elissa Epel in which they tell us just how powerful our telomeres are. Today, we’re going to meet our telomeres. But first, a quick pronunciation lesson: I always thought “telomeres” was pronounced “tell-o-meres” but, apparently, it’s pronounced “tee-lo-meres.” Alright. With that out of our way, here’s what we need to know: The length of your telomeres is one of the most important indicators of your overall health and/or lack thereof. Here’s how to think about them. You know those little caps at the end of your shoelaces? Those plastic little guys that keep your laces all neat and tidy? They’re called “aglets.” Once they go, your shoelaces are pretty much done, eh? Well, that’s almost exactly how your telomeres work. Our chromosomes are the shoelaces and our telomeres are the aglets. Here’s another way to think about it: Imagine an American football team. The quarterback needs a strong offensive line to do his job. If the offensive line is weak and easily run over, he’s going to get sacked. Again, that’s how your telomeres work. Our chromosomes are our quarterbacks. Our telomeres are the offensive linemen. Telomeres sit at the end of our chromosomes and keep them all neat and tidy — protecting them so they can do their job of replicating themselves to keep us nice and healthy. Once your telomeres go, your chromosomes are going to have a really hard time replicating which means you’re going to have a really hard time staying healthy. This is why the length of our telomeres is such a powerful predictor of when we will exit the “Healthspan” of our lives and enter the “Diseasespan.” The good news? We can lengthen and strengthen our telomeres. How? Well, that’s pretty much what we do together every day with these +1s. We’ll explore their #1 tip in the next +1. For now, take a nice, deep breath and thank your telomeres for all they do behind the scenes. And, know that breathing deeply is actually one of the quickest ways to drop out of super-busy fight-or-flight mode and give your telomeres some rest and lengthening-love Know this as well: Their #1 nutrition tip is to reduce / eliminate the “highly processed, sugary foods and sweetened drinks. (We’re looking at you, packaged cakes, candies, cookies, and sodas.).” But only if you want to keep your telomeres nice and long and strong and extend your Healthspan.
In our last +1, we took a quick look at Warren Buffett’s three-step goal setting process and then chatted about how it fits into our Big 3: Energy + Family + Service. First, pop quiz: Did you do that exercise? If not, all good but… If we want to move from theory to practice and from merely consuming these ideas to actually deeply thinking about and LIVING these ideas, we’ve gotta do the work. The image that comes to mind for me is a stonecutter. Imagine a guy (or gal) banging away at a HUGE rock with a sledgehammer. He pounds and pounds and pounds at that rock with his sledgehammer again and again and again. And absolutely nothing happens. Just a big rock. And a sweaty sledgehammer guy. Then, apparently out of nowhere, on the next strike the rock splits. YAYUH!!! Now, if you happened to be walking by that guy right when he made the swing that cracked open the rock you might think that a) the guy was super strong and/or b) splitting rocks is easy. But… You missed all the tiring, potentially frustrating swings our sledgehammer guy made BEFORE he cracked the rock. It’s kinda like Jim Rohn’s combination lock. You might be ONE digit away from unlocking a level of clarity you thought was still super far away. Moral of the story: We’ve gotta show up and hit the rock. Every day. If we want to make sure our ladder is leaning up against the right wall and that we’re living a life of deep, authentic purpose and meaning, we NEED to show up and do the work. We’ve gotta turn off the entertainment at night so our brains can relax and we can get a good night of sleep. Then wake up early, feeling energized as we choose to go Deep into Creative work before we splash around in the Shallow side of the Reactive pool of life. Over. And over. And over again. Any one session might not yield epiphanies but we’re “accreting,” as Cal Newport would say, just a little more value in each Deep Work session. Knowing that, like the rock splitter, if we continue showing up and doing the work SOMETHING good will happen. So… Today’s +1. How can you take another swing at that rock today? Enjoy it. I can hear the rock splitting from here.
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Ready to conquer anxiety? Our first step is to embrace the fact that it happens and then we’ll quit making it worse as we choose a target (calm confidence!), get our fundies in order, remember to breathe (deeply + properly), turn the serenity key in our brains, do some Olympic-style focus training so we see challenges not threats as we exit our mind and enter the moment. We’ll also look at how to create calm confidence in 5 steps and how to tap into infinite calm confidence. Tame those gremlins and rock it!
Rick Snyder was the founder of research into the science of hope. And, he was one of the pioneers of the positive psychology movement. In fact, he literally wrote the textbook on “Positive Psychology.” He documented just how important hope is to our overall well-being and tells us that there are three primary components to having high hope: Goals + Willpower + Waypower. It all starts with a Goal. Happy people have projects. And, happy, hopeful people have GOALS! They have a future they’re excited about. Then we have what Rick calls “Willpower.” In this context, Rick tells us that Willpower is that spark of determination that says, “We’ve got this!!” It needs to be there in the beginning AND it needs be there after you get knocked down a few times. (Rick’s protege Shane Lopez described this as “Agency” — a sense of personal power that we have what it takes to make our dreams a reality.) Then we have what Rick calls “Waypower.” Waypower is all about mapping out the plans for how you will attain your goal along with the wisdom to know that your first plan probably won’t work out perfectly — requiring you to continue optimizing your strategy while pursuing different routes to your goal. (Shane Lopez called this “Pathways.”) So, again: Goals + Willpower + Waypower. To be high hope, we need to have all three of those Optimized. It’s obviously not enough to have Goals without Willpower or Waypower. But it’s also not enough to have Goals and Willpower but not have the Waypower. You could be really fired up and really believe you can crush it but… If you’re not also doing the planning to find all the routes to your goal, your hope will take a hit. Today’s +1. Let’s do a quick check in on the status of your hope. Do you have specific, meaningful, and challenging yet doable Goals? Do you have a spark of determination or “Willpower” that gives you the confidence that you can achieve your Goals and helps you move through the inevitable obstacles you’ll face along the way? And, do you have a plan on how you can achieve your Goals (and a willingness to constantly tweak that plan as you get feedback from the world) via a strong sense of “Waypower”? Once more: Goals + Willpower + Waypower. Where are you strong? What needs work? Here’s to cultivating your resilient, grounded, yet high hope day in and day out — especially (!) when you don’t feel like it. P.S. Remember: If your basic fundamentals aren’t Optimized there’s no way you’ll be able to get yourself into that high-hope state consistently. Eating, moving, and sleeping well? That’s THE best way to boost your hope. Period.
In No Mud, No Lotus, Thich Nhat Hanh tells us that when he was a young monk he thought the Buddha never suffered. Then, as he matured, he realized that OF COURSE the Buddha suffered. He had a body so he had to at least occasionally get a headache or a stomachache. And, when a friend died, he’d feel sad. He was a human being. Therefore, he experienced pain and suffering. Of course, he was also the enlightened Buddha so he was very good at regaining his equanimity. Which leads to another interesting discussion. If the Buddha was enlightened, Thich Nhat Hanh asks, then why did he still meditate after attaining his enlightenment? Hmmm… Fascinating question, eh? Answer: Because the Buddha’s happiness and equanimity was, like EVERYTHING else in the world, IMPERMANENT. The Buddha needed to tend to his own well-being. Every day. Even after his enlightenment. Now, if the Buddha needed to keep on doing his fundies after he attained his enlightenment, I’m pretty sure that means we do as well. (Hah.) So… Today’s +1. How’re your fundies? Want to maintain your high levels of awesome? Continue crushing your fundamentals — long after you think you “need” to. P.S. I’m reminded of peak performance and mental toughness trainers Lanny and Troy Bassham. They tell us that average performers practice something until they get it right. Elite performers? They practice until they can’t get it wrong. (That’s a really cool distinction.) The jumbo, uber-elite? They never stop practicing.
Continuing our Harry Potter theme, let’s explore how to deal with dementors in your life. Recall that dementors are big, ugly, wraith-like creatures that feed on and suck all the happiness out of you. And, if they’re feeling really feisty, they’ll give you a kiss that sucks your soul right out of you. (Yikes!) Also recall that there’s a special way to deal with these foul creatures. It’s called the Patronus Charm. Here’s how Professor Lupin describes it to Harry in The Prisoner of Azkaban: “The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the dementor feeds upon — hope, happiness, the desire to survive — but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the dementors can’t hurt it. But I must warn you, Harry, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it.” Harry wonders what the Patronus looks like and Lupin tells him that “each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it.” How do you conjure it? Well, Lupin tells us: “With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory.” So… Dementors feed on our happiness. And, if we allow them to, they will suck our very souls out of us. Sounds a lot like depression, eh? Indeed it does. Fighting dementors requires magic that even many qualified wizards have difficulty with. Alas, so it is with depression. The charm? We must concentrate WITH ALL OUR MIGHT on a single, very happy memory. Yep. That does the trick with depression as well. We know that the mind can’t simultaneously hold both the depressed and happy thoughts. But we must be fierce in our resolve and concentrate WITH ALL OUR MIGHT if we want to win the battle when the dementors glide into our daily lives. Eating, moving and sleeping well help, too. So does training your ability to focus WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT via a meditation practice. Oh. And deep breathing helps as well — flips the old switch from the fight-or-flight response (which dementors love) to a relaxation response (which they don’t like so much). Back to Harry. The specific incantation we powerfully speak as we focus on that happy memory? “EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!” Which reveals another key facet to fighting the dementors: We must expect that our efforts will work. All that leads to a wonderful creature flowing out of your wand and standing between you and the dementor. As Lupin says, it’s different for each of us. For Harry it was a stag. For Hermione it was an otter. What’s yours? (Mine’s a lion.) Today’s +1. Got any dementors gliding around in your life? Focus WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT on what’s awesome in your life. KNOW that you can protect yourself from them. “EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!” P.S. If you have a bad encounter with a dementor, Rowling tells us that the best way to recover is to eat some chocolate. (Hah! Science agrees that chocolate does boost our mood but let’s just make sure we limit it to 1 ounce per day and make sure it’s 80%+ dark chocolate. Too much sugar DOES NOT help the cause.) P.P.S. Remember the epic stag Harry created to fight off the 100+ dementors near the end of The Prisoner of Azkaban? Hermione couldn’t believe he could do that. Even HARRY couldn’t believe it. But… Because of Hermione’s handy dandy time turner, Harry had actually ALREADY SEEN himself do it. As he said in disbelief: “I knew I could do it this time, because I’d already done it ... Does that make sense?” Which reveals yet another scientifically-proven piece of wisdom. Recalling prior success is one of the fastest ways to boost your self-efficacy in the moment. So… Let’s add that to the mix. Focus WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT on what’s awesome in your life. KNOW that you can protect yourself from them. Recall a time in the past when you successfully faced down your biggest challenges and give me a big ol’ “EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!” Nicely done! What a beatiful Patronus!
In No Mud, No Lotus, Thich Nhat Hanh tells us that suffering is a part of life. You can’t create a beautiful lotus flower without some stinky mud. As he says, lotuses don’t grow in marble. And… You can’t create a happy, flourishing life without some suffering. That’s just how it is. We need to embrace that reality. In fact, Thay (as he’s known to his students) tells us that a big part of happiness is learning how to “suffer well.” We want to quit making our suffering worse than it needs to be. To bring the point home, the Buddha shared a story about two arrows. The first arrow strikes you and it hurts. But, if a second arrow hits you in the exact same spot, the pain won’t just double, it’ll go up TEN fold. (Ouch!) But, here’s the deal. WE are the ones shooting ourselves with that second arrow. How? By complaining about it, wishing it didn’t happen, moping around, etc. In Self-Compassion, Kristin Neff tells us the same thing in a slightly different way. She tells us that pain is inevitable in life but that suffering is a function of how much we resist that pain. She shares an equation: Suffering = Pain x Resistance. Pain happiness. Our suffering is a function of how much we resist it. Shoot ourselves with that second arrow and suffering goes up exponentially. So, let’s not do that. Today’s +1. Got any challenges in your life right now? Are you shooting yourself with a second arrow? If so, stop. Let’s accept that suffering is a part of life and remember: No mud, no lotus.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Art of Connection" by Michael Gelb. Hope you enjoy!
Michael Gelb is one of the world’s leading creativity teachers. He’s also a qi gong and aikido master who wrote one of my favorite books: “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci.” In this book, he teaches us the art of creating connection. Big Ideas we explore include how to optimize our ability to connect (practice with the little moments!), The Pygmalion Effect (aka the self-fulfilling prophecy), the importance of centering for conflict resolution, and how our addiction to digital devices (ADD) is leading to attention deficit disorder (ADD) which is leading to troubles in connecting and what to do about it.
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In our last +1, we explored the analytics of American farting behaviors and compared that to the even more prolific Facebook-liking behaviors. (Laughing.) Today, we’re going to explore the subject of farts a little more. A particular, shall we say, spicy variety of farts. Spiritual farts. Yes, spiritual farts. What are spiritual farts, you ask?
This book started out as a blog post by Carolyn Gregoire based on Scott Barry Kaufman’s work that went viral: 18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently. Scott is one of the world’s leading creativity researchers. Carolyn is a senior writer at the Huffington Post. Together, they wrote a great little book on the mysteries of the creative mind. Big Ideas we explore include: the fact that creativity is a messy business (embrace complexity!), the power of walking for daydreaming (all the cool philosophers do it!), creating a nice home for your genius to visit (she’s got the magic!), creating again and again (and again), unitask rather than multitask (unless you want to atrophy the best part of your brain), and STAMP your life with your own personality (but only if you want to be great … and happy!).
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Happiness Track" by Emma Seppälä. Hope you enjoy!
Emma Seppälä is the science director of Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. She also has a popular blog called Fulfillment Daily. In this great little book, she walks us through the latest scientific research on everything from resilience, willpower and compassion to positive stress, creativity, and mindfulness. Big Ideas we explore include how to find fulfillment (hint: it’s in this moment—right now!), how to skillfully surf stress waves, the most powerful lever to optimize your mind (hint: your breath), how to succeed in failure Jack Ma style, and the science of compassion.
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Epictetus told us that we don’t always get to pick the position we have in life. Our job is to make sure we play that role well. Specifically, he said: “Remember that thou art an actor in a play of such a kind as the teacher (author) may choose; if short, of a short one; if long, of a long one: if he wishes you to act the part of a poor man, see that you act the part naturally; if the part of a lame man, of a magistrate, of a private person, (do the same). For this is your duty, to act well the part that is given to you; but to select the part, belongs to another.” James Stockdale personified this wisdom when he found himself in a prisoner of war camp as the clandestine, commanding officer of what became hundreds of soldiers. He didn’t choose that role. But he did choose to play that given part as well as he possibly could. Viktor Frankl echoed this wisdom. In the midst of his own experience in the horrors of a concentration camp, he chose to play his role well and told us: “The meaning of our existence is not invented by ourselves, but rather detected." Thankfully, most of us will never experience those types of extremes. Yet, we may perceive ourselves to be “stuck” in a life that’s not entirely our choosing or with responsibilities we may sometimes wish we didn’t have. That’s a very good time to bring this wisdom to mind. And choose to act well the given part. So… Today’s +1. What part have you been asked to play by the ultimate director of life? Are you playing it well? What’s one little way you can boost your performance today? P.S. Martin Luther King, Jr. has some wisdom on the subject as well. He says: “Be an artist at whatever you do. Even if you are a street sweeper, be the Picasso of street sweepers!”
I created 25 classes before we got to money/wealth/etc. That was deliberate. (Virtue for the win!) And… It was fun to create this class and share my thoughts on how to create true wealth. First idea? We’ve gotta remember that the Ultimate Currency/the reason we do anything is to be Happy. Therefore, we want to run our pursuit of material abundance through that lens. Then we talk about how to become psychologically wealthy (billionaires, baby!) (and look at how to Optimize your balance sheet), redefine economics from a spiritual plane and then… We talk about how to make and enjoy some more money. The theme? Wealth thru Profound Service. We talk about investing in the best stock on the market: You, Inc. And, we integrate Cal Newport’s Passion + Craftsman mindsets with what I call a “Servant” mindset for a new hedgehog-like concept plus we look at Ray Dalio’s 5 Steps to Getting What You Want in Life model—which is super powerful, kinda like WOOP by an uber-practical genius. Plus some other goodness I hope you enjoy!
Dave Asprey is a fascinating guy. He’s a professional bio-hacking machine whose publicly-stated goal is to live to 180. We covered his last book called The Bulletproof Diet and our kitchen’s pantry is filled with a bunch of his Bulletproof products. In this book, he unveils his best bio-hacks for, as the sub-title suggests, “activating untapped brain energy to work smarter and think faster.” Big Ideas we explore: Your brain on energy, kryptonite dust (what’re yours?), mitochondria (one QUADRILLION!), EZ water (how to drop into that spot between a gas and a liquid), and junk light.
In our last +1 we talked about Isaac Newton and his First Law of Motion. Recall the basics: An object at rest will stay at rest. An object in motion will stay in motion. Today I’d like to look at the fine print of that Law. Let’s dust it off and read the whole thing again. unfurls parchment “An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by some outside force.” Oh! We missed the last part in our last +1. “… an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by some outside force.” So, for example, if I start doing some Deep Living (whether that’s Working or Connecting), I’ll keep on doing some Deep Living UNLESS I’m “acted upon by some outside force.” What outside force could possibly act upon me? Hmmm… Maybe a push notification? Or an email alert? Or simply having your smartphone in sight? (Hah.) This is why, if we really want to take advantage of the power of Newton’s First Law, we need to put ourselves in a Deep Living bubble, remove all the potential “outside forces” that’ll kill our momentum, and go Deep! Today’s +1. Make Newton proud. Let’s create some distraction-free momentum.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The As If Principle" by Richard Wiseman. Hope you enjoy!
William James once said: “If you want a quality, act as if you already have it.” In this book, Richard Wiseman, Britain’s official professor in “the Public Understanding of Psychology” walks us through the astonishing array of research that proves what he calls the “As If Principle.” Big Ideas we explore include an exploration of the fact that feelings follow behavior, how to make yourself happy, the paradox of rewards, and how to create a new you.
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Trying Not to Try" by Edward Slingerland. Hope you enjoy!
Edward Slingerland is one of the world’s leading experts on both ancient Chinese thought AND modern cognitive science. This book is a melding of those two realms. It’s a truly fascinating read. I read it in a day and felt like I was spending the day hanging out with a brilliant thinker—getting privileged access to twenty years of deep thinking. If you’re into ancient wisdom and modern science I think you’ll love the book as much as I did. Big Ideas we explore include defining wu-wei + de (one of the coolest words/concepts ever), what Confucius + Lao Tzu + Mencius + Chuang Tzu have to say about wu-wei, and the spontaneity of mirrors.
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In our last +1, we had fun hanging out with your Genius. Recall: EVERYONE in ancient Roman times was said to have their own guiding spirit, or “genius” that helped them rock it. That reminds me of Sir Ken Robinson. In The Element, he tells us that our whole concept of “intelligence” is backward. Rather than ask, “How intelligent are you?” we SHOULD be asking “HOW are you intelligent?” We all have our own Geniuses. And… We all have our own different kinds of Intelligence. So… How are you intelligent? As we get clarity on that, Sir Ken tells us that we all have the potential to connect to what he calls “the Element.” It’s that force within us that allows us to live with deeper meaning and mojo and joy. The Element has two parts: Passion + Aptitude. Two questions will help us +1 our clarity: 1. What do you LOVE to do? As in, you’d do this in your free time or even pay to do it? This is your passion.
- What are you naturally good at? What can you do relatively easily that most people can’t do at all? This is your aptitude.
Passion + Aptitude = The Element. Sir Ken tells us the world NEEDS us to discover our Element. I agree. Now more than ever. Let’s do the work to discover our Element and then, of course, have the courage to live it!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "Breathe" by Dr. Belisa Vranich. Hope you enjoy!
Breathing. It’s obviously important. And... I’m beginning to realize just how important it is. In fact, breathing properly is quickly becoming my #1 fundamental. Belisa Vranich is a clinical psychologist and one of the world’s leading experts on how to breathe right. In this Note, we take a quick peek at why breathing is so important, learn how to measure your Vital Lung Capacity, observe the difference between Clark Kent and Superman and get to work on training the most important and underappreciated muscle in your body (hint: your diaphragm).
Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning NY Times journalist (and Harvard MBA) who wrote the best-selling book The Power of Habit in which he walked us through the science of building better habits. In this book, he walks us through the science of being productive so we can be smarter, faster and better at everything we do. It’s a great book packed with fascinating stories and practical applications. Big Ideas we explore include the 2 keys to motivation, how to build your focus, the best way to set goals (think: Stretch + SMART), why disfluency helps learning and how productivity is all about choices.
Martin Seligman is basically the Godfather of the Positive Psychology movement. He’s written a number of seminal books on the science of well-being. When Seligman first kicked off the Positive Psychology party, he wrote a book called Authentic Happiness. A decade later, he updated his thinking with a book called Flourish. Short story: A good life isn’t just about maintaining a positive emotional state represented by that big yellow smiley face. A good life is about moving toward your highest potential — flourishing — and that DOESN’T always feel like sunshine and rainbows. (Of course, the ancient Greeks made a similar distinction with their two different types of "happiness”: hedonia and eudaimonia. We’ll save that for another discussion.) So, Seligman tells us there are five key facets to the science of flourishing. He captures them in a handy-dandy acronym: PERMA. Here’s a quick look: P is for Positive Emotion. Although experiencing a permanent, never-ending positive state isn’t necessary (or possible), having a consistent level of positive emotional affect is a key aspect of well-being. So, smile! Enjoy your life. E is for Engagement. Want to feel great as you flourish? ENGAGE with your life. Create more and more moments of flow as you stretch toward goals that matter and give your best self to the moment. (Note: Want to feel really good? Engage in your core VIRTUES. The whole science of well-being is grounded on the universal virtues of all major religious and philosophical traditions.) R is for Relationships. Science is unequivocal: Healthy relationships are a core component to a healthy, flourishing life. Invest your time here. Give someone a hug today and tell them how much they mean to you. M is for Meaning. We need to have a connection to a deep sense of purpose in our lives. What deeply inspires you? Bring that to mind each day and make your life an expression of those values. A is for Achievement. Want to flourish? Then we’ve gotta stretch ourselves with goals that challenge us and experience the joy of achievement. What’s firing you up these days? Are you creating micro wins and celebrating the process? PERMA. Positive Emotion. Engagement. Relationships. Meaning. Achievement. Where are you strong? Celebrate! And what can use a little work? +1! Here’s to flourishing!
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Ultra Mindset" by Travis Macy with John Hanc. Hope you enjoy!
Travis Macy is best known as the record-setting champion of Leadman—“a sort of six-week Grand Prix of Ultra Endurance” that consists of a jaw-dropping number of challenges. This book is a fun look at the eight principles that make up the Ultra Mindset Travis uses to do extraordinary things. Big Ideas we explore include: Your new mantra, what to do when you don’t feel like it, thinking about thinking, making the choice to give up choice, and never quitting… except when you should quit (w/a great litmus test for when you should/shouldn’t quit).
Get book here: https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Mindset-... Connect: http://www.travismacy.com/ + http://johnhanc.com/
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One of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is “First Things First.” He also wrote a whole book by the same name. But you know where he got that phrase? Peter Drucker. It was Drucker who said “Put first things first.” And you know what he said we should do with “second things.” He said we should ignore them. Specifically, he said, “First things first — and second things not at all.” (He also said, “If there is one ‘secret’ of effectiveness, it is concentration. Effective executives do first things first and they do one thing at a time.”) Fact is, in any given moment there is only ONE most important thing to do. And, that’s what the best among us do. Over and over and over and over and over again. Of course, this doesn’t just apply to executives. How about one of the greatest athletes of all time, Michael Phelps. Phelps is the most decorated Olympian in history. Over the span of five Olympics (which, in itself, is an epic achievement), he won 28 medals — 23 of them gold. (Wow.) In his great book No Limits, he tells us about one of the secrets to his success he learned from his coach Bob Bowman. It’s a very simple question that happens to form a powerful word: What’s important now? W.I.N. What’s important now? Micro WIN. How about now? Micro WIN. And now? Micro WIN. Over and over and over and over again. He created little micro wins all day every day during his training and before his races. And, well, those micro wins added up to a TON of Big Wins. So… How about that as a guiding question for you today? What’s important now? To be clear: This doesn’t mean working all the time or obsessively grinding in any aspect of our lives. It means seeing the big picture and knowing when the most important thing is NOT working but, rather, turning off your technology so you can connect with your family or your higher self. That’s TRUE Winning. Remember: First things first. Second things? Not at all.
Eric Barker is the creator of the blog Barking Up the Wrong Tree, which “presents science-based answers and expert insight on how to be awesome at life.” This is a REALLY engaging, well-written, compelling book. Eric takes us on a fun adventure through the science of what really works. And, as the sub-title suggests: How most of what you think works, is either a LOT more nuanced than you may have been led to believe or is just plain wrong. Big Ideas we explore include why valedictorians don’t typically top the success charts, how to get more willpower, why managing your energy is so key, the power of mentors (and how to get one), and the #1 thing to remember for success.
As all parents know, one of the most amazing things about having kids is watching them hit new milestones—when, one day, they can do what was impossible just the day before. This recently happened in the Johnson house. Our little baby Eleanor went from not being able to crawl to being able to cruise all over the place in what appeared to be the span of 24 hours. Of course, that’s life changing not just for her but for mom and dad as well. (Hah!) As a father who happens to be a lover of wisdom, I couldn’t help but notice that this huge shift in ability that seemed to be so sudden was arrived at in an incredibly incremental way. Of course, Eleanor has been slowly developing all the requisite strength and skills to be able to crawl and then… BAM! It’s on. But, it’s fascinating to reflect on the fact that each of the preceding micro-gains didn’t make it obvious that something so big was in the works. And, of course, it’s the same thing with us. We may not see any “big” results in our lives as we work hard to implement these little +1s. But guess what? One day a switch will flip and you’ll be able to easily do what was, up until that point, impossible. So, here’s to the +1s that lead to the +10,000s. And, here’s to making sure the house is officially child-proof. We’ve got a baby on the loose!
In our last +1, Navy SEALs Jocko Willink and Leif Babin told us that leadership is all about EXTREME Ownership. No excuses. No blaming. Ever. They tell us that, ultimately, there are no bad teams per se, only bad leaders. To bring the point home, they tell us a story about guys in boats. Imagine Navy SEAL training. You’re already exhausted from weeks of basic training. Now it’s time for Hell Week. One of the most brutal aspects of the training is when the aspiring SEALs are split into “boat crews”—each with seven guys. Each team gets an old-school World War II-era inflatable boat that weighs 200 pounds. They need to carry this boat up and over 20-foot-high sand berms and run with it for miles. Then they get to paddle it out to the ocean, dump it over so everyone’s out and freezing wet and then paddle it back in. And... They’re always competing with everyone else. If you lose, you have to go through extra, bonus brutal stuff while the winners get to take the next race off. (The instructors constantly remind everyone: “It pays to be a winner!”) So, with that in mind, imagine Boat Crew II. These guys win every single race. They’re simply crushing it. And, although they’re physically hammered, they’re actually smiling throughout the process. Then we have Boat Crew VI. These guys are LOSING every single race. To put it mildly, they are simply NOT crushing it. And, as you can imagine, they’re not too happy about it—cursing and blaming one another for all their problems. So… Each crew has a leader. Boat Crew VI’s leader is convinced that they’re losing because his team sucks. He’s certain that Boat Crew II is simply made up of the best guys and his team isn’t. Now, our wise instructor knows that there’s no such thing as a bad team, just a bad leader. So, he devises a little experiment. He commands the leaders to swap teams. The leader from the always-winning Boat Crew II would now switch places with the leader from the always-losing Boat Crew VI. What happens? Well, the worst boat crew suddenly became the best. They went from losing nearly every race to winning nearly every race. As Jocko and Leif remind us: There are NO bad teams. Only bad leaders. Today’s +1. Let’s shine the spotlight on you. Whether it’s at home or at work, do you ever think you’re on a “bad” team? Guess what… You’re the problem. (Hah. Seriously.) Quit blaming and criticizing and start taking EXTREME OWNERSHIP for the situation. Find solutions. Make it better. Lead. Win.
In our last +1, we talked about the Cal Newport-inspired “Shut-down complete!” First, quick check in: You win that game? Get this: Seneca was talking about the same thing 2,000 years ago. As you may know, Seneca was born around the time Jesus was born. He was one of history’s leading Stoic philosophers. In addition to being one of the wealthiest people of Rome and a statesman plus advisor to emperors, he was also a playwright and is considered the creator of the essay. In one of his great books called On the Shortness of Life, Seneca talks about the importance of giving our minds time to rest. Specifically, he says: “Our minds must relax: they will rise better and keener after a rest. Just as you must not force fertile farmland, as uninterrupted productivity will soon exhaust it, so constant effort will sap our mental vigour, while a short period of rest and relaxation will restore our powers. Unremitting effort leads to a kind of mental dullness and lethargy.” He tells us that back in the good ol’ days of the Roman senate, they couldn’t introduce anything important after the tenth hour. Checking our math, we’ll note that the sixth hour was for rest (and, as we discussed, is the origin of “siesta”). That was at noon. So, our 10th hour? That was 4pm. The ancient Roman senate didn’t allow anything new to be introduced that would tax their brains after 4pm. If that policy was good enough for the Roman senate, I say it’s good enough for our lives! (Hah.) Again, we’ve gotta give our minds time to rest. End your days at a reasonable time. Turn your brain off. Restore your power. Rise better and keener after a solid rest!
Mark Twain tells us that twenty years from now we will be more disappointed by the things we didn't do than by the things we did do. So, he says, we should throw off the bowlines and sail away from the safe harbor—catching the trade winds in our sails. Get this: Science agrees. In The Myths of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky walks us through the fact that we are surprisingly resilient in the face of adversity. And, we consistently overestimate how bad we’ll feel in the future if something goes wrong. This is one of her “myths” of happiness. In fact, this is such a common phenomenon that scientists actually have a name for it. They say we have poor “affective forecasting” abilities. So, back to our quote to go for it. If you go for it and fail, odds are you’ll bounce back faster than you think. But… If you don’t go for it, you run the risk of torturing yourself with an infinite number of scenarios where it could have worked out. Enter: Regret. So… Do you have any dreams that you need to pursue? Here’s to sailing away from the safe harbors—knowing we have what it takes to bounce back from the inevitable storms (and occasional shipwrecks)! Twenty years from now, let’s look back with a smile at all the things we had the courage to do.
Once upon a time, no British cyclist had ever won the Tour de France. Over 100 years of trying, and, precisely, zero wins.
Then a guy named Sir David Brailsford stepped in and created Team Sky. He said that a British cyclist would win the Tour within five years. People thought he was crazy.
Until they won it in two years.
Then, for good measure, they won four of the next five races as well.
How’d he do it?
Marginal gains.
He looked for all the tiny little places where he could Optimize.
Things like making sure the riders uniforms were always washed in the same skin-friendly detergent for a little more comfort.
Things like making sure the riders always slept on the same exact mattresses every night to give them the best shot at a good night of sleep.
Things like making sure the hotel rooms were always properly vacuumed to reduce potential infections.
TINY little things.
Any one gain wouldn’t do a whole lot, of course.
But, as we know, when you aggregate and compound enough of those tiny little incremental optimizations MAGIC happens.
In this case, Tour de France victories.
As Brailsford puts it (via Matthew Syed in Black Box Thinking): “I realized early on that having a grand strategy was futile on its own. You also have to look at the smaller level, figure out what is working and what isn’t. Each step may be small, but the aggregation can be huge.”
Guess what?
The same rules apply to our lives. A grand strategy, although important, is futile on its own. We need to go granular and figure out what’s working and what isn’t.
So… Today’s +1.
What’s working for you? Do more of it.
What’s NOT working for you? Do less of it.
Specifically: Do you have a better day when you begin your day in a certain way? Do you have more energy when you eat less of x and more of y? Do you feel better when you exercise or go to bed by a certain time? What other data can you collect?
TEST!!! Get feedback. Look honestly at what’s working and at what’s not and dial it in.
FIND THE MARGINAL GAINS.
Not complicated. Easy to overlook. But super powerful.
Echo: When we aggregate and compound marginal gains over an extended period of time we get EXTRAORDINARY gains.
In cycling, that’s what separates you from the pack and leads to Tour de France victories.
In life, that’s what separates us from our old selves so we can actualize our potential.
Here’s to marginal gains!
+1. +1. +1.
Continuing our theme of sharpening our saw and resting before we get tired, let’s figure out how to avoid burnout. Tal Ben-Shahar wrote a great book on how to quit being a perfectionist. He tells us that the root cause of fatigue, anxiety, depression and burnout in the corporate world “is not hard work; the problem is insufficient recovery.” Think about that for a moment. The problem isn’t that we WORK too hard per se. It’s that we don’t RECOVER enough. That’s a really powerful distinction. Which, of course, begs the question: Are YOU recovering enough? Tal recommends we think about recovery on three levels: Micro + Mid + Macro. Micro-level recoveries include things like taking a 15-minute break every 60 to 90 minutes. Mid-level recoveries include things like making sure you have a shut-down complete that helps you get 7-9 hours of sleep every night and that you take at least a day off every week. Macro-level breaks include taking 2-4 weeks off every year. Let’s do a quick inventory. How are we doing? Micro? Mid? Macro? Personally, I’m pretty good at the Micro- and Mid-level breaks. And, I’m pretty terrible at the Macro-level. (Hah. Needs work!) How about you? Where are you rocking it? Celebrate that. And, where can you Optimize just a little more? Get on that. Remember: It’s not that we work too hard. It’s that we don’t recover enough! Here’s to having fun going hard and an equal amount of fun recovering deeply.
We’re officially on a roll with the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. We’ve covered Habit #1: Be Proactive and Habit #2: Begin with the End in Mind. Today? Habit #3: Put First Things First. Here’s the short story: Covey tells us that some things matter and other things don’t. Highly Effective People know the difference and they “Put First Things First.” As Goethe said: “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.” Covey shares a handy-dandy four-quadrant model to help us get clarity on what’s really important. He organizes activities by Urgency and Importance. So, something can be Important or not and Urgent or not. In Quadrant I we have things that are both “Urgent and Important.” These are fire drill-like activities. Unfortunately, way too many activities fall into this category. We need to do a better job of reducing the amount of stuff that shows up here or we’ll be constantly stressed and burned out. In Quadrant II we have things that are NOT Urgent but ARE Important. This is our magic bucket. It’s where our real impact occurs. Unfortunately, most people are spending all their time reacting to stuff all day every day. They don't spend enough proactive time doing what really matters. In Quadrant III we have Urgent but Not Important stuff. These are really just interruptions. We want to identify and reduce. In Quadrant IV we have Not Urgent and Not Important stuff. This is pure time-wasting stuff. Surfing the Internet, checking your phone for notifications every 5 seconds. Spend enough time here and you’ll get fired. So… If we want to “Put First Things First” what do we need to do? Very simple (but not easy): We need to prioritize the Quadrant II activities. How? Well, here’s one easy way: Go back to Habit #1 of being proactive and go back to +1 #201 of being Creative BEFORE you’re Reactive. You simply CAN’T check your email (or news feeds or social media notifications) first thing in the morning and expect to be as Effective as you’d like. P E R I O D. Do you? Today’s question: What little thing can you do to put first things first today? Get on that, +1 style!
When Peyton Manning was released from the Indianapolis Colts after fourteen seasons, a number of teams recruited him. He picked the Denver Broncos. Now, when he decided to go with the Broncos, he didn’t say to himself, “I hope this works out alright.” He decided to PROVE HIMSELF RIGHT. There’s an epically huge difference between those two perspectives. In one, you kinda-sorta hedge and never really go all in. It’s a good way to protect yourself from the risk of being wrong but it’s also a really good way to be mediocre. When you make a real decision, you, by definition, cut off all the other options and go ALL IN. Then you’re not interested in hedging. You’re interested in winning. So, you go to work, HUSTLING to make sure you prove yourself right. Today’s +1. Quick check in: What’s important to you right now? Like super important. If you could wave a wand and make THIS wildly important thing happen, what would it be? Got it? You willing to really dream? Fantastic. Now, are you hedging or are you going all in antifragile style? Go prove yourself right.
Legend has it that when Michelangelo stepped up to a block of marble, he could see the finished statue in his mind’s eye.
His job was simple: Get rid of what was in the way.
That’s a pretty powerful image. Let’s apply it to our lives.
Step back from your current life for a moment. Fast-forward 5-10 years. Look within the block of marble that is you and your potential.
SEE the best version of you sitting within that block of marble.
Can you see it? You at your best.
Now…
What’s in the way of you expressing that heroic version of you more and more consistently?
What little habits do we need to chip away at to reveal the most beautiful version of you hidden within that marble?
And, what’s the one little habit we’re going to let go of today to reveal just a little more of the awesome?
Fantastic. Here’s a chisel. Let’s do this!
How? +1. +1. +1.
William Shakespeare once told us (via Polonius in Hamlet): “This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
For some reason, as a 15-year old in high school, I decided THAT would be the very first quote I ever wrote down and committed to memory.
I can still vaguely see my handwriting on a little index card in my mind’s eye. I laugh with joy as I think of that awesome younger version of me thinking that was a quote worthy of my attention.
“This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
To thine own self be true…
Are you?
Emerson echoed this wisdom centuries later when he said: “Trust thyself. Every heart vibrates to that iron string!”
Trust thyself…
Do you?
Today’s +1. Let’s live the wise words of our dear friends Will and Ralph just a little more today.
The Plant Paradox. In a nutshell: The plants that nourish us can also hurt us. Dr. Steven Gundry is a renowned cardiologist and heart surgeon. He’s a former professor at Loma Linda University and has authored 300+ peer-reviewed articles on using diet and supplements to eliminate a bunch of diseases. And, to put it in perspective: He’s Tony Robbins’s doctor. Big Ideas we explore include Rule #1 of nutrition (and life) (hint: STOP eating/doing stuff that doesn’t work for you), the little edible enemies that are taking you down, the vagus nerve and it’s communication from your gut to your brain, how fruit might as well be candy and 90% new you in 90 days.
Want this year to be the greatest year of your life? Here's how to go about making that happen. We’ll start with a quick inventory of what’s awesome. And, what needs work. Then we’ll move on to imagine THE (!) best version of you in 10 years and 25+ years (eulogy you!) while reflecting on how to make the prior best version of you your new baseline. Then… It’s all about being that version of you NOW. We’ll revisit the fundies and your Big 3 while creating Masterpiece Days, avoiding the pickles and kryptonite dust, WOOPing everything and playing the game that is our lives as well as we can.
Pierre Hadot was one of the most influential historians of ancient philosophy. In this book, he gives us an incredible look at Marcus Aurelius and his classic Meditations. You can feel Hadot’s incredible intellectual rigor and equally incredible passion for engaged philosophy. It’s inspiring. Big Ideas we explore include spiritual exercises, your inner citadel, your daimōn, amor fate, turning obstacles upside down and carpe areté.
Got problems with your soul? These days, you’d see a psychotherapist. But, back in the day, it was the philosopher who’d help you optimize—they were the preferred physician of the soul. This book is about the philosophical roots of modern psychotherapy. Specifically, it outlines the connection between cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Stoicism. Big Ideas we explore include being a warrior of the mind vs. a librarian of the mind, your highest human purpose, getting on good terms with your inner daimon, practicing the reserve clause and modeling your ideal sage.
In one of my coaching sessions with Phil Stutz he told me to write something down. (He often does that. 😃)
He said, “Draw a horizontal line. Above that line, put ‘Thinking Space.’ Below the line, put ‘Work Space.’”
Then he asked me, “You know what the ‘Thinking Space’ is good for?”
I didn’t have a very good answer.
He said, “NOTHING. Nothing happens in the Thinking Space.”
Hah.
Obviously, stepping back and thinking about things is a vital skill but the fact is, nothing actually HAPPENS until we take action, use the tools and get to work on and in our lives. (And, as we’ve discussed numerous times, most of us don’t actually THINK, we ruminate—which, we know, is not good. At all.(https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/rumination/)
Phil says we all tend to live in the Thinking Space. He says we need to force ourselves DOWN—out of (over)thinking and into the Work Space. How? Use one of our +1 tools, get to work, do ANYTHING but overthink (or indulge in our Kryptonites).
He tells us that it’s kinda like a beach ball in water. You press it down and what does it want to do? Pop back up.
Well, we want to get REALLY good at keeping that ball down.
Today’s +1: Do you (like me and most people on the planet), have a default tendency to spend too much time thinking about things and not enough time actually DOING things?
Remember the beach ball.
Push it down every time it pops back up.
Do you know how caffeine actually works?
Most of us think that caffeine gives us energy. But what it actually does is mask our fatigue—making us feel more energized than we actually are.
Here’s the quick story on what’s going on behind the scenes.
One of the by-products of being awake and having your neurons fire is a neurotransmitter called adenosine. As adenosine accumulates in your brain, you get tired—cueing you to go to sleep to recover.
Caffeine is structurally very similar to adenosine. So similar, in fact, that it can actually sneak into those little adenosine receptors and block the adenosine from doing its job of letting us know we’re tired.
And voila!
You feel energized.
Obviously, that’s pretty cool. (Hah.)
Today’s +1: Two things we want to consider as we optimize our caffeine intake.
- We want to know that when we use caffeine we’re “borrowing” energy. Therefore, we’d be wise to use caffeine strategically rather than habitually.
If we need caffeine to get going in the morning, what we really need is more rest, not more caffeine.
- We also want to know that caffeine has a half-life of 5-8 hours—which means that if you have a coffee with 200 mg of caffeine at 2 pm, half of that (or 100 mg) is still in your system as late as 10 pm. (That’s a lot!)
Bottom line: If you’re going to use caffeine, do it strategically and do it earlier in the day. Have a “caffeine curfew” to make sure you get a good night of sleep. Experts say no later than 2 pm and earlier if you’re really serious about allowing your body to recover.
So…
How’s YOUR caffeine intake?
How can you +1 it?
Darren Hardy is the publisher of SUCCESS magazine. His message is clear: We are living in the era of greatest opportunity in human history. There’s never been a better time to be an entrepreneur. NOW IS THE TIME to hop on the entrepreneur roller coaster. Big Ideas we explore include the importance of getting super freaky, practicing getting up after getting knocked down, setting the pace as an effective leader and remember it’s the fear of fear we fear.
In our last couple +1s, we’ve been hanging out in an fMRI scanning our brains and seeing some fascinating stuff.
Let’s stay in there for one more study on how your brain lights up in different ways depending on the food you eat.
First, a little background: David Ludwig is a professor and researcher at both Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health. He has both an M.D. and a Ph.D. and is one of the world’s leading researchers on the science of optimal nutrition. He’s overseen dozens of diet studies and authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles.
In his great book Always Hungry?, he tells us about some powerful research.
Get this: You can bring people into a lab and have them drink a milkshake that’s identical in every way but one. One shake has “fast-acting” carbs and the other has “slow-acting” carbs.
You have the people in the study drink their shakes and then, a few hours later, you scan their brains.
Guess what.
Well, before we even get into that fMRI machine, we see that the individuals who consumed the fast-acting carbs are reporting more hunger and their blood glucose levels have dropped more than the ones who consumed the slow-acting carbs.
And…
When we look at their brains, we see something amazing.
The people who consumed the “fast-acting” carbs have a little part of their brain lit up that’s called the “nucleus accumbens.” The nucleus accumbens is the primary reward center of our brains. It’s the part of our brains tied to addiction—addiction to stuff like alcohol, tobacco and cocaine. It’s what drives you to compulsively consume more of something.
And, it LIGHTS up when you eat fast-acting carbs!!!
So, right as your blood sugar drops and your hunger increases, you have your nucleus accumbens screaming at you to have more of the sugary stuff. Not a winning combination.
The solution?
First, make the connection between your food choices right now and your future self x minutes and hours from now as per our last +1.
And…
Reduce or eliminate those fast-acting carbs.
What qualifies as fast-acting carbs? Well, the obvious stuff like sugar (in all its forms!) needs to go. The less obvious stuff like bread and pastas also need to go.
Let’s cool off that nucleus accumbens as we Optimize our nutrition one bite at a time.
+1. +1. +1.
This is a quick-reading, smart, practical guide on how to, as the sub-title suggests, “Kill Email Anxiety, Avoid Distractions, and Get Real Work Done. My kind of book. I highly recommend it. Big Ideas we explore include rats + rewards (real vs. random), progress hacks to conquer the progress paradox, saying “YES!!!” en route to saying “No” plus the physics of emails and 21st century superpowers.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is one of the world’s leading researchers studying the science of well-being. He co-founded the Positive Psychology movement with Martin Seligman and has written landmark books on Creativity and Flow.
After surveying thousands of people, Mihaly was able to shine some light on that elusive state in which we’re at our best. In fact, he’s the one who coined the word “Flow.”
Here’s the basic idea:
Imagine drawing two lines. On the x axis we have our Skill level. On the y axis we have our Challenge level.
If the Challenge is high but your Skill is low, what will you experience? ANXIETY.
On the other hand, if your Skill is high, but the Challenge is low, what will you experience? BOREDOM.
Now, what if your Skill level matches the Challenge? Enter: FLOW.
So, Today’s +1: A quick inventory.
Are you feeling Bored? Increase the level of Challenge. (For example, if you’re doing a mundane, repetitive task, see how flawlessly you can do it or how quickly or both!)
Feeling Anxious? Decrease the Challenge a bit and/or increase your Skill.
Want to feel more Flow? Bring more awareness to the whole process, set a goal that focuses your attention (that is ALWAYS the first step, btw!!), eliminate distractions (Go Deep!!), and allow yourself to be fully immersed in the experience.
Repeat.
FLOW!!!
+1. +1. +1.
In our last +1, we talked about the fact that the word courage comes from the Latin word for “heart.” Just as our heart pumps blood to the rest of our body, our COURAGE pumps energy to our other virtues.
Here’s one of the simplest, easiest and most powerful ways to build your courage in any given moment.
Strike a pose.
A courageous, power pose.
As we’ve discussed so many times, the relationship between our feelings and our behaviors is what researchers describe as “bidirectional.” It goes both ways. Science says that feelings FOLLOW behavior at least as much as the other way around. In other words, by simply taking certain actions, we can influence how we feel.
Amy Cuddy has demonstrated this in her lab at Harvard.
In her great book Presence, she tells us that we all E X P A N D when we feel most powerful.
Get this: Even blind athletes, who have never seen anyone else do it, will strike that victorious “V!” pose with arms triumphantly up in the air when they win a race.
So, she started her research with this question: “Since we naturally expand our bodies when we feel powerful, do we also naturally feel powerful when we expand our bodies?”
Spoiler alert: YES!!!
In one study, individuals were split into two groups. One group assumed “low-power” poses in which they, essentially, took up less space (sitting while slouching, with their hands close to their bodies and standing with their legs close together, and their arms close to their bodies and their heads down). The other group assumed “high-power” poses in which they EXPANDED and took up more space (sitting in a relaxed, confident manner with legs out and hands behind head; standing like Wonder Woman or Superman with hands on hips, chin up and feet wide apart).
After only TWO minutes of posing, here’s what happened: “the high-power posers showed a 19 percent increase in testosterone and a 25 percent decrease in cortisol. Low-power posers showed the opposite pattern—a 10 percent decrease in testosterone and a 17 percent increase in cortisol, the exact pattern we predicted.”
That pattern is known as the dual hormone hypothesis. High testosterone + low cortisol = HIGH power. Low testosterone + high cortisol = LOW power.
Think about that: Two minutes of posing produced those dramatic shifts in biology. Simply moving our bodies in a more expansive way significantly boosts our confidence and power.
That’s Today’s +1. Feel the difference between going through life in a low-power, shrunken state vs. expanding into your most powerful self.
Want to feel more confidence and power today?
Smile. Strike a power pose. And go rock it.
In our last +1, we talked about the power of recommitting. You make a big commitment, then you fall a little off track. No big deal, REcommit and continue on.
Today, we’re going to add a little letter to recommitment.
It’s a “P.” We’ll drop it in right at the beginning.
Giving us: PREcommitment.
So, now we have: Precommitment. Commitment. And Recommitment.
Science says precommitment is one of the most powerful tools in the Willpower tool chest. They even give precommitments a pretty cool name: Odysseus Contracts.
Before we jump into ancient mythology and see what it has to say about modern science, let’s remember: Will power exemplars play OFFENSE not DEFENSE (https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/want-willpower-play-offense-not-defense/). They use their finite willpower wisely to install habits that run on autopilot—avoiding the temptations that drain our willpower as we try to resist them. Offense. Not defense.
One of the most powerful ways to do that? Decide in ADVANCE how we will handle a challenging situation. PRECOMMIT ourselves to the best possible action.
So, back to mythology.
What did Odysessus do when he and his sailors needed to get by the Sirens without crashing into the rocks?
He precommitted himself to a course of action.
How?
By tying himself to his mast and commanding his sailors not to untie him regardless of how much he begged them to do so.
THAT’s precommitment. He chose to do something that locked himself into a virtuous course of action when he knew he’d be challenged.
His sailors precommitted as well. Rather than tie themselves to the boat, they took an even smarter path and avoided the temptation in the first place by plugging their ears with beeswax. They didn’t even hear the tempting sounds of the Sirens. Voila! Safe passage through that dangerous path.
Again, THAT’s precommitment.
Odysseus Contracts.
Someone struggling with alcohol, for example, would be much wiser to never go into a bar than to try to not drink once they’re in there. Someone looking to Optimize their energy would be much wiser to not even walk down the fake food aisles at the grocery store than to buy the sugar and refined flour toxic goop and then try to resist eating it once it’s in their pantry.
Back to you and Today’s +1:
What Odysseus Contracts do YOU need to make with yourself?
Ready to upgrade your vision of love? Then you’re in for a treat with this fantastic book by Barbara Fredrickson. Barbara is one of the world’s leading positive psychologists. The book is incredibly well-written, deeply inspiring and incredibly practical as well. In fact, I just told Alexandra that this book might be the one that most positively impacts my life. Big Ideas we explore include: Love 1.0 vs. Love 2.0, taking a trip to Vagus, identifying our prevailing desire, #1 tip: create 3 loving moments today, exiting our cocoon of self-absorption via loving-kindness meditation, and Love 2.0 x 2: compassionate + celebratory love.
In our last +1 we hopped on a treadmill with Will Smith and Smokeybot.
Today, let’s hop on a treadmill with well-being researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky.
Sonja is one of the world’s leading experts on the science of what is called “hedonic adaptation.”
Basically, hedonic adaptation is a fancy phrase for our tendency to get used to good things. The way we so easily adapt to awesome stuff is kinda like being on a treadmill. You get fired up about making $x per year or having a certain car or house or whatever then you get to that point and quickly adapt to it—now wanting the NEXT $X per year or house or car or whatever.
Then guess what?
There you are on your treadmill, working harder and harder and not going anywhere.
That’s hedonic adaptation.
On a related note, Maslow told us that getting used to our blessings is one of the most “nonevil evils” out there. It’s not an obvious evil-evil but it’s an evil thing nonetheless.
So, how do we deal with this tendency to so quickly adapt and take things for granted as we sweat and get nowhere on that happiness treadmill?
Well, first, know that this tendency exists. Know that nothing “out there” is E V E R going to make you happy. Ultimately, creating a durable sense of well-being is an inside job.
Today’s +1: Let’s step off the treadmill.
Another thing Maslow taught us is that the most actualized among us have “fresh appreciation” for the things others tend to take for granted.
Let’s appreciate the amazing things you have in your life.
How about three things/people that are awesome in your life right now? (That you might be taking for granted!)
- __________________
- __________________
- __________________
Practice gratitude (https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/gratitude/).Grateful flow (https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/grateful-flow/). Celebratory love. etc. Regularly.
Step off the treadmill. Appreciate the awesome.(https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/celebratory-love/)
Repeat.
+1. +1. +1.
This book combines two of my favorite things: Stoicism + Ryan Holiday’s wisdom. Stoicism was one of the most influential philosophy of the Roman world and has continued to influence many of history’s greatest minds. As Ryan says: It’s time to bring it back as a powerful tool “in the pursuit of self-mastery, perseverance, and wisdom.” This is one of the my favorite books ever. Big Ideas we explore: the #1 thing to know about Stoicism, how to create tranquility, a good answer to “What’s the latest and greatest?!,” the 2 essential tasks in life and the art of acquiescence (aka amor fati).
Continuing our movement-is-good for you theme, let’s talk about how Michelle Segar looks at this.
You may recall that Michelle is one of the world’s leading researchers on the science of actually DOING the things you know are good for you.
In her book No Sweat she tells us that we need to find “opportunities to move” throughout the day. Her clients like to shorten that to OTMs.
OTMs.
Opportunities to Move.
Little things. They exist all day, every day. And, if we want to make our TRILLIONS (!) of cells happy so we can shine with a deeper level of radiant, energized enthusiasm, we’d be wise to look for more OTMs throughout our day.
Simple stuff.
So mundane, unsexy and seemingly unimportant that we can easily overlook them.
You know, like parking as far away from the store (or gym or whatever) as possible so you get a few more steps in. Or, even better, just walking to the store and leaving your car at home.
Or, once you’re in the store, using a hand-held shopping basket rather than a cart. Tiny little opportunities to move more = good.
Or…
If you really want to go all in and be like one of the 100 Fittest People of All Time like Dean Karnazes, you can go from finding Opportunities to MOVE all day to basically working out all day every day.
In our interview, The Ultramarathon Man Dean told me that’s how he likes to roll. Apparently, right before our chat he banged out a quick (12- or 14-min) high intensity interval training workout. And, he planned to do another mini-workout right after our chat. Simple sequence of burpees, pull-ups and sit-ups.
All day. Every day.
That focus on moving his body has allowed him to do the seemingly impossible like run 350 miles at once and run 50 marathons in 50 US states in 50 days. (Wow.)
So, Today’s +1:
Whether you’re looking for Opportunities to Move (OTMs!!) or Opportunities to Workout (OTWs!!), let’s move a little more today.
And tomorrow.
And the day after that…
+1. +1. +1.
A former U.S. Navy SEAL Commander, Mark Divine integrates the ancient warrior traditions with grounded, practical virtue and 21st century get-it-done effectiveness in a way that I find incredibly inspiring. Big Ideas we cover include the power of front-sight focus, how to DIRECT your mind, going Yoda on your commitments and creating micro goals when things are tough.
Men’s Health says that Dean Karnazes is one of the 100 Fittest Men of ALL Time.
He’s done crazy things—like running 350 miles at once. Plus running a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees. Then there was the time he ran 50 marathons in all 50 US states in 50 days—finishing with the NYC Marathon which he banged out in 3 hours flat. (Nice!)
In our interview about his great book The Road to Sparta, I asked him what ONE piece of wisdom he would share with someone looking to Optimize their lives so they could make a positive difference in the world.
His response?
He quoted the ancient Chinese proverb: “Be not afraid of going slowly. Be afraid only of stopping.”
Going slowly?
Not a problem.
Stopping?
Eek. That’s when we get in trouble.
Whether it’s writing a book or running a marathon or doing whatever challenging thing worthy of our attention, KEEP GOING!!!
Steve Chandler has a great line for this. He says we need to “Stop stopping.”
All of which leads us to today’s +1 Questions:
What epic quest are you on right now? What’s your next baby step?
Keep moving!! No matter how slowly.
And…
What’s the habit you just KNOW would most benefit you? That keystone habit that, when in place, will most help you Optimize? The one that, when you do it, you feel GREAT!! Yes. THAT ONE.
KEEP DOING IT!!!
It’s OK to suck. But it’s not OK to skip. (https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-avoid-habit-suicide/)
Remember: STOP STOPPING!
+1. +1. +1.
Patrick McKeown is one of the world’s leading teachers of the Buteyko Breathing Method which was created in the 1950s by a Russian doctor named Dr. Konstantin Buteyko. McKeown suffered from asthma for decades until he found the Buteyko Method. At which point, he reversed his asthma symptoms and then dedicated his life to helping others optimize their breathing. In this book, he extends the Buteyko Method into an approach he calls the Oxygen Advantage. Big Ideas we cover include the #1 obstacle to optimal breathing, Oxygen Delivery 101, the #1 breathing tip, and how to dial in your sleep.
In our last +1 we chatted about the difference between FALLING in love and STANDING in love.
It’s easy to fall in love. It’s considerably more challenging to stand in love—whether we’re talking about an intimate relationship with a significant other, a child or a dear friend.
So, know this: We’re inevitably going to run into conflict and challenges in our intimate relationships.
THAT’S
A
GIVEN
Today’s +1 is a key practice for STANDING in love.
Leading mindfulness and neuroscience and relationship expert Dan Siegel tells us that when something inevitably goes wrong in a relationship we want to REPAIR it as quickly as we can.
One of the examples he uses to make his point is a story about a time when he, Mr. Mindfulness, “flipped his lid,” turning off his prefrontal cortex and going full limbic-lame yelling at one of his kids.
(Laughing as I type that as a) It’s always refreshing to see a world-class teacher and practitioner humbly reminding us that no one is perfect and b) I very much know the feeling as the father of a very energetic 4-year-old. 😃)
So, we have an interaction that we’re not proud of.
Then what?
Then, you REPAIR the relationship as quickly as you can.
Something like, “Wow. I got really impatient / loud / fill-in-the-blank. I flipped my lid! I’m so sorry about that and I can see what Needs work (https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/needs-work/). I just want you to know I’m sorry and that I love you and that I’m committed to getting a little better at handling those challenging moments in the future.”
- insert potential hug *
We don’t want those little micro-moments of negativity to stew into jumbo-resentments and unhealthy cauldrons of ick.
Take a deep breath. Drop into your heart. Label the emotion Name It to Tame It! (https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/name-it-to-tame-it/). Practice some Active Love (https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/active-love/). Use whatever tool you need to do to regain your Equanimity (https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-equanimity-game/).
And then Repair.
Today’s +1 Optimizing opportunity: Any Repairs waiting for you?
In our last +1, we talked about the importance of identifying and installing your #1 self-care habit.
Today I want to talk about another SUPER important thing: Identifying your significant other’s (or kids’ or friends’ or colleagues’) #1 self-care habit.
Fact is, great relationships are only created by two healthy people.
1 + 1.
If you want to Optimize the love in your life, you’d be wise to a) start by Optimizing yourself and b) support your partner (assuming they want the support!) Optimize THEIR lives.
And our #1 self-care habit is a REALLY (like, Jumbo-REALLY!!!!) good place to start.
For example, my #1 is sleep. Alexandra knows this. And, she knows that she doesn’t really want to be around me when I’m not meeting this fundamental need. So, we prioritize this to make sure I’m getting good sleep. (Thank you, Darling!!)
Alexandra’s #1 self-care habit is time alone every day to meditate/reflect/create/etc. Knowing this, we prioritize it to make sure she gets that time.
So…
What’s YOUR #1.
And…
What’s your PARTNER’S #1?
Find out. Help them rock it.
And watch your relationship flourish.
+1 that 1 + 1.
Dr. Craig Malkin is an author, clinical psychologist, and Instructor of Psychology for Harvard Medical School. He’s also one of the world’s leading authorities on the science of narcissism. In this book, he shares “The bad—and surprising good—about feeling special.” The short story? Narcissism is a lot more nuanced than we might have been led to believe. Big Ideas we explore: the Myth of Narcissus, the Spectrum of Narcissism, healthy narcissism (no, that isn’t an oxymoron), how to bring it forth in our lives, and the passionate life (passion + compassion = magic!).
In our last +1, we talked about Scott Adams’s wisdom on Wishing vs. Deciding (https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/deciding-vs-wishing/).
The key difference? When we DECIDE, we get clear on what we want AND we get clear on the price we’ll need to pay. Then… We get busy paying it.
Scott tells us that one of the ways to reduce the price and make it more palatable is to create systems.
He’s ALL about systems. In fact, he tells us that “Goals are for losers.” (Hah.)
We obviously need goals but he says we should, at the very least, word-glue them together so we have goals-systems or systems-goals.
His point is that if all we’re doing is chasing a goal, we’re constantly going to be “losing” because the goal is always at some far-off spot we may never reach.
On the other hand, when we figure out the SYSTEMS we’re constantly WINNING every single time we successfully execute the system.
For example, if you’re trying to lose 20 pounds, you have a goal. Eating right is a system. Trying to run a 4-hour marathon is a goal. Exercising every day is a system.
As Scott says: “A system is something you do on a regular basis that increases your odds of happiness in the long run. If you do something every day, it’s a system. If you’re waiting to achieve it someday in the future, it’s a goal.”
Leadership guru John Maxwell has a GREAT way to describe systems as well. He says that systems are good strategies repeated.
So…
What are YOUR goals?
And, more importantly, what are your SYSTEMS that will get you there?
Here’s to Optimizing your systems-driven, perpetual-small-wins-creating machine!!
Harvey Dorfman was one of the world’s leading mental training experts. Major League Baseball described him as a “pioneering sports psychologist.” He earned World Series rings as the mental skills coach for both the Oakland A’s and Florida Marlins. In this book, he covers the A to Z of mental discipline. Big Ideas we explore include Carpe momentum (seize the task at hand!), the peak performance cycle (approach + results + response), the blind men (and their elephant), and Percussus Resurgo (“Struck down. I rise again!”).
In our last +1 we talked about the magic of creating a hoped-for future vision that has super-strong "Pull Power."
Today we're going to talk about Pull Power's best friend, Pulling Power.
Step 1. Create a vision for your future that truly fires you up. Got it? Great. Pull Power in place.
Step 2. Now, imagine that future sitting there in a bag on the ground about 25 feet in front of you. That bag weighs a lot. It's tied to a rope that's right down by your feet.
Step 3. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to sit down on the ground of your current reality, dig your heels in and PULL that bag of future awesome all the way to where you are.
That's Pulling Power.
It's what you do with the Pull Power.
Steve Chandler captures this brilliantly in Wealth Warrior where he tells us: “The only good use of any future is artistic. You paint a picture of your positive imaginary future on your whiteboard. Then you PULL THAT PICTURE—WITH EVERY OUNCE OF STRENGTH YOU HAVE—into the present moment.”
Today's +1.
Can you see that future in front of you?
Ready to pull it into your reality?
Sit down. Rub your hands together.
And PULL with everything you've got.
+1.
Irresistible. That’s the perfect word to describe the growing array of addictive technologies that are capturing so much of our attention these days. And, it’s the perfect name for the book. Adam Alter is an associate professor of marketing at NYU’s Stern School of Business. This is a great book on, as the sub-title suggests, “The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked.” Big Ideas we explore include the fact Steve Jobs didn’t let his own kids use an iPad (why?), why addiction is about more than just personality (and what matters), how to add 11 years back to your life, what happens when your brain gets pickled and the simple question you can ask to Optimize.
Get this: Scientists can bring people into a lab and have them hold a pen in their mouths in one of two different ways to elicit two very different outcomes.
One group comes in and holds a pen between their lips. The other group holds the pen between their teeth. (Try it to feel the difference!)
Guess what?
The group that holds the pen between their teeth (which, you may notice, creates a sort of smile) are HAPPIER at the end of the experiment than people who hold the pen between their lips (which, you may notice, creates a sort-of frown).
Kinda nuts.
How could something THAT simple lead to a significant change in well-being?
Well, as we’ve discussed many times, FEELINGS follow BEHAVIORS. And, even something as mundane as unknowingly moving your happiness muscles into the shape of a smile can make you feel better.
Moral of the story: Work today with a pen between your teeth!
Hah. Not really.
But, DO remember that feelings follow behavior. The little things you do matter. Stand up tall. Act the way you’d act if you were feeling great even if you’re not feeling great. And, shockingly, you’ll find that your feelings follow that behavior more than you may initially believe.
And… Smile more today.
It’s kinda weird to feel how quickly your whole mood can soften and elevate when you shift from a serious (or negative) facial expression to a simple, soft smile. (Try it right now!)
+1 Smile. +1 Smile. +1 Smile.
(I’m smiling as I type that.)
We’re on a roll with the whole “embrace challenges on your epic quest!” theme so how about one more +1 on the subject?
Malcolm Gladwell wrote a great book called David and Goliath in which he walks us through some fascinating stories that demonstrate the fact that sometimes what we perceive to be our greatest weaknesses can actually be turned into our greatest strengths.
Scientists call these “desirable difficulties.”
Imagine that, difficulties that are desirable.
Like what?
Well, how about a girl’s basketball team packed with kids with no experience playing basketball and, therefore, no traditional talent. Oh, and the head coach knows nothing about basketball. That’s a weakness right?
Sure, but what if they turned that weakness into an asset? That’s what one team Gladwell features did. They decided to break all the rules and simply HUSTLE more than anyone else by running a full-court press all game. (Hah.) Which worked. It so disoriented their competitors who were used to people playing by traditional approaches that they won. A lot.
Personally, I used to wish I grew up in a happy, stable, affluent, well-educated family with a silver spoon in my mouth and optimal DNA in every cell.
(Laughing but I still wish that was the case at times! 😃)
And... Now, I can see that growing up in a lower-middle class, blue collar, super-conservative Catholic family struggling to pay the bills with a father who struggled with alcohol (and whose father struggled with alcohol and killed himself) was, ultimately, a huge blessing.
The resulting challenges that I experience(d) and have overcome/continue to overcome in my own journey ARE THE PRIMARY REASONS I CAN NOW DO WHAT I DO.
Thanks to the wonderful cocktail of my compromised Nature AND Nurture, I was forced to develop a set of skills that I otherwise never would have been forced to create. I also have a deep sense of compassion for the inherent challenges of battling demons along with wisdom on how to overcome them that I can integrate into my work to serve even more profoundly.
Like that girl’s basketball team, I compensated by running full-court presses on my fundamentals (eat + move + sleep + breathe + focus!) ALL.THE.TIME. (Hah.)
+1 for today: How about YOU?
Can you create an even more compelling, coherent narrative about YOUR life and how your
difficulties have proven to be desirable?
Let’s do that.
What do you think is the most important, underappreciated muscle in your body?
Think about that for a moment.
What’s your guess?
I think this is the most underappreciated muscle in my body: ___________________________.
Well, get this: Breathing experts tell us that the award for the most underappreciated muscle in the human body goes to… your diaphragm—that little, SUPER (!) important muscle down there right below your lungs.
Recall: You can live for weeks without food, days without water, and only minutes without oxygen—which makes breathing pretty important, eh?
Yet, how often do you think about it?
And, do you specifically train your breathing to make sure it’s optimized?
If you’re like most people, the answer to the above questions is: “Never.” And, “No.”
Today’s +1: Let’s hit the diaphragm gym.
The simplest way to practice some “resistance” breathing? Breathe through your nose. All the time. Period. If you’re a mouth breather you’ll notice that breathing through your nose takes a little more work. That’s a good thing.
Through your nose. Deep but light. Nice and slow.
Repeat.
One rep after another.
Let’s get that diaphragm in shape!!
Teresa Amabile is the Director of Research at Harvard Business School. It’s pretty much impossible to read a book on business, creativity, or happiness at work and not run into her research. She wrote this book with her husband, leading developmental psychologist Steven Kramer. In it, we learn the secret of joy, engagement and creativity at work. Hint: Small wins! On (important distinction) meaningful stuff. Big Ideas we explore include the power of our “inner work life,” the 3 key influences to optimizing it (progress, catalysts, nourishers) and how to get on the progress loop and stay on it!
First: Welcome to our 100th +1. It’s a special milestone. Kinda excited about it. 😃
Let’s celebrate it with one of my favorite words ever: euthymia.
Seneca talks about the power of euthymia in his classic essays. He tells us that euthymia is all about knowing yourself and having the courage to walk your own authentic path.
The English translation of that beautiful word?
Tranquility.
It’s the feeling we have when we truly TRUST ourselves. When we know we’re headed in the right direction and we’re able to quit comparing ourselves to everyone else and stop second guessing ourselves every 5 seconds.
Which leads us to today’s +1 reflection:
How’s YOUR tranquility?
Here’s one way to energize it.
In Ego Is the Enemy, Ryan Holiday riffs on Seneca’s perspective on euthymia and tells us: “So why do you do what you do? That’s the question you need to answer. Stare at it until you can. Only then will you understand what matters and what doesn’t. Only then can you say no, can you opt out of stupid races that don’t matter, or even exist. Only then is it easy to ignore ‘successful’ people, because most of the time they aren’t—at least relative to you, and often even to themselves. Only then can you develop that quiet confidence Seneca talked about.”
So…
Why do YOU do what you do?
That’s the question. Stare at it. Answer it. Say yes to your path. And say no to all the other silly distractions.
+1 all the way to energized tranquility.
Atul Gawande is a surgeon, writer, and public health researcher. He’s also an extraordinary, best-selling author of a number of books. Short story: Want to get things right? Use a checklist. Sounds too silly to work but… It does. Period. Big Ideas we explore include two reasons we err (ignorance + ineptitude), what to do about it (checklists!), how to reduce your Masterpiece Day mortality rate by at least 47% (checklists!), why Van Halen doesn’t like brown M&M’s (checklists!), and your Big 3 Keystone Initiative (checklist!).
In our last few +1s, we’ve been chatting about reaching the Peak of our potential.
What’s the alternative?
Well, did you know that the Latin root of the word mediocre LITERALLY means to get stuck in the middle of a rugged mountain?
Yep.
Medius = “middle.”
Ocris = “rugged mountain.”
Mediocrity.
That’s not where we want to get stuck. 😃
How do we make it through that mid-way point and summit the peak of our potential?
Let’s open up our Thesaurus for some clues.
We’ll start with synonyms for mediocre: “ordinary, average, middling, middle-of-the-road, uninspired, undistinguished, indifferent, unexceptional, unexciting, unremarkable, run-of-the-mill, pedestrian, prosaic, lackluster, forgettable, amateur, amateurish.”
Those are all great ways to get stuck.
Guess what?
There’s one antonym for mediocre. Can you guess what it is?
“Excellent.”
Yep. That’s the ticket. EXCELLENCE. When we hit those inevitable tough spots on the rugged mountain that is our heroic quest, we need to show up with excellence. We need to do our best.
You may recall the Greeks had a word for that.
Areté.
It’s the best way to high five your inner daimon as you joyfully summit. (https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-to-high-five-your-inner-daimon/)
Let’s do that.
One step at a time. Right up to the peak of that rugged mountain.
+1. +1. +1.
For those of you in the States celebrating today, Happy Independence Day. For everyone else around the world, Happy 4th of July! 😃
The 4th of July.
Of course, today we’re celebrating Independence Day.
But it’s important to note that we’re not celebrating the day we won our independence.
We’re celebrating the day we DECLARED our independence.
Of course, there was SEVEN YEAR’S worth of blood, sweat, and tears that went into the Revolutionary War to back up that declaration (!!), but that’s a pretty cool distinction when you think about it for a moment.
So, Today’s +1.
Two parts.
First, let’s celebrate all the little Independence Days of our lives. Those moments when we declared our Independence from the bad habits that were tyrannizing our lives.
With that in mind: What are three bad habits from which you’ve won your independence?
- ___________________________
- ___________________________
- ___________________________
Fantastic. High fives. Fireworks!
Now, it’s time to make a new Declaration of Independence.
From which keystone bad habit will you Declare your Independence from this day forward?
I think the preamble to your Declaration goes something like this:
“When in the Course of an individual’s life it becomes necessary for that person to dissolve the bands which have connected them with bad habits and to assume among the powers of the earth, the self-mastery and virtue to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the scientific wisdom of the ages requires that they should WOOP their plans to win their Revolutionary War within themselves.
As such, I [ INSERT NAME ], hereby declare my Independence from THIS bad habit: _____________________________.
I hereby WOOP the successful Revolutionary War against said habit.
This is my Wish: _____________________________
This is my Outcome; I shall experience these Benefits: _____________________________
These are my Obstacles: _____________________________
This is my Plan to deal with those Obstacles: _________________________.”
Enter: A powerful “necessity to act.”
Here’s to winning that Revolutionary War and honoring your Declaration of Independence!
I planned to read this book since Cal Newport referenced it in Deep Work. I finally did so in preparation to teach Productivity 101. It’s fantastic. If you’re a business leader or entrepreneur I think you’ll particularly enjoy it. Big Ideas we cover include the 4DX, the whirlwind, your Wildly Important Goals, Lag vs. Lead measures, the power of keeping score, and avoiding the blackhole of the magnificently trivial.
Imagine this: It’s your first day of art class. You signed up for an intro class on pottery. (Nice! Go you!)
The teacher does something a little weird.
He points to one half of the class and says, “On the last day of class I’m going to bring in a bathroom scale. You guys will get an ‘A’ if you produce 50 pounds of pots. A ‘B’ for 40 pounds. 30 pounds gets you a ‘C.’”
Then he points to the other half of the class and says, “You guys? You’ll get an ‘A’ for creating an amazing pot. I just need one pot from you. Make it awesome and you get the ‘A.’”
Fast-forward to the end of the semester and who do you think created the best-looking pots?
Answer: The group that produced the 50 pounds of stuff to get an “A.”
Why is that?
Well, as the authors of Art & Fear put it: “It seems that while the ‘quantity’ group was busily churning out piles of work—and learning from their mistakes—the ‘quality’ group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.”
So, question: How do YOU approach your creativity?
Are you trying to create the “perfect pot”? Or, are you willing to lean in and produce a TON of stuff—learning from your mistakes and, eventually, getting better and better?
Today’s +1: Go create a bunch of pots.
Remember: 50 pounds and you’ll get an “A.”
P.S. Maslow comes to mind. He tells us: “It seems that the necessary thing to do is not to fear mistakes, to plunge in, to do the best that one can, hoping to learn enough from blunders to correct them eventually.”
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Effective Executive" by Peter F. Drucker. Hope you enjoy!
Peter Drucker is considered the father of modern management. This book was originally published in 1967. It’s remarkably well written and lucid. And, of course, packed with Big Ideas on how to optimize our effectiveness. We cover the 5 key practices/habits of the effective executive: time (first things first; second things never!), contribution (what can you contribute?), strengths (make yours productive; make weaknesses irrelevant), concentration (the secret to effectiveness), decisions (boundary conditions help).
Brad Stulberg is a writer focused on health and the science of human performance. (Amy Cuddy calls him her favorite health and science writer.) Steve Magness is a coach to some of the top distance runners in the world. Together, they’ve written a super-engaging, quick-reading book on how to pursue growth in a healthy, sustainable way—aka, without burning out. Big Ideas we explore include the secret equation of sustainable awesome (Stress + Rest = Growth), just-manageable challenges, the iPhone Effect Part 3 (aka how to decrease your productivity in one step!), the optimal work/rest ratio, and the paradoxical twist of fulfillment.
Continuing our theme of making TODAY (and every day!) a Masterpiece Day, let's take a quick look at Time Blocks.
Gary Keller wrote The ONE Thing. He also created the largest real estate agency in the world. In his great little book, he tells us how important it is to ruthlessly focus on what’s most important—the key activities that drive the real results.
He takes the 80/20 principle to the extreme and has you continue drilling down on the most important things until you get to the ONE Thing that drives the whole show.
And then he has you ruthlessly focus on what you need to do TODAY to make that ONE Thing a reality—knocking over the next domino in a chain of dominoes that inevitably leads to the outcome you’re looking for.
Just figuring out what your ONE Thing is (over the long run and today) obviously takes a lot of Deep Work.
Gary tells us we need to create “Time Blocks” during our day. He calls them the #1 “power tool” of time management.
The rules?
You turn off ALL distractions for a set amount of time and you focus on whatever you decided is the most important thing.
Then we make a habit of doing that. Every. Single. Day.
For me, my #1 creative thing is a ruthless consistency on what I call my AM1 Deep Work time block. It's the time after I get up before the family gets up that I use to do that day’s most important work.
In fact, I'm working on this +1 at 5:51 AM while the family sleeps. We're on a mini vacation. I can hear the ocean waves as I type away on my iPhone.
I’m excited for the family to get up and have another great day—feeling complete that I've already crushed it today.
(Yes, that's just another way I'm weird. I'm in good company though. In On Writing, Stephen King tells us he never misses a day of writing. Something magical about it…)
I LOVE my Deep Work time blocks.
You?
When’s your best time to go Deep? Schedule it. Shut the doors. Turn off all distractions. Make it a sacred ritual. Then aggregate and compound those tiny little gains over an extended period of time +1 style!
In our last +1 we talked about Spinny Fingers and how to quickly regain our equanimity when life spins us around.
Here’s another way.
Mark Divine is a former Commander in the Navy SEALs. He tells us that in the chaos of war, elite SEALs are taught to “simplify the battlefield.”
When the fog of battle rolls in and things are nowhere near as clear as they were a moment before, it's absolutely essential that we simplify everything.
Commander Divine tells us that we need to identify THE next most important target and then put ALL of our energy into successfully executing that micro-mission as we maintain what he calls “front-sight” focus.
Simplify. Identify next target. Focus. Execute that micro-mission. Repeat.
That’s an incredibly effective way to roll. ESPECIALLY when things are most challenging.
That’s today’s +1.
How can you simplify the battlefield of your life? What's THE most important thing right now? Give it your front-sight focus.
Hooyah!
P.S. The last four digits of my phone number are 5320. Mark tells me that “5320” just so happens to be the call signal for a junior SEAL. It's become a fun game to sign off my text messages to the Commander with -5320. 😃
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Here are 5 of my favorite Big Ideas from "The Art of Learning" by Josh Waitzkin. Hope you enjoy!
Josh Waitzkin is an extraordinary human. Ever heard of the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer? That’s the story of Josh life. Literally. After a childhood and young adulthood spent dominating chess, Josh then went on to master Tai Chi and became a World Champion. But what he REALLY became was a master of learning and peak performance. Big Ideas we explore include the two approaches to leaning, the downward spiral (what it is and how to avoid it), honoring your unique disposition, investing in loss, knowing your goal (decent, good, great, among best!), the power of stress and recovery and the ultimate secret of mastery.
You know those times when you need to initiate a tough conversation and you're kinda sorta dreading it and avoiding it?
One of my old mentors once told me that you just need to move through what he called “sweaty five-minute conversations” to get to the other side of clarity and resolution.
Most of us avoid the challenging conversations because we aren’t willing to endure those few minutes of discomfort. I definitely used to avoid them. Now, I remember that Speed Is a Force then I WOOP it, chant “Bring it on!” + “I’m excited!” and jump in.
It’s become a really powerful practice for me as I've mastered it over the years.
But here’s the funny thing. Once upon a time, I needed to have one of those “sweaty conversations” with that mentor of mine.
Guess how it turned out?
It was, by far, LITERALLY, the worst conversation I’ve ever had in my life. HAH. Seriously.
I kid you not.
As Campbell said, when you dare to go after bliss, there's always the chance for a fiasco. :)
Here’s how Campbell puts it: “The hero journey is one of the universal patterns through which that radiance shows brightly. What I think is that a good life is one hero journey after another. Over and over again, you are called to the realm of adventure, you are called to new horizons. Each time, there is the same problem: do I dare? And then if you do dare, the dangers are there, and the help also, and the fulfillment or the fiasco. There’s always the possibility of a fiasco.
But there’s also the possibility of bliss.”
So, today’s mission, should you choose to accept it: The next time you find yourself avoiding a challenging conversation, see if you can recognize the fear and then get to work on it with one (or more) of our growing array of tools.
Perhaps you can remember that your infinite potential exists on the other side of that fear and chant “Bring it on!!” to yourself.
Maybe you can practice Active Love on the person who's currently stressing you out.
I’d definitely recommend you WOOP it! Wave the wand. Create your Wish. See it going perfectly. Experience the benefits. Then anticipate the obstacles and make your plan to deal with them.
Then, if you feel that now’s the time, jump in and move through those few seconds/minutes of sweaty palms and make it happen.
You’ll win or you'll learn. :)
P.S. I know for a fact that if I had that challenging conversation of a decade ago today it would have ended so much better. But I never would have gotten to where I am without the pain of that fiasco. And so it is. 😃
George St-Pierre is one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the world. Ever.
Of course, he wasn’t always one of the greatest. At one point, he was just a young guy working as a garbage man who DECIDED he was going to be the best in the world.
People around him thought he was crazy. (Of course they did. Who says stuff like that? Hint: People who have a shot at making it happen.)
So, when GSP decided (!) he would be the best in the world at what he wanted to do, he also decided what he WASN’T going to do.
“Train instead of party. Work instead of play. Perfect practice instead of casual repetition.”
ALL of his energy went into achieving his goal and making his dream a reality. (You should see the consistency in his schedule. Astonishing.)
In his great book The Way of the Fight, GSP makes the important distinction that all those things he was no longer going to do weren’t sacrifices. They were decisions.
Sacrifices vs. Decisions.
There’s a huge difference between the two.
One comes with a little whiney voice. The other comes with the calm confidence and grounded, authentic power of a committed person.
Today’s +1 practical application: Who have you DECIDED to be?
What decisions do you need to make to focus your energy?
P.S. Remember: The Latin root of the word decide literally means “to cut off.” When we make a true decision, we CUT OFF all other options and go ALL IN. Let’s do that.
I’m a HUGE fan of Phil and Barry's first book, The Tools. Coming Alive is kinda like The Tools Part 2. In this book, we get four new tools to go along with the original five tools. Big Ideas we explore include how to connect to our Life Force, defeat Part X (their name for that part of each of us that gets in the way), build our confidence and learn to see problems as gifts as we live a GREAT life.
Have you ever made a mistake?
(Hah.)
Right.
(I’ve made a mistake or 3 million as well.)
Here’s the deal: When we approach it with the right mindset (that would be a growth, experimental mindset), we come to realize that those mistakes are P R E C I O U S.
The data we get on what DOESN’T WORK is priceless.
Therefore, never (!) beat yourself up about a mis-take.
Simply remind yourself that we either win or we learn and that no movie was ever shot from start to finish without a ton of re-takes. Then say to yourself “Needs work!” as you rewind your game film, see yourself executing the oopsed scene perfectly and then get back at it.
Repeat.
Forever.
So…
Practical Reflection Time:
What was your last mistake?
What did you learn?
Run it through our little Mis-take process above and +1 it.
In our last +1, we talked about the fact that Speed Is a Force.
Jim Rohn said the same thing a little differently. He told us about the “Law of Diminishing Intent.”
The basic idea: The likelihood of doing something diminishes the further away you get from the initial moment of inspiration.
So true.
And your confidence erodes as well. Not a winning combination.
Jim Rohn’s protégé, Tony Robbins, echoes this wisdom as well. He tells us that we must never leave the moment of inspiration without taking action. Then we need to follow that up with sustained, MASSIVE action.
That's powerful.
Remember: Don’t let your intention to do something great diminish. Seize the opportunity. Take massive, sustained action.
Speed is a Force. Stay grounded. And use it wisely.
(Got anything in your life that could use some energy?)
Speaking of perfectionism, let’s look at the essence of Tal Ben-Shahar’s great book The Pursuit of Perfect.
Tal is one of the world’s leading positive psychologists. He taught the largest class in Harvard’s history: Positive Psychology 101.
He tells us that there are two distinct forms of perfectionism—one of them is actually adaptive and the other is not. He tells us they are so different that they need different names.
There’s the unhealthy perfectionist who suffers from all the things you’d expect from perfectionism: anxiety, depression, etc. He calls them a “Perfectionist.”
Then, there’s the healthy, high-functioning perfectionist who uses those high standards to fuel their growth. He calls them an “Optimalist.”
Perfectionist vs. Optimalist.
Here’s the primary difference between the two: The (unhealthy) Perfectionist fails to embrace reality. They actually think they can work for 16 hours a day in pursuit of their great work while staying super healthy and being a great spouse and parent and being super active in the community and a great friend to dozens and... (I get stressed just typing that.)
The source of their misery is the fact that they fail to embrace the constraints of reality. They simply CAN’T do all of those things. So, when they inevitably fall short of their expectations, they beat themselves up mercilessly and experience all the negative effects of unhealthy perfectionism.
The (healthy) Optimalist?
They have really high standards and want to be a great creator, spouse, parent, friend and vital human but they rub their vision up against reality. They see only so many hours in a day and construct their optimal life within the boundaries of those healthy constraints.
Note: The word “optimal” is derived from the Latin optimus which means the “best”--not the “perfect.” The best. The best within the constraints of our individual realities.
Do you tend to be a Perfectionist or an Optimalist?
How can you hold your high standards AND embrace the constraints of reality just a little more today?
+1.
I dropped out of law school before a semester was over but I do remember one Big Idea from Contracts class.
Lawyers like to say that a contract is a good one when there are “bright lines”—when it’s super obvious what everyone is agreeing to. Fuzzy lines? Not so good. We want super crisp, obvious, BRIGHT lines.
Research scientists borrowed that phrase to describe one of the key attributes of creating good deals with yourself as you architect your ideal life.
They tell us that when we’re building new habits, we want to have VERY BRIGHT LINES about what is and what is not acceptable behavior.
For example, when I wanted to quit eating fast food over a decade ago, the fuzzy line I had of “Eat at McDonald’s less often” wasn’t particularly helpful. Every time I’d drive by that McDonald’s on the way home I’d have to ask myself, “Is today the day I get to go there?”
And, when did I go? On the days when I was feeling the worst, of course.
Then, one day, I got BRIGHT with my lines. I decided I would NEVER eat at McDonald's again. Period. Now, of course, I broke that commitment a few times before it stuck, but—and this is an important distinction!—at least now I knew I was breaking a contract with myself. Eventually I dialed it in and kicked the fast food habit.
I did the same thing with ESPN and Google News and the iPhone in bed and countless other things. Fuzzy? Didn’t help. 100% bright? Worked like a charm.
So, how about you?
What’s the #1 bad habit you’d like to get rid of?
How can you move from fuzzy to super bright?
Think about that and get on it.
We all have areas of our lives we want to Optimize.
Stephen Covey tells us to think about our “Roles and Goals.” Tony Robbins calls it “Categories of Improvement.” The challenge with those is that we can get confused with a near-infinite number of Roles and Categories.
I like to boil it down to my Big 3: Energy + Family + Service.
Energy. For me, it ALL starts with Energy. If I have a tough time getting out of bed in the morning, I’m going to have a tough time living optimally. Therefore, I prioritize making sure my Energy is strong.
Family. Why do I want to feel radiantly alive and energized? First and foremost, I want to be an exemplary husband and father. I’m the only one in the world who can be a great husband to my wife and father to my children. In the midst of striving to do great things and make a difference in the world, it’s easy to forget that it all starts at home.
Service. The other reason I keep my energy strong is to be of service. I want to be, in the words of the French movement philosopher Georges Hébert , “Fit to be useful.”
So, here’s how I like to approach it: First, start by identifying what you at your absolute best would look like in each of those categories. Then capture the benefits you’ll experience when you live from that ideal. Then think of the #1 simple thing you can do every.single.day to make sure you’re in integrity with that ideal. Then schedule that thing into your Masterpiece Day. And, of course, DO IT.
For me, it looks like this:
Energy: Me at my best: I am a world-class athlete. (Defined as qualifying for the Spartan World Championships at the end of this year. I need to place in the Top 20 in my age group so it’s a JV-version of world-class but it was still a big stretch for me when I set the goal and it has great pull-power.)
The benefits (aka “The Why” a la Nietzsche’s “He who has a strong enough why can bear almost any how.”): I am radiantly alive. I am grounded. Powerful. Calm. Confident. Energized.
The #1 thing I will do every day: Sunrise Trail Workout. I'll show up on the mountain and bang out my 1=hour workout. CONSISTENCY of training (obviously oscillating intensity/etc.) is my secret weapon.
You?
Family: Me at my best: I am an exemplary husband and father. I love to work and create. AND I'm committed to being a great husband and father. An exemplar. That standard fires me up.
The benefits: Joy. Presence. Love. Kindness. Patience. Consistency. Celebrating my 50th anniversary with my Love. 😃
The #1 thing I will do every day to make that happen: Quality time one-on-one with my son EVERY day. Defined as at least 30 minutes (target 60 during week and hours on weekend) of just me and him.
You?
Service: Me at my best: I am an exemplary social entrepreneur, philosopher + teacher, and community leader. I am committed to using business as a force for heroic good while continuing to study, embody and teach wisdom I love and making a difference in our Optimize community.
The benefits: The joy of doing what I’m here to do. Flow. Energy. Enthusiasm. Connection. Impact.
The #1 thing I will do every day to make this happen: AM1 Deep Work. Before I go online, I will do my morning rituals and Deep Work. Period.
As I say all the time: You couldn’t pay me to hop online and blow my brain up before doing my creative work. My mind just isn’t quite the same after going online. I’m all about accreting a little more value every day and repeating that every day—allowing the gains to aggregate and compound as the creative power magnifies itself incrementally. It all starts with that first Deep Work slot every morning.
You?
3 + 1 = Magic.
Here’s another simple way to keep your motivation high: Journal.
Sonja Lyubomirsky is one of the world’s leading scientists studying well-being. She tells us that one of the most robust ways to boost our optimism and positive thinking (actually, she says it’s "The most robust" strategy) is to journal daily—reflecting on our hopes and dreams, visualizing our success and reflecting on the steps we will take to make it all happen.
Ten to twenty minutes per day.
Even as little as two minutes has been shown to make people happier and healthier.
So…
What are your hopes and dreams? What steps will you take to make it all happen?
Journal lately?
Might be a good +1 for today. 😃
Stephen Covey's seventh habit of Highly Effective People is "Sharpen the Saw."
He tells us about the importance of renewal if we want to stay at our best and shares this parable to bring the point home:
Imagine walking into a forest. You see a guy sawing a tree. He's working and working and working but not getting very far. His blade is clearly dull.
So, you suggest he step back and sharpen the saw a bit.
He says that's simply not possible. He's way too busy to slow down to sharpen anything.
Hmmmm... Really? But with a sharp blade you'd hammer right through that tree!
So…
Which guy are you?
And...
What's one tiny little easy thing you could start doing (today!!) that would help you build a chainsaw?
Let's do that!!
In our last +1, we chatted about the scientifically-proven power of gratitude: Simply writing down 5 things you're grateful for can boost your happiness up to 25%. (Wow.) Here’s another way to practice the magic of gratitude right in the moment when you need it most. The Tools guys call it “Grateful Flow” and it’s one of their ways to deal with any negative feelings you might be experiencing—overwhelm, depression, that sort of ick sauce. Here’s the quick take on how to put the tool into practice: The moment you’re aware that a cloud of ick is floating into your day, step back, take a deep breath and simply look around you and notice things you can be grateful for. For example, right now I’m grateful for the computer I’m working on, the bottle of water I just drank from, my wife and kids, the beautiful mountain out my window, my health, you, and so much more. That’s Grateful Flow. Tiny little things in our life that we can either take for granted or appreciate. Note: It’s impossible (!) to be in a state of gratitude AND be in a state of misery at the same time. (Don’t believe me? Try it.) So… The next time you’re starting to feel a little stressed: Take a deep breath and turn on the Grateful Flow! How about some practice right now? What tiny things can you appreciate? (Let’s live from that place!)
Get instant access to hundreds of free Optimize +1s (and unlock the full Optimize experience) at https://Optimize.me
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+1 #20: How to Stop Thinking The #1 Tip on How to Master this Important Lost Art (Inspired by Patrick McKeown)
https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/how-...
Patrick McKeown is one of the world’s leading experts on optimal breathing.
When I interviewed him recently, he made a very interesting point. He said that we spend all our lives in school learning how to think but that we’re never taught how to STOP thinking.
Fact is, most of our “thinking” isn’t thinking at all. We’re simply looping the same unproductive thought over and over again.
Get this: According to a study done at USC, the average person has 70,000 thoughts per day. And, according to some experts, 80-90% of those thoughts are useless.
That’s crazy. (Literally.)
It’s also really enervating. We waste a ton of energy spinning our mental wheels—creating more stress and anxiety and fatigue while diminishing our performance and well-being. (Not a winning combination.)
So, learning how to STOP thinking is a very important skill.
Patrick’s #1 tip on how to master the art of not thinking?
Breathe.
Specifically, breathe through your nose. Deeply (but lightly!) into your diaphragm.
(One of Patrick’s Big Ideas we’ll talk about more in another +1 is the fact that we all breathe way too much—which, paradoxically, decreases the amount of oxygen released into our cells.)
For now: Breathe through your nose. Deeply. Yet lightly.
And, ahhhhh…
Our mind has slowed down. All that wasted energy is recouped.
btw: Two other ways to stop that mental chatter? Put your attention on your body = #2. And the final tip from Patrick? Immerse yourself in the present moment.
Let’s think productively when it’s appropriate to do so. And then get really good at turning the brain off.
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Get instant access to hundreds of free Optimize +1s (and unlock the full Optimize experience) at https://Optimize.me
Gold-medal-winning mental toughness coach and author Lanny Bassham is all about focusing on the PROCESS of goal achievement. He tells a great story about one of his clients—a pro golfer. Now, this professional golfer was struggling a bit. He was setting his goals for the year and Lanny told him not to think about winning tournaments but to put all of his attention on mastering the process of playing well—identifying the key components of a successful shot and then taking it, literally, one shot at a time. So, this golfer embraces the wisdom. Early in the season, he's out on the 18th green in the final round of a big tournament. He's lining up his putt, following the process he and Lanny established. He makes the putt. His playing partner shakes his hand and congratulates him. Then he realizes something must be up when his wife runs on to the green cheering. "Did I win?" he asks. Yah. You just won the tournament and 1 million dollars. Imagine that. Imagine being so focused on executing the next baby in your process that you don't even know you're sinking a million dollar putt. And guess what? You are (of course) much more likely to sink the putt when every ounce of your creative energy is focused on doing your best and not leaking out in concerns about doing well enough. Process vs. Outcome. Where’s your focus?
In his great book Antifragile, Nassim Taleb walks us through the fact that there’s a big difference between being fragile, being resilient, and being ANTIfragile. In short: If you’re fragile and life hits you hard, you break. If you’re resilient and life hits you hard, you withstand more and… eventually… you break. But… If you’re ANTIFRAGILE, when life hits you hard you actually get stronger. Think about that. The more you get kicked around and challenged by life, the S T R O N G E R you get. Wouldn’t that be awesome? As Nassim tells us and we would be wise to remember: “A wind extinguishes a candle but fuels a fire.” Let’s build a bonfire. (On that note, how about this gem from Rumi: “I am burning. If anyone lacks tinder, let him set his rubbish ablaze with my fire.”)
At this point, most of us know that Roger Bannister was the first person to break the 4-minute mile. Very smart people of his era said that it was impossible. Period. End of story. He, of course, wasn’t so sure. But here’s what’s awesome: Do you know how Roger trained to do the impossible? Hint: He broke down his goal into bite-sized pieces. Here’s how: First, he trained until he could run a quarter mile in a minute. (Nice job!) Then he trained until he could run half a mile in two minutes. (Well done!) Then he trained until he could run three-quarters of a mile in three minutes. (Sweet!) Then he trained until he thought he could run the full mile in less than four minutes. And, voila!! On May 6, 1954 at Iffley Road Track in Oxford, England, the time keeper looked down and saw these magic numbers: 3:59.4. Roger achieved the impossible by breaking his “impossible” goal into little bite-size, do-able pieces—which is always a very good idea. (As Henry Ford once said, “Nothing is particularly hard if you break it into enough small pieces.”) How about you? What’s your jumbo-big exciting goal? You know, the thing you would do if you weren't afraid? Yah. That one. Write it down in a few words. Now, let's chunk it down and give you your next bite-size doable target. What's the very next micro-goal you need to hit en route to that big goal?! The thing that, once you achieve, will make it possible to hit the next target? Got it? Awesome. Now… What’s your next baby step? And, most importantly: Is now a good time to take it?
In our last +1, we had fun applying Rumi’s wisdom that God turns us from one feeling to another so we have two wings to fly and not one. Today, we’ll look at another one of my favorite gems from Rumi. He tells us: “If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?” Think about that. If you want to be polished (aka Optimized!!), how do you expect to get there if you’re irritated by every little rub of life? Guess what? It’s those “rubs” (aka challenges!) that are MAKING YOU SO SHINY!!! Rumi also tells us: “This discipline and rough treatment are a furnace to extract the silver from the dross. This testing purifies the gold by boiling the scum away.” Yep. That’s the ticket. We need to embrace all the little rubs antifragile-style as we step into the furnace so we can burn the scum away. That’s Today’s +1. Got any challenges these days? Can you see how the ONLY way you’ve grown in the past is by overcoming challenges? And that the challenges you’re facing today are simply opportunities for you to actually APPLY all these tools to get a little shinier? Rub rub rub. +1. +1. +1.
Here’s a quick look behind the scenes for one of our next classes: Journaling 101: How to Use a Pen and Paper to Create Clarity, Confidence, and Consistency. I hope you enjoy this overview of the class (and my process in creating it)! P.S. Optimize with us: http://optimize.me
I've been thinking about how I can help you optimize (technically, I'm pretty much always obsessing about it) and realized I should probably do some more behind-the-scenes videos to capture my (often messy) thought process about how to take Optimize to the next level and do my life's work while serving you profoundly and creating an exemplary business that scales in the process. This video is the fruits of that. Hope you enjoy!
Optimize with us at https://optimize.me
P.S. Notes on my Top 10 favorite Books
- The Tools by Barry Michels & Phil Stutz: https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-tools-barry-michels-phil-stutz/
- Deep Work by Cal Newport: https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/deep-work-cal-newport/
- The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday: https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/the-daily-stoic-ryan-holiday-stephen-hanselman/
- Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabrielle Oettingen: https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/rethinking-positive-thinking-gabriele-oettingen/
- Grit by Angela Duckworth: https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/grit-angela-duckworth/
- Peak by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool: https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/peak-anders-ericsson-robert-pool/
- Mastery by Robert Greene: https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/mastery-robert-greene/
- Presence by Amy Cuddy: https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/presence-amy-cuddy/
- No Sweat by Michelle Segar, Ph.D.: https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/no-sweat-michelle-segar/
- So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport: https://www.optimize.me/philosophers-notes/so-good-they-cant-ignore-you-cal-newport/
P.P.S. Let's do this!
Michael Gelb is one of the world’s leading creativity teachers. He’s also a qi gong and aikido master who wrote one of my favorite books: “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci.” In this book, he teaches us the art of creating connection. Big Ideas we explore include how to optimize our ability to connect (practice with the little moments!), The Pygmalion Effect (aka the self-fulfilling prophecy), the importance of centering for conflict resolution, and how our addiction to digital devices (ADD) is leading to attention deficit disorder (ADD) which is leading to troubles in connecting and what to do about it.
I’m a HUGE fan of Phil and Barry's first book, The Tools. Coming Alive is kinda like The Tools Part 2. In this book, we get four new tools to go along with the original five tools. Big Ideas we explore include how to connect to our Life Force, defeat Part X (their name for that part of each of us that gets in the way), build our confidence and learn to see problems as gifts as we live a GREAT life.
This is a quick-reading, simple, practical guide to, as the sub-title suggests, “Stop Worrying and Quieten Your Mind—Featuring the Buteyko Breathing Method and Mindfulness.” If you’re looking for a general introduction to the power of Oxygen, I’d recommend you go with Patrick’s more recent and more all-purpose Oxygen Advantage. If you suffer from anxiety and/or panic attacks, this might be a great place to start. Big Ideas we explore: The #1 rule of breathing, the 2 key benefits of putting your attention on your breath, why CO2 is your friend and how to play nice, avoiding rat poison and becoming a good mind gardener.
Patrick McKeown is one of the world’s leading teachers of the Buteyko Breathing Method which was created in the 1950s by a Russian doctor named Dr. Konstantin Buteyko. McKeown suffered from asthma for decades until he found the Buteyko Method. At which point, he reversed his asthma symptoms and then dedicated his life to helping others optimize their breathing. In this book, he extends the Buteyko Method into an approach he calls the Oxygen Advantage. Big Ideas we cover include the #1 obstacle to optimal breathing, Oxygen Delivery 101, the #1 breathing tip, and how to dial in your sleep.
This book is an adaptation of a series of essays Katy created over the last five years in which she unpacks her evolving views on what she calls “movement ecology.” It’s not your typical “do X, Y, and Z” optimal living guidebook. It’s a thoughtful and thought-provoking look at why—as you can guess by the title—Movement Matters and a challenging look at how our individual and cultural decisions have created a sedentary culture and a significant nature debt that few of us ever stop to think about. Big Ideas: Stacking your life, minimalism vs. maximalism, the tree of your life, and redefining success.
Welcome: Your Heroic Quest + Making it a Reality
Our world needs heroes today more than ever before. We need YOU to be a Hero. We hope you enjoy this video from Friday Night of our weekend immersion workshop: Hero Training 101. Let’s do this!
Watch the entire weekend workshop here:
www.optimize.me/hero
Do you know why we call our modern marathon a marathon? You may think you know the real story behind the very first marathon, but in this captivating, inspiring tale, Dean Karnazes (named by Men’s Health as one of the 100 Fittest Men of All Time) gives us a deeper look at the man who, 2,500 years ago, ran the first ULTRAmarathon and, in doing so, effectively saved Western civilization. :) Big Ideas we explore: a history lesson The Battle of Marathon, why balance doesn’t lead to happiness (and what does), a 24 Hour Fitness with Harvard profs, heroes are ready and how to play the pain game.
I love Stoicism. In this class we take a quick look at the cast of characters (from founder Zeno to Seneca + Epictetus + Marcus Aurelius) and then dive into the ultimate goal of Stoicism (hint: become bff’s with your inner daimon so you can experience a state of well-being and flourishing) along with the practices that help us apply this wisdom to our lives. We’ll create energized tranquility and equanimity as we have fun becoming our own ideal sages.
James Kouzes and Barry Posner are two of the world’s preeminent researchers on leadership. This is the 25th anniversary, fifth edition version of their best-selling classic that has sold over 2 million copies. One of the things I most like about this book is the fact that it covers the SCIENCE of leadership. Kouzes and Posnar have been conducting empirical research for over three decades. Big Ideas we explore: The 5 Practices (<— key word!) of Exemplary Leaders, the foundation of leadership (= credibility which = …), Law #2: DWYSYWD, and the best-kept secret of leadership = …
A former U.S. Navy SEAL Commander, Mark Divine integrates the ancient warrior traditions with grounded, practical virtue and 21st century get-it-done effectiveness in a way that I find incredibly inspiring. Big Ideas we cover include the power of front-sight focus, how to DIRECT your mind, going Yoda on your commitments and creating micro goals when things are tough.
Here’s another behind-the-scenes look at how I’m thinking about The Big 3: Energy + Family + Service as we raise our standards to heroic levels. Primary questions: What does you at your best look like in each domain? What will you experience/who will you be when you are your best? (Aka: The Why) And, most importantly, what ONE thing will you do every.single.day to make that ideal self a reality? Hope you enjoy! More on Hero Training 101: optimize.me/hero
Join us for my first ever offline immersion workshop. It will be at our new Optimize Oasis in Ojai in April. We’re calling it Hero Training 101. It’s time. Learn more: https://optimize.me/hero
So I figured out my one word for 2017: Hērōs. Popped up in meditation this AM. It’s basically the perfect expression of what we discussed yesterday: Community + Consistency. Here’s how I’m thinking about Hērōs + Virtues vs. Bling on this fine first day of 2017! Here’s to stepping into the highest version of ourselves and serving profoundly!!!!
Turning the last page on my 2016 calendar is a pretty exciting thing for me. (Hah.) Here’s a sneak peek at what’s going to be important for me in 2017. You? Let's make 2017 the Greatest Year Ever!! Join nearly 10,000 people Optimizing at https://optimize.me/join
Here’s a quick look at Greatest Year Ever 101. Join us at our new Oasis in Ojai (907 El Centro Street, Ojai 93023) or via Livestream as a member: optimize.me/join. Let’s do this!
Today we take a quick look at my creative planning to help us make 2017 the Greatest Year Ever. Fun! (I mention our membership. If you haven't joined yet and it feels like a good fit, learn more/sign up here: http://optimize.me/join)
In this little trip behind-the-scenes we take a quick look at the evolving 2017 Q1 calendar and how fired up I am about PN-LIVE. Plus we have fun with two micro classes: one on identifying your #1 (or Top 3) goals for next year that’ll make it amazing (along with the 1 or 2 habits you need to install to make that goal happen); and, we have fun looking at chasms vs. cracks. Joseph Campbell said that when you get to a chasm, jump. It’s not as wide as you think. I share a couple stories of my own where I saw chasms were really cracks. You? P.S. Let’s do this.
Big visions are awesome, of course. But ultimately it's all about ACTION--taking gritty baby steps every.single.day in pursuit of our big audacious goals and purpose-driven destiny. One great tactic? Get Juicy!! Just ship it. #JUSI
After my strategy journaling I often send a quick video my right-hand genius ninja Evan. Today I started doing that and realized I should just share it with you as well as part of this series. So, here we are. Theme: Let's 10x--make that 20x!!-- the value we create for our members by sharing 250 PN-LIVEs + 250 Office Hours. Still noodling but basically, Monday thru Friday at 10am PST I'm thinking we can hang out and Optimize. Then on Saturday we'll have a longer lecture for more awesome. Then I rest on Sunday. :) (Got ideas on stuff you'd like me to cover?! Drop a comment, pretty please!!) LET'S DO THIS!!
Another quick peek at my prep for 2017. Short story: We're going to livestream awesome classes on my 100 favorite book ever. Q&A. etc. It's going to be awesome.
Every morning I spend ~5 minutes quickly journaling on what I am committed to doing and who I am committed to being in the world. Here's a quick peek behind the scenes on this AM's journaling in which I share the big vision for our business Optimize Enterprises, Public Benefit Corporation.
Hero Training 101. It's time.
Here's the full script:
Do you know what the word “hero” means?
In ancient Greek, the word “hērōs” (spelled with a cool line over the e and the o) meant PROTECTOR.
Not “killer of bad guys” or “super strong tough guy” but PROTECTOR.
A hero has strength for two.
The hero’s secret weapon?
LOVE.
Compassion.
Empathy.
A hero CARES.
And a hero is willing to do the work necessary to be strong enough to serve and to protect the people and community and country she loves.
Our world needs heroes today more than ever before.
That’s why I’m putting every single ounce of my energy into something we’re calling Hero Training 101.
We’re going to help you create the greatest year of your life and, in the process, help you create heroic mastery of every facet of your life.
We’ll start by figuring out what you’re here to do. How will YOU be heroic? What bold steps will you take to give your greatest gifts in greatest service to the world? Who must you become to make that vision a reality?
We’ll figure out your highest calling and then challenge you to STEP UP and create the strength to make that dream a reality.
We’ll start with your fundamentals. Absolutely dialing in your nutrition, your movement, your sleep, and your ability to focus your mind—putting your attention where you want, when you want for how long you want—the skill that psychologists tell us is THE most important attribute of the greatest and happiest among us.
We’ll master the process of setting and achieving goals. Building habits and using your willpower wisely. Cultivating humble yet heroic confidence. Mastering the process of getting stuff done while conquering any procrastination, anxiety or depression. We’ll step into our full leadership potential and master the process of using business as a force for heroic good.
And, most importantly, we’ll focus on love. Not just for a few people with whom we’re close. But for everyone and all of life—remembering that THE secret weapon of the true hero is LOVE. Fully embodied and expressed in every micro-moment of our lives as we dig deep and commit to most fully giving ourselves to our families, communities, countries and world.
Hero Training 101. It’s time.
optimize.me/hero
You know what the foundation of leadership is? Credibility. Know how to build your credibility as a leader? Four key qualities. Here they are.
Want to influence yourself? Tap into your natural tendency to want consistency. Here's a quick look at how to do that. (Hint: Start small. Write down your commitment. Share your it.)
Charisma. First thing to know: You can build it. Here's how. (Focus on three skills: Presence + Power + Warmth!)
Hero. Did you know the word means "protector" in Greek? Yep. Let's shift from "What's in it for me?" to "How can I be my brother's keeper.
Did you know thinking about things we procrastinate about triggers a pain response in our brains? Yep. But get this - Only the anticipation creates pain; doing doesn't! So, just do it.
Did you know that if you boost your productivity by 10% you basically add a MONTH's worth of productivity to your year? NUTS, eh? And true. Here's how to add at least a month.
Brian Tracy once crossed the Sahara desert. 500 miles of nothing but sand. All he had to do was go from oil barrel to oil barrel. Incremental improvement is where it's at.
PCT = Problem-centric thinking. RSF = Relentless solution focus. Mentally tough people focus on SOLUTIONS. Are you?
The first time GSP told his dad his dream to be a world champion his dad thought he was crazy. He kept going. Step by step. You know how many steps are in a 1,000 journey? About 2,112,000. #walkingshoes
Leadership is all about inspiring and empowering people to do great things. In this class, we’ll explore the fact that leadership starts by leading yourself as we identify your noble purpose, chisel your foundation, create a compelling vision, embrace the process, and do what you’re here to do. We’ll also look at the power of charisma, the neuroscience of being an iconoclastic leader, and discuss the best-kept secret of leadership to help you create your legacy.
Experiments never fail. That's a powerful distinction. Let's put on our lab coats + goggles and embrace a TESTING mindset vs. a "trusting" one.
Coach Wooden believed in simplicity. His teams ran 1 offense, 1 defense, 1 out-of-bounds play. They MASTERED their one thing and became unstoppable. How about you: Is your life simple or complex?
Imagining sliding into an fMRI. Researchers ask you to imagine yourself, a stranger and you in 10 years. The results are interesting and powerful.
3:59.4. That's less than 4 minutes. Running a mile in that time used to be impossible. Until it wasn't. What impossible thing do you need to reframe into possible?
John Maxwell tells us that systems are just good strategies repeated. I like that. Nice and simple: Figure out what works. Do more of it. #repeat.
Strong Hope has three things firing: Goals + Agency + Pathways. We need to futurecast a goal that fires us up, believe we can have it and be willing to take infinite Pathways to rock it! Plan A to Z.
The All Blacks are all about getting better all.the.time. Can you find 100 things you can improve 1%? Marginal gains, baby!
Here are the four psychological assets you need to grow your grit: Interest + Practice + Purpose + Hope.
We want to be RATIONAL optimists--not irrational optimists. Here's the difference. (And, how it's kinda like irrational vs. rational visualization WOOP style.)
Want to be a great leader? It starts with trust--which starts with character. Here are 3 ways to chisel your goodness.
Growth does not occur in a straight line. Time to embrace the zigs and the zags that are part of mastery as our highs get higher and our lows get higher.
Nassim Taleb tells us how to become more anti-fragile. Here's a quick look at his "barbell strategy." Key: Be BOTH super aggressive AND super conservative.
When we see an iceberg, we're tempted to think it's just the tip, but we KNOW there's a lot going on beneath the surface. Same thing with world-class performance.
Robin Sharma is one of the world’s top leadership experts. He’s also an extraordinarily inspiring guy. This is an inspiring fable about a disillusioned former veteran (Blake) who meets a mysterious mentor (Tommy) who introduces him to four exceptional leaders who change his life. Via this fun cast of characters, Robin downloads his ENORMOUS array of wisdom on leadership + personal greatness. Big Ideas we explore: the four keys to leading without a title, how to flip the leadership switch, the power of moving thru fear and embracing adversity, a simple way to optimize your relationships, and training like an athlete to achieve your personal greatness.
Pixar execs say they take their films from suck to unsuck. (Hah.) We need to do the same. (Did you know WALL-E had 98,173 (!!!) storyboards? Yep.) That's a lot of little bets.
How would the boldest, most authentic, best version of you act? Now a good time to be that? (A: YES! "Fake it until you become it.")
Cal Newport is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth who went on to MIT for his Ph.D. and is now a Professor at Georgetown. In this book, Cal shares the top ideas he gleaned from interviews with non-grind Phi Beta Kappa members at elite schools across the country. They had to perform well AND they had to achieve those results without grinding away. Their practices, although discovered independently, reflect the same wisdom shared in the science books. It’s great to see the overlap. Big Ideas: pseudo-work vs. real work (and a secret formula), conquering procrastination, when/where/how long should you study?, #1 way to learn (and #1 trap), the importance of spacing out your work and the power to choose your future via excellent grades.
Nutrition. It’s easy to get lost in the labyrinth of conflicting science. In this class, we focus on the 2 facts Michael Pollan tells us we can all agree on and then look at how to eliminate the primary causes of disease caused by our modern diets. Optimizing our health, energy and happiness starts at the end of our fork!
Shawn Stevenson is a health coach who has one of the most popular health & fitness podcasts out there called The Model Health Show. This is a short, quick-reading, funny and practical little book featuring 21 tips on how to optimize your sleep. Big Ideas we cover: #1 tip: value your sleep (it’s the secret sauce), avoid the blue lights, adenosine (did you know how caffeine really works?), staying cool, getting your vitamin G and creating PM rituals.
Jean-Paul Sartre was a French philosopher, novelist, playwright, and critic. He was a leading intellectual of the 20th century and the leading proponent of existentialism. This short book is a transcript of a speech Sartre gave in 1945 to address many of the critics of existentialism. It’s a remarkably lucid, concise exposition on the primary tenets of existentialism—even more remarkable given the fact that Sartre gave this lecture without notes. Big Ideas we explore: Anguish + its antidote, passion vs. choice, quietism vs. commitment, the stern optimism of existentialism and moral choices as a work of art.
Unless you're looking to be mediocre, focus more on your talents than your weaknesses. Forget about being well-rounded and focus on being the best version of you.
Christopher McDougall is a brilliant story teller (and author of Born to Run). In this great book, he weaves together a number of different narratives, with an emphasis on two: one about an extraordinary wartime adventure on Crete and the other about Natural Movement. In the process, he shares a ton of Ideas on how we can each tap into the extraordinary superpowers latent within. Big Ideas we explore include the ancient Greek meaning of the word “hero,” the mantra of the hero, why weeds + fat are optimal fuel and a great test.
This is the classic text on the psychology of persuasion. Robert Cialdini is a professor of both psychology and marketing at Arizona State University. He’s one of the world’s leading experts on the psychology of persuasion. The book is simultaneously kind of a consumer protection guide (how not to be duped) AND a manual for marketers (how to sell your stuff!). Cialdini has identified six core psychological principles of persuasion. We take a quick look at each, how they can be used for good or ill and how to apply the wisdom to our lives today.
You know how long Google kept Gmail in Beta mode? 5 years. Only after MILLIONS of people used and loved it did they declare beta complete. We need to put ourselves in permanent beta mode!
Katy Bowman is the world’s leading biomechanist—helping us apply wisdom from that domain to optimizing our lives. This is a great, quick-reading, smart and funny look at how we can optimally transition from sitting all.day.long to creating a standing and dynamic (<— key word!) workstation to help us optimize our whole-body health. Big Ideas we explore include whether or not sitting is the new smoking, checking in to see if we’re active yet also sedentary, the 3 M’s of movement, working out our eyeballs, what sea turtles can teach us about our sleep and how to have the best ideas.
Katy Bowman is one of the world’s leading biomechanists—helping us integrate proper body movement to optimize our well-being. She has a great podcast + blog you might enjoy as well. This book is packed with a ton of exercises and plenty of info on the science of biomechanics to help us pay more attention to the loads we’re putting on our bodies throughout the day so we can get in harmony with how our bodies were designed to move. Big Ideas we explore include moving your TRILLIONS of cells, why movement > exercise, why walking is the secret sauce, and how to take a forest bath.
Here's a quick look at some of Warren Buffett's thoughts on goal setting. In short: Identify 25 important life goals. Identify the top 5. Throw away the rest and get to work!
When you look at EXTRAORDINARY performers do you find yourself saying, "Wow. They must have been born with something special?" If so, remember: SO WERE YOU.
John Maxwell is one of the world’s leading authorities on leadership. He’s trained millions (literally) of leaders and has written over 50 (!) books that have sold over 13 million copies—this one alone has sold over 3 million copies. After a super quick look at the 21 Laws, Big Ideas we explore: The Law of Process (aka: Leaders are learners), the foundation of leadership (= trust), leaders are practical AND visionary, the law of victory (!), and your legacy—what will people say when you die? + What’s your “life sentence”?
Epictetus is known as one of the world’s leading Stoic philosophers. (Along with Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, the three make up a very interesting bunch.) Epictetus was a former slave turned philosopher who lived from 55-135 (a little later than Seneca and before Aurelius). This book is a transcription of the informal lectures Epictetus gave to his students. It’s awesome. Big Ideas we explore: why Hercules needed challenges (and so do you), what figs can teach us about greatness, the good + the bad + the indifferent and how to tell the difference, “impressions” and the tricks they play, and the fact NOW is the time to live this stuff.
Did you know there’s a science (+ art!) to learning? Yep. In this class, I’m excited to share some of my favorite Big Ideas on how to learn + make things stick–efficiently! Whether you’re a student, parent or life-long learner, I hope you enjoy!
Eric Goodman is the creator of Foundation Training. If you’ve ever had back or neck or other physical pain, this book might be just what your doctor forgot to order. And, of course, if you’re just looking to take your energy to the next level, this is a gem. In the Note, we take a quick look at why gravity + sitting/bad posture = compression and why that’s so bad plus how to deal with it as we become fluent in a new movement language and have fun becoming perpetual motion machines.
Wonder what the iconoclast’s brain looks like? Well, that’s what this book is all about. Our guide is Gregory Berns, one of the world’s leading pioneers (iconoclasts?) in the field of neuroeconomics. Berns is a professor in the department of Psychiatry and Economics and at the Goizeta Business School at Emory University. This book is a fascinating look at the three primary facets of the iconoclast’s brain (perception + courage + social skills), brought to life via research studies and biographical sketches of modern iconoclasts. Big Ideas we cover: how to change the way you see the world, how to control your fear and how to build your social skills (hint: be a good human).
The Purpose Formula has three parts. How do you fill in the bubbles? Where do your skills and joy meet the world's needs?
Warren Bennis is one of the world’s leading authorities on leadership. This is, as Peter Drucker puts it, his “most important book.” Big Ideas we explore include the basic ingredients of leadership (#1 = Guiding Vision!), the importance of self-invention (hint: write your own story!), the power of trusting ourselves, choosing to express ourselves rather than prove ourselves, how to cultivate trust, and becoming a world-class leader.
Welcome to OPTIMIZE Airlines. Please fasten your seatbelts and... remember that if cabin pressure changes you need to give yourself oxygen before trying to help others!
Here's the definition of the Common Denominator of Success: Successful people make a habit of doing the things failures don't like to do.
Vice Admiral James Stockdale is an American hero. Stockdale spent nearly eight years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. He spent four of those years in solitary confinement and was repeatedly tortured. He was the commanding officer of hundreds of other U.S. soldiers and received the Medal of Honor for his service beyond the call of duty. This is an incredibly inspiring look at the powerful mind and equally powerful moral commitment of a hero. Big Ideas we explore: Being our brother’s keeper, chiseling our integrity to achieve delight with life, courage as endurance of the soul and heroes vs. bums.
Pete Carroll and Michael Gervais made mental training as important as the physical training with the Seahawks. One trick? They'd have their players imaging their peak performance. Then think about what gets in the way of that. Then they'd systematically remove those obstacles. <-- Good idea!
Phil Knight created Nike. This book is a phenomenally well-written, funny, tear-jerking, inspiring look at how he and his eclectic team of misfit geniuses made Nike one of the most iconic brands in the world. If you’re into sports, business and hero’s journeys, you’ll love it. I highly recommend it. Big Ideas we explore include: Crazy Ideas, victory, billionaires getting their credit cards declined (before they’re billionaires), optimal business, gratitude, luck and answering your calling.
Jocko Willink and Leif Babin were two of the most senior (and decorated) SEALS on the ground in the most intense battles of Iraq. In this book they share their leadership lessons on how U.S. Navy SEALs lead and win. It’s an intense, impactful read. Big Ideas we explore include a definition of Extreme Ownership, the fact that there are no bad teams, only bad leaders, how to prioritize and execute and remembering that discipline = freedom.
Here's an awesome standard: Outperform your contract. At work. At home. Let's astonish.
Movement. It’s about more than just exercise. Did you know you can be active and sedentary? Yep. In this class we’ll take a look at how to optimize your energy, genes, mind, mood, and body as a perpetual motion machine!
David Ludwig has both an M.D. and a Ph.D. and is a professor and researcher at both Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health. He’s overseen dozens of diet studies, authored over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles, and supported thousands of patients looking to optimize their weight. In this book, we learn how to conquer cravings, retrain fat cells, and lose weight permanently.
What's the #1 rule of confidence? "The actions of confidence come first; the feelings of confidence come later."
Did you know the word "character" comes from the Greek word for "chisel"? Yep. Just as you chisel away at a marble statue to create a work of art, we need to chisel away at everything that gets in the way of making our lives a work of art.
Michael Phelps tells us there’s a big difference between “Can’t” and “Won’t.” His coach, Bob Bowman, told him, “‘Can’t’–that’s a tough word.” Let’s preserve our power and quit throwing around “can’t” when we really mean “won’t”!
The Spartan Race tagline is "You'll know at the finish line." But getting to the STARTING line is way more important.
This is a super popular book in the Paleo movement that, as the sub-title suggests, introduces us to the Whole30 and can change your life in unexpected ways. Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig created the Whole30 that has inspired tens of thousands of people to follow their plan and change their life. I’m one of those people. I talk more about how my life changed as a result in the Note. Big Ideas we explore include +1 or -1 bite by bite, the experiment of ONE, the four tests of Good Food, are grains necessary? and your personal health equation.
Joe De Sena is the founder of the Spartan Race. He’s also, as Angela Duckworth, author of Grit, tells us: “a paragon of grit” who “shows you how you’re capable of so much more than you think.” A paragon of grit. That’s the perfect description. After inspiring us with stories of real-life heroes and ancient Spartan lore, De Sena walks us through the seven pillars of Spartan training + a 30-day plan to get Spartan Fit. Big Ideas we explore include getting to the starting line, developing obstacle immunity, making thousands of small decisions and your gritty oath.
Want to know what happens when we industrialized our food. Here are 5 key things to keep in mind.
Michael Pollan is one of the world’s leading thinkers on nutrition. Time magazine voted him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He’s also a Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley. One of the things I most love about him and his work is that, as a journalist, he takes a much wider, more objective view of the nutritional landscape—which can often be dominated by (and muddled by) individuals with very strong, dogmatic, inflexible ideologies. Big Ideas we explore: Nutritionism (vs. food), the big experiment (that failed), the Aborigine in all of us, the 5 fundamental transformations of industrializing food and Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puff and Trix cereals as health foods as per the American Heart Association. (<— Can you believe that? Crazy. And true.)
There's REAL work and then there's pseudo-work. It's all about intensity. Remember: Work = Time x Intensity.
What if happiness began at the end of your fork? The latest research on neuroscience and nutrition tells us that’s a VERY wise place to start. And, of course, that’s what this book is all about: A Nutritional Prescription for a Sharp Brain, Balanced Mood, and Lean, Energized Body. It’s a really well-written, eye-opening look at how we got into the nutritional mess we’re in and the extremely damaging effects of the modern American diet. And, of course, more importantly, how we can optimize our nutrition so we can dial in the three facets of happiness: our focus, our mood, and our energy.
High standards are great. Perfectionism? Not so much. In this class, we’ll take a look at why it’s so important to embrace the constraints of reality as we have fun incrementally optimizing–aggregating and compounding tiny improvements over time to create magic!
Fats. They are not created equal. Here's a quick look at the good, the bad, and the truly evil.
Want to know learning's enemy #1? Here it is: the fluency illusion. And, here's how to beat it!
Did you know fast-acting carbs light up the addiction center (called the nucleus accumbens) of your brain? Yep. Here's a quick look at some fascinating reseaarch on this and a tip on how to conquer your cravings.
Joan Vernikos was the former Director of NASA’s Life Sciences Division. Basically, she was responsible for understanding how to optimize the health and well-being of our astronauts. In this book, she walks us through how our sedentary lifestyles are surprisingly similar to the gravity-free lifestyles of astronauts in space. Just as an astronaut’s health rapidly deteriorates outside of gravity’s pull, OUR health erodes when we adopt a sedentary lifestyle. Big Ideas we cover include Gravity 101, why gravity is so N.E.A.T., how to build G-Habits and why your telomeres don’t like you sitting so much.
Here's a fun interview with Pilar Gerasimo and Dallas Hartwig about their new podcast called The Living Experiment. Check them out! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/living-experiment-rethink/id113903086
"Edible foodlike substances." That's what Michael Pollan calls the stuff food scientists are cooking up these days. Remember Rule #1: Eat food. If your great-grandmother didn't eat, you probably shouldn't eat it. If it doesn't rot, don't eat it. If your 3rd grader can't pronounce ingredients? Don't eat it.
This book is very different than the types of books I usually focus on. It’s not “self-development” per se; it’s more like “state-development”—as in, the optimal politics for our nation and world. The main thrust of the book is that we are entering a revolutionary time, the era of “Great Connection.” His primary focus is on a macro level. In our Note we focus on how we can apply this wisdom on an individual level. Big Ideas include a look at the #1 illness of our era and how to deal with it, why we need Hard Gatekeeping, the difference btwn complicated and complex and building a 10,000 year clock while answering the call to revolution.
Want to reach your optimal weight while preventing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and cancer AND while feeling energized as you live longer? Eat more fat. That’s what Dr. Mark Hyman—one of the world’s leading Functional Medicine doctors—tells us. This book is ridiculously packed with Big Ideas—walking us through the eye-opening science of why fat is awesome along with a plan on how to “reboot our biology to our original factory settings” via a 21-day program followed by a long-term plan to rock it. We explore the surprising truth about fat, good fats vs. bad fats, going pegan (think: best of vegan + Paleo), a quality carb, and dealing with root causes rather than symptoms.
Gravity. It's always pushing us into the center of the Earth. If we're sitting all day every day, that causes super unhealthy compression. We need to decompress. Easiest way to do that? Stand tall!
Benedict Carey is an award-winning science writer for The New York Times. This book is his exploration of what the latest research says about, you guessed it, How We Learn. Big Ideas we cover include the #1 enemy to learning (and how to win that battle), why distributed your learning is where it’s at, how sleeping is like learning with your eyes closed and how to put the Zeigarnick Effect to use for maximum benefit.
Next time you walk through the grocery store remember: The long the shelf life, the shorter YOUR life. Choose real food.
David Ludwig has both an M.D. and a Ph.D. and is a professor and researcher at both Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health. He’s overseen dozens of diet studies, authored over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles, and supported thousands of patients looking to optimize their weight. In this book, we learn how to conquer cravings, retrain fat cells, and lose weight permanently.
When you experience pain do you struggle and try to control your thoughts and feelings or do you accept the pain and commit to values-based action? Choose wisely! Keep the struggle switch in the OFF position. Remember: S = P x R.
Sir John Hargrave is a funny guy and this book is awesome. If you’re a bit of a geek (or if you’re married to one!) looking for a fun, grounded, super practical take on how to get your mind right so you can do what you’re here to do, I think you’ll love this book. Big Ideas we explore include: how to develop Jedi-like concentration, how to debug your mind, creating a vision of the best version of your life 10 years from now (and why it matters), how to make your life a masterpiece.
Eleanor Roosevelt tells us we gain strength, courage, and confidence every time we stop to look fear in the face and she challenges us to do that EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.
Eric Goodman is the creator of Foundation Training. If you’ve ever had back or neck or other physical pain, this book might be just what your doctor forgot to order. And, of course, if you’re just looking to take your energy to the next level, this is a gem. In the Note, we take a quick look at why gravity + sitting/bad posture = compression and why that’s so bad plus how to deal with it as we become fluent in a new movement language and have fun becoming perpetual motion machines.
Movement transcends and includes exercise. How much do YOU move? (And are you ready to become a perpetual motion machine? :)
The gut. That’s where all the health magic (or challenges!) begins. Alejandro Junger is a cardiologist turned functional medicine doctor who created the incredibly popular Clean Program. We covered his first book Clean and now for a spotlight on the Clean Gut. Big Ideas we explore include symptoms vs. root causes (paint any brown leaves green lately?), how food’s shelf life correlates with yours, your 2nd brain, nutrigenomics, gluten (the ubiquitous poison) and step 1 to cleaning things up (hint: remove toxic triggers).
Willpower is the queen of all virtues. It outpredicts IQ by a factor of TWO for academic performance (and everything else we want in life). This class is all about the science of how to systematically build our willpower so we can reach our highest potential.
This is a surprisingly awesome book—a fable about a young captain who spends time with a master and commander who reveals the secret code of rockin’ it. It’s kinda like if a Navy SEAL wrote The Alchemist or The Way of the Peaceful Warrior or The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Big Ideas we cover include: U.P.E.R.S.I.S.T. (the code to being unstoppable), the 2 limitations in life, how to discover your why, how to plan in 3-D, and the magic pill you need to take.
Jim Rohn's success formula is simple: Do your key disciplines every.single.day. It's easy to do. But it's also easy not to do. (What are YOUR daily disciplines? You doing 'em?)
ACT. That’s where it’s at. This is our second Note on Russ Harris and his great introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. (Check out the Notes on The Confidence Gap as well.) In this book, Russ walks us through how we get caught in the happiness trap and, more importantly, how to free ourselves. We’ll take a quick look at the myths of happiness, the six principles of ACT, how to deal with emotional quicksand, how NOT to visualize (and what to do instead), and writing down your values (<— science says that’s wise).
There's a big difference between fruitlessly ruminating and productively reflecting. Here's a quick look. (Remember: Focus on the +1 solution!)
Eleanor Roosevelt served as the First Lady for 12 years—through her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt’s terms as President during the Great Depression and World War II. She went on to play a leading role as a diplomat in the United Nations was one of the most loved and influential women of the 20th century. This book is a beautifully written, inspiring look into “Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life.” Big Ideas we cover include how to conquer the great enemy (fear), Eleanor’s Top 4 Big Ideas on Time Management 101, holding the tension between our dreams of perfection and reality while making all life one big adventure.
It's crazy how much leaving gravity diminishes an astronaut's health. Guess what? We do the same kinda thing to our health when we sit all.day.every.day.
Jim Afremow is one of the world’s leading sports psychologists and this great book is packed with Big Ideas. We explore: the vision of a champion (and how to fuel it), what mental toughness really is, how/why to be ugly but effective, how to evaluate yourself (3 q’s: good + better + best), and creating sustained obsession as you take the champion’s honor pledge.
Baby sea turtles in Cancun used to be able to "seafind" via the moon's light. Since hotels moved in to the beach, they're losing that ability. Guess what? We suffer a lot from unnatural light at night as well. To digital sunsets and viva la sea turtle!
Jim Rohn was one of the 20th century’s leading personal development gurus—influencing everyone from Tony Robbins to Darren Hardy. He wrote and taught in a simple, conversational, down-to-earth style. Reading this book feels like sitting down and having an inspiring chat with one of the best old-school coaches out there. Big Ideas we explore include the formula for success (+ the 2 easies), how to unlock your potential, character = chisel, and the key to perseverance.
How do successful people get themselves to do things failures don't like to do? One word: PURPOSE. (How's yours?)
Daniel Goleman is a former New York Times science writer and author of the uber-bestselling book Emotional Intelligence. In Focus, we look at the underlying neuroscience of attention. We need to start by realizing that the strength (or weakness) of our attention is at the core of E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. we do. Everything! Which is why Goleman calls it “the hidden driver of excellence.” Big Ideas we explore include rumination vs. reflection, the three foci of willpower, smart practice and hitting the mental gym.
In addition to being a dear friend and author of one of the books that most profoundly changed my life (How to Think Like da Vinci), Michael Gelb is a qi gong master. In this special episode, Michael walks us thru The Three Treasures qi gong practice. Hope you enjoy and here's to optimizing our qi!
Ready to reach your potential and perform at your best when it matters most? Fantastic. Let’s get clear on where you’re headed, go all in, and cultivate our grit + presence + self-confidence as we vacuum up any potential choke dust, visualize, let it rip and win or learn.
Jocelyn Glei is the bestselling writer + editor of three great books we featured: Manage Your Day-to-Day, Make Your Mark, and Maximize Your Potential. They’re all awesome. She was also the founding Editor-in-Chief of 99U--an award-winning resource that provides the missing curriculum on making ideas happen. Today we’re going to talk about some of my favorite Big Ideas from her great books. (And, get a little preview on her upcoming book UNSUBSCRIBE!)
Joan Vernikos was the former Director of NASA’s Life Sciences Division. Basically, she was responsible for understanding how to optimize the health and well-being of our astronauts. In this book, she walks us through how our sedentary lifestyles are surprisingly similar to the gravity-free lifestyles of astronauts in space. Just as an astronaut’s health rapidly deteriorates outside of gravity’s pull, OUR health erodes when we adopt a sedentary lifestyle. Big Ideas we cover include Gravity 101, why gravity is so N.E.A.T., how to build G-Habits and why your telomeres don’t like you sitting so much.
F.E.A.R. got you stopped in your tracks? It's time to D.A.R.E. Defuse from your negative thoughts, Accept discomfort, set Realistic goals and Embrace your values and #bam. You're rockin' it.
Katy Bowman is the world’s leading biomechanist—helping us apply wisdom from that domain to optimizing our lives. This is a great, quick-reading, smart and funny look at how we can optimally transition from sitting all.day.long to creating a standing and dynamic (<— key word!) workstation to help us optimize our whole-body health. Big Ideas we explore include whether or not sitting is the new smoking, checking in to see if we’re active yet also sedentary, the 3 M’s of movement, working out our eyeballs, what sea turtles can teach us about our sleep and how to have the best ideas.
You have a big goal. You have your why. Here's how to make a plan to rock it. It's all about 3-D planning!
Anders Ericsson is the world’s leading scientist studying expert performance—looking at how, precisely, the people who are the best in the world at what they do became the best. In this Note, we take a quick look at The Gift that we all have that’s the key to our potential greatness, HOW to go about tapping into the benefits of that gift via a certain type of practice (forget naive practice and go for purposeful + deliberate!), the fact that there is no such thing as a “10,000 Hour Rule,” and why we should be called Homo Exercens rather than Homo Sapiens. :)
John Herdman is the head coach of the Canadian women's national soccer team that won Bronze in London and is off to the Olympics in Rio. In this chat, we explore some of his wisdom on how to cultivate belief, the power of clarity and simplicity, how to deal with adversity (by inviting it in) and what makes the best so great.
Living Forward is a powerful little book all about helping us figure out our Life Plan—which is, essentially, the vision for every aspect of our lives and our plan to make it a reality. The book is the result of a collaboration between leading publisher + author Michael Hyatt and his coach Daniel Harkavy. It’s basically like having one of the world’s leading life coaches walk you through the Life Planning process he’s used with thousands of his clients. Big Ideas we explore include The Drift, your life GPS, pull power, soul oxygen and the Law of Diminishing Intent.
This is a dinky little pamphlet of a book based on a speech Albert E.N. Gray gave to a group of Prudential life insurance agents back in 1940. It’s packed with goodness and is uber-popular. In this Note, we define The Common Denominator of Success, identify the power of purpose and the fact that your future is formed by your habits.
Your amygala is kinda like a car alarm for your limbic system. You don't want it to go off at the smallest thing. Meditation helps cool a hot amygdala so you're not always in fight-or-flight.
Russ Harris is one of the world’s leading authorities on one of the most cutting-edge forms of therapy known as Acceptance and Commitment Training, or ACT for short (pronounced like the word “act” not A.C.T.). In this book, Russ tells us that we’ve been following the wrong rule book if we want to dial in our confidence. We explore The Golden Rule of confidence (and 9 other rules), why we need to defuse from our negative thoughts NOT try to eliminate them, how to have instant success (presto!), and how to move from FEAR to DARE as we live the great adventure that is our lives.
We need to be committed, of course. But, there's a virtuous way to go about it and a not-so-effective. It's all about flexibility (not fickleness or obstinacy).
Did you know the word “parenting” comes from the Latin “to bring forth”? Yep. Begs the question, what do YOU want to help bring forth in your kids?! In this class, we explore 10 of my favorite Ideas on how I’m approaching fatherhood and going for dad of the year while doing my life’s work.
Want to learn about the science of successful learning? Then this is the book for you. Written by a story-teller and two of the world’s leading cognitive scientists who have dedicated their careers to mastering memory + learning, the book is packed with wisdom on what works and what doesn’t. Big Ideas we explore include mastery vs. fluency, the power of active retrieval (aka “the testing effect”), explaining stuff in your own words and the wisdom in the adage that whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.
This book is very different than the types of books I usually focus on. It’s not “self-development” per se; it’s more like “state-development”—as in, the optimal politics for our nation and world. The main thrust of the book is that we are entering a revolutionary time, the era of “Great Connection.” His primary focus is on a macro level. In our Note we focus on how we can apply this wisdom on an individual level. Big Ideas include a look at the #1 illness of our era and how to deal with it, why we need Hard Gatekeeping, the difference btwn complicated and complex and building a 10,000 year clock while answering the call to revolution.
Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning NY Times journalist (and Harvard MBA) who wrote the best-selling book The Power of Habit in which he walked us through the science of building better habits. In this book, he walks us through the science of being productive so we can be smarter, faster and better at everything we do. It’s a great book packed with fascinating stories and practical applications. Big Ideas we explore include the 2 keys to motivation, how to build your focus, the best way to set goals (think: Stretch + SMART), why disfluency helps learning and how productivity is all about choices.
Seneca was an old-school Roman statesman and one of history’s leading Stoic philosophers. In this book he tells us that life is only short if you don’t know how to use it and also gives us some tips on how to deal with challenging times and cultivate tranquility. Big Ideas we explore include making T.O.D.A.Y. the day, how to deal with being exiled (never know when it could happen ;), and why flexibility is the virtuous road to tranquility (and how to avoid the detours).
"As a predictor of later success in life, I would place my bet on strong entrepreneurial capacitites" says William Damon, one of the world's leading development psychologists. Here's a quick look at those 7 qualities.
Russell Simmons is often called the godfather of hip-hop. He’s a fascinating guy and entrepreneur. This book is a quick, straight-to-the-point guide to meditation written in a style that makes you feel like you’re having a chat with Russell. Super simple, fun, practical. Big Ideas we explore include: how to deal with the #1 excuse for not meditating, and the #2 excuses + how meditation benefits your focus + creativity and how make your amygdala quit acting like an annoying car alarm.
Sleep. It’s the secret sauce to optimal living. In this class, explore my Top 10 favorite Big Ideas on how to create consistent, great night’s of sleep to optimize your energy, mood and mojo. We’ll start with why, unpack the kryptonites that get in the way, set some curfews and get you sleeping like a champ.
Amy Cuddy is awesome. Her TED talk is the 2nd most popular ever. This book is just as good. Learn the science of cultivating your personal power to bring your boldest self to your biggest challenges. Big Ideas we explore: self-affirmation theory, priming + nudges, the magic of expanding your body to increase your power, iHunch (how’s yours?), and the boldest you.
This book is a scientific look at Purpose by one of the world’s leading developmental psychologists—a powerful look at how to cultivate purpose in our children (and, for that matter, ourselves) and why it’s so important. Big Ideas we explore include a definition of what it means to be purposeful (and a look at the alternatives), the #1 thing that gets in the way of discovering and creating purpose, 9 key things parents can do to help their kids with purpose, why entrepreneurial spirit is so important and a four-word mantra to reduce timidity and build courage and confidence.
Veritas. That's the Latin word for truth. The Romans considered it the mother of all virtues. Are you shining the light of truth on your life?
William Damon and Anne Colby are two of the world’s leading researchers in the field of moral psychology. They’re both Professors at Stanford and have been married for 30+ years. This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking book that challenges the “new science of morality”’s view that morality is essentially biologically and socially determined. Damon and Colby argue that we all have the power to cultivate our more noble, moral possibilities. Big Ideas we explore include a quick look at our moral exemplars, moral agency, and the three virtues we want to cultivate: Truth + Humility + Faith.
Meet the enemy: Your ego. Our guide, Ryan Holiday, wrote one of my favorite books of 2015: The Obstacle Is the Way. Ego Is the Enemy is now one of my favorite books of 2016. It’s fantastic. Big Ideas we explore include: defining ego, becoming more than a flash in the pan, finally answering the question of whether it takes 10,000 or 20,000 hours to attain mastery, the virtue and value of staying true to your own path and making it rather than faking it.
Mistakes are part of life/performing. It's what we do when they happen that matters. Remember the 3 P's: Present + Positive + Process.
Black holes. Just contemplating the sheer, fierce power of them is awe-inspiring, eh? Isaiah Hankel tells us that although physicists used to think that everything got destroyed in a black hole, now they believe that it’s less about destruction and more about transformation. And shines some light on the power of focusing on our purpose with black hole intensity. Big Ideas we explore include sheep vs. strategists, figuring out your ikigai (= why you get up in the morning), the fascinating endurance of rats with hope, the first two steps in greatness and moving from vision to decision.
Dennis Mannion is the CEO of the Detroit Pistons. He's one of the few (if not the only) people to be a top executive in the top 4 sports leagues in the US (MLB + NFL + NHL + NBA). He's also an incredibly cool and inspiring human being. In this chat, we explore everything from how he discovered his purpose to some of the biggest lessons in leadership and peak performance he's picked up in the last 35+ years at the top of the sports world. Super inspiring. I'm especially fired up by his emphasis on the spiritual and embodiment of the Ideas he's so passionate about. (Plus, I need to step up my rowing game. :) Hope you enjoy!
Jim Afremow is one of the world’s leading sports psychologists. We covered his first book The Champion’s Mind. This one is kinda like part 2 in which we look at how the Champion responds to the inevitable (!) setbacks faced on the road to greatness—using those setbacks as opportunities to bounce back and make a sweet comeback. Big Ideas we explore include seeing setbacks as challenges rather than threats, outperforming our contracts, practicing ’till you can’t get it wrong, and the 3 P’s of peak performance.
Want Jedi-like concentration powers?! (Me, too.) John Hargrave tells us there are two keys: We need to 1. Reclaim and 2. Retrain our attention.
Sir John Hargrave is a funny guy and this book is awesome. If you’re a bit of a geek (or if you’re married to one!) looking for a fun, grounded, super practical take on how to get your mind right so you can do what you’re here to do, I think you’ll love this book. Big Ideas we explore include: how to develop Jedi-like concentration, how to debug your mind, creating a vision of the best version of your life 10 years from now (and why it matters), how to make your life a masterpiece.
The Drift. It's what happens when we don't have a clear plan for our lives. Are you drifting? Acknowledge it then create a plan!
Living Forward is a powerful little book all about helping us figure out our Life Plan--which is, essentially, the vision for every aspect of our lives and our plan to make it a reality. The book is the result of a collaboration between leading publisher and author Michael Hyatt and his coach Daniel Harkavy. It’s basically like having one of the world’s leading life coaches walk you through the Life Planning process he’s used with thousands of his clients. Big Ideas we explore include The Drift, your life GPS, pull power, soul oxygen and the Law of Diminishing Intent.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve spent half my time in Founder/CEO-mode and the other half in Philosopher-mode. Before going all in as a Philosopher, I built and sold two market-leading social platforms (raising $10m in the process). In this class, I share my Top 10 Ideas on how to create a great business and get paid to change the world. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, solopreneur, small business owner or leader in any organization, we hope you love it.
William Damon is one of the world’s leading scientists studying human development and the psychology of morality. In this book, he gives us a guide to discovering and creating our noble purpose. Big Ideas we explore include making a distinction between noble and heroic, the ultimate purpose formula, 9 tips on how to cultivate your noble purpose, the one phrase your advisor should whisper in your ears when you’ve achieved ultimate success, and how to create true, sustainable happiness.
Stephen Covey passed away in 2012. This book was published posthumously and features a collection of wisdom focusing on the fact that private victory precedes public victory. Primary greatness. It’s all about what’s on the INSIDE. Covey tells us there are 12 levers of success—each with its own chapter in this great book. Big Ideas we explore include: Esse Quam Videri (“to BE rather than to seem”), Virtues: meet your parents, say “YES!,” your high-tech power saw and living in crescendo.
Did you know that consuming news for just 3 minutes early in the day can lead to a lower mood up to 8 hours later? Yep. Here's how to deal with that.
Imagine being at the height of power. Crowds adore you. You are a total 100% rock star of awesome. And, wisely, you appointed an advisor to whisper in your ear: "Sic transit gloria"... "All glory is fleeting." Humility is a very powerful tool in crafting a noble life.
Shawn Stevenson is a health coach who has one of the most popular health & fitness podcasts out there called The Model Health Show. This is a short, quick-reading, funny and practical little book featuring 21 tips on how to optimize your sleep. Big Ideas we cover: #1 tip: value your sleep (it’s the secret sauce), avoid the blue lights, adenosine (did you know how caffeine really works?), staying cool, getting your vitamin G and creating PM rituals.
In this book, Michelle Gielan takes her background in broadcast journalism (as a CBS News anchor) and combines it with her background in positive psychology to show us how we are ALL broadcasters. Big Ideas we explore include the 3 key factors that account for 75% of success (!), power leads and how to use them, rational optimism vs. irrational optimism, fact-checking your story to find fueling facts that catalyze rather than paralyze and how/when to H.A.L.T.!
Sian Beilock is one of the world’s leading researchers studying the science of optimal performance. In this book, she walks us through a range of research studies she and her colleagues have conducted to help us get a better understanding of why, under pressure and when it matters most, some of us choke. And, of course, Sian provides a range of tips on what we can do about it. Big Ideas we explore: the what and why of choking, the ultimate choke vacuum, practicing under pressure, an antidote to exam choking, and a bunch of little tips on rockin’ it.
The Greeks had a word for staying true to your own path. Euthymia. When we do that we experience tranquility. (Let's do that.)
Jocko Willink and Leif Babin were two of the most senior (and decorated) SEALS on the ground in the most intense battles of Iraq. In this book they share their leadership lessons on how U.S. Navy SEALs lead and win. It’s an intense, impactful read. Big Ideas we explore include a definition of Extreme Ownership, the fact that there are no bad teams, only bad leaders, how to prioritize and execute and remembering that discipline = freedom.
Most us spend all our time polishing our résumé virtues. We'd be wise to focus more energy on cultivating our eulogy virtues. (What are yours?)
In this class we’ll look at your #1 creative project, doing your life’s work, turning pro and the three laws of mastery. Plus how to get your mind right and deal with troll poop. Let’s master the process of consistently creating cool stuff and giving our gifts to the world!
In today’s world, the road to character has a much less defined map than the road to external success. In this thoughtful, penetrating book, New York Times op-ed columnist and author David Brooks walks us through the evolution of our culture away from a character ethic toward a society all about what he calls the “Big Me.” And, of course, he shows us the way back to character. Big Ideas we explore include résumé virtues vs. eulogy virtues, answering the summons, conquering yourself, living for holiness and becoming strongest at your weakest point.
Michelle Gielan and Shawn Achor have worked with 1/3 of the Fortune 100 companies. They have discovered 3 core attributes that lead to 75% of success. Here they are.
In this book, Michelle Gielan takes her background in broadcast journalism (as a CBS News anchor) and combines it with her background in positive psychology to show us how we are ALL broadcasters. Big Ideas we explore include the 3 key factors that account for 75% of success (!), power leads and how to use them, rational optimism vs. irrational optimism, fact-checking your story to find fueling facts that catalyze rather than paralyze and how/when to H.A.L.T.!
Angela Duckworth is the world’s leading authority on the science of grit. In fact, she pioneered the field and, as Daniel Gilbert says on the cover: “Psychologists have spent decades searching for the secret of success, but Duckworth is the one who found it.” In this Note, we explore the two facets of grit (hint: passion + perseverance, why they’re important and how to cultivate them.
In this special class, my wife Alexandra joins us to share her Top 10 Big Ideas on how to celebrate the most creative time of your life. Discover how to mother from your essence, be a self-care queen, ignite your desire power and see your mothering as holy work + invisible art as you bring more fun and play and mindfulness into your heroine’s journey.
Angela Duckworth's new book on Grit is phenomenal. Note, etc. soon. I'm prepping for Fatherhood 101 so this Idea really jumped out at me and I figured I'd capture a quick Micro Class on it. Hope you enjoy!
As the sub-title suggests, this book is all about “A proven path to discovering what you were meant to do.” If you’re looking for an inspiring introduction to clarifying and living your purpose, I think you’ll enjoy this book. Big Ideas we explore include a quick peek at the 7 characteristics of a Calling, why Awareness is so important, why Painful Practice is also super important, why we should be thinking “bridges” not “leaps” as we pursue our calling ad other goodness.
What were you born to do? As you might have guessed, that’s what this book is all about. Our guide, Chris Guillebeau, gives us a bunch of helpful tips and strategies to help us find the work we were meant to do. Big Ideas we explore include how win the career lottery (hint: think JOT-MONEY-FLOW), playing the elimination game, remembering that if Plan A fails you still have 25 other letters, Warren Buffett on goals, and getting good at quitting.
Peter Drucker didn't believe in "creativity." It was all about PRODUCTIVITY for him. Here's how/why he said no to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's invite to participate in his study.
Dan Pink is an incredibly engaging writer and this book is fantastic. In this book, he tackles human motivation and, as the sub-title suggests, tells us “The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.” Here’s his Twitter summary: “Carrots & sticks are so last century. Drive says for 21st century work, we need to upgrade to autonomy, mastery & purpose.” Big Ideas we explore include understanding Motivation 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 along w/how to upgrade our operating system, why Autonomy is so important, The Three Laws of Mastery and discovering our Purpose via a big question and a small one.
Abraham Maslow tells us that what one can be, one must be. Actualizing our potential is like oxygen for the soul. Helping you discover your purpose and fulfill your destiny is what this class is all about.
New Zealand’s national rugby team The All Blacks are arguably THE greatest team ever. In this book, James Kerr unpacks what makes them so great and how we can lead + create a Legacy. Big Ideas we explore include the fact that Better People Make Better All Blacks, Kiwi Kaizen, embracing expectations and leaning into the power of Loss Aversion (remember: no pressure, no diamonds), hitting the psychological gym and answering a couple questions that will help clarify YOUR legacy.
Homeostasis is a system's tendency to do what it needs to do to maintain stability. Here's how to use that to our advantage to reach our potential. (This is also a quick look at the science of why we need to exit our comfort zone if we want to improve!)
Anders Ericsson is the world’s leading scientist studying expert performance—looking at how, precisely, the people who are the best in the world at what they do became the best. In this Note, we take a quick look at The Gift that we all have that’s the key to our potential greatness, HOW to go about tapping into the benefits of that gift via a certain type of practice (forget naive practice and go for purposeful + deliberate!), the fact that there is no such thing as a “10,000 Hour Rule,” and why we should be called Homo Exercens rather than Homo Sapiens. :)
What were you born to do? As you might have guessed, that’s what this book is all about. Our guide, Chris Guillebeau, gives us a bunch of helpful tips and strategies to help us find the work we were meant to do. Big Ideas we explore include how win the career lottery (hint: think JOY-MONEY-FLOW), playing the elimination game, remembering that if Plan A fails you still have 25 other letters, Warren Buffett on goals, and getting good at quitting.
Willpower. It’s ESSENTIAL to optimizing our lives. In fact, in their great book, Willpower, Roy Baumeister (one of the world’s leading scientific researchers on self-control) and John Tierney (science writer for the New York Times) tell us that “Improving willpower is the surest way to a better life.” In this Note, we’ll learn how to eat our way to willpower (seriously), how to exercise our self-control muscles, why “precommitment” is so important and how to win the willpower game with bright lines and a great offense. :)
Have you or someone you loved ever experienced depression? If so, it’s time to tame the gremlins and create a sustainably awesome life. Here are my Top 10 Big Ideas on how to CONQUER depression–forged from my own experience.
Join us for Part 3 in The Tools interview series as Phil Stutz and Barry Michels walk us through the two Tools we didn't touch on in the prior chats: Grateful Flow (the way to deal with anxiety) and Active Love (powerful tool to deal with anger). Super inspiring, practical wisdom. Hope you love it! (Learn more about Phil + Barry + The Tools at thetoolsbook.com)
Neil Pasricha is a fascinating guy. A Harvard MBA and director of leadership development for Walmart who gave one of the most popular TED talks ever and published The Book of Awesome which sold 1m+ copies. This book is a fun, quick-read packed with great Ideas. We cover: The Big 7 ways science says we can boost our happiness, waking up with an Icky Guy (the good kind), how to add an hour to your day, a great question to tap into your purpose and wisdom from the greatest physicist ever (hint: create momentum).
Tom Rath is a best-selling author of Eat Move Sleep + Are You Fully Charged? and a bunch of other great books. (He also wrote our favorite kids book: The Rechargeables!) And, he's a cool guy. Join us as we explore some great, super practical Big Ideas!
Do you wake up and high five your Icky Guy? If not, you're missing out. Here's why you want to make your ikigai your new bff.
Did you know your limbic system (think: emotions) and prefrontal cortex (think: rational thoughts) act like a sort of seesaw? When one is up the other is down. Knowing this, we can use some tricks to stay cool under pressure. Here they are.
Meditation. It’s unequivocally awesome. But it can also get a little more esoteric than necessary. Enter: How to meditate without moving to the Himalayas! Here are my Top 10 Big Ideas on the nuts and bolts of how to create a great, sustainable practice.
UBE + GBD. Ugly but effective + Good bad days. That’s where it’s at. When things get wobbly we can’t let it all fall apart. Gotta be a champ and play poorly well. Get scrappy!
I LOVE the science of flourishing. In this class, we have fun exploring my absolute favorite Big Ideas from my absolute favorite psychologists. Life-changing stuff. The psychologists: Maslow + Frankl + Csikszentmihalyi + Seligman + Dweck + Baumeister + Ben-Shahr + Oettingen + Segar + McGonigal. The Ideas: Actualizer + Choice + Flow + Virtues + Mindsets + Willpower + Optimalist + WOOP + Why + Stress.
Fear strikes. Now what do you do? Try to calm yourself down or lean into it? Learn how to activate your GO! systems when you're feeling high states of arousal. Research says it's often much more effective than slamming on the brakes while driving 80 mph.
Tal Ben-Shahar is one of the most popular professors in Harvard’s history and does a great job of integrating the rigor of the science of happiness with the fun of self-help. Drawing on the latest psychological research, this book walks us through 101 choices we make throughout our lives. Big Ideas include finding happiness boosters, joining the failure hall of fame, focusing on your strengths and co-creating your reality.
Did you know the Sirens in the Odyssey tailored their songs for each voyager's unique weaknesses? Yep. Makes you wonder what they sing to YOU, eh? Let's figure that out and create some Odysseus Contracts to deal with them.
Want to optimize your relationship? My wife, Alexandra, joins us for this special class. Join us as we explore 10 of our favorite Big Ideas--starting with a definition of love then looking at the difference between falling in vs. standing in love and then some nuts and bolts Ideas on how to rock it.
Ever wonder how your brain works while you’re at work? And, even more importantly, how you can OPTIMIZE how your brain works while you work? If so, this is the book for you. Big Ideas we explore include the importance of prioritizing prioritizing (aka quit blowing your brain up), how to decrease your IQ by 15 points (hah—seriously—here’s how to be 3 times less effective than someone stoned! :0), why your basal ganglia is awesome, and how to rock the seesaw that is your limbic system + prefrontal cortex.
Hope. It's POWERFUL. And, it's different from Fantastizing and Dwelling. Here's what science says it is. (Plus the three facets: Goals + Agency + Pathways.)
Neil Pasricha is a fascinating guy. A Harvard MBA and director of leadership development for Walmart who gave one of the most popular TED talks ever and published The Book of Awesome which sold 1m+ copies. This book is a fun, quick-read packed with great Ideas. We cover: The Big 7 ways science says we can boost our happiness, waking up with an Icky Guy (the good kind), how to add an hour to your day, a great question to tap into your purpose and wisdom from the greatest physicist ever (hint: create momentum).
How do you evaluate your performance? Most people get it wrong. Do you? (Hint: Don’t start with the negative stuff. Start with the GOOD then think about how you can get BETTER so you can be your BEST.)
Black holes. Just contemplating the sheer, fierce power of them is awe-inspiring, eh? Isaiah Hankel tells us that although physicists used to think that everything got destroyed in a black hole, now they believe that it’s less about destruction and more about transformation. And shines some light on the power of focusing on our purpose with black hole intensity. Big Ideas we explore include sheep vs. strategists, figuring out your ikigai (= why you get up in the morning), the fascinating endurance of rats with hope, the first two steps in greatness and moving from vision to decision.
Procrastination. We all do it to some extent but the best among us have learned how to conquer it to sustain peak motivation in pursuit of their goals. In this class we look at what SCIENCE says works to quit putting our life on hold and actualize our potential. If you've ever procrastinated I guarantee you'll get at least one life-changing idea from this action-packed class.
Richie Davidson is one of the world's leading authorities on the neuroscience of emotion and meditation. Join us for a quick chat about some Big Ideas from his work.
Stuart Smalley affirmations aren't awesome but science says self-affirmation is. Here's a quick look at the difference.
Why do you strive to exercise more, eat well and sleep better? Your motivation matters. Here's what science says about how to best optimize. (Hint: Connect how you feel today with what you do today!)
Michael Bungay Stanier is one of the world's leading coaches. Join us we chat about some of the Big Ideas from his new book: The Coaching Habit!
Aristotle tells us: "We are what repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act but a HABIT." It's not about living at your best every once in a while. It's about rockin' it day in and day out. Making it who you are. A habit. That's what this class is all about. We'll help you identify and install your #1 keystone habit while learning how to tap into your superpowers and create habits that will change your life.
What do you think about excellence? Do you think it’s primarily driven by natural, inborn talent? Or, do you think that it’s primarily driven by effort? Matthew Syed tells us that’s a very important decision that has a broad impact on how we show up and shows us how to Bounce into our highest potential. Big Ideas we explore include: the iceberg illusion, 1 million balls, doublethink and the importance of purposeful practice + the growth mindset.
Adam Steltzner is the right kind of crazy. How else do you figure out a sky crane to drop a rover on Mars? (Hah.) In this book, he walks us through "A true story of teamwork, leadership, and high-stakes innovation." Big Ideas we cover include the power of holding on to the doubt (#HOTTD!), embracing the Dark Room, working out and shopping at Radio Shack on Mars.
Rory Vaden has written two great books I love: Take the Stairs + Procrastinate on Purpose. In this chat, we have fun exploring some of my favorite Big Ideas from each to help us learn how to Multiply Time!
Great lives (and great 2016s!) are created one great day at a time. Here’s how to rock it. Get the Workbook + watch the full Masterpiece Days 101 class at brianjohnson.me
Amy Cuddy is awesome. Her TED talk is the 2nd most popular ever. This book is just as good. Learn the science of cultivating your personal power to bring your boldest self to your biggest challenges. Big Ideas we explore: self-affirmation theory, priming + nudges, the magic of expanding your body to increase your power, iHunch (how’s yours?), and the boldest you.
This is an introduction to our newest Master Class: Greatest Year Ever 101: How to Make 2016 the Best Year of Your Life and Create an Unending String of Such Awesome Years. :) Get instant access to the full class plus a ton of other goodness as a member. Sign up here: https://brianjohnson.me/membership/
Carol Dweck tells us we can have 2 different frameworks to approach intelligence and achievement. Each has its own goal. Here they are. (P.S. Choose wisely!)
Creativity and anxiety go together. Anxietivity. Let’s remember that a meaningful life in which we’re flourishing and giving ourselves most fully to the world involves stress.
Deep Work. It’s the key to how you get So Good They Can’t Ignore You—which, of course, is the title of another one of Cal’s great books. Big Ideas include Deep Work vs. Shallow Work, how to give your neurons a workout, cleaning up attention residue, the four rules of deep work, finding the routine that works for you and learning how to shut down completely.
Naive passion is great!! Right up to the first obstacle. Then our hero tiptoes out the back door. We need the courage of informed passion.
Are you fully charged? Tom Rath tells us it’s all about what we do DAILY and that if we want to improve the quality of our lives (and sense of aliveness!), we need to focus on optimizing three key conditions: Meaning + Interactions + Energy. Big Ideas we explore include the meaning equation, doubling down on your talents, embracing the 500 million moments of our lives, and The iPhone Effect.
This is the second of the three books currently in 99U Book Series. (We cover them all.) Big Ideas we explore in this one include putting yourself into permanent beta, making a decision and then working hard to prove yourself right Peyton Manning style, expanding the amplitude of the waves you make and becoming the Better You.
This is the third installment in 99U’s book series on the “missing curriculum” for creative leaders. Like the other two, it’s a collection of short essays by great leaders + creators + writers. The content is organized in four domains: 1) Defining your purpose + 2) Building your product + 3) Serving your customers + 4) Leading your team. Big Ideas we explore include purpose, eating your own dog food (aka making something YOU are excited to use), serving profoundly, character as your #1 asset and the power of just getting started!
The ability to hold two contradictory beliefs in your mind simultaneously while accepting both of them AND knowing when to bring the right one to the surface while casting the other aside. It's a powerful tool.
Imagine a ceramics teacher splitting a class in two: One group is graded for quantity, the other for quality. Which one do you think creates the bet stuff? (Hint: Think quantity. :)
Here's a quick look at how to Spark + Sustain + Amplify your motivation as you optimize and actualize. Remember: Ambition + Expectancy + Attention + Effort + Attitude + Environment = Super powerful.
Mindsight. It's the seventh sense you didn't know you had! Can you pay attention to the inner workings of your own mind? That's what Dr. Dan Siegel, one of the world's leading neuroscientists + psychotherapists, helps us do in this phenomenal book. We'll explore Big Ideas ranging from the basics of brain hygiene to the power of integration and how to live with more flexibility and coherence as we leverage the best of modern neuroscience.
If you’re looking for a smart, grounded, funny and well-written introduction to the Paleo movement, this is the perfect place to start. Big Ideas we explore include the five ages of our origins (Animal + Paleolithic + Agricultural + Industrial + Information), poisons vs. fountains of youth, the importance of meaning (and how to dial it in) and alarm clocks for bed time.
Carol Dweck is one of the world’s leading researchers on the science of motivation. This book is a collection of brief essays on various aspects of “self-theories.” It’s essentially a bridge between her extensive academic research studies and her popular book Mindset. It’s amazing. Big Ideas we explore include the two frameworks (entity vs. incremental) and their two goals (performance vs. learning), attributional retraining (aka learning the best way to respond to failure!), and moving from contingent self-worth to wholehearted self-esteem.
Little bets. Peter Sims tells us they’re a LOT wiser than bet-it-all-and-pray big bets. He shows us the wisdom of the little bets approach via fascinating stories highlighting the extraordinary success of everyone from Chris Rock mastering a performance to Pixar creating their ingenious films. Big Ideas we explore include how to build our growth mindset muscles, going from suck to unsuck, smallifying, creating small wins and doing things to discover things.
Your brain only weighs around 3 pounds. That's 2-3% of your total body weight. Yet... Your brain is hungry. It consumes 20-30% of your total caloric intake. So, eat wisely!
It’s a LOT easier to get fired up to do something with a strong YES!! What’s your WILDLY awesome goal that’ll help you crowd out all the shallow distractions?
Art and fear. (You may have noticed they go together.) This is a quick-reading (122 pages), witty, real look at the process and challenges of making art. Of course, I think the biggest art project all of us can ever engage in is the creation of our own optimized and actualized lives, so we’ll be focusing on Big Ideas we can apply to our lives today including: quitting vs. stopping, fast vs. slow, 50 lbs, the importance of progress, naive passion vs. informed passion and how to get work done like a PRO!
Tony Schwartz is the CEO and founder of The Energy Project, which helps companies fuel sustainable high performance by better meeting the needs of their employees. Drawing on the multidisciplinary science of sustainable high performance, Tony’s abiding passion and lifelong commitment is to change the way the world works.
This is a great little book packed with gems on the creative process we can apply to both our work AND our lives. As per the sub-title, Austin gives us “10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative.” Big Ideas we explore include the need to start copying, the importance of taking care of ourselves and establishing a routine as we set creative constraints and amassing a body of work as we consistently show up.
This is Austin Kleon’s second masterful little book on optimizing creativity. The first? Steal Like an Artist. After learning how to get our creativity on, we’re ready to become the artist whose ideas others steal. Big Ideas include chain creating, micro sabbaticals, playing till the 9th inning, troll pooper scoopers, and the #1 way to get more followers.
What do you think about excellence? Do you think it’s primarily driven by natural, inborn talent? Or, do you think that it’s primarily driven by effort? Matthew Syed tells us that’s a very important decision that has a broad impact on how we show up and shows us how to Bounce into our highest potential. Big Ideas we explore include: the iceberg illusion, 1 million balls, doublethink and the importance of purposeful practice + the growth mindset.
Failure. Some of us lean into it and learn as much as we can from it, and some of us prefer to avoid thinking about it and/or pretend it never happened. As you may guess, one approach leads to dramatically better performance over the long run. (Hint: Seeing failure as feedback + learning opportunities is a very wise idea.) Big Ideas we explore include a quick look at the aviation vs. health care industries, the importance of quantity of work if you want quality, marginal gains, cognitive dissonance and pre-mortems.
Robin Sharma is one of the world's leading authorities on leadership, greatness and living an extraordinary life. Join us for an inspiring chat about some of his top Big Ideas on how to optimize and actualize!
John Maxwell is one of the world’s authorities on leadership. He’s sold over 25 million (!) books. This is a quick-reading 127 pages packed with wisdom and Big Ideas on Maxwell’s eleven essential types of thinking—ranging from Big-Picture thinking to Realistic Thinking and everything in between. Big Ideas we explore include the power of targets for focused thinking, becoming a possibility thinker and anxietivity—how creativity and anxiety go together.
In my interview with Steven Kotler about The Rise of Superman his #1 piece of advice was to remember this: “No pressure, no diamonds.” It’s time to rise.
Failure. Some of us lean into it and learn as much as we can from it, and some of us prefer to avoid thinking about it and/or pretend it never happened. As you may guess, one approach leads to dramatically better performance over the long run. (Hint: Seeing failure as feedback + learning opportunities is a very wise idea.) Big Ideas we explore include a quick look at the aviation vs. health care industries, the importance of quantity of work if you want quality, marginal gains, cognitive dissonance and pre-mortems.
Imagine your mind as a video game. If you're playing intelligently, you're learning as you advance thru levels. Always better than getting killed by the same monster in the same spot every.single.time, eh?!
Brendon Burchard is one of the most popular motivation and business marketing experts in the world. (To put it in perspective: He’s one of the Top 100 most popular public figures on Facebook and has twice as many fans as Tony Robbins.) This book is packed with Big Ideas. We explore the root of the word motivation, how to spark + sustain + amplify our motivation, eliminating digital addictions, and creating out own motivation manifesto.
Willpower. It’s huge. The Willpower Instinct by award-winning Stanford Professor Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., is a GREAT book based on “The Science of Willpower” class Kelly teaches through Stanford University’s Continuing Studies program. It’s packed with super practical Big Ideas on the newest scientific insights about self-control to explamkdirin how we can “break old habits and create healthy habits, conquer procrastination, find our focus, and manage stress.” In this Note, we’ll check out the #1 way to build willpower (it’s not what you’d guess), how to give ourselves willpower boosts throughout the day and other stress-relief strategies that rock.
If you’ve ever had stress in your life (hah!) and wondered how to deal with it more optimally, I think you’ll love this. McGonigal tells us that how we THINK about stress plays a huge role in its affect on us and walks us thru the science behind it. Rather than try to get rid of stress (good luck with that!), we’re much better off shifting our mindsets to embrace and use the stress wisely!
Dilbert creator Scott Adams is a funny guy. He's also a wise human robot. In this chat, we explore some of my favorite Big Ideas from his great (!) book How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big (sub-title: Kind of the Story of My Life <-- hah!). Big Ideas include the importance of systems (and why they trump goals), deciding vs. wanting, programming your moist robot, the mysterious power of affirmations, and being the first against the odds.
Shane Snow is a journalist and entrepreneur who takes us on a fascinating tour of “How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success.” The book is packed with stories capturing the ascent of everyone from young Presidents, Jimmy Fallon, and Elon Musk—and, of course, the “Smartcuts” they used to get there. Big Ideas we explore include: the power of progress, failure as feedback, creating a deep reservoir, stripping away the unnecessary and 10Xing our thinking.
Dr. Daniel Amen MD is one of the world’s leading psychiatrists. He’s a clinical neuroscientist (love that phrase!) who has performed 115,000+ SPECT scans on his patients’s brains. (That’s a lot.) This book captures what he’s learned about optimizing our brains, why it’s important and how to do it. Big Ideas we explore include #ANTspray, wisdom from Fat Freddie the penguin, how hungry your brain is (did you know it’s 2% body weight but uses 20-30% of calories consumed?), and a bunch of other goodness.Dr. Daniel Amen MD is one of the world’s leading psychiatrists. He’s a clinical neuroscientist (love that phrase!) who has performed 115,000+ SPECT scans on his patients’s brains. (That’s a lot.) This book captures what he’s learned about optimizing our brains, why it’s important and how to do it. Big Ideas we explore include #ANTspray, wisdom from Fat Freddie the penguin, how hungry your brain is (did you know it’s 2% body weight but uses 20-30% of calories consumed?), and a bunch of other goodness.
As millions of people would agree, Malcolm Gladwell is an extraordinarily (!) captive writer. This is another one of Gladwell’s gems—packed with riveting stories that challenge our notion of what it means to be an underdog and how, as the sub-title suggests, we can embrace our misfit status as we master the art of battling giants. It’s awesome—especially if you’re looking for a fun, entertaining read that’s packed with wisdom but delivered in a delightful package. Big Ideas include the fact that David SHOULD have won, full-court presses, the inverted U, earning courage and desirable difficulties.
David Emerald's wonderfully wise fable rocks. In this Note, we'll take a quick look at one of my favorite books as we explore the importance of stepping out of DDT (the Dreaded Drama Triangle) and stepping into TED (The Empowerment Dynamic) as we learn to more consistently live from a Creator's perspective (rather than a Victim's) and learn how to hold the tension between our ideals and our current realities by taking baby steps.
Leonardo da Vinci. Charles Darwin. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Martha Graham. The Wright Brothers. Jane Goodall. Benjamin Franklin. Thomas Edison. Zora Neale Hurston. What do they all have in common? Mastery. In this great book Robert Greene shows us the key components of their mastery and, most importantly, how WE can each attain our mastery in our own lives.
This is an old-school mental training book written for athletes in 1999. When Kenneth Baum wrote it, the mind-body connection wasn’t as well-established as it is now so many of the ideas he shares were cutting-edge at the time. Big Ideas we explore include the power of a desire inferno, DROPing into WOOP, power talk, 26,000 breaths a day, and Maslow’s warning.�
Deep Work. It’s the key to how you get So Good They Can’t Ignore You—which, of course, is the title of another one of Cal’s great books. Big Ideas include Deep Work vs. Shallow Work, how to give your neurons a workout, cleaning up attention residue, the four rules of deep work, finding the routine that works for you and learning how to shut down completely.
Ready to quit putting your life on hold and actualize your potential? Awesome. Here's a quick overview of Big Ideas I explore in my Procrastination 101 class. Join our membership program and get access to this class + a ton of other classes (like Confidence 101 + Habits 101 + Meditation 101 + Relationships 101 + ...) AND get instant access to 300 PhilosophersNotes. Sign up here: brianjohnson.me/membership
Dr. Daniel Amen MD is one of the world’s leading psychiatrists. He’s a clinical neuroscientist (love that phrase!) who has performed 115,000+ SPECT scans on his patients’s brains. (That’s a lot.) This book captures what he’s learned about optimizing our brains, why it’s important and how to do it. Big Ideas we explore include #ANTspray, wisdom from Fat Freddie the penguin, how hungry your brain is (did you know it’s 2% body weight but uses 20-30% of calories consumed?), and a bunch of other goodness. More goodness: http://changeyourbrainbook.com
Want happiness? Put your virtues in action. Modern-day positive psychologists tell us it's all about using our signature strengths. Here are some ideas on how!
Bernard Roth has been a Professor of Engineering at Stanford for over FIFTY (!!) years. A pioneer in the field of robotics, Bernie is one of the founders of the famed d.school at Stanford. In this great book, he brings the concepts of design thinking to life in the context of our most important design project: designing our optimal lives. Big Ideas we explore include the 5 elements of design thinking, doing vs. trying, ignoring odds, and being the cause.
Emotional peaks and valleys. We want to avoid them if we're committed to optimizing and actualizing. Here are some ideas on how to rock that.
EVERYBODY procrastinates. And this "concise guide" by Timothy Pychl, Ph.D.--one of the world's leading procrastination experts--helps us solve the procrastination puzzle. Big Ideas we explore include IF ... THEN (<-- huge!), Just getting started (vs. Just doing it), the horror of "It will just take a minute," why multitasking is a myth, and why it's best to be nice to yourself when you stumble.
Ready to get your greatness on? Lewis Howes joins us to chat about my favorite Big Ideas from his new book The School of Greatness. Highlights include: the importance of vision (lesson #1!!), creating perfect days, dealing with adversity, and the all-important HUSTLE muscle.
Ready to attend The School of Greatness? Awesome. Lewis Howes shares his lecture notes from 200+ interviews with extraordinary humans for his uber-popular podcast. Lessons include Creating a Vision + Turning Adversity into Advantage, and Flexing Your Hustle Muscle. To greatness!
Time to embrace our mistakes and see them for what they are: mis-takes! (And, totally forgot to give a shout-out to Michael Beckwith who inspired the video with this thought: "A conscious realization of our innate oneness with the Ineffable does not mean that we will never make a mistake again. Even enlightened beings burn their bagels once in a while. It's important to maintain a sense of humor because this is how you will stop being afraid of making a mistake. You'll make some, but so what? That's why they're called mis-takes. Humor relaxes the uptight ego. You get a new cue from your inner Self and simply say, 'I missed my cue, so let's do a second take.' Your willingness to take the risk of making a mistake is actually an expression of courage and a willingness to grow from them. Mistakes are about getting the blessing in the lesson and the lesson in the blessing.")
Every creative project/business/whatever goes thru a U process. Let's embrace the peaks and valleys and summit Mt. Awesome.
Ready to 10X your thinking and your action? Fantastic. Grant Cardone is your man. In this high intensity, LET'S DO THIS! chat you'll get fired up to go out and crush it. Big Ideas we explore include the importance of 10x-ing your vision AND your action, how to starve fear, why obsession is a gift not a disease and how Smokey would smoke the tortoise and the hare.
Promises. Do you make a lot of 'em and then drop the ball? We want to make sure we honor our commitments. It's one of the keys to integrity.
Want to rise like superman? Fantastic. Get into flow. How? Challenge yourself 4% beyond your current skill. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. Year after year. And make the impossible possible.
Want to get Bulletproof? Then Dave Asprey is your man. An uber-successful entrepreneur who weighed 300 lbs before bio-hacking his way to optimal awesome, Dave gives us a guide to upgrading our lives. Big Ideas include the 10 Diet Myths, inflamma, fruitsandvegetables, and making health a means to a much bigger end.
Want more happiness, meaning and mojo? Time to close our integrity gaps. Here are three ways to rock it!
Flexibility. It's a hallmark of healthy people. Are you flexible? Or perhaps a little too rigid or chaotic?!
Rest. You getting enough? If you're like most of us, the answer is No. Leading medical doctor, Matthew Edlund shows up how sleep isn't enough. We need to cultivate "active rest" into our day-to-day lives. In this Note, we'll look at how to integrate active Mental + Physical + Social + Spiritual rest while working out our brain, breathing and optimizing our lives.
Stephen Covey has a handy-dandy 4 quadrant model for time mgmt. It's powerful. Here are some ideas on how to optimize. Where are you spending your time?
The Practicing Mind. It’s the key to true inner peace and contentment. In a world that conditions us to obsess about goals and outcomes, it’s easy to miss the importance of the process. The PRACTICE. Thomas Sterner brilliantly (!) helps us bring discipline and focus into our lives to experience the presence and joy that comes as a result. (Bonus: We also create a frictionless path to our goals as well!)
Who do LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Dwight Howard, James Harden and a ton of other top basketball players go to to get better? Idan Ravin. If you’re into sports + self-development + the pursuit of being the best you can possibly be, I think you’ll love the book. Big Ideas include getting paid to do what you love, greatness, obstacles and exiting the cave.
It's true. Kinda sorta almost making a real commitment to something is way harder than really making a 100% commitment. What do you need to make a nonnegotiable, 100% commitment to in your life? Get on that!!!
Discipline. It's a secret sauce to awesomeness. Here's how to turn your discipline into blissipline! -)Discipline. It's a secret sauce to awesomeness. Here's how to turn your discipline into blissipline! -)
Ready to go wild?! John Ratey, MD is here to give us the guidebook on how to make that happen! In this chat, we explore Big Ideas ranging from wild nutrition to getting adequate sleep and connecting with our tribe. Hope you enjoy!
Got some inspiring goals? Awesome. Here are 10 tips on how to take consistent, impeccable action to achieve those goals!
John Ratey is a Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School and one of the world’s leading authorities on the revolutionary new science of exercise. Join us for a discussion on how exercise boosts your creativity, reduces depression and is, essentially, like taking a little bit of Ritalin and a little bit of Prozac—it increases your focus + boosts your mood in powerful ways!
Dan Coyle tells us that greatness isn't born. It's grown. In The Talent Code + The Little Book of Talent, he shows us how. Join us as we explore some Big Ideas on how to get your greatness on as you grow your myelin and ignite your potential.
Tal Ben-Shahar gives us a handy-dandy model on how to be happier by embracing goals that we deem valuable while enjoying the journey. Here's to the happiness archetype!
Steven Kotler is one of the world's leading experts on the science of flow--the secret sauce to optimizing our lives and actualizing our potential. Join us as we talk about some of my favorite Big Ideas on how to Rise like Superman.
Todd Henry tells us that history’s most impactful humans all had a unique, powerful, authentic voice. This book is all about helping us harness the power of OUR authentic voice. Three keys: Identity + Vision + Mastery. And, we’ve gotta learn how to own the Big U as we run our own race, have fun in monk mode and practice action + patience.
It's time to strengthen ourselves and move from being fragile to being robust to being antifragile. As Nassim Taleb tells us - 'Wind extinguishes a candle and energizes the fire.'
Tom Morris literally wrote the book on Philosophy for Dummies. A double Ph.D. from Yale (Philosophy + Religious Studies), he taught at Notre Dame and has been a professional, public philosopher for decades. Let's apply wisdom to our own lives!
How do you want to die? With a calm serenity knowing you gave your best or with deep regret that you never took the risks and cultivated the discipline to show up with urgency and diligence each day to create a life of deep meaning? The answer is obvious. Big Ideas we explore on how to die empty include optimism vs. wishing, the root of mediocrity, the 3 S’s of goal setting and dealing with The Lag.
Want to get so good they can't ignore you? (Me, too.) Cal Newport tells us we need to shift from a passion mindset to a CRAFTSMAN mindset as we become true masters of our craft and create a ton of value in the world. We do that and we'll accumulate what Cal calls "career capital" that we can cash in for the ideal set up. Another Big Idea: Figure out how you can deliberately practice! (<-- Huge.) This is a fun, quick chat. I hope you love it and here's to mastering our craft and serving profoundly.
Jason Selk is one of the world’s leading peak performance experts. His tagline? “The relentless pursuit of greatness.” If that appeals to you, you’ll love this book. It’s fantastic! Big Ideas we explore include the difference between Process and Product Goals, a 100-second mental training workout, why your self-image matters and the REMARKABLE benefits of writing down your goals.
Tool #1: We need to reverse our relationship with fear. Rather than avoid pain, we need to lean into it--KNOWING that our infinite potential exists outside our comfort zone on the other side of our fear.
The Tools. This was easily the best book I read in 2012. It's packed with goodness. Stutz and Michels are two no-nonsense therapists who developed powerful tools to transform our problems into courage, confidence, and creativity. In this Note, we'll take a quick peek at how to put these powerful tools to work to creat real change in our lives.
The Rise of Superman. What an awesome title and vision. Steven Kotler is one of the world’s leading authorities on the science of flow. He created the Flow Genome Project that is all about “decoding the peak performance state of flow.” (<—Awesome.) In this book we take a peak at how we can get our greatness on. Big Ideas include a quick look at flow and how to hack it, achieving mastery sans misery, using fear as a compass and how to do the impossible.
The Tools. This was easily the best book I read in 2012. It's packed with goodness. Stutz and Michels are two no-nonsense therapists who developed powerful tools to transform our problems into courage, confidence, and creativity. In this Note, we'll take a quick peek at how to put these powerful tools to work to create real change in our lives.
Ronday Rousey knows how to make the obstacle the way/turn poison into medicine. How do you respond when something goes wrong? Here's to being anti-fragile
Are you a perfectionist? Well... How's that working for you? If you're ready to shift to a more effective mode of showing up I think you'll enjoy this chat with Stephen Guise about his new book How to Be an Imperfectionist.
Todd Henry tells us that history’s most impactful humans all had a unique, powerful, authentic voice. This book is all about helping us harness the power of OUR authentic voice. Three keys: Identity + Vision + Mastery. And, we’ve gotta learn how to own the Big U as we run our own race, have fun in monk mode and practice action + patience.
Goals. They're super important. But not all goals are created equally. Here are my Top 10 tips on how to set goals that will actually make you happy! -)
Steve Chandler tells us “There is bad and there is good . . . And then there is crazy good." And, our path to living a crazy-good life is simple. It's all about CHOICES. As with all of Steve's books, this one is packed with wisdom. Big Ideas we cover include The 5% Solution, Systems vs. Dreams, Game vs. Shame, and making life an experiment.
You want to develop true confidence? Scientists like Heidi Grant Halvorson tell us we need to have confidence in our ability to achieve our goals and in the fact that we will face challenges on the way. Here's a quick look at how to rock it!
Gabriel Oettingen is one of the world’s leading researchers in “The New Science of Motivation.” The basic idea of the book is captured in a clever image on the cover: Rose colored glasses with one lens cracked. Oettingen walks us thru the compelling research that demonstrates the power of seeing both the positive AND the challenges. When we contrast our wishes with the obstacles to their attainment we, almost magically, catalyze an extraordinarily higher level of performance.
Did you know exercise is as effective as Zoloft in reducing depression? Yep. Experts say not exercising is like taking a depressant. Here's to getting our exercise on!! -)
Dan Millman (author of Way of the Peaceful Warrior and other great books) introduced me to David Reynolds's great book Constructive Living years ago as he's been deeply influenced by David's integration of Zen Buddhism and Western Psychotherapy. I like to say it's the best book you've (likely) never heard of. Join David and I for a chat about some of my favorite Big Ideas on how to live with greater self-mastery by more effectively relating to our emotions and consistently asking ourselves: "Now what needs to be done?!"
Da Vinci tells us one can have no greater mastery than mastery of oneself. Scientists agree. Self-control is the greatest predictor of all things good. Here's a powerful practice to gain mastery and rock it!
You have any impulsive behaviors you'd like to cool off? (If you're human, the answer is yes.) Then If-Then planning for hot spots is for you!
Spiritual indigestion. It comes from a lot of studying and not a lot of applying. The solution is simple - move from theory to practice by LIVING your truths! -)
Test: "I'll give you two marshmallows if you wait 20 minutes or you can have one now." How pre-schoolers responded to that predicted their SAT scores at 16, their BMI at 30 and brain health at 50. (WOW.)
Tom Morris tells us we can either make our life a tent or a tower. If we're going the tower route, we want to pay attention to the foundation.
Do you have big problem in your life? Hate to break it to you but all that means is that you're being a small person!
Be quick!! But don't hurry. John Wooden repeated that all.the.time to his players in every.single.practice. We need to live with intensity (!), fully showing up and playing at the edge of our abilities WHILE staying centered. Andy Hill walks us through how he learned how to do that playing under Wooden during their dynasty days.
Fact - We already know. The question is - do we have the courage to trust ourselves and follow our own wisdom? Here are a few exercises and questions to help you tap into your inner wisdom and develop your intuition!
There's a sweet spot between your comfort zone and your survival zone. That's where we want to hang out as we deliberately practice and move to mastery.
Abraham Maslow tells us that in any given moment we can either step forward into growth or back into safety. +1 or -1. +1 or -1. Here's why those decisions matter and how you can rock it!!
Tim Sanders is awesome. He was the Chief Solutions Officer for Yahoo! back in the day and wrote the uber-cool book Love Is the Killer App. In this interview, we’ll learn how to be truly rich via powerful daily practices as we become healthy-thought nuts and POETs who practice persistence. Fun!
Want to optimize your life? Try this simple exercise to identify the top things you could start doing and stop doing that will lead to the most positive impact in your life!!
Did you know there’s an equation for Procrastination? Yep. Expectancy x Value / Impulsiveness x Delay = Motivation. Thank you, Piers Steel. In this great book, Piers (a leading researcher on the science of motivation/procrastination) walks us thru the power of that equation. Big Ideas we explore include: Mental Contrasting (and why it beats creative visualization), goal setting (3 scientific keys) and how to add a month of productivity to your year.
Want to figure out your mission in life? Here are 5 Big Ideas + 5 journal questions + 5 tips to help you rock it!!!
In The Talent Code, Dan Coyle introduced us to the power of myelin and its role in creating world-class performance. In The Little Book of Talent, he shares 52 uber-practical tips on how to improve our skills. Big Ideas we explore include how to actually deliberately practice (hint: find your sweet spot), the most important skill (hint: get good at actually practicing), playing mental movies, adopting a blue collar mind set and thinking like a gardener while acting like a carpenter.
Willpower. It's the queen of all virtues--the greatest predictor of health, happiness, wealth and all other good things. Here are 10 tips on how to build your willpower!!
Want to catalyze your motivation + goal attainment? Get your WOOP on! Wish + Outcome + Obstacle + Plan = magic.
Gratitude, as we know, is huge. Here's another really powerful exercise to flex your appreciation muscles and train yourself to see what's working in your life!!
Barbara Oakley teaches one of the largest classes in HISTORY called "Learning How to Learn." (Over 1 million students!) She also wrote the great book, "A Mind for Numbers." Join us as we explore some of my favorite Big Ideas.
Equanimity. The word means 'balanced mind.' (Love that!) Here's how to recover your equanimity when life challenges you!!
Hal Elrod is an inspiring guy. Want to wake up every morning fired up to make today another masterpiece? Then it's time to make your mornings miraculous and Hal shows us how with his Life S.A.V.E.R.S. Join us as we discuss his great book The Miracle Morning.
I'm excited to share some of my favorite super productivity tips. Here's my #1 practice: If it takes -2 minutes, 1-touch it!!
Michael J. Gelb is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, accelerated learning, and innovative leadership and author of the bestselling How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci and Brain Power.
Tired of being a perfectionist? Here are some ideas on how to shift out of that debilitating mindset and become an optimalist!! :)
Gabriel Oettingen is one of the world’s leading researchers in “The New Science of Motivation.” The basic idea of the book is captured in a clever image on the cover: Rose colored glasses with one lens cracked. Oettingen walks us thru the compelling research that demonstrates the power of seeing both the positive AND the challenges. When we contrast our wishes with the obstacles to their attainment we, almost magically, catalyze an extraordinarily higher level of performance.
Gratitude is HUGE. Easiest, most powerful way to boost our happiness levels. Here are some of my favorite tools on how to get our gratitude on and live w/more consistent radiant joy and en*thusiasm! Hope you enjoy! (What are YOU grateful for?! :)
Ronda Rousey is a TOUGH human being. If you’re even remotely familiar with MMA/the UFC, I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know but reading this book brings the point home even more loud and clear. If you don’t know Ronda, ESPN just voted her the best fighter on the planet. She’s an Olympic medalist in Judo and the biggest (and highest paid!) star in the mixed martial arts world. Imagine if Bruce Lee was alive today. And he was a woman. That’s Ronda Rousey. :)
We're not going to change everything all.at.once. But we can make 5% incremental improvements. Here's one powerful way to do that.
Steve Chandler tells us “There is bad and there is good . . . And then there is crazy good." And, our path to living a crazy-good life is simple. It's all about CHOICES. As with all of Steve's books, this one is packed with wisdom. Big Ideas we cover include The 5% Solution, Systems vs. Dreams, Game vs. Shame, and making life an experiment.
Want happiness? Close the gap btwn what you're capable of being and what you're actually being, yo! In other words, live with arete! :)
Is your motivation intrinsic or extrinsic? Pay attention. It has a big impact on your overall happiness and mojo!! (This is the first in a daily series of Optimal Living 101 Big Ideas. Hope you dig 'em! Let me know what you think!! Have something you want me to talk about? Leave a comment!
Meditation. If you believe leading research scientists, it's as close to a magic pill as we can get! Let's take a quick look at 5 reasons why meditation is awesome along with 10 tips on how to rock it!
Tripp Lanier is the host of The New Man Podcast: Beyond the Macho Jerk and the New Age Wimp. He coaches entrepreneurs around the world to redefine success, create offerings that actually make a difference, and do the thing they were put on this Earth to do.
Wondering how you can discover your purpose in less than 5 seconds?! Here you go! :) (Laughing that it took me 5 minutes and 50 seconds to describe a 5 second process! hah. :)
Patricia Ryan Madson is Emerita of Stanford University where she taught for three decades in the Drama Department. In this interview, we'll talk about her 13 maxims for improv living from her quick-reading, fun, smart, practical book.
Here's a quick look at the Top 10 Big Ideas for my upcoming class: Confidence 101: How to Create Indestructible Trust in Yourself.
Here’s a quick look at the Top 10 Big Ideas for my upcoming class Getting Stuff Done 101: How to Reach Your Potential by Crushing it Day In and Day Out.
Big Ideas we’ll explore include: The fact that it’s more about energy management than time management + how to create systems that make it easy to produce consistently (we’ll look at what I do systems-wise) + time-blocking (the “#1 power tool” of productivity as The One Thing Gary Keller describes it) + creating masterpiece days + the importance of a “stop doing list” + other such goodness.
Here are my Top 10 Big Ideas on how to create habits that can change your life. Hope you enjoy!
Georges St-Pierre. GSP. If you’re into mixed martial arts/the UFC, you know GSP as one of the greatest pound for pound fighters ever. Although I’m not really a big MMA guy, I’ve always admired the sheer, visceral strength + courage of fighters and elite warriors like the UFC champions + Navy SEALs/Army Rangers. In this great book we get a behind the scenes look into GSP’s greatness. Big Ideas include Areté, Sacrifices vs. Decisions, being courageous (hint: it’s NOT about being fearless), crazy dreams + long journeys, and dedication.
Here’s a quick look at the Top 10 Big Ideas for my class Meditation 101: How to Meditate without Moving to the Himalayas!
When you're clear on your mission you structure your life to actualize. But when you eliminate distractions you're not making "sacrifices" per se. You're simply making decisions.
Here are my Top 10 Big Ideas on Relationships 101: How to Optimize the Love in Your Life. Hope you enjoy!
If we want GREATNESS (whatever that means for us), we need to remember that our destiny is shaped by our moment to moment decision. Let's shoot into the right basket as we step forward into growth.
Ready to get your brain right? Start with your gut! In this compelling book, Dr. David Perlmutter walks us through the leading-edge science on how to dial in our microbiome to optimize our brain + overall well-being. In the Note, we explore Big Ideas ranging from the power of probiotics and your second brain to the importance of focusing on root causes rather than just symptoms along with the 6 keys to feeding your microbes.
I'm convinced Mark Divine is a superhero. Seriously. And in Unbeatable Mind, the former Navy SEAL gives us the handbook on mental toughness. In the Note, we'll look at the keys to cultivating our confidence, the importance of cultivating our concentration, learning how to control our breathing and other goodness that will make you unbeatable.
Who do LeBron James, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Dwight Howard, James Harden and a ton of other top basketball players go to to get better? Idan Ravin. If you’re into sports + self-development + the pursuit of being the best you can possibly be, I think you’ll love the book. Big Ideas include getting paid to do what you love, greatness, obstacles and exiting the cave.
If you want to hit your outcome (or "product" goals) you need to hit your daily PROCESS goals. Here's how.
Wonder where happiness comes from? So does Jonathan Haidt, one of the world’s leading positive psychologists and Professor at NYU. Join us as we explore some of my favorite Big Ideas from his great book.
What are the Top 10 goals you’d like to achieve over the next year? Awesome. Now, what’s the #1 goal? FOCUS ON THAT!
How’s your habit-building process working for you? If you’ve stalled a few (hundred?) times, Stephen Guise tells us that Mini Habits might be just the thing you’re looking for!
Jason Selk is one of the world’s leading peak performance experts. His tagline? “The relentless pursuit of greatness.” If that appeals to you, you’ll love this book. It’s fantastic! Big Ideas we explore include the difference between Process and Product Goals, a 100-second mental training workout, why your self-image matters and the REMARKABLE benefits of writing down your goals.
Leonardo da Vinci. Charles Darwin. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Martha Graham. The Wright Brothers. Jane Goodall. Benjamin Franklin. Thomas Edison. Zora Neale Hurston. What do they all have in common? Mastery. In this great book Robert Greene shows us the key components of their mastery and, most importantly, how WE can each attain our mastery in our own lives.
Dr. Eric Maisel is the author of more than thirty five books. His interests include creativity and the creative life, mental and emotional health, and philosophy and the art of making meaning.
Cal Newport decodes the pattern of finding work that inspires us and tells us, as per the sub-title, “Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love.” The title of the book comes from comedian Steve Martin’s advice to aspiring entertainers to “Be so good they can’t ignore you.”
Dr. Michelle Segar is the world’s leading authority on what motivates people to choose and maintain healthy behaviors. As you’d imagine, Dr. Segar has some really powerful ideas on, as the sub-title suggests, “How the simple science of motivation can bring you a lifetime of fitness.” Big Ideas we explore include the importance of meaning, moving exercise from a chore to a gift and embracing a learning mindset.
Creative visualization sounds good but science says it's not so hot. Get excited about your ideal future AND contrast that with your current reality. But only if you want to succeed more.
Dr. Helgoe is here to help us learn how to be psychologically patriotic as we build solitude skills and tap into our introvert power.
You're going to work on your project. But first! You're going to do something that will "only take 1 minute." A few hours later you forget what you were going to do. Let's not do that.
Science says that we’re happiest with our work when three things are present: Autonomy + Competence + Relatedness. Here’s a (super) quick look at Self-Development Theory.
You ever find yourself procrastinating? Well then, my friend, it's time to Eat That Frog!! Brian Tracy gives us 21 good reasons to figure out the most important work for your life and day and get on it already. Big Ideas include discovering your #1 goal, 80/20 time management, taking care of the raw materials of peak performance, and single handling.
Kristin Neff established self-compassion as a field of study almost a decade ago. In this interview, we'll explore the three core elements of self-compassion (self-kindness + common humanity + mindfulness) and why it's so important for us to cultivate!
Marie Forleo's mission is to help you realize your greatest potential and use your unique talents to change the world. She’s the creator of the award-winning show, MarieTV and has been featured on Forbes, Oprah Radio and The New York Times, among others.
Mark Hyman, M.D. is a five-time New York Times bestselling author, family physician an international leader in the field of Functional Medicine.
Pilar Gerasimo is the founding editor of Experience Life, an award-winning healthy-living magazine that reaches more than 2.8 million people nationwide.
Who does Zen master Phil Jackson go to when he wants to get his players' minds right? George Mumford. Mumford has coached everyone from Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant and gives us a great introduction to mindfulness way beyond sports. Big Ideas we explore include Kobe's 1,300 3-pointers (PER DAY), romancing your discomfort zone, stepping in btwn stimulus and response, and REALLY listening to yourself.
Michael Bungay Stanier is the Senior Partner of Box of Crayons and author of Do More Great Work. He’s also the curator of the Your Great Work MBA, a FREE ent*theos virtual conference featuring 25 extraordinary speakers sharing tactics and strategies to do more Great Work.
Stressed? Heart racing, palm sweaty and all that jazz? Great! Know that how you interpret that stress response will dictate how it affects you. Choose, "I'm excited!" rather than "I'm freaked out!" :)
Optimizing our lives always involves two things: 1. Knowing + 2. Doing. The Doing is the hard part. We need meaning that matters. Abstract meaning ("Long-term health") is weak and immediate gratification meaning ("It feels good NOW!") is where it's at!
EVERYBODY procrastinates. And this "concise guide" by Timothy Pychl, Ph.D.--one of the world's leading procrastination experts--helps us solve the procrastination puzzle. Big Ideas we explore include IF ... THEN (<-- huge!), Just getting started (vs. Just doing it), the horror of "It will just take a minute," why multitasking is a myth, and why it's best to be nice to yourself when you stumble.
This is Austin Kleon’s second masterful little book on optimizing creativity. The first? Steal Like an Artist. After learning how to get our creativity on, we’re ready to become the artist whose ideas others steal. Big Ideas include chain creating, micro sabbaticals, playing till the 9th inning, troll pooper scoopers, and the #1 way to get more followers.
Leo Babauta created Zen Habits, a Top 25 blog (according to TIME magazine) with 260,000 subscribers, and the best-selling books Focus, The Power of Less, and Zen To Done.
John Mackey is the founder and Co-CEO of Whole Foods Market. He actively works to create a new business paradigm, addressing issues facing the natural and organic food industry, exploring the nature of human development and much more.
Kris Carr is a New York Times best selling author, speaker, health advocate and wellness coach. She is the author of Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor, Crazy Sexy Diet, and Crazy Sexy Kitchen.
Karen Salmansohn a best selling author and book packager with over 1 million books sold – known for creating a new breed of books – “self help for people who would never be caught dead reading self help."
How'd you like to have an undefeated mind while constructing an indestructible self? (I'll take 'em!) Alex Lickerman, MD shows us how--blending Western science with practical Eastern mysticism in his powerful book.
DC Gonzalez is one of the world's leading peak performance/mental training experts. In this interview, we'll take a quick look at why mental training is so important.
Alberto Villoldo is a fascinating blend of medical anthropologist and practicing shaman—having explored, practiced and taught these ideas for decades. Alberto walks us the healing wisdom at the nexus of ancient shamanic wisdom and modern science.
Troy Bassham is a 4 time National Champion and World Champion rifle shooter. He's also gold medalist Lanny Bashamm's son. Together they share extraordinary wisdom in their Mental Management® System.
Want to get your mind right? Lanny Bassham, an Olympic gold medalist, has been teaching the art of mental training/peak performance for decades and his book tells us just how to rock it.
You want to be superhuman? Tynan tells us it's all about the habits. I agree. And his book is a genius little manifesto on how to rock it.
Ryan Holiday is brilliant. So is this book. The ancient Stoics taught us how to not only accept challenges but to thrive on them. Ryan brings their wisdom to life with compelling stories of great peeps who have rocked it in the face of adversity.
Marci Shimoff is a celebrated transformational leader and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. In addition to authoring the worldwide bestsellers, Love for No Reason and Happy for No Reason, she is the coauthor of six of the top-selling titles in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a featured teacher in the international movie and book sensation The Secret.
Michael J. Gelb is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, accelerated learning, and innovative leadership and author of the bestselling How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, Brain Power, and Creativity on Demand: How to Ignite and Sustain the Fire of Genius.
Steve Chandler's MindShift frees people from unnecessary pessimism and puts them back in touch with the source of their enthusiasm for work and life. He is the author of over 30 books, including Time Warrior and Wealth Warrior.
Tal Ben-Shahar is an author and lecturer, teaching at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya. He taught the largest course at Harvard on "Positive Psychology" and the third largest on "The Psychology of Leadership"—with a total of over 1,400 students.
Frank Lipman is the founder and director of the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City, where his personal blend of Western and many other medicines, what he calls Good Medicine, has helped thousands of people recover their energy and zest for life.
Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson is a motivational psychologist, speaker, author of SUCCEED: How We Can Reach Our Goals, blogger for Huff Post, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, SmartBrief, and Psychology Today.
Sonja Lyubomirsky is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside and author of The How of Happiness, a book of strategies backed by scientific research that can be used to increase happiness.
Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist and author of Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom. He is an authority on self-directed neuroplasticity.
Alan Cohen, M.A., is the author of 24 popular inspirational books including The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore and Why Your Life Sucks. He brings a warm blend of wisdom, intimacy, humor, and vision to the path of personal, professional, and spiritual growth.
Joel Fuhrman, M.D., is a board-certified family physician who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional and natural methods. He is the author of Eat to Live and Super Immunity.
David Allen is widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on personal and organizational productivity. He is the engineer of GTD, the ground-breaking Getting Things Done methodology that has shown millions how to transform a fast-paced, overwhelming, overcommitted life into one that is balanced, integrated, relaxed, and has more successful outcomes.
We've all heard that championship athletic performance is 90% mental. But that applies to EVERYTHING in our lives. Here are three ways to train your mind.
An untrained elephant grabs bananas and coconuts as it cruises thru the market. Your untrained mind does the same thing. The trick? Pick up a stick!
You want a great relationship? Fantastic. Start by dialing in your relationship with yourself! Know your #1s. And, support your Love by knowing their #1s.
Imagine someone following you tomorrow and keeping notes on EVERY single moment of your day--from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep. And they document it all to share with the world. Change anything?
Did you know the word mediocre comes from the Latin words medius ("middle") + ocrus ("rugged mountatin")? It literally means to settle halfway up a rugged mountain. Let's not do that. Let's embrace excellence and summit the peak of our potential!
There's a gap between your comfort zone and your discomfort zone. That's where we're able to get our incremental improvement on. Let's play there. Stretch don't snap!
What do you want? Are you willing to pay the price? Fantastic. That's the ticket. (And, if you're feelin' it, go make 1,300 three-pointers every day like Kobe.)
We all know the slow and steady tortoise beats the bunny that burns himself out. But what if there was a creatture that combined both speed AND endurance. Meet your new friend Smokey!
Did you know that you can strike a power pose and boost your testosterone by 20% in 2 minutes? While dropping your cortisol 20%? Nuts, eh? Yet it's true. Weak poses = the opposite: 10% reduction in testosterone + 15% increase in cortisol. Wow.
He's tiny. Almost invisible. But he has a HUGE mouth and he's constantly telling you why you can't win. That's Mr. Mediocrity. We need to silence him.
The Pain Paradox: Only doing the easy stuff today makes it more difficult later. Paradoxically, doing the hard stuff now makes things easier in the future. Think cows vs. buffalo! :)
Although, as per the sub-title, the book is ostensibly about “How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra),” it’s really about excelling at learning and at LIFE! Barbara Oakley is an award winning engineering teacher who used to struggle mightily with math and science. She walks us through the latest research in neuroscience and learning as she shares fascinating biographical sketches of scientific + mathematical luminaries along with wisdom from other world-class teachers. Great stuff.
If you’re looking for a smart, grounded, funny and well-written introduction to the Paleo movement, this is the perfect place to start. Big Ideas we explore include the five ages of our origins (Animal + Paleolithic + Agricultural + Industrial + Information), poisons vs. fountains of youth, the importance of meaning (and how to dial it in) and alarm clocks for bed time.
Stephen Cope is the director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living—the largest yoga research institute in the Western world. In this great book, Stephen brings the Bhagavad Gita to life and helps us apply this ancient wisdom to our modern lives. Big Ideas include the four keys to living your dharma, creating the right conditions, dealing with difficulties, training elephants, and reducing yourself to zero!
Greg Krech is one of the world’s leading teachers of Japanese psychology. This book integrates three core facets of the work he has done for the last 25+ years: Morita Therapy + kaizen + Naikan. Big Ideas we explore include understanding what is within our control and what is not (hint: thoughts and feelings are not; behaviors are), how to create momentum in your life and the importance of constant incremental improvement.
You ever struggle with perfectionism? If so, it’s time to learn how to be an imperfectionist! Stephen Guise (author of Mini Habits), shows us the way. Big Ideas include being a poser, living within floors and ceilings, thinking vs. doing, pulling the lever, and cultivating result apathy.
Bernard Roth has been a Professor of Engineering at Stanford for over FIFTY (!!) years. A pioneer in the field of robotics, Bernie is one of the founders of the famed d.school at Stanford. In this great book, he brings the concepts of design thinking to life in the context of our most important design project: designing our optimal lives. Big Ideas we explore include the 5 elements of design thinking, doing vs. trying, ignoring odds, and being the cause.
This is a fantastic, old school psychology classic. Written in 1975, Albert Ellis (see Notes on A Guide to Rational Living) says it’s “One of the best self help books ever written.” Lazarus and Fay walk us through 20 of the most common mistakes that can ruin our lives and, of course, how to correct them. Big Ideas include myths about change, the 2 things we need to do to change, and optimizing our locus of control.
How do you want to die? With a calm serenity knowing you gave your best or with deep regret that you never took the risks and cultivated the discipline to show up with urgency and diligence each day to create a life of deep meaning? The answer is obvious. Big Ideas we explore on how to die empty include optimism vs. wishing, the root of mediocrity, the 3 S’s of goal setting and dealing with The Lag.
Ready to 10X your thinking and your action? Fantastic. Grant Cardone is your man. In this high intensity, LET'S DO THIS! book you'll get fired up to go out and crush it. Big Ideas we explore include how to create goals, why MASSIVE ACTION is so important, how to starve fear, why obsession is a gift not a disease and how Smokey would smoke the tortoise and the hare.
How’s your habit-building process working for you? If you’ve stalled a few (hundred?) times, Stephen Guise tells us that Mini Habits might be just the thing you’re looking for! In the Note we look at what a Mini Habit is and how to go about rockin’ it exploring Big Ideas like making habits stupid small (aka “too small to fail”), embracing Newton’s 1st law, and being aware of ego depletion as you create your chain!
Dr. Michelle Segar is the world’s leading authority on what motivates people to choose and maintain healthy behaviors. As you’d imagine, Dr. Segar has some really powerful ideas on, as the sub-title suggests, “How the simple science of motivation can bring you a lifetime of fitness.” Big Ideas we explore include the importance of meaning, moving exercise from a chore to a gift and embracing a learning mindset.
Why do we get fat? It’s a surprisingly simple question that surprisingly few nutrition experts answer with attention to scientific rigor. Enter: Gary Taubes, a brilliant, award-winning science journalist. In this Note we’ll explore some Big Ideas on the importance of the hormone insulin, why carbs are kinda like cigarettes and the Stanford A TO Z Study that showed low-carb diets outperforming others.
Toughness. Jim Loehr tells us that cultivating our toughness is the essence of creating healthier, happier and more productive lives. And, in this great, old-school book (written in 1993), he shows us how to go about doing that. Big Ideas we explore in the Note include how toughening happens (key: adaptive stress!!), the importance of training recovery, ultradian rhythms and emotional phones ringing.
Rory Vaden tells us we can choose one of three options: 1. We can manage our time. 2. We can prioritize our time. 3. We can multiply our time. The most successful among us learn how to MULTIPLY their time and that’s what this book is all about. Big Ideas explored include the 5 Permissions (Eliminate + Automate + Delegate + Procrastinate + Concentrate) with a focus on the most important: Eliminate!!
Ready to go wild?! John Ratey, MD, and Richard Manning are here to give us the guidebook on how to make that happen! In the Note, we explore Big Ideas ranging from wild nutrition to getting out of bad moods, getting adequate sleep and pulling levers that will change our lives!
When you appraoch a set of stairs and an escalator what do you do? If you're like 95% of the world, you hop on the escalator but Rory Vaden tells us if we want true success in our lives we need to quit looking for shortcuts and Take the Stairs! In the Note we'll look at how to quit being a Should-head, embrace the Pain Paradox and get our Visioneering on.
Steven Pressfield created a trilogy on mastering the creative process and winning our battle with Resistance. The War of Art kicked it off, this is the second installment with the final Turning Pro. In the book, Pressfield walks us thru a specific project and shows us how to deal with Resistance at each stage. Big Ideas we explore incude starting before you're ready, keep working (!), and SHIP!!
Jeff Olson is a down-to-earth, super practical (and successful) guy who believes in the power of turning simple disciplines into massive success. He calls that power “The Slight Edge.” In the Note, we’ll explore Big Ideas ranging from the anti-quantum leap and making course corrections to the habits of a slight edge master and how to create optimal plans.
Jim Loehr is one of the world’s leading sports psychologists and peak performance experts. In this great book, he tells us how all champions are able to access their Ideal Performance States, why we want to lean into challenges, how to make waves throughout out day and the first rule of toughness.
Orison Swett Marden is a brilliant old-school writer who mixed a passionate optimism in our potential with an equally passionate commitment to integrity, grit, perseverance and all things good. I like him. In this book he shows us how to make our life a masterpiece by becoming the captain of our own ships, doing first-class work, and finding an hour a day to optimize as we achieving true success.
Ready to get your brain right? Start with your gut! In this compelling book, Dr. David Perlmutter walks us through the leading-edge science on how to dial in our microbiome to optimize our brain + overall well-being. In the Note, we explore Big Ideas ranging from the power of probiotics and your second brain to the importnace of focusing on root causes rather than just symptoms along with the 6 keys to feeding your microbes.
David Perlmutter, MD combines his deep knowledge in neuroscience + nutrition in this hard-hitting, scientifically rigorous look at how, in short, grains are destroying our brains. Dementia. ADHD. Epilepsy. Anxiety. Chronic headaches. Depression. They all have their roots in neurological dysfunction and they are all impacted by our nutrition. In the Note we take a look at some powerful Big Ideas to optimize.
Ready to apply mindfulness to learning and teaching? That's what this book is all about as Ellen Langer challenges seven pervasive myths related to learning. In the Note we explore Ideas ranging from reframing, ever-present gratification and creating options to mindful presentations and celebrating confusion.
Ellen Langer is one of the world's leading researchers studying the science of well-being. This book was was published over 25 years ago—before the concept of “mindfulness” went mainstream. Ellen takes a Western scientific orientation to mindfulness (vis-a-vis an Eastern mystical) as she challenges us to overcome our mindless patterns, let go of false limits, focus on the process and notice all the wonders present in our lives.
Alberto Villoldo is a shaman and medical anthropologist who has studied the spiritual practices of the Amazon and the Andes for over 25 years. In this book, we tap into their wisdom on how to shamans dream the world into being. Big Ideas include choosing between casting yourself as a victim or a hero, letting go of perfection, cultivating mindfulness and being ready to die at any moment.
Ellen Langer is a professor of psychology at Harvard and one of the world's leading reseachers who has been exploring what she calls the "psychology of possibility" for over three decades. This book is packed with amazing research stories and wisdom to bring more mindfulness to our lives and tap into our latent potential.
Tal Ben-Shahar is one of the most popular professors in Harvard’s history and does a great job of integrating the rigor of the science of happiness with the fun of self-help. Drawing on the latest psychological research, this book walks us through 101 choices we make throughout our lives. Big Ideas include finding happiness boosters, joining the failure hall of fame, focusing on your strengths and cocreating your reality.
Do you want to lead the field? Earl Nightingale is our guide in this old-school guide to rockin' it. Big Ideas include seeing the acres of diamonds in our own backyards, being able to immediately articulate our goal in a single sentence, seeing that if we want more we need to serve more and knowing that TODAY is the day to show up and shine!
James Stockdale spent 7 1/2 years as the highest ranking prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. 4 years in solitary confinement. 2 in leg irons. This book is about how he endured all of that with the wisdom of Stoic philosopher Epictetus in mind. In the Note, we explore the key tenets of Stoicism, the Stockdale Paradox, playing your role well and mastering your emotions.
Would you like to find the Zone more often? Well, yah! Leading sports psychologist Michael Lardon, M.D. shows us how. 10 core lessons. In the Note, we'll look at why you want to have two scorecards, the importance of activation energy (451 degrees, please!!) and how to keep your confidence dialed in.
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist Zen master and one of the world's leading spiritual teachers. In this great book he teaches us how to access the power of quiet in a noisy world. Big Ideas include bringing awareness to the "Four Nutriments" we consume, tuning in to the right radio station in our minds and creating an island of self.
Resilience. As Eric Greitens tells us, it's not so much about bouncing back as it is about moving through. And this former Navy SEAL, Rhodes Scholar, boxing champion and humanitarian who's been recognized as one of the greatest leaders in the world, knows a ton about how to cultivate it by embracing failure, forging our purpose and living with virtue.
Eric Greitens is pretty much a superhero. Part humanitarian and part warrior, he's an integrated man committed to serving profoundly. In this book, he shows us how to combine strength and compassion, find our purpose through service and cultivate practical wisdom
This is basically Earl Nightingale's greatest hits album, er, book. The editors of the book combed through over 700 (!!) hours of Earl's audio programs and pulled out the things he came back to again and again. The book is packed with wisdom. In the Note, we explore how to deal with your worries, the importance of active patience, and finding our second wind as we go from being a rowboat to an ocean liner.
Originally published in 1974, this book is, as the sub-title suggests, the classic guide to the mental side of peak performance and transcends tennis/sports. If we want to win the game of life, we've gotta start by winning the inner game. In the Note, we'll take a quick look at how to do that, learning about Self 1 + Self 2 (and how to help them get along), quieting our mind and asking for qualities we aspire to have.
Spartan Up!! Want a swift kick in the optimizing butt?! This is the book for you. It truly is "a take-no-prisoners guide to overcoming obstacles and achieving performance" delivered with enthusiasm by Joe De Sena--the renowned endurance/adventure racer who created Spartan Race. We'll look at what's impossible vs. just really hard, how to pass the cookie test as we develop grit and learn how to get to the next telephone pole in the race of life.
How'd you like to be perfectly yourself? In this great book, Matthew Kelly shows us how to become the-best-possible-version-of-yourself by doing the next right thing, making virtue our goal, building discipline, simplifying and finding ways to serve!
Concentration. As we know, the sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus. This is an old school manual on how to cultivate our strength of mind to set our lives on fire. In the Note, we'll look at some Big Ideas to cultivate our concentration, sticktoitiveness and make every moment a part of our practice.
Og Mandino was the most popular inspirational author of his era. Before that he was a 35-year-old drunken derelict! In this book, he tells us how he found "a better way to live" and shares his 17 Rules to Live By so we can rock it as well. We'll start by building foundations below our air-castles, counting our blessings, going the extra mile and learning from Lady Liberty's Hair-do.
This little book features a mysterious master who teaches his secrets to living in harmony with Universal Law. I love stories like this. It’s a super quick-reading, invigorating little tale. In the Note we'll have fun exploring how to clean up our mental house, the importance of focusing on our ONE thing and keeping Mr. Mo on our side!
Jim Rohn influenced a generation of self-help gurus and this book lays out his "five major keys for the life puzzle." We'll take a quick look at your life philosophy, what you're doing with the 86,400 ticks each day, how to finish before you start as you design your ideal life and other such goodness.
The-best-version-of-yourself. That's what Matthew Kelly is committed to helping us become and that's what this book is all about. In the Note, we have fun getting in tune with the Rhythms of Life as we explore the fact that everything is a choice, look at what we want to give our WHOLE life to and discover the mojo of great questions.
Would you like to be the greatest version of you? Og Mandino's classic can help with that. The best selling book on sales ever written is really a fun fable about how to achieve success in any/ever domain. In the Note, we unroll the "10 ancient scrolls" of wisdom to discover that obstacles are our friends, good habits are essential and other such goodness.
Want to know the strangest secret? Here it is: “We become what we think about.” That's it! Thank you, Earl Nightingale (and all other gret teachers who echo this wisdom!). In the Note we'll unpack Big Ideas from this uber-classic recording and learn how to optimize our thinking so we can actualize our potential.
This is one of Steven Pressfield's favorite books. When I heard that, I immediately got it. Brilliant. Patricia Ryan Madson is Emerita of Stanford University where she taught for three decades in the Drama Department. We'll have fun looking at her 13 maxims for improv living from this quick-reading, fun, smart, practical book.
Nonviolent Communication has sold over 1,000,000 copies. Why? It works. There are four key components to NVC: Observations + Feelings + Needs + Requests. In this Note, we'll take a quick look at each of them along with some other Big Ideas to communicate more compassionately.
Play! Stuart Brown, one of the world's leading play researchers, tells us that it's more important than you may think. We'll take a quick look at why it's so important, why you don't want to be a sea squirt and how to make your life one big sand box while infusing more joy into your life.
The ONE Thing. What's yours? Gary Keller (his Keller-Williams real estate is THE largest real estate company in the world--I bet that was a ONE Thing goal at some point!) shares his wisdom in this BRILLIANT book. We'll have fun exploring a few of my favorite Big Ideas: dominoes + extreme Pareto and other goodness.
Do you think you can or do you think you can't? As Henry Ford told us, either way you're right. Orison Swett Marden (who created Success magazine) walks us thru some old-school no-nonsense mojo in this great little book. In the Note, we'll look at the power of being a functional dreamer and bringing ourselves to a 212 degree boil!
How'd you like to have an undefeated mind while constructing an indestructible self? (I'll take 'em!) Alex Lickerman, MD shows us how--blending Western science with practical Eastern mysticism in this powerful book. In the Note, we'll explore how to find your mission and turn poison into medicine.
Want to wake up every morning like it's Christmas? (Or otherwise fired up if xmas isn't your thing?) Well, it's time to make your mornings miraculous and Hal Elrod shows us how with his Life S.A.V.E.R.S. Do more before 8am than you thought possible and crush it day in and day out.
Pete Carroll is the Super Bowl-winning coach of the Seattle Seahawks. His Win Forever philosophy was inspired by an awesome hybrid of Abraham Maslow, John Wooden and his own commitment to always competing while having a whole lotta fun. In the Note, we'll check out a few of my favorite Ideas to help us Win Forever in all facets of our lives.
Stephen King has written over 50 books. ALL of them (that would be every.single.one) have been international best-sellers. (Wow.) It’s fair to say he knows a thing or two (or 350 million) about writing. He shares that wisdom in this book and we'll take a quick look at a handful of my favorite Big Ideas in this Note.
This is a tiny little book PACKED with wisdom. Written in a classic, hard-hitting, early 20th century old- school-cool style, it reminds me of a cross between Samuel Smiles’ Self-Help and James Allen’s As a Man Thinketh. In fact, the title “As a Man Willeth” would fit quite nicely. We'll unpack some goodness in the Note.
Eknath Easwaran is one of my favorite teachers and one of the most beloved spiritual teachers of the 20th century. He walked with Gandhi in his native India and shows us to be the change while making our life our message. We'll explore how to change the gears of our thinking, detox from mas media and engage in practical idealism.
Turning Pro. Steven Pressfield tells us that's how we win The War of Art against our nemesis Resistance. Brilliant stuff. In this Note, we'll take a quick look at Shadow Callings (w/a look at mine!), the blissful hell of Epiphanies and more goodness on how to officially turn pro.
This is a SHOCKINGLY good book. Want to get your mind right? Lanny Bassham, an Olympic gold medalist, has been teaching the art of mental training/peak performance for decades and this book tells us just how to rock it. In the Note, we'll look at the importance of making the process primary and other fundamentals of mental mastery.
DC Gonzalez is one of the world's leading peak performance/mental training experts and this quick-reading manifesot on the art of mental training is fantastic. In the Note, we'll take a quick look at why mental training is so improtant, the critical three (breathing + relaxation + imagineering) and the most important lesson of all.
Kristin Neff established self-compassion as a field of study almost a decade ago—bringing the Buddhist practice of self-compassion into her labs so the benefits could be empirically validated. In this Note, we explore the three core elements of self-compassion (self-kindness + common humanity + mindfulness) and why it's so important for us to cultivate!
We go to the gym to work out our bodies. But what about our minds? We need a mind gym!! This is one of the top books on mental training. Focused on athletes but we're all athletes in the bigger game of life. In this Note, we'll hit the mind gym hard--learning how to move beyond our perceived limits, manage pressure, build confidence and show up consistently.
Mindsight. It's the seventh sense you didn't know you had! Can you pay attention to the inner workings of your own mind? That's what Dr. Dan Siegel, one of the world's leading neuroscientists + psychotherapists, helps us do in this phenomenal book. We'll explore Big Ideas ranging from the basics of brain hygiene to the power of integration and how to live with more flexibility and coherence as we leverage the best of modern neuroscience.
How'd you like to tap into the power of radical contentment? (Sign me up!) Alan Cohen shows us the way to as he teaches us how to quit being a hardaholic and/or a precrastinator as we embrace the three facts of life and eliminate the terrorists from our minds. Enough already. It's a wonderful place to be.
I'm convinced Mark Divine is a superhero. Seriously. And in Unbeatable Mind, the former Navy SEAL gives us the handbook on mental toughness. In the Note, we'll look at the keys to cultivating our confidence, the importance of cultivating our concentration, learning how to control our breathing and other goodness that will make you unbeatable.
Darren Hardy is the Publisher of SUCCESS magazine and knows a thing or 1,000 about success. It's all boiled down into this little manifesto on The Compound Effect. The equation? Small, Smart Choices + Consistency + Time = RADICAL DIFFERENCE. In the Note, we'll check out the power of compounding and how to welcome Mr. Mo to the party and create your greatest life.
The Practicing Mind. It’s the key to true inner peace and contentment. In a world that conditions us to obsess about goals and outcomes, it’s easy to miss the importance of the process. The PRACTICE. Thomas Sterner brilliantly (!) helps us bring discipline and focus into our lives to experience the presence and joy that comes as a result. (Bonus: We also create a frictionless path to our goals as well!)
Would you like to ignite and sustain the fire of genius? Well, Michael Gelb's your guy, then. Gelb is one of the world's leading thinkers + teachers on applied genius creativity. He wrote the life-changing book, "How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci" and is back with more goodness in this gem. Specifically, he teaches us how to cultivate our creative mindset + creative mojo via tapping into universal life force, or qi = good stuff!
Teddy Roosevelt told us that it's not the critic who counts. It's all about the individual who is actually in the arena--whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood... Who dares greatly. Brene Brown takes that spirit and runs with it--showing us how we can only dare greatly when we are willing to live Wholeheartedly, embracing our vulnerability as we cultivate our courage, compassion and connection.
Introverts unite!! Did you know that the majority (!) of Americans are actually introverted? Yep. But... Our society overly values the extroverted/social side of things and doesn't teach us how to cultivate the internal goodness. Fear not, Dr. Helgoe is here to help us learn how to be psychologically patriotic as we build solitude skills and tap into our introvert power.
Sleep. It's powerful. Way more so that you may think. And Dr. James Maas, a leading sleep scientist, gives us the lowdown on how to optimize our sleep for peak performance. In the Note, we'll look at why sleep is so powerful, signs you're not getting enough of it, and some best practices on how to rock it. We'll add a few more zzz's to your zzz's!
You want to be superhuman? Tynan tells us it's all about the habits. I agree. And this book is a genius little manifesto on how to rock it. In the Note, we'll look at some Big Ideas on the basic mental mechanics of installing habits that'll help you reach your potential. Keys: focusing on consistency (!), using your mistakes to your advantage, getting rid of negative habits and focusing on the finish line as you rock the process.
Want to change your life? Take a nap. Seriously. Nearly all of us are sleep deprived and naps are a scientifically proven way to boost everything you want to boost. Leading scientist Sara Mednicks walks us thru the evolutionary functionality of naps and teaches us how to get our nap on and why we should. In the Note, we'll cover the basics and get you rockin' it like a nap ninja in no time.
Ernest Holmes created the Science of Mind movement and influenced a ton of modern new thought teachers (from Louise Hay to Michael Beckwith). He's all about connecting to that power that's bigger than us and in this Note, we'll explore how to turn on our inner light, tend to our mental garden, look for good and become an outlet for the Divine!
Richie Davidson is one of the world's leading neuroscientists and was the first guy to check out monks' brains in a lab. He founded the affective + contemplative neuroscience fields and is, quite simply, a neuroscientist rock star. In this Note, we explore some of his best Big Ideas, understanding how our thoughts and behaviors affect the very structure of our brains and the emotions we feel. We'll also look at how to dial it all in.
Rest. You getting enough? If you're like most of us, the answer is No. Leading medical doctor, Matthew Edlund shows us how sleep isn't enough. We need to cultivate "active rest" into our day-to-day lives. In this Note, we'll look at how to integrate active Mental + Physical + Social + Spiritual rest while working out our brain, breathing and optimizing our lives.
The Tools. This was easily the best book I read in 2012. It's packed with goodness. Stutz and Michels are two no-nonsense therapists who developed powerful tools to transform our problems into courage, confidence, and creativity. In this Note, we'll take a quick peek at how to put these powerful tools to work to creat real change in our lives.
Whatever you want to learn, know this: It’s ALL about the myelin. Myelin? Yep. Myelin. In this Note we’ll learn what myelin is and why it’s so cool along with some other Big Ideas—ranging from the importance of “Deep Practice,” to the importance of baby steps as the royal road to skill and the fact that greatness isn’t about not magic, it’s about hard work.
Are you looking for a way to “defeat procrastination, people-pleasing, self-doubt, over- commitment, broken promises and chaos.” Then this books for you. In the Note, we’ll have some fun checking out how to become a time warrior. Big Ideas include learning how to end overwhelm by doing one thing at a time, the power of taking decisive action and how to focus like a sci-fi laser beam! :)
Tim Sanders is awesome. He was the Chief Solutions Officer for Yahoo! back in the day and wrote the uber-cool book Love Is the Killer App—which was one of the books that planted the seed for these PhilosophersNotes. In this great book, Tim shares the wisdom of his beloved Grandma, Billye, who taught him the power of total confidence. The key? As Tim says: “The secret to renewal and true confidence is simple: Get back to the basics.” In this Note, we’ll learn how to be truly rich via powerful daily practices as we become healthy-thought nuts and POETs who practice persistence. Fun!
Abraham Maslow sits in the great-grandfather slot in my spiritual family tree and is kinda the great-grandfather of the modern Positive Psychology movement. We profiled the 19 characteristics of his self-actualizing individual in our Note on Motivation & Personality in Volume I and in this Note we take a look at the essence of creativity and the fact that we all have capacities that’re clamoring to be used!
Pema Chödrön is a Buddhist teacher and prolific author with an incredibly strong, yet compassionate and grounded perspective. This book is all about facing challenging times with courage as we lean into our fears and grow. We'll explore a bunch of Big Ideas on everything from why we should meditate to how long the process of actualizing takes (roughly the rest of our lives :)!
Edward L. Deci is one of the world’s leading researchers on human motivation and this book is packed with scientific wisdom—exploring what we know about the power of intrinsic motivation (vs. extrinsic motivation), the importance of autonomy (vs. being controlled) and the need for authenticity (vs. alienation). Hint: If you want happiness, focus on relationships, personal growth and making a contribution; don’t go after fame, wealth and beauty.
Why Your Life Sucks. That has to win the award for best title ever. Cohen is a very funny man. He’s also super wise and a great story teller and this book is packed with goodness on how we can unsuck our lives. My favorite Big Ideas (that we cover in the Note) include everything from tuning in to radio station “KNOW,” hiring your own thought bouncer and remembering to nourish your spirit.
Willpower. It’s ESSENTIAL to optimizing our lives. In fact, in their great book, Willpower, Roy Baumeister (one of the world’s leading scientific researchers on self-control) and John Tierney (science writer for the New York Times) tell us that “Improving willpower is the surest way to a better life.” In this Note, we’ll learn how to eat our way to willpower (seriously), how to exercise our self-control muscles, why “precommitment” is so important and how to win the willpower game with bright lines and a great offense. :)
John Wooden. He’s arguably the greatest coach EV-ER and this book is essentially one Big Idea after another. Wooden is all about the fundamentals and in this Note we’ll explore a few of my favorite Big Ideas on his old-school wisdom—from the fact that full effort = full success to the importance of becoming a realistic optimist.
One of the world’s leading experts on creativity, Eric Maisel is a psychotherapist who works exclusively with artists. As the sub-title suggests, this book is set up as “A Year’s Worth of Inspiration and Guidance” and provides insight into everything from dealing with anxiety to taking the next baby step and having patience. Plus, you’ll learn a new power mantra for creating. :)
Twyla Tharp is awesome. One of the greatest choreographers in the world, she’d created more than 130 (!!!) dances for her company as well as for everyone from the Joffrey Ballet to London’s Royal Ballet. In this great book,. Twyla shares some uber-Big Ideas on how we can develop our Creative Habit to more consistently rock it.
You might have caught Sir Ken’s genius energy in his brilliant TED talk. Not only is he one of the world’s leading experts on creativity, he’s an all-around cool guy and... he’s a KNIGHT! How cool is that?! That’s pretty saucy I say. :)
Sri Swami Satchidananda was one of the world’s greatest yoga masters and teachers. This book is organized as a daily inspirational guidebook and it’s packed with 365 wisdom gems. In the Note, we explore Big Ideas ranging from the importance of being bold and strong to the power of making a lot mistakes.
Wonder where happiness comes from? So does Jonathan Haidt, one of the world’s leading positive psychologists and Professor at the University of Virginia. In this phenomenal book, Haidt looks at ancient wisdom and modern wisdom as he tests some happiness hypotheses and comes up with his ultimate hypothesis. In this Note, we’ll check out the dynamic between you and your elephant, the magic pill that is meditation, and the mojo of virtue.
Michael Ray is a Professor at Stanford’s Business School who teaches creativity in business. This book shares the lessons from that remarkable class and points out the fact that our “Highest Goal” is all about connecting to and living from our highest truths all the time. In this Note, we’ll take a look at how to get out of “the cruel grip of society” as we travel our own path and let the material bounty be by-products of our spiritual awesomeness. :)
Barry Schwartz tells us that some choice is obviously good but too much choice can actually stress us out! The book is packed with powerful wisdom—much of it counterintuitive. In the Note, we'll explore the difference between being a “Maximizer” vs. a “Satisficer” and why we want to shift from always needing the “absolute best” to being happy with “good enough” as we develop our gratitude and quit comparing ourselves to other peeps. Powerful.
Tom Morris is my favorite living philosopher. As a former Professor at Notre Dame with a dual Ph.D. in Religion and Philosophy, he blends old school, rigorous philosophy with amodern sense of fun. In this Note, we have fun getting our wisdom on with his “7 C’s of Success”: Conception, Confidence, Concentration, Consistency, Commitment, Character and a Capacity to Enjoy. Good times.
Michael Bernard Beckwith. Alexandra and I love him and his wisdom. He’s a model of integrated spirituality for us one of our absolute favorite teachers. In this Note, we’ll take quick at his powerful “Life Visioning Process” and have some fun getting our wisdom on with Big Ideas ranging from The Four Stages of Evolutionary Growth to unplugging from the Internet and plugging into the “Inner-net.” Good stuff!
Carol Dweck, Ph.D is a Stanford Professor and one of the world’s leading authorities on the science of motivation. She tells us that our “mindset”—how we see the world—determines a huge part of our overall happiness and well-being and achievement. In this Note, we’ll explore the difference between a “fixed mindset” and a “growth mindset” and some Big Ideas on why we want to learn how to live from a growth mindset. And, of course, how to do it!
Are you suffering from “excusitis” or living on “Someday Isle”—you know, where you’ll get around to living your greatest life “someday”? Brian Tracy says we need to vote ourselves off that island and in this Note we’ll check out some of my favorite Big Ideas on how he says we should rock it—from understanding the root of negative moods (it’s all about blame) to thinking long-term (the happiest/most successful see the big picture!) to the importance of setting goals and taking purposeful action.
This is a great book. In Rethinking Depression, Eric Maisel presents an incredibly persuasive case for how medicalized we’ve made the normal human emotions of sadness, anxiety and other unfun feelings (and how dangerous that is) while giving us an existential handbook on how to deal with life’s challenges by creating an authentic life packed with meaning. In this Note, we check out the fact that unhappiness happens while learning how to create our “existential ideal” as we make meaning in our lives! (And, therefore, a lot more happiness.)
Exercise. At this stage—especially if you’ve read many of these Notes!—we KNOW it’s important. This book tells us WHY. John D. Ratey is a genius from the Harvard Medical School (well, technically he’s a Professor of Psychiatry there :) and his book is packed with goodness. If you’re looking to understand the “Revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain” then Spark is for you.
Written in 1859, this is one of the classics of self-development. Smiles focuses on character development, hard work and perseverance rather than the get-it-quick-fluff found in so much of modern self-dev. In the Note, we’ll explore a bunch of Big Ideas including the power of diligence and how to make happiness a habit!
Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is a nutritional science rock star. As one of the world’s leading medical doctors, he is leading the charge in helping us understand how nutrition impacts our well-being. Super Immunity is PACKED with goodness and, as the sub-title points out, provides us with “The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body’s Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free.” In this Note, we’ll get our wisdom on as we check our Dr. Fuhrman’s food pyramid, learn about the power of cruciferous veggies (seriously amazing), get our GOMBBS on as we unleash our healing potential!
Russell Simmons. Part vegan-yogi. Part pop icon. 100% awesome. (And really funny. :) In PN - Volume I we did a Note on his great book Do You! and I’m excited to share some of my favorite Big Ideas from this fun weekend read as well. Favorites include getting on the right train, becoming a business yogi, the power of hard work, and cleaning out the junk mail in our minds!
Colvin tells us talent is overrated. (As you may have gathered from the title. :) Where’s it at? 10,000 hours of deliberate practice, yo. That’s the bedrock on which greatness is developed. In this Note, we’ll check out The Mozart Myth (you think he was born great?! Think again!) to falling on your butt 20,000 times, and we’ll have fun seeing how we can create our own personal greatness.
Robert Emmons is one of the world's leading experts on the science of gratitude and this book is packed with the whys and hows of getting our gratitude on. In this Note, we'll explore Big Ideas on how we can boost our happiness by 25% by simply keeping a daily gratitude journal, how to get our relationships flourishing, the importance of seeing challenges as opportunities for growth and more goodness.
Will Bowen committed to going 21-days without complaining, criticizing or gossiping and challenged his congregation to do the same. 7 million purple bracelets later, Bowen created a little revolution and in this Note, we’ll check out some Big Ideas on how to quit getting your complaint on. And why you should care. Big Ideas range from shutting down the complaint factory to the fact that we’re all self-made—but only the successful will admit it.
Alan Cohen has become one of my favorite writers and people and this book is great--it’s precisely what the sub-title promises: “A Five-Minute Soul Recharge for Every Day of the Year.” The perfect treat for a lover of more wisdom in less time. In this Note, we’ll learn how important it is to be in integrity as we answer the voice that’s calling and fire our inner critics while promoting our inner fan club. And, for good measure, we’ll drop in some Harry Potter wisdom. Good times.
Albert Ellis has been recognized as one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century (#2, in fact, right ahead of Freud and behind Carl Rogers). Ellis was, essentially, the founder of the modern cognitive behavioral movement and in this Note we’ll have fun exploring some Big Ideas on how to get our minds right—from understanding the roots of neurosis, the ABC’s of suffering, and the importance of action, you’ll feel inspired and empowered by the end!
Stoicism. I love it. Although pretty obscure today, Stoicism was once the primary philosophy of the Western world. (We’ve done Notes on the three leading Stoics: Marcus Aurelius and his Meditations, Seneca and his Letters from a Stoic, and Epictetus and his Enchiridion.) In this, Note, we’ll cover some of the essential ideas of the Stoic philosophical approach along with some Big Ideas on the art of living, the true meaning of virtue, how to visualize and the fact that we’re living in a dream world.
If you’re looking to “Break free of stress, inner conflict, and self-sabotage” then Neil Fiore’s Awaken Your Strongest Self is the book for you! We already did a Note on Fiore’s GREAT book on overcoming procrastination called The Now Habit and I’m excited to have some fun sharing a few of my favorite Big Ideas from this great book as well. You’ll get to know your Strongest Self as we learn about the third perspective, ask ourselves “Where can I start?”, and address the genius syndrome!
Want to learn how to improve your mind as you age? You can and this book by Michael Gelb (author of one of my favorite books: How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci) and Kelly Howell (creator of Brain Sync’s Destiny meditation which I’ve used hundreds of times!) tells us how. In the Note, we’ll take a peek at their eight ways to boost brain power--ranging from optimism, learning and nutrition to exercise, love and rest! Powerful stuff.
Rick Hanson is a neuropsychologist and meditation teacher and this book delivers on its sub-title, delivering a practical look at the neuroscience of happiness, love and wisdom. It’s packed with Big Ideas on the science of how our brains work and he shares a broad range of various practices and guided meditations to help us re-wire our brains. Good stuff.
This book is REALLY REALLY good. In fact, I’m gonna say that if you take the time to read only one book on nutrition, read this one. Integrating scientific research plus his experience treating over 10,000 patients with common sense and fun, Dr. Joel Fuhrman has created a super-readable book with a challenging, yet approachable nutrition program that can completely change your life. Big Ideas we explore in the Note include the importance of really committing, what nutritional density is all about and other goodness.
I just love his no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point approach. His words pack a wise punch. We already profiled another one of his great books, The Total Money Makeover, and I’m excited to have some fun taking a quick peek at a few of my favorite Big Ideas from this equally great book: EntreLeadership, where he shares his best “practical business wisdom” he’s learned “from the trenches.” Big Ideas include understanding that you are the problem (and the solution!), the importance of passion and vision, and how it takes about fifteen years to be an overnight success. Good stuff!
This is the fourth Note I’ve done on Wayne Dyer’s stuff. We also profiled Your Erroneous Zones + The Power of Intention + Real Magic. I just love his simple, inspiring, practical wisdom. In this book Dr. Dyer walks us through how to finally (!) get rid of disempowering thoughts. It’s packed with goodness. In the Note, we’ll explore Big Ideas on the importance of moving from “excusing” to “choosing,” what self-actualizers focus on, why commitments beat pronouncements and other goodness so we can make our excuses be gone!
Want to be fearless? Then you’ll love this book. And this Note. Steve Chandler is a funny guy. And, he’s brilliant. I really like that combo. :) We have Notes on two of his other great books: 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself + Time Warrior. All of Steve’s books are quick-reading, wisdom-packed gems that will make you laugh as you get your wisdom on. In this Note, we’ll have fun eliminating fear from our lives as we learn how to challenge fear thoughts, make tectonic shifts, and discover the secret of life. Good times!
Martin Seligman is one of the founding fathers of the Positive Psychology movement and this is the third Note we’ve done on one of his books. (Check out the Notes on his other classics: Learned Optimism and Authentic Happiness for more science of happiness goodness.) In this Note, we’ll explore his shift from Authentic Happiness Theory to Well-Being Theory as we wrap our brains around PERMA, his model of well-being that consists of Positive emotions + Engagement + Relationships + Meaning + Achievement. Good times.
Ed Diener is the world’s leading researcher on the science of happiness and his son, Robert Biswas-Diener is known as the “Indiana Jones of psychology” because of his data collection adventures around the world. (Love that. :) In their great book, Happiness, they give us a comprehensive look at what we KNOW creates happiness. In this Note, we’ll have some fun figuring out how we can become psychological billionaires as we master the happiness equation, become loving and caring angels, and take AIM at happiness.
This uber-best-selling classic is basically the granddady of self-help books. It's about a lot more than making money and in this Note, we'll have fun looking at the power of a strong desire (whether you're the Buddha seeking enlightenment or an entrepreneur creating something awesome, you better have a strong desire!), persistence (!), self-confidence, faith, and just doing it.
This is easily one of THE most transformative books I've ever read. In the Note, we'll explore all seven spiritual laws with special emphasis on #7 (The Law of Dharma) that inspired me to sell my former business and, eventually, create PhilosophersNotes. (Here's the question Deepak asks that rocked my world: If you had all the time and all the money in the world, what would you do? … So, what would you do? … The Note has cool Ideas on how to answer and rock that one!)
More Wattles mojo here. In this Note, we'll look at the logic behind why Wattles believes we should be rich (quickly: you can render no greater service to God and humanity than to make the most of yourself and you can't do that if you’re poor; see Note for more), and how we need to become creators (and leave the competitive plane), focus on things we're grateful for, get clear on our vision and take action and more action and more action.
The wise Michael Roach was an undercover Buddhist monk who used a classic sutra from Buddhism (called The Diamond Cutter) to build a diamond business. In his book, he describes how he successfully applied this classic wisdom to his modern business and in the Note, we'll take a look at some of my favorite Big Ideas—including the fact that the world is "empty" of meaning and we always have the ability to see its hidden potential.
Eric Butterworth is an amazing guy and this book really transformed my relationship to money. In the Note, we'll take a look at the fact that our goal shouldn't be to make money/acquire schtuff but to achieve the level of consciousness through which abundance flows through our lives naturally. We'll look at the roots of the words affluence and security and prosperity along with some Big Ideas on how to merge our spirituality and our economics.
T.Harv Eker is a funny guy and this book is packed with wisdom on how to "master the inner game of wealth." In the Note, we'll explore awesome Big Ideas ranging from the importance of playing to win (vs. playing not to lose) to the fact that there's a big difference between "wanting" wealth and being committed to creating it.
One of the best-selling self-development franchises of all time, this book is packed with Big Ideas. In the Note, we'll quickly look at why you want to invest in assets that produce income and how your house is (gulp) a liability, not an asset then we'll move on to explore the keys to thinking like the Rich Dad—controlling our thoughts, facing our fears, and all that jazz.
This is one of three titles we cover by Esther and Jerry Hicks. In this Note, we'll look at some Big Ideas on how to rock the Law of Attraction to circulate wealth. We'll explore the fact that the most valuable skill we'll ever have is the control of our minds and how we need to make our lifetime career all about discovering and following our bliss!
How're your erroneous zones doing? Dr. Wayne Dyer's first mega-best-selling book is straight to the point, funny, and eminently practical. In this Note, we'll explore some really Big Ideas ranging from the importance of self-reliance and self-worth (vs. worrying about what others think and therefore having "other-worth") to the need to quit "musterbating."
How're your erroneous zones doing? Dr. Wayne Dyer's first mega-best-selling book is straight to the point, funny, and eminently practical. In this Note, we'll explore some really Big Ideas ranging from the importance of self-reliance and self-worth (vs. worrying about what others think and therefore having "other-worth") to the need to quit "musterbating."
This book has sold 30 (!!) million copies and Louise (founder of Hay House) Hay is one of the vanguards of the modern self-development era. This book rocks and in the Note, we'll look at some amazing Big Ideas—starting with the need to love and approve of ourselves exactly the way we are and including the power of changing our "should's" to "could's" and cleaning out our mental houses as we celebrate (yes, celebrate!) paying our bills!
Did you know you’ve got six senses? Yep. And the brilliant Sonia Choquette describes the why's and how’s of "six sensory" living in her great book. In the Note we'll look at some of my favorite Big Ideas on how to trust our vibes and rock it—from learning how to take care of ourselves and being flexible to no longer dwelling on the past and breathing deeply, we'll have fun playing with our vibes.
Tony Robbins is part rock star, part comedian and part philosopher… and uber-remarkable at what he does. In this Note, we'll look at some of my favorite Big Ideas from a couple of his in-person live events—from taking a look at the quality of the questions we're asking ourselves and seeing how big of an impact they have on our lives to no longer "shoulding" all over ourselves and learning to laugh at our mistakes as we celebrate confusion.
In this book, Bill Harris, the founder of Holosync (which I've been using for 550+ days now), outlines his thoughts on how meditation raises the "thresholds of our mind" along with other mojo on rockin' it. In the Note, we'll take a look at a range of Big Ideas on optimal living—including the significance of different brain wave patterns and why we want to learn how to synchronize our brains through meditation.
Deida definitely pushes some edges with his work and this book was hugely transformational for me. Guys: you'll dig it. Ladies: your guys will dig it. In the Note, we'll explore some Big Ideas on the importance of living on purpose, not making excuses, giving our gifts to the world, being willing to change and committing to growth and love. Powerful stuff.
Brendan Brazier is a former professional Ironman triathlete who lived on nothing but plant-based foods—no meat, no dairy… just plants. In the Note, we'll explore some Big Ideas on how to optimize our diets and experience more vitality in our lives as we quit leaking energy, go for high net-gain foods and rock the alkalinity!
Jack Canfield, the creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul, gives us a book packed with Big Ideas on the fundamentals of success. In the Note, we explore some of my favorites—including an awesome exercise on how to discover our purpose, the importance of taking responsibility in our lives (that's Principle #1!!!), becoming an inverse paranoid (think: “OMG the universe is out to help me!!”), and recognizing that 99% commitment to something is a bitch and 100% is a breeze.
Deepak is one of my favorite authors and this book is all about harnessing the power of "synchrodestiny" to rock it. We'll explore the power of letting go of our fear and worry and anger and hesitation as we discover our deeper purpose and live from our souls with the intention to serve.
Denis Waitley's been rockin' the self-development world for several decades now and captures a lot of his wisdom in this popular book. In the Note, we'll explore the importance of taking responsibility for our attitude (echo!), staying on target, maintaining optimism and enthusiasm, concentrating all of our energy on whatever we're doing, and taking the time to plan our ideal lives.
David Emerald's wonderfully wise fable rocks. In this Note, we'll take a quick look at one of my favorite books as we explore the importance of stepping out of DDT (the Dreaded Drama Triangle) and stepping into TED (The Empowerment Dynamic) as we learn to more consistently live from a Creator's perspective (rather than a Victim's) and learn how to hold the tension between our ideals and our current realities by taking baby steps.
This is Eckhart Tolle's first uber-best-selling classic where we learn how to watch the thinker, reconnect with Divine Intelligence, accept whatever's happening to us as if we had chosen it (that's a really Big Idea), clock time vs. psychological time (a lot of peeps think that just b/c you’re in the Now you can't set goals… not so much… we'll look at what Eckhart's really teaching on this), and the importance of taking responsibility in our lives.
I love Dyer and this book rocks. In the Note, we'll have fun learning about the fact that floatation wasn’t discovered by contemplating the sinking of things (and how you’ve gotta focus on what you WANT if you wanna see it come to life), how to "act as if" (and not be a weenie about it), how kindness releases the same drugs pharmaceuticals pump into anti-depressants (so get your fix by being kind!) and a lot of other great stuff.
We've all got places that scare us and in her great book, Pema Chodrön helps us shine a compassionate light on them. We'll explore some Brilliant Ideas including the fact that being mad at someone and holding a grudge is kinda like eating rat poisoning thinking you're going to hurt the rat. Not so much. We'll also look at idiot compassion and the practice of rejoicing in others' good fortune and other wonderfulness.
Robert Fritz tells us that our souls will not invest themselves in a compromise and then lays out the way for us to rock it. In this Note, we'll take a peek at what keeps us stuck (or, as he says, "oscillating" between our ideals and our limiting beliefs that we can’t attain 'em), and how to create healthy tension where we know what we want and we consistently take baby steps in the right direction in line with our deepest commitments.
You ever procrastinate? Me, too. D'oh! This is an awesome book to help get at the underlying psychological issues/behaviorial patterns that are driving the show when we procrastinate (The Pursuit of Perfect is another great one for that, btw) and we'll have fun getting out of perfectionism and into facing our fears with baby steps in the right direction as we replace the self-defeating thoughts with more empowering ones.
Don Miguel Ruiz's classic has inspired millions. From being impeccable with our word and not taking things personally to not making assumptions and always doing our best, we'll have fun exploring his four agreements and how we can apply them to our lives TODAY!
Ariane de Bonvoisin is the founder of First30days.com and her great book is packed with wisdom on navigating the first 30 days of any (and all) of the changes we inevitably encounter. In the Note, we'll look at how to become a change optimist as we see all the amazing opportunities that come in a time of change and as we work out our change muscles and battle the change demons! Good times.
How's your shadow? (You know, that part of yourself you just don't like too much that you try to repress/ignore/etc.) Debbie Ford's great book is a classic at helping us shine some light on our dark spots and live more fully integrated, authentic, compassionate and creative lives and in this Note, we'll have fun looking at how to find the gold in the dark.
Are you ready to make the Big Leap into your Zone of Genius where you expand in creativity and love and abundance every day as you inspire those around you to do the same? Sweet! Then you'll love the Note where we look at a bunch of Big Ideas on how to make that leap. We'll have fun learning how to wave at our fears, get over our worry and honor the handshake deal we made with the Universe when we were born.
The third Abraham-Hicks title we profile, this one's all about aligning our desires and beliefs and taking inspired action to go "downstream" and rock it. In the Note, we'll explore the difference between deliberate creation and creating by default along with another peek at the importance of using our emotions as a guidance system and how it's always best to start with something easy and then develop our confidence and skills from there!
This classic has sold 15 million copies and was the first self-development book I read back in the day (1995 to be precise). In this Note, we'll take a quick look at all 7 Habits—from being proactive (huge!) to beginning with the end in mind, putting first things first, thinking win/win, seeking first to understand, synergizing and sharpening the saw. Lots of goodness here to help us develop our character to create our ideal lives as we most fully give ourselves to the world.
Did you know 20% of beer drinkers drink 80% of the beer? And that 20% of streets account for 80% of the traffic? And that most peeps wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time? And that 20% of customers/products usually account for about 80% of profits? Yepperz. In this Note, we’ll explore the 80/20 principle and how we can apply its power to every aspect of our lives to "achieve more with less."
Shawn Phillips is all about empowering us to create physical and mental "Strength for Life." In this Note we'll learn the difference between transformation and change, the incredible benefits of consistent training and the importance of focusing our minds along with all kinds of other Big Ideas on how to get our strength on.
Michael Beckwith runs the Agape church in Los Angeles and is one of the most plugged in human beings I've ever seen. In this Note, we'll explore some of his many Big Ideas—including how important discipline is and the fact that as we rock it, our discipline turns to blissipline. We'll also see how to avoid spiritual constipation by PRACTICING what we study and how even enlightened beings burn their bagels on occasion (so we can prolly relax into our own imperfections).
We've got three Notes on Wayne Dyer (see The Power of Intention and Your Erroneous Zones) and in this Note we'll have fun learning about the power of "acting as if" (Dyer's got an awesome description of how to rock this!) along with the importance of committing your ideal to paper, disdaining all disbelief and asking "How can I serve?!"
Paulo Coelho is one of the most inspiring and beloved authors on the planet (can you believe he’s sold over 100 million copies of his books in 150 languages?!?) and in this Note we'll explore some of my favorite Big Ideas from a bunch of his great books. We'll explore the one great truth that when we really want something, it's because the desire originated in the soul of the universe and the fact that the extraordinary is the birthright of all of us. I love Paulo and trust you will, too, if you don't already!
If you're looking to live an extraordinary life, this great book lays out the new model for rockin' it. In the Note, we'll explore some Big Ideas on how to get into your Trusting Mindset where you just let it rip as you eat stress like an energy bar and put yourself on super pilot. Remember that everyone who's ever made history was a nut… until they did what they said they'd do and then they were a genius.
Byron Katie is best known for the four questions that make up "The Work" and in this Note we’ll take a quick look at those along with some other really cool Ideas. We'll learn to love what is by seeing our suffering as a compassionate alarm clock awakening us to our possibilities and by recognizing that if we see things as "wrong" in the world, we need to start by changing our own consciousness.
The more I observed human behavior, the more convinced I became that the key to health is understanding each person’s individual needs, rather than following a set of predetermined rules. I saw plenty of evidence that having happy relationships, a fulfilling career, an exercise routine and a spiritual practice are even more important to health than a daily diet.
Michael Gelb profiles the seven attributes of da Vinci's genius in his great book and in our Note we'll have fun checking out some Big Ideas including one of the most powerful exercises I've ever done called "A Hundred Questions." The exercise literally shaped my life and I trust you'll dig it as much as I have. We'll also look at the power of affirmations (did you know da Vinci used them?!) and the body of a genius (did you know da Vinci was also an exceptional athlete?!). Fun stuff.
Marci Shimoff created Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul and integrates great stories about happy people with scientifically established ways to boost our happiness in her great book. In the Note, we'll explore the fact that we all have a happiness set point that's genetically determined and dive into a bunch of Big Ideas about what we can do raise our happiness levels.
Gay and Katie Hendricks are among the world's top relationship experts. In this Note we'll check out some Big Ideas on how to get our Love on—including the importance of appreciation and the need to create at least a 5:1 ratio of positive interactions to negative interactions if we want to have great relationships. (Did you know that when you appreciate people their value appreciates?! Yepperz!) Plus we'll look at the importance of re-committing and the acid test of healthy relationships.
You can dramatically improve the overall quality of your life far faster than you might think possible. All you need is the desire to change, the decision to take action, the discipline to practice the new behaviors you have chosen, and the determination to persist until you get the results you want.
This is Dan Millman's magnum opus where he walks us through "The Twelve Gateways to Personal Growth" and in the Note we check out Big Ideas ranging from the importance of discovering our self-worth (and how to do so) to the fact that, although "Carpe diem!" sounds good, it's impossible to do. We can’t "Seize the day!" but we can "Seize the moment!" or , as Dan says: "Carpe punctum!"
Dan Millman (author of Way of the Peaceful Warrior and other great books) introduced me to this book as he's been deeply influenced by David Reynolds' integration of Zen Buddhism and Western Psychotherapy. In this Note, we'll explore some Big Ideas on how to live with greater self-mastery by more effectively relating to our emotions and consistently asking ourselves: "Now what needs to be done?!"
Gay Hendricks is a close friend and mentor of mine who encourages us to create a life of our own design as we enjoy the magic that unfolds when we truly commit to living an extraordinary life. In this Note, we'll explore Ideas on how to get our conscious living on including letting go of the past and the importance of having both goals AND moment to moment flow.
Dan Milllman's a former world champion gymnast and coach of the Stanford and Berkeley gymnastic teams whose got some Big Ideas on how to achieve Body, Mind and Spirit mastery. In this Note we explore a bunch of 'em including how to deal with the fear of failure, what we can learn from babies and how to build new habits as we become masters of our lives who shine everywhere!
Zen Master Genpo Roshi spent decades figuring out how to best help people develop enlightened awareness and came up with his revolutionary process called "Big Mind." In this Note, we'll take a peek at some Big Ideas from the Zen Master including how the root of suffering (dukkha) is getting stuck in one perspective and how that's about as effective as having a Maserati stuck in first gear. We'll also explore the place beyond idiot compassion as we become integrated human beings giving ourselves joyfully to the world.
This is pretty much the Bible on the Law of Attraction and in this Note we'll take a look at how Esther and Jerry define The Law of Attraction (they say it's kinda like tuning your radio to the right station so you can hear the music you love!), how to use your Emotional Fuel Gauge (that's one of my favorite Ideas ever) and how to create intentions throughout your day to put yourself in the driver's seat of life.
Oprah and Tolle rocked the wisdom from this great book in their special program and in the Note we'll explore Big Ideas ranging from how your pain body and shadow projections are getting in the way of your happiness to the secret of the art of living as we create the consciousness in ourselves that will help create a new heaven on earth. (We also have a Note on Tolle’s "Power of Now" so you'll be sure to get your ET on!)
Krishnamurti was the spiritual bomb (technical description, of course J) in the 20th century. A no-nonsense, find-your-own-path kinda guy, his books are packed with wisdom. In this Note, we'll look at some of his Biggest Ideas—including the importance of dealing with problems quickly before the roots get strong, how reading about these Ideas but not living them is like a pretty flower with no scent and a lot of other great stuff.
This book is like a greatest hits collection of Castaneda's best passages. In the Note we'll look at the need to transcend our conditioning as we develop our personal power, the importance of choosing a path with heart (aka following your bliss), using death as an advisor and living with impeccability as we achieve no stress success.
This book is one of the most densely packed with goodness books out there and in the Note we're going to explore the different brain waves and the fact that stress causes faster brain waves than relaxation along with how and why we want to drop into "alpha" as often as possible. Plus, we'll look at how to turn fear into excitement (really cool Idea!), the seven hermetic laws and the five rules for happiness.
Wallace D. Wattles. Funny name and funny looking dood but lots of great wisdom. In this Note, we'll have fun looking at how to get our greatness on. Big Ideas include the fact that we've gotta move beyond our fears, obey our souls (always), be patient, pay attention to our habitual thoughts and, perhaps most importantly, if we want to be great we've gotta SERVE greatly.
How's your Supermind? Find out what Vernon's talking about and how to turn up your Supermind's power with this wisdom-packed Note. We'll explore everything from psychic spankings (codeword for suffering) to causes and effects and we'll see how detecting negativity is actually a very positive thing.
Ah, The Power of Myth. This book is based on the amazing PBS interview series Bill Moyers did with Campbell shortly before he passed away and captures some of the 24 hours of filmed wisdom that hit the cutting floor. We'll learn how Campbell came up with the admonition to "follow your bliss!" (hint: it's from the Upanishads), the importance of loving our fate, how we're helped by hidden hands when we really commit to our paths and so much more.
Did you know the word decide comes from two little Latin words that literally mean "to cut off"?! Yep. To make a decision means to cut off other options and commit to one and this old school New Thought classic helps us get our power of decision crankin'. In the Note, we'll explore some Big Ideas including lowering our guilt load, watching our moods and planting good thought seeds.
Walter Russell was a 20th century genius, a renaissance man who excelled in the sciences, arts, sports and life in general. He was also a deeply spiritual guy and this book captures his wisdom on the art of living well. We'll look at the importance of connecting to the Universal Self, focusing our intention, and trusting the Divine Intelligence that's guiding our actions as we give our gifts in greatest service to the world.
We've gotta think big if we want to live big, eh? From learning to kick the dreaded "excusitis" disease to developing our "stickability," this classic is packed with fun, super practical wisdom. In the Note we'll also explore the facts that action cures fear (!!!), we've gotta make a compromise with perfection and to think confidently we’ve gotta act confidently. And, of course, we've gotta think big.
Ah, The Fountainhead. It's always fun to distill a 752-page magnum opus into a 6-page PDF and 20-minute MP3. Ayn Rand is intense and this book is packed with Big Ideas. We'll explore a few of my favorites, including our responsibility to own our greatness, not live as a second-hander (someone who is over-concerned about other people’s opinion of them), love what we do and know what we want.
Ervin Seale is an old-school New Thought guy with a great, simple style and super practical wisdom. In this Note, we'll have fun seeing how our minds are like crazy, drunk, swinging monkeys (and how we can tame them!) and explore a bunch of other Big Ideas—including the importance of ignoring what others think of us and seeing the Divine within ourselves (and others).
This is one of the three books by Campbell we cover and in this Note, we'll learn why following our bliss is so important (hint: our bliss is the transcendent wisdom within us bubbling up!) and how we can more courageously follow it in our lives (hint: say "Yes!" to life more often!). We'll also look at how we can make the simple things in our life part of our heroic journey and how going for it isn't an ego trip.
The Doctor of Love is in da house! In this Note, we'll explore some of Buscaglia's Big Ideas on how to live with a lotta Love— starting with the fact that if we want to master the subject, we've gotta study it! We'll also look at how important it is to fully express ourselves and that a truly loving relationship is one in which both partners are committed to their own growth and supporting their love's growth. (P.S. My Goddess was the first chica I'd met who'd read this book and I think I fell in love on our 1st date when she told me she loved it, too!)
Earnest Holmes was the founder of the Science of Mind/Religious Science and is one of the grandfathers of the modern self-development movement—directly inspiring everyone from Louise Hay to Michael Beckwith and countless others. In this Note, we'll learn that "fear brings failure and faith brings success" and how important it is for us to radiate joy, faith, hope and expectancy to create the life we envision.
Anthony de Mello was a Jesuit priest who integrated Eastern and Western ideas into his teachings and in this Note, we'll explore some of his Biggest Ideas on how to live from a place of deep connection and awareness. We'll learn how to get over our fears and quit driving with our brakes on plus the importance of looking at life as a symphony with ever changing rhythms and music that's only enjoyable to the extent we don't try to hold on to any one note.
Nathaniel Branden is easily one of the most articulate human beings I've read and is one of the world's leading experts on self-esteem. This book rocks and in the Note we'll explore the six pillars of self-esteem—from the practice of living consciously, accepting ourselves and taking responsibility to practicing self-assertiveness, living purposefully and having personal integrity. This is one of my favorite books and Notes that I think you'll love.
People often ask me what one book I would recommend they read. I never had an answer I felt good about until I read this book. It's amazing. The most comprehensive and readable look at what we scientifically know works to boost our happiness—from gratitude and exercise to optimism and kindness. (btw: The other #1 book I'd recommend? The PhilosophersNotes workbook. How can you beat 1,000 Big Ideas from 100 great books packed into 600 pages? ;)
Mary-Elaine Jacobsen is one of the world's leading authorities on gifted adults and this book is packed with wisdom on how "everyday geniuses®" can rock it. We'll explore how to develop our evolutionary IQ as we work hard, silence the (inner and outer) critics and learn how to bounce back as we become co-creators in liberating our everyday genius.
Rollo May was a brilliant 20th century existential psychologist and this book is a great look at the courage it takes to fully express ourselves as we create our ideal lives. We'll explore the fact that the word courage comes from the French word for "heart" and that, just as the heart pumps blood to all the organs of our body, so does courage pump blood to all our other virtues—without courage, we're effectively dead. This Note is packed with Big Ideas to make sure your courage is beating strong.
Glasser's got an awesome, straightforward style of writing and in this Note we'll explore the psychology of strength and weakness and how easy it is to develop negative addictions as a way to shield ourselves from the pain of our weakness and poor choices. Once we've checked that out, we'll look at how we can develop our strength by rockin' positive addictions (things like running, yoga, meditation) in our lives!
Viktor Frankl survived the horrors of the holocaust and describes his Logotherapy in this classic book. In the Note, we'll explore the fact that our attitudes determine our happiness and that no one can ever take away the freedom for us to choose our response to any given situation. We'll also look at the importance of having a mission in life and that as we serve something bigger than ourselves, our happiness and success will follow.
Tal Ben-Shahar is one of my favorite teachers. He taught one of the most popular classes in Harvard's history and this book captures the essence of his class on Positive Psychology—sharing the best of what we scientifically know about how to create happier, more fulfilled lives. We'll explore how important it is to have goals AND be in the moment (and the perils of just being in the moment) along with mucho más goodness.
Flow. It's all about the science of optimal human experience. In this Note, we'll explore what the flow state is (hint: get fully engaged in an activity that matches your skills with your challenge) and we’ll look at some other Big Ideas on controlling the contents of our consciousness to get out of anxiety and boredom as we create more flow experiences in our lives. (Plus, you'll even learn how to pronounce "Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.")
Martin Seligman is essentially the father of the Positive Psychology movement and in this Note we explore how important it is for us to use our Signature Strengths consistently throughout our day-to-day lives. We've got tips on how to discover our Strengths and how to move from a job to a career to a calling as we live a life of meaning and purpose. Good times.
Nietzsche was said to deliver his philosophy with a hammer and this book definitely nails his disdain for conditioning and conformity. In the Note, we'll take a peek at some really Big Ideas including the fact that our worst enemy is often inside our own heads, that sometimes we need to push ourselves to discover just how far we can go, and how we’ve gotta be willing to go into the depths of our being if we want to fly.
The Tao te Ching. It's the core text of Taoism and one of the top old school classics of all time. In this Note, we'll take a look at everything from making use of solitude to the fact that the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step (heard that before, eh?!). We'll also learn to let go of our attachment to future results and gracefully roll with the ebbs and flows of life.
Ralph Waldo Emerson is a hero of mine (he occupies the Great-Great+ Grandfather slot in my spiritual family tree) and his essays, although written in 19th century prose, totally fire me up. In this Note, we'll explore some Big Ideas on self-reliance (trust yourself!!!), the power of enthusiasm (did you know the word literally means "God within"?!), and how God will not have his work made manifest by cowards. Plus other goodness.
Epictetus is one of three Stoic philosophers we profile (Marcus Aurelius and Seneca are the other two) and this former slave turned leading philosopher of his era is incredible. He echoes the wisdom of all the great teachers as he reminds us that, if we want to be happy, we've gotta realize the only thing we have control over is our response to a situation. We'll have fun tapping into a lot more of his vast mojo in the Note.
A core text of Buddhism, The Dhammapada literally means something along the lines of "the path of truth and righteousness" and is packed with wisdom. In this Note, we'll take a quick look at some central tenets of Buddhism (like the Four Noble Truths, nirvana, and the eightfold path) and soak up some Buddha mojo on how to rock our wisest lives.
The classic text of Hinduism is packed with wisdom. In the Note, we take a super quick look at the context for the book and then jump into some powerful wisdom—including the importance of meditation, the fact that making mistakes is an inherent part of our growth process and the uber-importance of letting go of our attachment to results.
Confucius. Talk about old school. I’ve waded through some of the arcane stuff from his classic "Analects" to bring us some highly practical wisdom for our 21st century lives. We'll take a look at a bunch of Big Ideas on the importance of being a passionate (and patient!) student of life while striving to do our best. Good stuff.
Rumi's poetry is stunning. In this Note, we'll explore some inspiring wisdom from the Sufi mystic and have fun applying it to our 21st century lives—from the importance of having patience and seeing challenging times as God's way of strengthening us to working hard and going for it.
Marcus Aurelius was the Emperor-Philosopher of the Roman Empire and one of the most enlightened leaders ever. Meditations is a collection of journal entries he wrote to himself and in this Note, we'll explore some Big Ideas of his Stoic philosophy—from the importance of never confusing ourselves with visions of a lifetime all at once, to not worrying about what others think of us and living a life of purpose and service.
Seneca. He was born around the same time as Jesus and was one of the leading figures in his Roman Empire. He was also one of history's leading Stoic philosophers (along with Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus who we also profile) and has some powerful wisdom to share. In this Note, we'll explore the purpose of philosophy, the importance of focusing our attention and the mojo that comes from facing our fears.
Optimize your life at brianjohnson.me.
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn
This is a mini-chapter from Brian's book "A Philosopher's Notes." Get a free copy of the full audiobook (+ ebook) here: brianjohnson.me/apn