You Are Heroic with Brian Johnson

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+1: The Flat Tire | And the Ultimate Question: What Do You Want? (#1261) Sep 17, 2020

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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.

#1: Pause button, foolish consistency and WIN!! (#44) Sep 16, 2020

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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!!!

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/

PNTV: Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven (#406) Sep 16, 2020

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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!) 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/ ► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL: Get the PhilosophersNote on Make Your Bed 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/

+1: Your Stinkin' Thinkin' | Chickens, Poop, and Neutral Thinking (#1260) Sep 16, 2020

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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)

PNTV: Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven (#406) Sep 16, 2020

Show notes

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.

#1: Friends, meet books. Books, friends! (#43) Sep 15, 2020

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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! :)

My Top 3 favorite teachers (and why!) Sep 15, 2020

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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!

PNTV: The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins (#405) Sep 15, 2020

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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!) 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/ ► FREE 14-DAY TRIAL: Get the PhilosophersNote on The 5 Second Rule 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/

#1: Ice baths, my Top 3 teachers ever, bullying, and TGIM! (#42) Sep 14, 2020

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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/

#1: A quick look at my creative process (via Top 3 books project!) (#41) Sep 13, 2020

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