You Are Heroic with Brian Johnson

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+1: #695 Lincoln's Response to (Epic) Failure Mar 01, 2019

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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.

+1: #690 Your Engine: V-12 or V-Lawnmower? Feb 24, 2019

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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]."

+1: #685 The Case Against Sugar Feb 19, 2019

Show notes

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

+1: #680 The Moment of Decision Feb 14, 2019

Show notes

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.

+1: #675 Meet My New Sweatband: Leonidas Feb 09, 2019

Show notes

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.

Digital Minimalism 101 (Intro) Feb 05, 2019

Show notes

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.

+1: #670 Meditation's Instant ROI Feb 04, 2019

Show notes

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.

Interview: Digital Minimalism with Cal Newport Feb 02, 2019

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+1: #665 Turning on the Light Jan 30, 2019

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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!!)

+1: #660 How Clark Kent Becomes Superman in 11 Seconds Jan 25, 2019

Show notes

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!!"

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