You Are Heroic with Brian Johnson

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!!!

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 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, a pioneering psychology professor at Harvard and author of influential works on mindfulness, shares her insights on the transformative power of mindset. She challenges conventional views on aging, suggesting that with a shift in perception, remarkable health improvements are within reach. Langer discusses the value of embracing uncertainty and mistakes as vital for growth, the importance of noticing our surroundings to enhance connections, and how mindfulness can enrich everyday experiences, ultimately fostering a deeper sense of well-being.

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.