You Are Heroic with Brian Johnson

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.

Want to conquer your fear? Here's how. :)

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 (

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."