Overcoming Despair and Cultivating Hope for a Better Future

"I have my highs and my lows, but my highs are higher. My lows are higher. And I have a pretty good sense of what I did to go from there to here.” -Brian Johnson In this episode, we had the privilege of welcoming Brian Johnson, founder and CEO of Heroic, a membership research-backed coaching program that has already impacted thousands of lives. Brian shares his wisdom and insights from his incredible book, "Areté," which distills ancient wisdom and modern science into 451 powerful ideas. We explore how we can embrace Areté - the concept of virtue, excellence, and being our best selves moment to moment. We also discuss the importance of bridging the gap between who we are capable of being and who we currently are. It's in this space that regret, anxiety, disillusionment, and depression often reside. But by closing that gap and living with Areté, we can experience a deep sense of joy, meaning, and purpose, what the Greeks called eudaimonia or "good soul." Brian emphasizes the importance of translating these ideas into action. In fact, he offers a mobile app and basic training to help you apply the concepts discussed in the book to your everyday life. Remember, it's not just about reading or listening to ideas; it's about taking action and becoming the best version of yourself. Let's dive in! This week on The Mindset Zone: Heroic has impacted tens of thousands of people and aims to impact many more in the future Areté translates to virtue or excellence but means being your best self moment to moment The book "Areté" is a compilation of Brian Johnson's favorite big ideas from ancient wisdom and modern science Each chapter of the book is designed to move readers from theory to practice to mastery Merely reading ideas is not enough; action is necessary for personal growth and transformation The gap between your potential and actual self is where regret, anxiety, and disillusionment exist Closing the gap leads to living with Areté and experiencing joy, meaning, and purpose Brian’s mission is to create a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by 2051 It is important to encourage the next generation to believe in their potential for good Shifting from victimhood and criticism to becoming a hero who takes positive action is necessary Many people struggle with invisible mental health issues and visible physical health issues This is the moment to step up and act as the hero we've been waiting for Collaboration and coming together is crucial to effect change Meet the Guest: Brian Johnson is the Founder & CEO of Heroic Public Benefit Corporation and the author of Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential. He’s 50% Philosopher + 50% CEO and 101% committed to helping create a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by the year 2051. As a Founder/CEO he’s raised $25M+, made crowdfunding history, and built and sold two social platforms. As a Philosopher/teacher, he’s helped millions of people from around the world, trained 10,000+ Heroic Coaches from 100+ countries and created a protocol that science says changes lives. He lives in the country outside Austin, Texas, with his wife, Alexandra, and their two kids, Emerson and Eleanor Resources: Book: Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential Related episodes: Mindset and Distraction: Insights from Nir Eyal's Indistractable Between stimulus and response, there is this space Expand What’s Possible