Heroes!

Michael here. 👋

Hope you’re having a great day, and that you’re enjoying the TWO new Philosopher’s Notes, another phenomenal week of Heroic +1s, and our first ever Heroic Holidays. 🎁

As we said on Wednesday when we kicked it off: Imagine all of us as a big family gathered together—sharing stories with one another, exchanging gifts, and talking about what we’re excited to create in the New Year and beyond. 💥

Now…

So far, I’ve used some of my personal stories as context to share our new Top 10 (+1) Philosopher’s Notes bundle, as well as two perennially-powerful trainings: the four-hour, studio-produced (2014) Optimal Living 101 class, and the ten-hour, live-recorded, in-person workshop (2017) Hero Training 101.

(Again, all of that can now be shared, for free, with anyone. You can also find those two trainings in the web and app under Theory > 101 Classes.)

Up next in Heroic Holidays…

We’ve got more free goodies to share, along with stories from some of the inspiring heroes who joined our Heroic Workshop Instructor Training events in Phoenix and Athens.

As Brian shared in this week’s Note on Lords of the Sea:

“The VERY FIRST thing we have our Heroic Workshop Instructors master is what we call their “Origin Story” in which they share their life stories and challenges and how Heroic has helped them activate their potential. We train them on how to deliver the stories along with the rest of the workshop. Watching them share their origin stories had a PROFOUND impact on me in Athens.”

(Who’s coming to Austin or ROME next year?!? 🇮🇹👑)

And…

What’s YOUR Heroic story?

More importantly… what Heroic potential do YOU have that’s waiting to be activated?!?

You are the HERO and the GUIDE and the LEADER we’ve been waiting for.

Which brings us back to yesterday’s journal prompt.

What is it that you really, really, really want to create over the next one-two-five-ten years?!

The thing you would absolutely, unequivocally lean into if you knew you were guaranteed to succeed?

We’re here and committed to doing everything we possibly can to help you turn that vision into reality.

And not just for yourself, but for those you care about most.

Which makes it time to OFFICIALLY open the doors on our Heroic Holidays strength-for-two specials! 🎉

For the next two weeks (until Dec 7th), when you join:

  • Heroic Premium
  • Heroic Coach
  • Heroic Workshop Instructor Training (Austin)

… you get to BRING A FRIEND with you at no extra cost! 👥🙌

It’s time for each of us to answer the call to step up and into that next best version of ourselves.

Again, not just for ourselves, but for those we care about most.

Heroes have strength for two.

Their secret weapon is love.

Plus, the hero’s journey is more fun, powerful, and effective with friends.

So, when you:

You’ll get to invite a friend to join you in that program (or event) at no additional cost. 🙌👏💥

Day 1!!!

Let’s get to it!

Note: Forwarded this email? Sign up for updates and a zero-cost Heroic membership here.

1. How to Think Like Socrates

This week’s first new Philosopher’s Note is on How to Think Like Socrates by Donald Robertson.

NOTE: The book comes out THIS WEEK! Grab a copy here! 🎉

And here’s Donald sharing some of Socrates’ wisdom with us on the hallowed ground of Plato’s Academy park in Athens:

Now back to the Philosopher’s Note:

“Socrates was a real person—a famous Athenian philosopher. However, despite a rich tradition of literature, many details concerning his life and thought remain uncertain. The challenge of sorting out truth from fiction in our sources, which has vexed historians throughout the ages, is known as the ‘Socratic problem.’ …

We are therefore best to consider the Socratic dialogues of Plato and Xenophon as largely make-believe. They employ the character of Socrates as a literary device, used to imagine what he might have said if such a conversation had taken place. As the twentieth-century philosopher Karl Jaspers put it, we have inherited such contradictory information that it may simply be impossible to reconstruct an accurate image of the real man.

Nevertheless, the anecdotes once told about Socrates deserve to be retold for modern readers who are interested in his philosophy. This book therefore contains a dramatized and semi-fictional account of the life of Socrates, designed to make his thought more accessible, while also highlighting connections with modern psychology. I believe that is the best way to help the largest number of people benefit from his story. Even if we ‘forgo a historical Socrates,’ this does not prevent us from continuing to derive immense value from the literary character of ‘Socrates’ passed down to us from ancient sources.”

— Donald Robertson from How to Think Like Socrates

Read or listen to the full Note here!

2. Lords of the Sea

This week’s second new Philosopher’s Note is on Lords of the Sea by John R. Hale:

“Athens was the first truly modern society, ruled not by kings or priests or nobles but by a sovereign democratic Assembly. The Athenians had to wrestle with the same polarities that confront the democratic nations of the modern world. Like us, they were caught up in conflicts that pitted West against East, liberal against conservative, and scientific inquiry against religious faith. They too confronted insoluble political paradoxes. The same navy that made Athens a democracy at home made it an imperialistic power abroad and at times an oppressor of the very cities that it had helped to liberate from the Persians. The Golden Age was funded in part by payments of tribute that Athens demanded of its maritime subjects and allies. As for the Parthenon, that iconic ruin in pure white marble makes today’s world imagine a serene ancient Athens of lofty visions and classical balance. In fact, at the time of its building the Parthenon was a bitterly controversial project, paid for in part with what Pericles’ opponents considered to be misappropriated naval funds.

Time and winter rains have washed the original gaudy colors of scarlet, azure, and gold off the Parthenon. Passing centuries have also washed the blood and guts, sweat and struggle, from the modern conception of Athens. In losing sight of the Athenian navy, posterity has overlooked the vital propulsive force behind the monuments. A living sea creature, all muscle and appetite and growth, generated the glistening shell of inspiring art, literature, and political ideals. Today we admire the shell for its own beauty, but it cannot be fully understood without charting the life cycle of the animal that generated it. The beat of oars was the heartbeat of Athens in the city’s Golden Age. This, then, is the story of a unique and gigantic marine organism, the Athenian navy, that built a civilization, empowered the world’s first great democracy, and led a band of ordinary citizens into new worlds. Their epic voyage altered the course of history.”

— John R. Hale from Lords of the Sea

Read or listen to the full Note here!

And check out our Heroic Athens group preparing to board a fully operational replica of an ancient Greek trireme warship belonging to the Hellenic Navy—Greek Ministry of Defense:

Can’t wait to see what kind of once-in-a-lifetime memories we create together at the Heroic Rome Experience, 2025!

P.S. These two new Philosopher’s Notes + 700 others + a TON of other wisdom and tools to support your growth are all part of Heroic Premium.

3. Heroic Coach Training & Certification Program — Bring a Friend!

Ready to step into the next phase of your personal and professional potential?

In this comprehensive, transformational, Heroic Coach Training & Certification program, you will learn science-backed, performance-tested protocols to optimize your health, well-being, performance, leadership, purpose, relationships, and more.

Through self-guided, practical modules, as well as coaching practice, mentorship, and instructor support, you’ll learn everything you need to go to the next-level in every aspect of your life.

Learn more about how Heroic Coach can help you activate the best, most Heroic version of yourself.

And with Heroic Holidays strength-for-two…

Join before Dec 7th and you can BRING A FRIEND into the program at no additional cost. 🎁

Got questions? Book a call with our team.

4. Austin Activation + Heroic Workshop Instructor Training — Bring a Friend!

There’s truly nothing like feeling and leveraging the power of our movement at a live, in-person event.

Obstacles melt away, friendships are formed, and foundations are laid for you to catalyze the next chapter of your hero’s journey.

And…

This May 12th-18th, in Austin, Texas, we’re hosting our biggest, most jam-packed week yet.

It starts with the fourth Certified Heroic Workshop Instructor Training: A multi-day journey to forge excellence and activate the next level of your Heroic potential through immersive large and small group experiences. Part advanced training, part transformational retreat, 101% Heroic.

Then, on Friday: The Heroic Activation Experience (Spring ’25), a jam-packed, three-days of theory, practice, community connection, and next-level tools. PLUS, a Heroic Coach graduation celebration and collective domination of a Spartan Race course. 💪

Grab your ticket to the Workshop Instructor Training, Activation event, or both, here!

And again…

Sign up before Dec 7th and you can BRING A FRIEND with you to Austin at no additional cost. 🎁

(Note: Workshop Instructor Training +1s must meet the same application requirements and prep work as paid registrants.)

5. Community highlights

A few favorites from another week of moving from Theory to Practice to Mastery, Together!!!

  • Research data demonstrating Heroic’s impact with high schoolers: “…Key findings: Using a cut-off of p < 0.10, we found SIGNIFICANT INCREASES in students’ self-efficacy and accomplishment from pretest to posttest. This suggests students felt more confident and capable over time and were more on track to achieve their goals…” 📈
  • Dan crushing a Heroic workshop: “Dan Keller, also known as Brian’s first coaching client, delivered an incredible Heroic workshop at our company today...” 👏
  • AJ celebrating 1 year of gathering Heroic community: “A year ago we started as a small group of 3 and the ripples are spreading! Heroes are inviting their friends and loved ones! This is how we reach our goal of 51/2051, the ripples we send when we close the gap and be who we are capable of being.”

+1. Wisdom from the week:

“If you struggle with avoidance, self-doubt, or feeling overwhelmed, helping others is one of the most powerful motivation boosters that you can find.”

— Kelly McGonigal

And this week’s Heroic +1s:

This week’s featured Meditation is Be Who You're Meant to Be—a 10-minute meditation to connect with your true self, release what doesn’t serve you, and embrace the freedom, power, and purpose within. (Available in app only.)

And…

Have questions or suggestions about Heroic, or ANYTHING we can help with?

Join us on Wednesday at 1:00pm EST / 10:00am PST for Office Hours. Or reach out to our top-rated Heroic Service team by replying to this note or sending an email to support@heroic.us.

Alright…

With Wisdom + Discipline + Love + Courage + Gratitude + Hope + Curiosity + Zest.

Heroes Unite!

Let’s do this.

Day 1.

-Michael and Team Heroic

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