Short YouTube +1 by Brian Johnson reflecting on using life’s challenges to build resilience and growth. He contrasts fragile, unchallenged coral in a lagoon with vibrant coral facing the open sea to argue that stress and challenge fuel thriving; he relates this to rehabilitating his atrophied arm and advocates incremental “plus one” gains toward recovery and optimization.
Chapters
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Optimize plus one. In our last couple plus ones we met my bionic arm and it's currently atrophied forearm that I'm now rehabilitating. By the way, surgeon says nine to 12 months until I can do full burpees again. Awesome optimized coach. Physical therapist Julie Beck tells me we should be able to do a fist burpee in four months, which puts less pressure on my broken parts and a real burpee a month or so later. I'm excited to see what we can do as we wisely aggregate and compound some consistent plus one micro marginal gains diligently, patiently and persistently. So as I looked down at my withered little arm, I thought of some great wisdom from Dennis Whateley's Psychology of Winning. We've talked about it before, but as with all great wisdom, a it's worth repeating again and again so that b we can have it ready at hand when we need it. Whateley tells us one of the best ways to develop adaptability to the stresses of life is to view them as normal. Earl Nightingale tells of his visit with his son recently to the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches nearly 1800 miles from New guinea to Australia, noticing that the coral polyps on the inside of the reef, where the sea was tranquil and quiet in the lagoon, appeared pale and lifeless, while the coral on the outside of the reef, subject to the surge of the tide and power of the waves, were bright and vibrant with splendid colors and flowing growth. Earl Nightingale asked why this was so it's very simple, came the reply. The coral on the lagoon side dies rapidly with no challenge for growth and survival, while the coral facing the surge and power of the open sea thrives and multiplies because it is challenged and tested every day. And so it is with every living organism on earth. Yep, that's today's plus one. Of course, castes are awesome to help us heal from acute crises. But here's to exiting the cast of our comfort zones and letting the surge in power of life's challenges fuel our optimizing and actualizing. How will you do that a little more today?
