Brian Johnson breaks down Admiral William H. McRaven's The Hero Code, which argues humans share an innate code of ten virtues: Courage, Humility, Sacrifice, Integrity, Compassion, Perseverance, Duty, Hope, Humor, and Forgiveness. McRaven, who wrote Make Your Bed and Sea Stories, frames these as the commitments that define a hero.
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October 29, 2022
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Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Heroic one. Admiral William H. McRaven is one of my very few living American heroes. We've created notes on three of his great books. We started with make youe Bed, a short, brilliant, inspiring manual all about little things that can change your life and maybe the world. That was inspired by the commencement address he gave at the University of Texas at Austin that went viral. Then we featured his autobiography, Sea Stories, which is all about the wisdom he gained from his nearly four decades in special operations. So when I saw the title to his newest book, I knew I had to read it and I knew I'd love it. The book, it's called the Hero Code. It's a super quick reading, incredibly inspiring look at lessons learned from Lives well Lived in which Admiral McRaven walks us through the lives of everyday heroes who showed up and gave us all they had. I highly recommend it. McRaven tells us, and I quote, I came to realize that there is a hero in all of us. There is an innate code that has been there since the birth of mankind. It is written in our DNA. It is what drove the great expansion of humanity out of Africa. It summoned the explorers to cross the deserts and the seas. It helped create the great faiths. It emboldened the early scientists and philosophers. It nurtured the ill and infirm. It spoke truth to the masses. It brought order to chaos and hope to the desperate. This code is not a cipher or a cryptograph or a puzzle to be solved. It is a moral code, an internal code of conduct that drives the human race to explore, to nurture, to comfort, to inspire, and to laugh so that societies can can flourish. The hero code. Admiral McRaven tells us that it is a moral code. And in the book walks us through 10 of the core virtues that make up the code as he shares the story of an everyday hero who embodied that particular virtue. Each virtue has its own commitment. Here they are, he tells us. I will always strive to be courageous, to take one step forward as I confront my fears. I will work to be humble, to recognize the limits of my intellect, my understanding and my power. I will learn to sacrifice by giving a little of my time, my talent and my treasure to those in need. I will be a person of integrity. Every decision I make and every action I take will be moral, legal and ethical. I will be kind and compassionate to at least one person every single day and expect nothing in return. I will never give up on matters that are important to me, my family, my country, my faith. I will persevere. Whatever job I am given, whatever duty I am bound by, I will do it to the best of my ability. I will use my unique talents to inspire others and give them hope that tomorrow will be a better day. I will use humor to comfort others and never be afraid to laugh at myself. No matter how great or small the offense against me. I will forgive. I will be the victor, not the victim. To repeat, the hero code has 10 core courage, humility, Sacrifice, Integrity, Compassion, Perseverance, Duty, Hope, Humor, Forgiveness. How are you doing with each? Anything jump out that might be working really well for you? And how about anything that might need a little or a lot of work from you? Here's to living with integrity with our highest values. Hero not someday, but as always today.
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