A short spoken-word video by Brian Johnson reflecting on Admiral William H. McRaven's 'Hero Code', focusing on the virtue of courage. Johnson emphasizes that to overcome fears and obstacles one needs only to take 'just one step forward'—an actionable, repeatable practice to confront challenges and cultivate courage daily.
Hi, this is Brian.
Welcome back to another heroic plus one.
In our last plus one, we spent.
Some time with one of my heroes, Admiral William H. McRaven, as we soaked.
Our souls in wisdom from his newest book, the Hero Code.
As you may recall, McRaven's hero code has 10 core.
Courage, humility, sacrifice, integrity, compassion, perseverance, duty, hope, humor, and forgiveness.
Today, I want to talk about the number one virtue, courage.
And let's talk about one of the most powerful ways to operationalize that virtue.
Here's how Admiral McRaven puts it. I quote, none of us are immune.
From life's pain and disappointment. But if you doubt for even a second that you have the courage necessary to confront the evil in the world or that weakness that resides deep inside all of us, you're wrong. We all have our lines in the sand, those fears that keep us from being courageous. But all you have to do to overcome those fears, those obstacles, those challenges in your life is to take one step forward. Just one. Take one step forward and get on the helicopter. Take one step forward and fight injustice. Take one step forward and challenge the bullies. Take one step forward and face your inner demons. And if you take that one step forward, you will find the courage you seek, the courage necessary to overcome your fears and be the hero you long to be. And as we discuss in various places.
We need to approach our challenges rather than avoid them. And as McRaven puts it, all you.
Have to do to overcome those fears, those obstacles, those challenges in your life, is to take one step forward. Now, one of the many reasons I.
Love creating these plus ones and the.
Notes is that I get to go back through my favorite passages and as I type each word out, really feel the intention and the nuance of the author's wisdom. As I typed that passage out, I was struck by the way McRaven emphasized just one. Again, he says, we all have our lines in the sand, those fears that keep us from being courageous. But all you have to do to overcome those fears, those obstacles, those challenges in your life is to take one step forward. Emphasis on just want. When we face the inevitable challenges and obstacles of life and feel the inevitable fears that arise in those situations, all we need to do is take just one step forward. Just one step forward in that moment when you tend to freeze or to freak out, just one step forward, approaching.
Your challenges rather than avoiding them.
Just one step forward, saying bring it on rather than make it go away. That is the essence of courage, a willingness to act in the presence of fear, to to approach rather than to avoid our challenges. Not once in a while or when you feel like it, but more and more consistently, all day, every day. Especially when you don't feel like it. Knowing that your infinite heroic potential exists just on the other side of your.
Comfort zone as you cultivate the strength.
For two and give us all you've got. Let's take just one step forward today, my beloved hero. Just one step forward together today.
