Heroes!

Michael here. 👋

Happy Sunday!

Many of our most powerful Heroic tools and frameworks start with the same step: radically accepting reality.

That radical acceptance is at the heart of moving from victim to creator, Loving What Is, using obstacles as fuel for growth, reducing the amount of suffering we experience, and making the shift from perfectionist to optimalist.

Of course, it can also be really hard to do...

Which is why it’s one of the more frequent topics in the Live Coaching calls we do with our Heroic Coach community. (And a “first principle” foundation for ANY Coaching work.)

Question: “If I radically accept something that I don’t like or want, isn’t that the same as me saying that thing is ‘ok’ and just resigning myself to getting more of it?!”

If that’s an inquiry you’ve had or struggled with, check out the 4th Big Idea in this week’s new Philosopher’s Notes on Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life by Steven C. Hayes:

“‘Accept’ comes from the Latin word ‘caper’ meaning ‘take.’ Acceptance is the act of receiving or ‘taking what is offered.’ Sometimes, in English, ‘accept’ means to ‘tolerate or resign yourself’ (as in, ‘Aw, gee, I guess I have to accept that’), and that is precisely not what is meant here. By ‘accept,’ we mean something more like ‘taking completely, in the moment, without defense.’

We use the word ‘willing’ as a synonym for ‘accepting’ to stay true to that meaning of accept. ‘Willing’ is one of the older words in the English language. It comes from an ancient root meaning ‘to choose.’”

Accept = Willing = To choose.

It’s only by being in the present moment that we can apply our will and creative power to change the future. And if we’re unwilling to accept the conditions of the present moment, we’re implicitly making the choice to allow our power to leak into the past.

So…

What future do YOU want to create?!

In your Energy and physical vitality?

In your Work and creative contribution to the world?

In your Love and the relationships that you have with those that matter most to you?!

Remember:

It’s who you are being TODAY—in the choices you make, the actions you take, the values you live by—that will create that future.

(Or not.)

And as Brian says at the end of the Note:

Isn’t TODAY a great day to get to work? Indeed it is. And, know this: We architected THE ENTIRE HEROIC APP with *this* wisdom in mind.

With all that in mind... Let’s ACCEPT our life as it is and COMMIT to moving from theory to practice to mastery together TODAY.

Day 1!

Let’s get to it.

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1. Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life by Steven C. Hayes

This week’s new Philosopher’s Note is on Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life by Steven C. Hayes.

Here’s the intro quote to the Note:

“People suffer. It’s not just that they have pain—suffering is much more than that. Human beings struggle with the forms of psychological pain they have: their difficult emotions and thoughts, their unpleasant memories, and their unwanted urges and sensations. They think about them, worry about them, resent them, anticipate and dread them.

At the same time, human beings demonstrate enormous courage, deep compassion, and a remarkable ability to move ahead even with the most difficult personal histories. Knowing they can be hurt, humans still love others. Knowing they will die, humans still care about the future. Facing the draw of meaninglessness, humans still embrace ideals. At times, humans are fully alive, present, and committed.

This book is about how to move from suffering to engagement with life. Rather than waiting to win the internal struggle with your own self so that your life can begin, this book is about living now and living fully—with (not in spite of) your past, with your memories, with your fears, and with your sadness.

This book is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT. (‘ACT’ is spoken as a single word, not as separate initials.) This is a new, scientifically based psychotherapeutic modality that is part of what is being called the ‘third wave’ in behavioral and cognitive therapy.”

— Steven C. Hayes from Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life

Read or listen to the full Note here!

P.S. Not yet a Premium member? Get access to this new Philosopher’s Note (and 600+ others and a TON of other wisdom and tools to support your growth) with Heroic Premium. Your first 30 days are free!

2. Train your emotional stamina + master your mind

As Steven Hayes teaches in Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life, one of the biggest challenges we face is experiential avoidance—trying to avoid uncomfortable feelings, thoughts, or situations.

An antidote? Develop Emotional Stamina!

Here’s a process for doing exactly that:

  1. Clarify Your Protocol: What are your top Energy, Work, and Love targets that keep you feeling plugged-in and present? Get clear on what you need to hit every day to stay grounded.
  2. Commit to It—Especially on the Hard Days: On days when you don’t feel like it, double down on your commitment to follow your protocol. This is how you create higher lows—the foundation for long-term resilience.
  3. Sustain Your Highs: On the great days, stay just as committed to your protocol. The goal is not just to bounce back from hard times, but to sustain your highest levels of well-being over time.

And if you want to supercharge your emotional stamina, add the Heroic Meditation target to your protocol! Think of it as strength training for your mind and developing your capacity to step in between stimulus and response, choosing a more empowered response.

(Fun fact—the Heroic Community has hit the “Meditate” and “Heroic Meditation” targets over 906,000 times!!! 🧘✅🤯)

3. Meet the Trainer: Hillory Dahle

Hillory’s Heroic journey began with a simple but powerful realization—she was meant for something more.

As a mother of five and devoted wife, she felt the tug of wanting to make an even bigger impact and an inner voice declaring, “I’m going to be a paid, public speaker.”

From that moment, Hillory began stepping into the next phase of her potential, driven by a deep desire to help others deliberately design their lives. With hard work she actualized her vision: speaking, building a passionate community and launching courses around her unique expression of timeless principles.

Along the way, Hillory discovered Heroic and enrolled in the Heroic Coach certification program, using that wisdom as a cornerstone of her personal and professional growth.

Today, she’s a Heroic Coach and Workshop Instructor Trainer, inspiring others to unlock their potential and live with purpose.

Check out more of her inspiring story here!

And… as always, this story isn’t just about Hillory. It’s about YOU!

What might your life look like if you started designing it with intention, embracing your own potential, and taking steps toward greatness?

P.S. Looking for some extra support on your journey? Enroll in the current class of our Heroic Coach program, join one of our upcoming in-person workshop trainings, or work 1-on-1 with a Heroic Performance Coach to start creating the life you’re meant to live.

4. How to quit being a perfectionist and start being an incremental optimizer

Let’s talk about perfectionism. 😬😅

It’s easy to think that setting the bar at 100% will lead to greatness, but more often than not, perfectionism leads to frustration, burnout, experiential avoidance, and stalled progress.

In Conquering Perfectionism 101, we explore the powerful difference between being a perfectionist and being an incremental optimizer. We learn to embrace the beauty of tiny, consistent improvements—those 1% gains that, when compounded over time, lead to extraordinary results.

We also dive into Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and explore how to stop resisting the realities of life, accept the things we can’t control, and commit to action where it matters most.

By shifting from a perfectionist mindset to that of an optimizer, we can start making progress today—and enjoy the journey along the way.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to fine-tune your approach, this hour-long Conquering Perfectionism 101 class offers tools to help you quit perfectionism and embrace the magic of small, intentional steps forward.

Check out Conquering Perfectionism 101 and start optimizing your life today. 💪

5. Community highlights

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

  • Sarah’s Empowering Workshop: Sarah recently presented a Heroic workshop to a group of realtors in her local community. The feedback was incredible, with participants describing the experience as “powerful” and “empowering.” Sarah emphasized that perfection isn’t the goal—progress and heart-centered sharing are what truly matter. Through this experience, she’s helping push forward the mission of 51% of humanity flourishing by 2051. Her key takeaway? Don’t wait for perfection—just start!
  • Mike’s Courageous Celebration: Mike is gearing up for the Armed Forces Championship in Colorado Springs and is inviting Heroic members to join him! Mike reflects on how far he’s come, from feeling scared and timid to stepping out of his comfort zone to celebrate and empower brave men and women. It’s a powerful reminder of the strength in showing up, embracing challenges, and dreaming big.
  • Marc’s 700-Club Milestone: Marc just joined the 700 club, meaning he’s consistently committed to using Heroic for 700 days. His routine includes recommitting each morning after his workout, engaging with Heroic social, listening to the daily +1, and meditating with Alexandra. Marc’s dedication is proof of how small, consistent actions can lead to massive transformation. His gratitude for Heroic’s tools shines through as he continues his journey to greatness.

How do YOU use the app as a tool for expressing the best version of yourself?!

(Marc’s example is a GREAT and POWERFUL place to start!!!)

TODAY’S the day, Hero!

+1. Wisdom from the week:

“He who has a why to live for, can bear almost any how.”

— Friedrich Nietzsche

Social shareable quote in light mode or dark mode.

And this week’s Heroic +1s:

This week’s featured Meditation is The Heroic Meditation (6 minutes).

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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