Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential

Buy this book! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Buy this book. Really. Don’t just add it to your cart or wish list for another day that turns into years and missed opportunities. Decir- “to cut off” in Latin. Decide to keep taking steps into the life that pulls at your heart strings. It starts with reading a sentence from Areté. Your future self will thank you. You know, you and your family, years from now, as you reminisce and talk about how you used to operate and how you now have your ducks lined up in a row as you dominate the fundamentals and embody the belief that Obstacles Make Me Stronger (OMMS). “We are not exonerated,” as Phil Stutz says, author of Lessons for Living, Coming Alive, and The Tools. “Train your mind. Expand your mind. Borrow the wisdom from others.” Jim Kwik, author of Limitless. Open up to any page and you will immediately receive a tool that you can apply in your life. You can be more energized, productive, and connected than you ever thought was possible. I know this, because I have applied the knowledge shared in Areté for more than a decade. Brian Johnson has distilled theseconcepts in an easy-to-digest manner that we all can understand. Now it’s all in a printed book. As if that wasn’t stellar already, Brian has narrated the entire audiobook, which is really, really phenomenal. Areté is beautifully and thoughtfully designed with you in mind- the Hero of your life.  I was an award-winning elementary teacher whose mind was pulled in many directions as I taught overseas and domestically in public and private schools. Areté, when applied, will allow you to tame your thoughts, focus your energy, and make wise decisions. I am now a SAG-AFTRA actor, involved and well-known in the industry. Through my business, Yes With Kimmy, I am an accomplished Certified Heroic Performance Coach- Class 1, helping leaders like you, executives, and high achievers consistently surpass their goals even when they initially didn’t know what they wanted. As one client described a recent breakthrough, “I didn’t know an invisible barrier existed that held me back for years.” This dear client was able to take action and be free from this burden in less than 24 hours. This was due to applying numerous principles that were directly from Brian Johnson’s Areté.In addition to these contributions, I am a real estate/property management professional and 500 hour certified yoga instructor, having studied in Rishikesh, India. All of these things have one common factor- excellence. That is Areté, which means excellence. We all have gifts and when they are nurtured, we can live fulfilled, today. Each of us can be fully self-expressed. This book = hope. Areté is for you. It is for your family. Areté is for our world. A heartfelt thank you and appreciation to you for reading my review, seeingyourself thriving in your life well-lived, and being hope. A heartfelt thank you to Brian, Alexandra, Emerson, and Eleanor Johnson for writing Areté for each of us.

Choose to Go After Areté
I have benefited from Brian Johnson’s wisdom for over 10 years. I started receiving his book notes on January 14, 2014, under his en*theos moniker. Then I subscribed to his daily +1s that were part of his Optimize teachings. He inspired me to run in my first Spartan race in 2018. As his coaching became more formalized, I went through one of the first versions of the Heroic 300-day program.All that’s to say, I have watched him for a while and believe he’s a good dude. He is very open and vulnerable to the Heroic community, so we get a pretty wide-view of his life. I think he’s gifted and a gift. I hope Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential gets him a much broader audience.The Greeks saw time in two ways, first, in chronological fashion (chronos time), but also in special, particular moments of time (kairos time). Brian Johnson has been immersed in ancient wisdom and modern science for decades. I feel this book is coming at a kairos moment. Many of us feel we are living at a hinge moment in history. We are surrounded by so much that is fake. We need help navigating what is really real.Brian has cultivated deep discernment for a life well-lived. He’s accomplished, astute, and authentic. He will not ask anything of you that he isn’t asking of himself. He’s the real deal. In his book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential, he is putting out a call to those who desire a good, flourishing life.I’m so excited for a larger audience to be exposed to this distillation of three decades of trial-and-error living. He is his own experiment. He invites you to start your own quest to become the best version of yourself. He will ask a lot of you, in every aspect of your life. When you get the book, I suggest you skip to the mini-chapter titled “Time Traveling” (toward the end of Objective I) and consider the question posed.One more thing, I mentioned following Brian for several years, but it wasn’t until part way through the 300-day Coach program that the “penny dropped” and I decided to change my life. You’ll come across a question several times in the book that asks what the one thing is that you know you could be doing or stop doing that would most positively change your life. I knew what that was at that moment in my life. Making that decision has had a ripple effect. I lost almost 50lbs over the next several months. My routines and consistency took a radical turn. My sleep, nutrition, creativity, focus, gratitude, long-term goals, and connection with loved ones have all changed for the better. Going after Areté has re-routed me. I have taken on a new identity. These are the positive results of embracing Areté. I hope you’ll consider going after Areté too.

Having followed Brian’s work for over 15 years, I’ve witnessed the evolution and depth of his teachings, culminating brilliantly in his latest masterpiece, Arete! This book is not just a summary of Brian’s life’s work; it is a beacon of hope, a blueprint for personal excellence, and a testament to his vision of 51% of the population flourishing by 2051.Arete is a distillation of wisdom gathered over decades, a cohesive and powerful narrative that intertwines ancient philosophy with practical, modern-day strategies. Brian’s journey of relentless pursuit of wisdom, discipline, love, and courage is vividly captured in these pages, making the book a treasure trove of life-transforming insights.What stands out is how it encapsulates the essence of Brian’s teachings while pushing the boundaries of personal development. The principles laid out are not just theoretical musings but actionable strategies that have profoundly impacted my life, and literally save it. This book has been a catalyst for change, guiding me through life’s turbulence with newfound strength and clarity.Brian’s dynamic and engaging style, which I have always admired, shines through every chapter. His ability to make complex concepts accessible and relatable is unmatched, making Arete not just a read, but an experience – one that is both enlightening and deeply moving.The impact of this book, paired with the community, app, 101’s and tools provided by Heroic.us, has been transformative, to say the least. It’s as if Brian has extended his hand through the pages, offering guidance, support, and a clear path to living a life of meaning and purpose. His vision of a world where more than half of us are truly flourishing seems not only possible but inevitable, with Arete as a key driver in this global shift.Arete Brian’s magnum opus, a work that encapsulates a lifetime of learning and teaching. It’s a book I sincerely hope will touch as many lives as it has mine. The journey towards a world where flourishing is the norm begins with the wisdom in these pages. For anyone seeking to embark on a profound journey of self-discovery and transformation, Arete is an essential companion.Congrats Brian – much love!

Having read +400 personal development books, Brian Johnson’s “Areté” is in my Top5, probably even the best book I have ever read. The book is packed with bite-sized chapters that combine wisdom from philosophers, modern scientists, and bestseller authors.IT IS ALMOST CERTAIN YOU WILL DISCOVER AT LEAST ONE LIFE-CHANGING IDEA.For instance, one life-changing idea for me is the concept that our problems’ magnitude is directly tied to our own size—how mature and wise we are in facing life’s challenges. If you are “size 1”, small annoyances, like traffic jams or misplaced keys can ruin your day. On the opposite, if you are wiser, even significant obstacles, such as an argument with someone or even health issues, won’t easily shake you. So, as you grow in wisdom and maturity, what once seemed like very big problems become indifferent for you, and don’t ruin your mood throughout the day.This book is a goldmine with hundreds of ideas like this one, making it a must-read for anyone looking to take their life to the next level. I wholeheartedly recommend “Areté” to anyone on the journey to optimize their life and the life of people around them.