PhilosophersNotes (13)

• 

  Fearless

  The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown

  by Eric Blehm

  I got this book after my friend, retired Navy SEAL Captain Bob Schoultz, recommended it to me. It’s ASTONISHINGLY good. As per the sub-title, this book is about "The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown." It's a humbling, inspiring story "of an American hero who bravely gave permission in his final written requests to share his journey, from small-town America to gutter to jail to Jesus to war to the top tier of the U.S. military: SEAL Team Six.”

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  Purpose

  courage Mental Toughness Military SEAL

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• 

  Sea Stories

  My Life in Special Operations

  by Admiral William H. McRaven

  I got this book immediately after finishing Admiral McRaven’s first book, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe the World. That one’s a quick-reading little book on the ten lessons McRaven learned in his SEAL training that we can all apply to our modern lives. It was fantastic. I had a strong feeling this memoir on his “Life in Special Operations” would be just as good. It is. As per the back cover, “Admiral William H. McRaven is a part of American military history, having been involved in some of the most famous missions in recent memory, including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips, and the raid to kill Osama bin Laden.” McRaven is a brilliant story teller with, as you can imagine, an incredible array of stories to tell. But that’s not why I loved this book so much. I loved it because reading it made me want to be a better human being. If you enjoy autobiographies and appreciate the military heroes who serve our country as much as I do, I think you’ll love the book as much as I did.

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  Modern Hērō

  courage Mental Toughness Military SEAL

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• 

  Make Your Bed

  Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

  by Admiral William H. McRaven

  Admiral William H. McRaven is a Retired U.S. Navy SEAL who served for thirty-seven years and commanded at every level. As a Four-Star Admiral, his final assignment was as Commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces. (During this time, he oversaw the covert mission that killed Osama bin Laden.) In 2014, he gave the commencement address to the graduates of the University of Texas at Austin. Millions of people wound up watching his speech on ten lessons he learned from his Navy SEAL training. This book takes a deeper look at those ten lessons. It’s a super-quick read—packed with simple, yet profound wisdom along with moving stories of moral exemplars. It's FANTASTIC.

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  Algorithms & Antifragility

  algorithms Habits Mastery Mental Toughness Military SEAL

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• 

  It Worked for Me

  In Life and Leadership

  by General Colin L. Powell

  Colin Powell is a retired four-star general in the United States Army and has earned numerous military, civilian, and foreign honors. He served four presidential administrations in a variety of roles, most recently as Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. In this great book, he shares the wisdom he gained that, as per the title, worked for him in life and leadership. It's fantastic. Big Ideas we explore include a super-quick look at his Thirteen Rules, the power of perpetual optimism (it's a force multiplier!), starting with "It can be done" (but making sure we're optimists and not stupid :), entering the Zone of Calm (essential for a leader), the fact that good leaders know that good plans are revised immediately, and how to deal with fear and failure.

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  Leadership

  leadership Military

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• 

  Can’t Hurt Me

  Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds

  by David Goggins

  David Goggins is a former Navy SEAL (and Army Ranger) who used to hold a Guinness World Record for completing 4,030 pull-ups in 17 hours. These days he’s setting records as an ultra-endurance athlete. But he wasn’t always Mr. Superhero. In this great autobiographical self-help book, David walks us through his transformation from being a 297-pound exterminator to a “Who IS this guy?!” superhero. If you’re into SUPER (!!!) intense demonstrations of how to conquer ourselves to do the seemingly impossible (and don’t mind a stream of f-bombs—lol) then I think you’ll love this book as much as I did. Big Ideas we explore include: The Accountability Mirror, bringing your best (when you feel the worst), hero callouses (let failures toughen you up!), the process (how to go from running 1/4 of a mile to 200+ nonstop), and bursting from the inside out (learn to endure!).

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  Confidence & Leadership

  leadership Mental Toughness Military SEAL

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• 

  Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot

  by James Stockdale

  Vice Admiral James Stockdale is an American hero. Stockdale spent nearly eight years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. He spent four of those years in solitary confinement and was repeatedly tortured. He was the commanding officer of hundreds of other U.S. soldiers and received the Medal of Honor for his service beyond the call of duty. This is an incredibly inspiring look at the powerful mind and equally powerful moral commitment of a hero. Big Ideas we explore: Being our brother’s keeper, chiseling our integrity to achieve delight with life, courage as endurance of the soul and heroes vs. bums.

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  Leadership & Stoicism

  20th Century Classic Military Work

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• 

  Be Unstoppable

  The 8 Essential Actions to Succeed at Anything

  by Alden Mills

  This is a surprisingly awesome book—a fable about a young captain who spends time with a master and commander who reveals the secret code of rockin’ it. It’s kinda like if a Navy SEAL wrote The Alchemist or The Way of the Peaceful Warrior or The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Big Ideas we cover include: U.P.E.R.S.I.S.T. (the code to being unstoppable), the 2 limitations in life, how to discover your why, how to plan in 3-D, and the magic pill you need to take.

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  Antifragility & Goals & Unstoppable Teams

  Fiction Mental Toughness Military Modern Classic persistence SEAL soul Spirit

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• 

  Unleash the Warrior Within

  Develop the Focus, Discipline, Confidence, and Courage You Need to Achieve Unlimited Goals

  by Richard Machowicz

  Richard Machowicz. Mack for short. He’s an intense, inspiring and empowering former Navy SEAL. He’s an ultimate warrior. In this book, Mack teaches us how we can unleash the warrior within ourselves to, as the sub- title suggests, “Develop the Focus, Discipline, Confidence, and Courage You Need to Achieve Unlimited Goals.” Big Ideas we explore include World War 0, “Not Dead Can’t Quit,” the #1 question (hint: Do you have the guts?), and 110% vs. 80%.

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  Leadership & Spartan Training

  Mental Toughness mental training Military Modern Classic SEAL Work

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• 

  Extreme Ownership

  How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

  by Jocko Willink, Leif Babin

  Jocko Willink and Leif Babin were two of the most senior (and decorated) SEALS on the ground in the most intense battles of Iraq. In this book they share their leadership lessons on how U.S. Navy SEALs lead and win. It’s an intense, impactful read. Big Ideas we explore include a definition of Extreme Ownership, the fact that there are no bad teams, only bad leaders, how to prioritize and execute and remembering that discipline = freedom.

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  Leadership & Peak Performance

  Best of Optimize Mental Toughness Military Modern Classic SEAL Top 101 Work

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• 

  The Way of the SEAL

  Think Like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed

  by Mark Divine

  A former U.S. Navy SEAL Commander, Mark Divine integrates the ancient warrior traditions with grounded, practical virtue and 21st century get-it-done effectiveness in a way that I find incredibly inspiring. Big Ideas we cover include the power of front-sight focus, how to DIRECT your mind, going Yoda on your commitments and creating micro goals when things are tough.

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  Hero Training & Peak Performance

  Actualization Best of Optimize Mastery Mental Toughness Military Modern Classic Resilience SEAL Top 101 Warrior Work

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• 

  Courage Under Fire

  Testing Epictetus's Doctrines in a Laboratory of Human Behavior

  by James Stockdale

  James Stockdale spent 7 1/2 years as the highest ranking prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. 4 years in solitary confinement. 2 in leg irons. This book is about how he endured all of that with the wisdom of Stoic philosopher Epictetus in mind. In the Note, we explore the key tenets of Stoicism, the Stockdale Paradox, playing your role well and mastering your emotions.

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  Conquering Anxiety & Stoicism

  20th Century Classic Best of Optimize Biography Military Resilience Work

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• 

  Resilience

  Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life

  by Eric Greitens

  Resilience. As Eric Greitens tells us, it's not so much about bouncing back as it is about moving through. And this former Navy SEAL, Rhodes Scholar, boxing champion and humanitarian who's been recognized as one of the greatest leaders in the world, knows a ton about how to cultivate it by embracing failure, forging our purpose and living with virtue. Note: We’re keeping our Notes on Eric’s books up on the site as a powerful reminder of a) how hard it is to truly live these ideas and b) how important it is to trust OURSELVES as our ultimate advisors.

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  Antifragility & Stoicism

  Mental Toughness Military Modern Classic Resilience SEAL soul Spirit Virtue Work

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• 

  Unbeatable Mind

  Forge Resiliency and Mental Toughness to Succeed at an Elite Level

  by Mark Divine

  I'm convinced Mark Divine is a superhero. Seriously. And in Unbeatable Mind, the former Navy SEAL gives us the handbook on mental toughness. In the Note, we'll look at the keys to cultivating our confidence, the importance of cultivating our concentration, learning how to control our breathing and other goodness that will make you unbeatable.

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  Peak Performance & Spartan Training

  Best of Optimize Energy Mental Toughness mental training Military Modern Classic SEAL Top 101

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