The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes

UBUNTU: I AM BECAUSE WE ARE, AND, SINCE WE ARE, THEREFORE I AM. What do you do with your dreams? Do you even take time to dream? So many of us are afraid to even admit to ourselves what we really want. But if you write your dreams down, magic happens. You’ll be shocked at how they will make themselves into reality. Write them down. The best kind of dreams, though, are the ones that will help others. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I’m sharing an inspiration speech from The Summit of Greatness from a woman who broke the cycle of poverty and returned to better her community: Tererai Trent. Dr. Tererai Trent is one of today’s most internationally recognized voices for quality education and women’s empowerment. Distinguished as Oprah Winfrey’s “All-Time Favorite Guest,” Tererai is a scholar, humanitarian, motivational speaker, educator, author, and founder of Tererai Trent International. Tererai wrote down her dreams and buried them in a can in Zimbabwe. She went on to accomplish them all. She visu

THE AMERICAN DREAM I NOT DEAD. We are conditioned to spend money. We think, “I’ll just get a credit card. I’ll just get a loan. I’ll just pay for it later.” Advertisements tell us to spend, spend, spend. What if, instead, you became allergic to debt. I’m lucky that my father taught me the importance of savings and investing. But I see so many of my friends spend all of their paychecks. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk about growing wealth with a personal finance expert: Chris Hogan. Chris Hogan is a best-selling author and America’s leading voice on retirement, investing, and building wealth. His goal is to help as many people as possible avoid financial traps and set their families up for the future. Along with speaking at events across the country, Chris works with business leaders, professional athletes, and entertainers to help them set goals and navigate their financial futures. Chris says that to grow money you need time and compound interest. He never buys anything that he can’t pa

THE SCHOOL OF GREATNESS IS TURNING SIX. I’ve been hosting The School of Greatness for six years. We’ve done 750 episodes. That’s 750 conversations with inspiring people like Kobe Bryant, Scooter Braun, Maria Sharapova, Tony Robbins, Sarah Blakely, Maria Shriver and more. When I started, I hoped it would reach millions of people. Now the podcast has over 90 million downloads. My life has changed for the better because of The School of Greatness. I hope yours has, too. Anniversaries are a great time to reflect back on how far you’ve come. That’s why, for this Five Minute Friday, I bringing back a conversation with Robert Greene from my first podcast episode ever. Robert Greene is a best-selling author known for talking about strategy, power, and seduction. His books include The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law (with rapper 50 Cent), Mastery, and The Laws of Human Nature. You can hear the sound quality was different back then. That’s because I started out recording e

WHERE YOUR FOCUS GOES, YOUR ENERGY WILL FLOW. How do you define yourself? Do you use words like “ugly,” “fat,” or “shy?” Social media and advertising like to tell us that we’re not enough. But you don’t have to live by anyone else’s definition-you have the power to create your own. Write your own view of yourself. Right now. Do it. What you believe you will be is what you will become. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I’m sharing a powerful presentation from The Summit of Greatness from a musician who redefined a genre and herself: Lindsey Stirling. Lindsey Stirling is a violinist, dancer, performance artist, composer, and singer who presents amazing choreographed violin performances. Stirling was second place on last year’s Dancing With The Stars, has been named Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 In Music, and was a quarter-finalist position on America's Got Talent season five. Billions of people have now watched her videos on YouTube. Lindsey struggled with depression and anorexia. It wasn’t until s

WHEREVER YOU ARE IS A NEW TARTING POINT. We often think of pain as bad. Whether you’re going through a breakup, getting let go from a job, or making a big move, the experience is uncomfortable. But you need that feeling to truly make changes in your life. It’s how you can adopt new thought patterns and let go of old habits. Think back on your own challenging experiences and how it affected your outlook. You are the person you are today because something made you want to rise above mediocrity. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk about the mindset of abundance and the power of pain with the founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center: Michael Beckwith. Michael Bernard Beckwith is a minister, author, and founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center, a New Thought church with a congregation estimated in excess of 8,000 members. Michael was one of the featured teachers in The Secret and is the originator of the Life Visioning Process, a technique purporting to offer its practitione

YOU ARE A CULMINATION OF ALL YOUR DECISIONS. We can blame our circumstances on our upbringing, on our partners, even on the government. But the truth is, you’ve signed up for your life experience. Everything happening in your life is a direct response to your actions. You have to let go of the belief systems that are holding you back. They might have served you in the past, but they are keeping you where you are. For this Five Minute Friday, I revisited a conversation I had with Lisa Nichols where she shared how she developed an abundance mindset that took her from being a single mom on welfare to a millionaire entrepreneur. Lisa Nichols is one of the world’s most-requested motivational speakers, is the best-selling author of seven books, and is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Motivating the Masses, Inc. Changing the way we look at the world can be scary and painful. But it will make the difference between accomplishing your dreams or not. It’s time to give blood, sweat, and tears. Learn how to dev

WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO IMPRESS? We are constantly trying to be what we’re not. We’re trying to look like someone else, perform like someone else, or spend our time in ways that make other people happy. This is an exhausting way to live. Like Einstein says, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” You are the most powerful when you’re tapped into what makes you unique. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I’m sharing a Summit of Greatness presentation from a former monk and master storyteller: Jay Shetty. Jay Shetty is an award-winning host, storyteller and viral content creator. Since launching his video channel in 2016, Jay’s viral wisdom videos have garnered over 1 billion views and gained over 3 million followers globally. He explains the three lies that people tell us and why it’s much more important to listen to your opinions than anyone else’s. If you take the time to write, reflect, and learn about

EMOTIONS ARE GREAT SERVANTS, BUT POOR MASTERS. So many men are hurting, and then hurting others. People don’t want to hear that. But men feel like they’re emotional prisoners. They are committing suicide at much higher rates. They are the ones performing mass shootings. They are reacting in violence. We have to allow men ways to process their past and to express their emotions in order to become the people they are meant to be. It’s not important to “be a man,” it’s important to be human. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk about the definition of masculinity with a man whose mission is to mentor boys: Jason Wilson. Detroit’s Jason Wilson is a husband and father of two, and the founder and head instructor of the Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy, also known as CATTA. In 2015, he received the Campaign for Black Male Achievement Innovation Accelerator Award. In 2016, Wilson received the President's Volunteer Service Award in Washington D.C. Wilson has also been a guest on The D

RISE AND GRIND. You have to give yourself permission to follow your dreams. You might think, “People like me don’t don’t do that,” “I’m not ready,” or “There’s no way for e to succeed.” But no one is going to tell you that you can. You have to know that for yourself. It’s so important. Your belief in yourself is the difference between success and failure. That’s why, for this Five Minute Friday, I revisited a conversation I had with the creator of Fubu, Daymond John, where he shared how he realized that he could be a fashion designer. Daymond John is the star of one of my favorite shows, Shark Tank, and is a bestselling author with a new book called The Power of Broke. He’s a self-made multimillionaire with over $4 billion in global product sales. Daymond used to think that clothing was designed by old people in Italy who wore measuring tape around their neck. It wasn’t until he saw Karl Kani’s line that he realized that he could do it, too. Do you have self-limiting beliefs that are holding you back from pur

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A BOOK, HOW WOULD YOU WANT YOUR STORY TO GO? Whatever it is that you want to do in this new year- declare it. Tell everyone. One of the scariest things you can do is to admit your goals. What if you fail? But saying your intentions out loud allows the universe and those around you to make them a reality. Holding yourself accountable to what you really want won’t be easy, but it will force you to dig deep. No one knows this better than my guest on today’s special episode of The School of Greatness. I’m sharing a speech from this year’s Summit of Greatness with an inspirational athlete and author: Amy Purdy. Amy Purdy is a para-snowboarder, motivational speaker, clothing designer and New York Times bestselling author. She is a 2014 Paralympic bronze medalist, 2018 Paralympics silver medalist, and co-founder of Adaptive Action Sports. In 2013, She was named one of the top 15 most marketable para-athletes in the world by the International Olympic Committee. Amy has competed on CBS’s The Amazing R

DON'T LET "POTENTIAL" BE WRITTEN ON YOUR TOMBSTONE. About ten years ago when I was playing professional football, I got injured. I ended up on my sister’s couch. I felt bad for myself and thought that there should be a way for people like me to get help. Then I realized- what if I could solve this problem? It was that experience that led me into the work I do today. One of the reasons I don’t follow politics is because I want to focus on overcoming our own challenges. That’s why I’m so interested in my guest on today’s episode of The School of Greatness: Ben Shapiro. Ben Shapiro is editor-in-chief of The Daily Wire and host of "The Ben Shapiro Show," the top conservative podcast in the nation. Ben is the New York Times bestselling author of seven nonfiction books and is constantly featured on major newspapers and websites. Ben believes that people need to look within when they have a problem. He’s more interested in root values than debating specific issues. He ruffles a lot of feathers an

POSITIVELY IMPACT THE WORLD AROUND YOU. If you were to ask my grandfather what a billionaire is, he would tell you it’s someone with a billion dollars. Today, that definition has changed - even by Forbes standard. Now a true billionaire is someone who impacts a billion lives. The value of money is declining, and in order to have true value in this world you need to add positivity to the world. It’s so much easier today than ever, especially in the digital age. To dive into this more, I revisited a conversation I had with Jason Silva for this Five Minute Friday. Jason Silva is a media artist, futurist, philosopher, keynote speaker, and tv personality. He is the creator of Shots of All, a short film series of trailers for the mind that serve as philosophical espresso shots exploring innovation, technology, creativity, futurism, and metaphysics of the imagination. He is also the Emmy nominated host of National Geographic’s channel, hit TV series, Brain Games, which airs in over 100 countries. Learn what it means

LET HAPPINESS HAPPEN. Are you waiting to be happy? Maybe you’re waiting until you reach your goal weight, you get that car, or you get that promotion. What if I told you that your happiness is not going to be there when you get those things? You might feel a rush for a moment, but it won’t last. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I created a mashup on happiness with quotes from Marisa Peer, Rich Roll, Trent Shelton, Brooke Ence, James Clear, Rachel Hollis, Shaun T, and Susan David. All of these people agree that happiness cannot be found in things or achievement. It’s within your power RIGHT NOW to be happy. Happiness is not something you search for. It’s something you choose. What are you waiting for? Get ready to learn all about happiness from some of the greatest minds in the world on Episode 740. Some questions I ask: Where does happiness come from and how to you get to that place? (0:59) What exactly is happiness? (4:00) How do you achieve the mental state of happiness? (5:16) Does happiness

CREATE GOLD OUT OF DIRT. It’s the end of another year. You have to take time to reflect. Celebrate your wins. Embrace your losses. If you don’t, you’ll miss out on an amazing opportunity. You have the power to mold your ideas into reality every single moment of your life. Growing up, I never wanted to lose. But it wasn’t until I learned to reframe the loss as a lesson that I was able to really get to the next level. You alone are responsible for your life. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk with you about my wins and losses from the last year. I share how, this year, I chose to invest in myself. I partnered with people of the highest level to help my social media, my voice, my nutrition and more. The results were incredible. I also talk about struggling with saying “no” in the past year and how I failed to be upfront in my partnerships and relationships. Everything I’ve done has lead me here. And I couldn’t have done it without you. So learn how to celebrate your wins and reframe your losse

THERE'S ALWAYS A PRICE TO PAY. I’ve got a huge sweet tooth. I’d love to eat candy all day. But I know that what we put into our body will affect what we can get out of it. If you want to achieve greatness in your health, you have to keep finding what works and tweak it. You need to approach nutrition the same way you approach business or athletics.Keep refining until you get to the next level. Diet is so important. That’s why, for this Five Minute Friday, I revisited a conversation I had with Dr. Peter Osborne where he shared how what we eat affects every aspect of our lives. Dr. Peter Osborne is the clinical director of Origins Health Care in Sugar Land, Texas. He is a Doctor of pastoral science, and a Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist. Often times referred to as “The Gluten Free Warrior,” he is one of the most sought-after alternative and nutritional experts in the world. He says that you can cheat on your diet, but if you look at it like getting 6/7 on a test score, you’re only getting a “B.” I think w

LIVE WITHOUT REGRET. I am going to die. You are going to die. It’s a fact that we can’t escape. Even though it can be hard to talk about, it will help you live a better life if you have the courage to accept it. You might spend more time with the people you love, say how you were actually feeling, or go after that dream. In the end, the key to life might actually be death. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk about the power of accepting death with an inspiring woman who spent 8 years working with the dying: Bronnie Ware. Bronnie Ware is a teacher of courage and regret-free living. Having sat by the bedsides of the terminally ill for several years, she knows the pain of dying with regret. She has written three books: The Top Five Regrets of Dying, Your Year for Change, and Bloom. Bronnie says that the way to have more inner peace is to be kinder to yourself. We have to be willing to let more joy in. If you’re doing your best, you’re doing enough. So get ready to learn about the top regrets of

THE MORE YOU GIVE, THE MORE YOU LIVE. You need to have a why. Why are you hustling every day? Why are you pushing yourself? Why are you sacrificing? If you have a purpose, you’ll have the passion you need to follow through. There is nothing more powerful. And it’s become a necessity- in today’s world, it’s difficult to be a successful entrepreneur unless you are connected to a greater good and you communicate that with others. Storytelling can be your greatest tool. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk about creating business with purpose with the creator of the One for One® model: Blake Mycoskie. Blake Mycoskie is the Founder and Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS, which has provided over 86 million pairs of shoes to children since 2006. TOMS Eyewear has restored sight to over 600,000 people since 2011 and TOMS Roasting Company has helped provide over 600,000 weeks of safe water since launching in 2014. In 2015, TOMS Bag Collection was founded with the mission to help provide training for skilled birt

DON'T LET PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF GOOD. We can talk ourselves out of almost anything. “I’m not good enough.” “I’m not ready.” “I don’t have all the skills.” But what if you just took the plunge? What if you risked things not being “perfect” and put yourself out there? You might fail, but you’ll learn a lot more than if you had never shown your project to the world. It’s like I always say- the biggest risk takers are the most interesting. For this Five Minute Friday, I revisited a conversation I had with the entrepreneur Gunnar Lovelace who is passionate about telling people that it’s ok to make mistakes. Growing up poor with a single mom left Gunnar with a burning desire to create wealth to do good. As a result, he is a five-time serial entrepreneur focused on social impact at scale (people, planet + profit). Gunnar is the founder and CSO of Thrive Market, which offers organic groceries online at wholesale prices nationally. It has raised $200 million and grown to seven million users and 700 employees in thre

Have you celebrated where you are today? It’s important to have big goals. It’s important to have high standards. But you also need to acknowledge all you’ve done. Life isn’t only about the grind. It’s also about joy. This is a lesson I’ve had to learn through the years, and I believe it’s a key to my success. You have to enjoy every step along the way. I share this thought and many more on this special episode of The School of Greatness where I invited the winners of the Inspiring Life Contest from around the world to join me in the studio. This past year, we held a contest on our Facebook Watch show, Inspiring Life. Those winners got a bunch of prizes including getting flown out to CA for an interview on the podcast. Amanda Michel from Dubai, Jackie Morey from Seattle, Pete Kotzbach from Redondo Beach, Julie Richard from New Brunswick, Canada, and Kelsey Ruger joined me for a live Q&A. They asked me questions on how I’ve created The School of Greatness, what makes a good interview, and my goals for the

There’s hard work, and then there’s HARD WORK. Some people may be smarter than you. They may have more resources at their disposal. They might even have more natural talent. But the one thing you can do is WORK HARD. You can only control a certain number of factors. As long as you focus on those, you will become the best version of yourself. When you get to the end, you need to know that you did everything you could to accomplish your goal. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk with an athlete who works tirelessly to be the fittest woman in the world: Katrín Davíðsdóttir. Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir is an Icelandic CrossFit athlete known for her four appearances at the CrossFit Games. She is the women's champion of the 2015 and 2016 CrossFit Games, becoming the second woman to win twice. Katrin didn’t become Olympic gymnast like she originally wanted. But she went on to become a world-renowned CrossFit champion. You can’t always be anything you want, but you can be all that you are. So get ready