The School of Greatness
A few years ago I discovered podcasts are a great way to be entertained and educated on my commute and I am always in search of new podcasts that can accomplish this for me.
I came across Lewis Howes’ podcast, “The School of Greatness” a few years ago and I instantly fell in love with the amazing variety of guests he had on the show.
All of his guest have achieved some sort of “Greatness” in their life and were there to educate his audience on their story. Over the years he has discovered that all of these people have certain traits in common and he wanted to share those with his audience so he compiled all of these lessons.
Here they are summed up for you in my own words:
Create a Vision: I believe this is a very important one that must be done first. If you don’t know where you are going then how will you get there? I also believe that your vision can change over time too. I think it is also important to write down your vision and to review it often, there is some sort of magic that happens when you put your words down on paper and read them out loud. It is almost like you are bringing you vision to reality and telling the world about it. “When you tell the universe your dreams the universe conspires to make it happen.”
Turn adversity into advantage: This is one of the greatest lessons in life. There will always be adversity and challenges in life and yes, some people will face greater challenges than others, but it is what you do about those challenges that will help you to become great. I am sure you have heard many people’s stories that have overcome extreme challenges to become who they are today, and when you talk to them they will tell you that if it wasn't for these challenges they would not be where they were today or become the person they are. It is important to look at the challenges we are faced with and learn the lesson and how to overcome things them.
Cultivate a Champions Mindset: Champions have a strong belief system. If you ask anyone athlete who has just won the Super Bowl, World Series, or any major accomplish one they will say something like, they want to thank God, or some higher power that helped them accomplish this goal. Or like Muhammad Ali, believes he is the greater thing in the world. Champions also have vision and practice mindfulness.
Develop Hustle: Most people who have accomplished something great in their life will tell you that they worked hard for it, it did not come overnight. When you see an “overnight success” it is usually many many years of hard work that came before. Hustle can mean different things for people, but working hard is always the bottom line. It is important to set your vision but your vision won’t become a reality without a little hard work and hustle.
Master Your Body: We are all born with one body that we must take care of and keep healthy. Without our health we cannot achieve greatness. Yes, people are born with disabilities but one does not have to let you hold you back. Eating foods that are healthy and give you energy, working out and getting enough sleep are all important to achieving greatness.
Practice Positive Habits: Habits that make you great and help you to grow and stay healthy. Lewis Howes mentions in the book that there was a story written in Entrepreneur magazine that showed the daily habits of the wealthiest people in the world and they included habits such as: Having a morning ritual, Set up your day, Write down your goals, Read 30 minutes a day, Workout 4 times a week, practice gratitude. Figure out what habits will help you to achieve greatness and practice them daily.
Build a Winning Team. You cannot achieve greatness alone. Build a team of people that will help to support and guide you. You will be hard pressed to find a great athletes that does’t have a coach or a mentor. You need to surround yourself with people that help to build you up and support you and are positive influences.
Be of Service to Others: All the money in the world won’t bring you happiness and greatness if you don’t share and help others. Find a cause that inspires you and give back to it, you will find that your achievements are much more fulfilling.
I highly recommend this book! You can buy it on Amazon or at your Local Barnes and Nobel.
