The easy street to greatness doesn’t exist. Contrary to the excuses we make, greatness is never achieved without encountering adversity.
Failure is a cruel professor. We’re told to embrace it and learn from it, but failure comes crashing down out of nowhere and destroys our best laid plans.
One moment you’re a on top of the world, and the next you’re broke and sleeping on your sister’s couch.
That’s exactly what happened to my friend, Lewis Howes.
This week on The Portfolio Life, Lewis and I talk about how a relationship failure brought him back to a more fulfilling life, and how we can all achieve the success we are capable of.
Listen in as we discuss making the leap from professional athlete to online entrepreneur, and leveraging relationships for success without being slimy.
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The secret ingredient of greatness
Earlier this year, I attended a popular conference in Portland. As an introvert, it would’ve been easy to quietly attend the sessions and sneak off to my hotel at the end of each day to rest and recharge.
Sounds kind of nice, doesn’t it?
Instead, I did the exact opposite. For every meal and break I intentionally connected with old and new friends who don’t live nearby our home in Tennessee.
Why? Because you become who you spend time with. If you only hang out by yourself, you can’t hope to grow or create work that matters.
Roughly 2,000 miles from home I enjoyed unique opportunity to eat good food and drink great coffee with people at different stages on their journey to greatness.
We swapped stories of wins and failures, excitement over upcoming projects, and asked questions about new tools and technology.
What I’ve found most interesting in these situations, are those people who are generous with their time and attention. They are present in the moment and focused on giving value, rather than getting advice or quick tips for success.
As we learn from Lewis’s story, it’s not who you know, but who you help that defines the trajectory of your path to greatness.
Show highlights
In this episode, Lewis and I discuss:
- How to have a vision and still anticipate adversity
- Embracing the ambiguity of open opportunities
- Why podcasts are far from dead
- Essential steps to achieve greatness
- The wrong way to find a mentor
- Serving your way to success
- How education provides opportunities even if the system is broken
- Why you can’t afford to ignore one powerful tool for growing your platform
Quotes and Takeaways
- ”Be of service to others.” —Lewis Howes
- ”Everyone faces adversity on the path to greatness.” —Lewis Howes
- ”You become what you envision yourself being.” —Lewis Howes
- “Relationships are the key to success in life.” —Lewis Howes
- No one lives an easy life and becomes great.
- Tough circumstances often precede a big win.
Resources
- The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes (book)
- The School of Greatness (podcast)
- Pencils of Promise
How do you define greatness? Who is a mentor in your life? What is your vision right now Share in the comments
