The School of Greatness

JOIN ME FOR TESLA TALKS. Be open. Be honest. Let other people in. Too often we keep up walls and try to hide who we really are. But when you are vulnerable and transparent, amazing things can happen. My friend Matt joins me in the Tesla for this episode of The School of Greatness to ask me 73 questions. I answer them all. Instead of “Coffee Conversations,” this is “Tesla Talks.” Matt asks me some...

WE HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES. We learn a lot of coping mechanisms when we’re younger. They help us get through tough times. But so many of us are still carrying around tactics that are no longer needed. They can make us defensive. They can prevent us from developing relationships. And they can hold us back from our goals. We need to “update our software.” Our situation has changed, but our...

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR NARRATIVE. What stories are you telling? The ones you repeat will end up shaping your life. When you’re building a work culture, storytelling is key. They will determine how employees behave. They will shape the narratives they tell themselves about their coworkers. And they will inspire them to work even harder. How can you harness the power of storytelling to create an ideal...

IT’S TIME TO TRANSFORM. At some point in our lives, we have let go of our old selves and grow into something greater. Think about the king cobra. It starts to feel uncomfortable in its skin. It’s not able to see- its skin makes its vision blurred. So it moves in seclusion. It gets rid of the old skin, and a new shiny skin comes up. Suddenly, its vision is clear. We all need this process. We all ne...

TREAT OTHERS HOW YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. Kindness seems like a basic idea, but when you’re a champion it’s not high on your list. The Golden Rule isn’t always easy. Especially when you’re focused on yourself. But you can be the best and be good to others. It takes discipline. It takes mentorship. And it takes a commitment to what’s important in life. No matter what you’ve done in your past, you ca...

CONSISTENCY IS KEY. So many of us diet. But we don’t maintain it. We start strong and then fall off. The reason? We don’t have a strong “why.” Wanting a six-pack isn’t enough. It has to be deeper than that. For this Five Minute Friday, I revisited a conversation I had with Drew Canole where he shared how to find your ideal diet and stay consistent. Drew Canole is a Nutrition Specialist, Transforma...

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO CHANGE LANES. Pivoting isn’t a sign of failure, it’s a sign that you’re listening to feedback. You have to know when to jump ship. If you don’t, you might be missing out on some amazing new opportunities. So, how do you know which direction to take? See what people are responding to. Build relationships with your audience. And never think you’ve missed your chance to follow...

GO FROM THINKING TO DOING TO BEING. Your emotions create your reality. You can either be held back by the feelings of your past, or you can create the feelings of your future. Every thought you have affects every atom. So how can we free ourselves from those familiar emotions that are keeping us from our ideal reality? It takes work. You’ll probably feel uncomfortable. You might even miss the old...

WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR DREAM? Are you giving all you’ve got? Or are you afraid to go all in? So often we give up before we’ve even begun. You are worthy of going after your dreams. You are worthy of fighting for what you want. You’ve got to commit to yourself so that you can succeed at the one thing you can control- your effort. For this Five Minute Friday, I’m doing a special solo e...

THERE IS JUST CONSCIOUSNESS AND ITS CONTENTS. When you’re dreaming, you don’t know that you’re asleep. You’re caught up in the dream. That’s how most of us go through life. We’re unaware that we’re not actually experiencing the things we are feeling. But you can break the spell in a moment with meditation. When you become present, you’re no longer asleep. It’s time to wake up. On today’s episode o...

ALMOST ALL OF YOUR SUFFERING COMES FROM YOUR THOUGHTS. We all get stuck in the past. We worry about the future. We’re full of anxiety. It can consume us. And makes us ungrateful for what is happening now. In fact, you could say that the root of all our unhappiness is our thoughts. So how can we get more present? It’s not something that happens automatically. You have to practice every day. On toda...

LIFE IS GOOD. Being an optimist instead of a pessimist is a choice. You can wake up each day and focus on what’s wrong. Or you can choose to be grateful. Whatever you focus on grows. So if you are spending your time on things that make you unhappy, they will take over. But if you can cultivate gratitude, simplicity, and optimism, that’s what your life will become. Choose happiness. For this Five M...

IN CHARM WE TRUST. How do you enroll people in your vision? How do you ask for more than what your limiting beliefs think you deserve? How do you accomplish dreams even though you feel unprepared? It’s all about pushing past what you think you can do. You have to ask. And you need to surround yourself with people who will help you accomplish the impossible. The School of Greatness wouldn’t be what...

DO THINGS ON YOUR OWN TERMS. We all judge people. We make assumptions about what people care about and who they are based on the way they look. But people are often more than they seem. No matter what judgments people may have of you, you can break the status quo. Never let the way you look determine what you’re capable of. Keep questioning your judgements and make others question. On today’s epis...

BECOME AN EXPERT. Confidence is so important. But you have to earn it. If you’re confident without putting in the work, it can come off as arrogance or even insecurity. So how can you have calculated confidence? Learn from your mistakes. Put in the hours. And believe in what you’re doing. Once you’ve worked hard for your confidence, you’ll be able to look your clients in the eye knowing you’re an...

LIFE IS NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL. All of us are trying to do too many things at once. We’re on the phone while doing something else. We’re on a date but we’re distracted. We’re responding to text messages at red lights. When we live like this, we never fully experience anything. We’re half-living. It’s hard to build relationships, be joyful, and be open to opportunities when you’re not present. You m...

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE THE BEST. So often we feel behind. Other people have already figured out what they want. Other people got started earlier. They’re sure of the path they’re on. But that’s not necessarily a good thing. I would have never thought I’d end up where I am now. My whole life I’ve been a generalist. I’ve never been the best at anything. There was always someone bigger, faster, and str...

Harvest seeds of growth. Ending relationships is never easy. But it’s a part of life. Not all relationships last, but it’s how we end them that makes all the difference. You can use the opportunity to plant seeds that better your future, or you can plant bitter seeds that will bloom into hatred and rage. You make the decision. It is possible to consciously uncouple. For this Five Minute Friday, I...

WE COULD ALL USE A LITTLE MAGIC. Storytelling is an important part of everything you do. Whether you’re trying to sell something, speaking, or building relationships, you can’t ignore the power of story. It’s what causes us to have an emotional connection to something. Magic is an art form that uses storytelling. It’s not just about magic tricks. It’s about what you feel while you’re watching the...

THE HARDEST THING TO DO WHEN YOU GET OLDER IS CHANGE A HABIT. There is a Buddhist metaphor of the elephant and the rider. We are all riding an elephant. We think that we are in control. We have the reigns. But the elephant could overpower us at any moment. No matter how much we use our minds, our emotions ultimately are more powerful. This applies to the way we eat. We become slaves to our craving...

WRITE YOUR STORY. Everyone has a story. You do. I do. Your life will be recorded. The question is, is your story the one that you want to be told? We often let other people write our pages instead of taking the pen and doing it ourselves. If you want your life to be a masterpiece, you’re going to have to live intentionally. For this Five Minute Friday, I revisited a conversation I had with John Ma...

MEDITATION WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. A lot of us are suffering, and we don’t even realize it. We’re always on the move. We’re always doing. We’re balancing so many responsibilities. We don’t take time to quiet our minds so that we can start to understand what’s going on up there. That’s why meditation is so powerful. It allows you to get to the root of your problems instead of constantly fixing the s...

BUILD YOUR CASTLE. Love at first sight is bullshit. A relationship is like a castle. You find a plot of land that has a lot of potential. Then, bit by bit, you build the castle. But it takes work from both of you. One person can’t be laying the bricks while the other is home watching TV. After lots of hard work, you’ll have something unique and ornate that belongs to you. You’ll have a castle. Tha...

COMMUNICATE YOUR VISION. Being an effective leader is difficult. Some do it through fear. Some do it through understanding. And others lead with love. You could be super demanding and scary and get what you want. But is that the kind of life you want to lead? Probably not. Often, leading in a way where you understand other people’s concerns will be the most beneficial to you. There’s a lot you can...

THE LESS YOU DO THE MORE YOU CAN RECEIVE. Take a moment to explore your habits. Do you glance at your phone during every free moment? Do you fill up your calendar with things that don’t add value? Do you spend your day working on a job that has no meaning for you? If so, your life is cluttered. Not just with stuff, but with noise. Quieting down and clearing out our schedule can be scary because it...