champion

"Genius recognizes genius"

Lewis is joined by filmmaker Gotham Chopra, who has worked closely on projects with LeBron James, Tom Brady, Simone Biles, Kobe Bryant, and more. Gotham discusses the distinct qualities shared by the world's greatest athletes, the dark side of genius, and what he learned from his father, spiritual guru Deepak Chopra.

- Kobe Bryant on Mamba Mentality, NBA Titles, and Oscars: https://link.chtbl.com/691-pod

- Sadhguru teaches you how to control your mind: https://lewishowes.com/965

“If you’re going to have a story, have a big story.” - Joseph Campbell

I was heartbroken to hear the news of the fatal helicopter crash that caused the death of legendary Kobe Bryant, along with his oldest daughter Gigi and seven others.

Kobe inspired me for years, and I know he inspired so many other people across the world.

My heart goes out to his family and the families of those involved with the crash. There are no words to express my sadness. When I interviewed Kobe in 2018, I asked him what love was, and he described love as "a journey that has its ups and its downs...it's a certain persistence to go through the good times and the bad times with someone or something that you truly love."

Even though Kobe is not with us, I know that his legacy of love and greatness will continue to inspire and strengthen us for years to come.

In this episode, I wanted to revisit our interview together as a memorial of his testament of greatness. Kobe was a champion, and to be a champion, you have to have the champion mentality. He definitely had that figured out.

No one has mastered the art of staying focused on your goal and working tirelessly towards it like the legend and icon, Kobe Bryant.

Kobe is widely regarded as one of the best basketball players of all time.

He won five NBA championships with the Lakers and led the NBA in scoring during two seasons. He was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team. He holds the NBA record for the most seasons played with one franchise for an entire career: 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.

In 2018, he received an Academy Award for his animated short “Dear Basketball.” He also launched a podcast called The Punies that teaches kids morals and history in a really fun way.

Kobe was known for his Mamba Mentality, but it’s his big heart that is truly admirable. He was constantly reinventing himself and continuing to pursue new dreams.

I have so much respect for Kobe Bryant. Please join me in revisiting his legacy, his Mamba Mentality, and his wisdom on embracing failure on Episode 908.

• Who was your greatest teacher? (7:10)
• What are some other things you do to raise the level of your teammates? (17:00)
• What’s been your greatest challenge since leaving the game? (20:30)
• What’s a constant theme in your life? (24:40)
• Why is storytelling important to you? (25:39)
• What’s your greatest weakness? (34:35)

• All about the “Mamba Mentality” (12:20)
• Why he has a passion of storytelling (26:00)
• Why you should be excited about failure (27:10)
• Kobe’s greatest moment in 20 seasons of basketball (36:14)
• Kobe’s daily routine (39:00)
• Plus much more...

If you enjoyed this episode, check out the video, show notes and more at http://www.lewishowes.com/908 and follow at instagram.com/lewishowes

CHAMPIONS AREN’T SUPER-HUMAN, THEY’RE SUPER-INTENTIONAL. I’ve noticed that there are two types of champions. One of them wins and says, “I am the greatest that ever lived.” The other says, “All of the glory goes to God.” Both of these mindsets have good results, but is one better than the other? You need a certain amount of arrogance to be the best. After all, self-doubt is the biggest crusher of dreams. But if you aren’t able to look at what you could be doing better, you’ll eventually decline. People won’t want to be around you. And you might destroy yourself in the process. So how can we lead with confidence and avoid getting a massive ego? On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk about self-doubt and self-love with a sensitive, inspiring Formula One Champion: Nico Rosberg. Nico Rosberg followed in his father’s footsteps to win the Formula One World Championship in 2016. He grew up racing against Lewis Hamilton and constantly coming in second only to one day win the championship for himself. Nico shares how even though he was at the top of his field, he struggled with a fear of failure. In a field as macho as car racing, it’s inspiring to hear a man be so vulnerable. So get ready to learn how the tiny details matter when going for big wins on Episode 889.
Some Questions I Ask:
Why isn’t Formula One as popular in the US? (06:44)
Do you feel like your dad pushed you? (11:00)
How much does the car have to do with winning? (16:00)
What was the biggest lesson your father taught you? (19:00)
Where does your lack of self-love come from? (28:00)
What do you think about during the races? (42:00)
What’s the key to eliminating self-doubt? (46:00)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
How Nico avoids pushing his children too much (09:00)
About Nico’s rivalry with Lewis Hamilton (15:00)
The magic ingredient to success (25:00)
The one thing Nico did that made him a world champion (38:00)
The story of how Nico one the 2016 Formula One Championship (47:00)
How coming in second to Lewis Hamilton affected Nico (52:00)
Why failure is important (56:00)
If you enjoyed this episode, check out the video, show notes and more at http://www.lewishowes.com/889 and follow at instagram.com/lewishowes

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO WIN? We can have our eyes on the prize. We can work every day to accomplish our goal. We can sacrifice and suffer to be the best. But at the end of the day, you can’t define yourself by whether or not you get “first place.” If your identity depends on one thing, you’re bound to fail. You have to free yourself from tying your worth to winning. When you do, you just might see some amazing results. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk about faith, family and CrossFit with the “Fittest Man On Earth:” Rich Froning. Rich Froning is a CrossFit athlete known for his achievements participating in the CrossFit Games. He became the first person to win the title of "Fittest Man on Earth" four times and has led team CrossFit Mayhem Freedom to the first-place finish three times. Froning owns and operates the affiliate gym CrossFit Mayhem, located in Cookeville, Tennessee, and is a member of the CrossFit Level 1 Seminar Staff. Rich fell off the rope the first time he competed in the CrossFit Games and got second place. He felt like a very public failure. But when he released his need to win, he became unstoppable. So get ready to learn what it takes to be an outstanding competitor, husband and father on Episode 808.
Some Questions I Ask:
Who did you have a deeper relationship with- mom or dad? (7:18)
How did you get into CrossFit? (10:00)
Did you get injured a lot when training? (20:00)
How did you train your mind to prepare yourself for the whole world to take you down? (33:00)
How did you handle fear throughout your career? (38:00)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
How Rich trained for the CrossFit Games (18:00)
About the changes happening in the CrossFit Games (26:00)
How Rich’s faith helped him compete (35:00)
The importance of pain in daily life (41:00)
About Rich’s infertility and adoption journey (48:00)
The three lessons Rich has learned from his years in CrossFit (58:00)
If you enjoyed this episode check out the video and show notes at http://lewishowes.com/808 and follow at instagram.com/lewishowes

YOUR SUCCESS IS IN YOUR OWN HANDS.
What does it take to be a champion?
You have to love what you do.
You have to care about the little details that other people let slide. And you have to have deep, unshakable confidence. A lot of what separates a player from a champion is mental. We can’t ignore the importance of keeping our mind away from the negative and focused on the end goal. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I’m sharing the most inspirational clips of interviews with the world’s greatest female athletes: Maria Sharapova, Katrin Tanja Davíðsdóttir, Michelle Waterson, Sasha Digiulian, Brooke Ence, The Bella twins, Emily Skye, and Danica Patrick. Maria Sharapova is one of the world’s greatest tennis players, Katrin Tanja Davíðsdóttir is a two-time champion of the CrossFit Games, Michelle Waterson is a mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC, Sasha Digiulian is a world champion climber, Brooke Ence is an elite CrossFit Champion, The Bella Twins are former WWE Wrestlers, Emily Skye is a top fitness model, and Danica Patrick is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing. We can all get distracted by self-doubt, comparing ourselves to others, and focusing on the wrong things. But we can train ourselves to have the mindset of a champion. It feels good to be great at what you do. Get ready to learn step into your greatness on Episode 803.
Some Questions I Ask:
Why are you so driven to be the best? (7:00)
What does it mean to be respectful of your opponent? (16:30)
How do you stay focused when you’re scared? (18:57)
What are some tools you use when you start comparing yourself? (30:00)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
The difference between “showing up” and “playing” (6:00)
The reason you need to focus on the things you can control (12:00)
Why not doing your best is doing a disservice to your opponent (18:00)
How trust can heal anxiety (20:00)
How to not let negative comments affect you (27:00)
Follow me on:
Instagram @LewisHowes
Twitter @LewisHowes
Facebook @LewisHowes

YOU WERE BORN ON PURPOSE.
We often think of purpose as something we have to “find.”
But what if purpose is something you already have?
What if you are your purpose?
It’s not something that is temporary or can be taken away. It’s your essence.
Other people can tell you what you’re good at. But at the end of the day, it has to resonate with you.
On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk about purpose with a former NFL player who reinvented himself after football: Trent Shelton.
Trent Shelton is a former NFL wide receiver who is now considered one of the most impactful speakers of this generation. He reaches over 60 million people weekly through hard-hitting videos and unprecedented engagement. Though based in Fort Worth, Texas with his wife and two children, Trent connects with people all over the world through his speaking engagements.
Trent says that he has a magnet inside of him that drew him to his calling of speaking. He says that we all need to find our magnet.
He believes that to be the greatest you, you have to find peace.
So get ready to find out what really matters so that you can continue to stay true to yourself on Episode 790.
Some Questions I Ask:
What do you regret about the man you used to be? (13:00)
How do we develop a champion mindset? (20:00)
How do you maintain a championship mindset? (24:30)
Why do you say that you need to burn bridges? (35:00)
What’s a demon in your life? (39:00)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
About Trent’s past infidelities (1:00)
The key to making a relationship work (8:00)
How to hack fear (19:00)
Why “leverage questions” can help you reach your goal (22:00)
The five principles of the championship mindset (25:00)
About the four “A’s” (50:00)

VALIDATION IS REDUNDANT.
As many of you know, I didn’t have friends growing up. I couldn’t read and write until late high school. I was goofy and gangly. I got made fun of all the time.
Sports was something I could finally understand.
I was able to prove myself by what I could accomplish on the field.
But then I placed my self worth in what I could achieve in football. If I lost a game, I felt terrible. If I won, I felt great.
It was so unhealthy.
We need to be careful where we get our self-worth.
Instead of earning it through outside validation, we should get it from the kindness in our heart, the positivity that we bring, and who you are.
Learn to have unconditional love for yourself.
On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk about self with the greatest diver in history who is also a great person and advocate: Greg Louganis.
Greg Louganis is simply the greatest diver in history. Today, as a speaker, author, actor, activist, humanitarian and designer, he continues his tradition of excellence.
Greg was the first openly gay diver in history. He is also HIV positive. He now uses his story to empower others.
So get ready to learn about the mindset of an Olympic champion on Episode 767.
Some Questions I Ask:
What was the greatest lesson you learned during the Olympic boycott? (8:00)
How would you approach your dives at The Olympics vs. practice? (12:00)
What was your first Olympic dive like? (16:00)
Were you driven to achieve because you were adopted? (20:00)
How do you cope with something like an HIV diagnosis? (40:00)
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your life? (48:00)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Why Greg thinks the Olympic boycott may have been a blessing (4:00)
Why obstacles in training are important (9:00)
How to tap into inspiration as opposed to fear (17:00)
About Greg’s experience being HIV positive (35:00)
How imagination and visualization can help you succeed despite all odds (39:00)
The method Greg uses to teach visualization (1:00:00)
Follow me on:
Instagram: @lewishowes
Twitter: @LewisHowes

ONCE YOU ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS, YOU HAVE TO CREATE NEW ONES.
Do you remember what you dreamed about when you were little?
So often, we get what we always wanted, and then we get greedy.
We start wanting more money and more recognition. But that stuff doesn’t make you happy.
It’s time to get your priorities straight.
Remember why you started in the first place.
On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk with one of the best golfers in the world who is grateful just to be able to play: Bubba Watson.
Bubba Watson Jr. is a self-taught professional golfer who is a 12-time PGA Tour Champion. Bubba reached a career-high 2nd place in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Bubba is a famous golfer, but he feels the most loved when he is serving. The way he gives back to his community and helps others is truly inspiring.
He wants to be a hall-of-fame husband and dad.
So get ready to learn how to thrive by spinning your negatives into positives on Episode 761.
Some Questions I Ask:
When did you realize you had talent? (8:00)
Did you ever think you would be an Olympian? (16:00)
What did adopting kids do for your career? (22:00)
Do you think you would be as successful as you are now without your dad passing? (31:30)
What’s your biggest flaw? (39:30)
When do you feel the most loved? (43:00)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Why golf isn’t about money for Bubba (11:00)
About Bubba’s new goal after he accomplished his 10-win PGA Tour goal (15:00)
How Bubba’s father’s sickness changed his perspective (28:00)
How to spin negatives into positives (35:00)
The importance of giving back (48:30)
What adoption means to Bubba (53:00)

YOU HAVE TO HAVE FAITH THAT YOU'LL FIND A WAY.
Do you allow doubt to trickle in?
Maybe I won’t make it.
Maybe I’m not smart enough.
Maybe I’m not the person for the job.
Your self-belief has to be airtight if you want to go all the way. It has to be unwavering.
Once you believe in yourself authentically, you will get others on board who believe in you, too.
You have the power to create a movement.
That’s why, for this Five Minute Friday, I revisited a conversation I had with Aubrey Marcus where explains how champions use self-belief as a tool to win.
Aubrey Marcus is the founder and CEO of Onnit, a lifestyle brand based on the holistic health philosophy Total Human Optimization. He regularly provides commentary to outlets like Entrepreneur, Forbes, The Doctors, and The Joe Rogan Experience. He has been featured on the cover of Men’s Health, is the author of the life-coaching course Go For Your Win, and author of the book Own The Day, Own Your Life from HarperCollins.
Having self-belief doesn’t mean you’re cocky. It means that you’ve put in the work and you have the mindset to know you will accomplish what you set out to do.
Learn why a strong belief in yourself is a key to success in any field in Episode 756.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
How champions use belief in themselves as a weapon (2:00)
The way Conor McGregor uses self-belief to win fights (2:30)
How to get your belief in yourself to 100% (5:45)
Why politicians don’t use self-belief effectively (7:00)
The line between confidence and cockiness (8:00)
Follow me on instagram: @lewishowes

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 to learn all about what goes into becoming the Fittest Woman on Earth on Episode 733.
Some Questions I Ask:
Where do you think you’d be if you had qualified for the games in 2014? (22:00)
What does it take to be the best in the world? (23:15)
Do you ever take a day off? (24:00)
What’s your biggest physical weakness right now? (25:00)
What about your mindset do you think still needs work? (43:00)
Do you think intimate partnerships support someone’s drive to be the best in the world or could it hold you back? (48:30)
What are your thoughts on body image and femininity? (51:30)
What’s the biggest lesson your grandmother taught you (55:00)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Why not qualifying for the CrossFit Games was the best thing to happen to Katrin (6:00)
What Katrin would do if she wasn’t an athlete (23:00)
About the concept of balance when pursuing your goals (24:00)
Katrin’s hardest workout (42:00)
The three lessons Katrin’s coach has taught her (56:30)
Katrin’s greatest fear (59:00)
What caused Katrin to be someone who works hard (1:04:30)

“PASSION IS THE NUMBER ONE INGREDIENT TO SUCCEEDING IN ANYTHING.”
Are you governed by fear?
If so, it’s time to figure out if what you’re scared of is real or imaginary.
What if there really isn’t anything to be afraid of?
You might have some setbacks or “fall,” but at the end of the day you’ll be fine.
In the face of stress, you can get overwhelmed by negative emotions, or you can look forward. You can instead focus on the task ahead.
It’s all about your mindset.
On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk about fear with a champion climber who has learned to be mental tough by constantly pushing her limits: Sasha Digiulian.
Sasha Digiulian first began climbing at 6 years old, in 1998. She has won the World Championships for Female Overall and has placed Silver in the Bouldering World Championships, as well as Bronze in the Duel. Sasha has been the undefeated Panamerican Champion 2004 to the present, and she is a three-time US National Champion.
Outdoors, Sasha is the first North American woman to climb the grade 9a, 5.14d, recognized as one of the hardest sport climbs achieved by a female. She has done two. Sasha was the third woman in the world to accomplish this grade. Additionally, she has onsighted multiple 8b+’s, 5.14a’s, ascended groundbreaking multi-pitch routes of up to 1000 feet of 8c climbing, and has accomplished multiple First Ascents and 28 First Female Ascents around the world, including a First Female Ascent on the North Face of the Eiger.
Sasha has learned to trust the process and the universe in order to quiet her anxiety.
She says that the only way to get up a mountain is to think positively. She’ll find herself saying, “Just go, just go, just go” when she’s in a tough spot.
So get ready to learn how to have the mindset of a champion risk-taker on Episode 731.
Some Questions I Ask:
What’s the highest mountain you’ve climbed? (20:00)
How do you stay focused while climbing? (23:30)
Are there more men or women in climbing? (27:00)
How do you manage stress levels? (32:00)
What’s your thought process during a climb? (46:00)
What did you learn from your father’s death? (1:00:00)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
The difference between speed climbing, bouldering, and sport climbing (11:00)
How Sasha got started in climbing (12:00)
The largest distance Sasha has fallen (17:00)
About Sasha’s scariest climb (34:00)
The mantras that Sasha says while climbing (48:00)
The three things Sasha’s parents taught her (53:00)
The reason why sleep is so important (1:06:00)

FIND THE WINNING BALANCE.
You hear so often that people get to the top of the mountain and realize that the summit isn’t the answer.
To be a champion, you have to know that there is so much more to success than a final outcome.
If you focus on the goal without being connected to your joy and larger purpose, you will get burnt out.
But when you’re coming from a place of passion, the results will fall into place.
To explore this topic further, I gathered parts of conversations with four world-class champions who’ve visited The School of Greatness in the past: Julianne Hough, Ray Lewis, Shawn Johnson, and Novak Djokovic.
Julianne Hough is a two-time winner of ABC’s Dancing with Stars and now sits as a judge on the show. She’s one an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography and has appeared in many movies and TV productions like Footloose (2011) and Grease Live on Fox.
Ray Lewis is a former NFL linebacker. He is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl MVP and played his entire 17-year career with the Baltimore Ravens.
Shawn Johnson is a gymnast who won a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics for balance beam and a silver medal in floor exercise and all-around. She’s also a five-time Pan American Games gold medalist.
Novak Djokovic is a Serbian tennis player is currently ranked third in men’s singles. He’s won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and four Wimbledon titles among many more.
These athletes have achieved the immense success in their fields and have all realized that being the best is not enough of an end goal to give them purpose.
So learn how these champions get in the mindset to win on Episode 707.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Why being content won’t ruin your drive (10:30)
What Ray Lewis learned from joining ESPN (13:40)
Why Ray Lewis thinks he was able to play football for so long (14:10)
What people can do to win even if they get second (14:56)
What helped Novac Djokovic get through a breakdown (21:04)

“REST AT THE END, NOT IN THE MIDDLE.”- KOBE BRYANT
He’s won five NBA championships with the Lakers and led the NBA in scoring during two seasons. He’s an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team. He holds the NBA record for the most seasons played with one franchise for an entire career: 20 seasons.
In 2018, he received an Academy Award for his animated short “Dear Basketball.” He also just launched a podcast called The Punies that teaches kids morals and history in a really fun way.
Kobe’s known for what he calls his Mamba Mentality, but it’s his big heart that is truly admirable. He is constantly reinventing himself and continuing to pursue new dreams.
There is so much power in his energy and presence. I know you’re really going to love this one.
So get ready to learn all about Mamba Mentality and how to embrace failure on Episode 691.
Some Questions I Ask:
Who was your greatest teacher? (7:10)
What are some other things you do to raise the level of your teammates? (17:00)
What’s been your greatest challenge since leaving the game? (20:30)
What’s a constant theme in your life? (24:40)
Why is storytelling important to you? (25:39)
What’s your greatest weakness? (34:35)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
All about the “Mamba Mentality” (12:20)
Why he has a passion of storytelling (26:00)
Why you should be excited about failure (27:10)
Kobe’s greatest moment in 20 seasons of basketball (36:14)
Kobe’s daily routine (39:00)

"SOMEBODY HAS TO BE THE BEST. WHY SHOULDN'T IT BE YOU?" - MIKE CHANDLER
Have you ever looked at the best in the world and wondered if you could be that?
I have.
I think a lot of us do when we're kids. We are amazed and inspired by the very best examples we find.
But often we grow up and discover all kinds of reasons for why we can't be as good as the best.
We fail at things. We struggle. We get knocked down, disappointed, hurt.
I got to connect with someone this week who has experienced all of that. Many times.
But he still decided he could be the best in the world at what he does. And he became that.
Mike Chandler is a Bellator Lightweight Champion fighter. He was an All-American wrestler in college. He's overcome extraordinary opponents to win titles again and again.
But he's also faced losses. Failures. Setbacks. At one point, after winning the world championship, he didn't win another fight for 688 days straight.
So when we had a minute to sit down to record a podcast about the mindset of champions, I had to know what his self-talk routine is like.
It really impressed me. Mike told me that self-image is actually one of the most important things he has cultivated. He has to believe he can be the best in the world, or it's not going to happen.
I loved his insights on why it's so important to talk to yourself instead of listening to yourself, and so many more nuggets.
Whatever you're aspiring to, I know you'll find his wisdom very helpful in Episode 638.
Some questions I ask:
What lesson did you learn in order to win the world championship? (8:23)
Who taught you that you could become anything you want? (11:05)
What do all world-class fighters have in common? (14:47)
What happens when you believe you deserve great things? (18:03)
What's your greatest gift in your sport and what do you need to work on the most? (19:10)
In this episode you will learn:
Why settling for your mediocre circumstances is unacceptable (9:20)
What loss can teach us about what our potential is (11:15)
Why your self-image is so important to your success (14:55)
Mike's pre-fight self-talk and rituals (21:10)
Plus much more...

"Repetition led to discipline." - Maria Sharapova
If you enjoyed this episode, check out show notes, video, and more at http://lewishowes.com/535

"Uncomfortableness is how we grow but pain is why we change." - Dr. Michael Gervais
If you enjoyed this episode, check out show notes, video, and more at http://lewishowes.com/533

"Greatness is being better than who you were yesterday." - Mark Mathews
If you enjoyed this episode, check out show notes, video, and more at http://lewishowes.com/515

“What is to give light must endure burning.” - Victor Frankl
If you enjoyed this episode, check out show notes and more at http://lewishowes.com/498