empower

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

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 visualized her dreams so fully that when she actually experienced them, it gave her a feeling of deja vu.
So get ready to learn all about Tererai’s amazing journey from child bride to scholar and how you can achieve your dreams on Episode 752.
Some Questions Asked:
How do you, as a woman, let your voice be heard every day? (4:18)
Where are your children today? (5:41)
How can we inspire men to empower women? (6:55)
What’s one thing we could all do different? (9:08)
How do you continue your mindset? (10:08)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
How she defied the rules of her people (4:23)
When we inspire more men, women are healed (7:22)
How to believe in our dreams (9:26)
How she focuses her mind on daily rituals (10:56)

“You have a right to your actions, but never to your actions’ fruits.” - Bhagavad Gita
It’s a time of year where we focus on giving.
We give gifts, we give back to our communities, and we give to charities.
So what does it mean to give?
And why is it important?
Giving is not just a nice thing to do, it’s critical to your wellbeing. We are all connected- the more you give to others, the more you help yourself.
For this Five Minute Friday, I revisited an amazing conversation I had with Russell Simons where he shared how the practice of giving has made him incredibly prosperous.
Russell Simmons is an American entrepreneur, record producer, yogi, and author. He co-founded Def Jam Recordings and created the fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. He is also the founder of Rush Communications.
Russell is one of the richest men in Hip Hop, but he didn’t get there by hoarding all of his wealth.
He’s learned that the more he makes the world better, the more his own world is improved.
He makes the point that good givers are great getters, but you have to give fully without the expectation that it will benefit you.
Learn more about Russell Simmons background and why his practice of philanthropy is key to his success in Episode 723.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
How black entrepreneurs are inspired by their street experiences (1:30)
How integration destroyed the fabric of black communities (3:00)
Why Russell loves to empower new artists (4:00)
Why Russell chooses to give back (5:00)
How giving will help you receive (5:30)

EMPOWER OTHERS TO SHINE.
How often to tell the people around you what you love about them?
Sometimes it feels easier to criticize. But this isn’t the path to creating an amazing team.
Even if it’s uncomfortable to tell people what they’re doing right, it’s important.
Like everything else, it’s a practice.
Practice acknowledging others, and own the acknowledgment given to you.
You’ll be amazed by how it changes your life.
For this Five Minute Friday, I revisited a conversation I had with Chris Lee where he shared his strategies for empowering the people around you to shine by acknowledging their greatness.
Chris Lee has spent the last 27 years leading powerful Leadership Seminars around the world. A pioneer in emotional intelligence, Chris Lee has trained and developed people at the top of their game such as Olympic athletes, Fortune 500 Business leaders, celebrities and individuals with a desire to elevate themselves. Chris Lee also serves as a collaborator on TV and radio shows for Univision and The Fox Network.
Chris says that great leaders are star makers. They make everyone around them better.
Learn why it’s important to practice appreciation for the people around you and to receive gifts of praise on Episode 720.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
How to acknowledge the people around you (1:00)
What to do if you feel uncomfortable acknowledging someone (2:30)
How to receive acknowledgment (3:00)
The seven strategies to empower the people around you to shine (3:30)

SOMETIME SAVING SOMEONE ELSE WILL SAVE YOU.
Even the most successful people can struggle with self-esteem.
You won’t be able to share your gifts with the world if you don’t feel worthy.
Often, finding a cause we believe in can cause us to figure out who we are and what we stand for.
Be empowered to make a choice you believe in.
That’s why I am so grateful to share a conversation I had with an actress who has found meaning by taking a stand on Animal Rights: Alicia Silverstone.
Alicia Silverstone is an actress, entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author, and animal rights advocate. She’s started acting at an early age. She is known for starring as Cher in the comedy hit Clueless, and Batgirl in Batman and Robin, and she currently stars in the TV show American Woman. She’s written The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet and The Kind Mamma. In 2004, Alicia was named PETA's "Sexiest Female Vegetarian.”
Alicia shared how becoming famous at such a young age challenged her and caused her to find a cause about which she was passionate.
Learn about Alicia Silverstone’s personal journey of self-worth and hear about her new endeavors on Episode 709.
Some Questions I Ask:
What was your biggest challenge after Clueless? (5:17)
Did your self-esteem increase after you made decisions about your diet? (12:54)
If you could only do one, which would you choose: acting or spreading your message? (26:30)
How were you able to handle all the fame? (35:13)
How did you learn about business? (41:37)
How do we cultivate our intuition? (53:09)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
How cleaning up her diet changed Alicia’s life (6:00)
What the Kind Diet is (11:00)
Why “Hollywood Diets” don’t work (12:15)
What Alicia believes is the root of the world’s problems (19:50)
The biggest lesson Alicia’s son has taught her (28:29)
About Attachment Parenting (29:37)
How breathwork changed Alicia’s life (54:23)