The School of Greatness - 377 Losing Your Dream and Overcoming Depression with Noah Galloway

Episode Date: September 7, 2016

"No one ever said life was easy." - Noah Galloway If you enjoyed this episode, check out show notes, video, and more at http://lewishowes.com/377

Episode number 377 with Noah Galloway. Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, former pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin. Yes, yes, yes.

Welcome to another edition and a powerful one with the inspiring Noah Galloway. For those that don't know who Noah is, guys, he is an inspiration to so many people around the world. He's a former United States Army soldier, a model, and motivational speaker. He was injured during the Iraq War, losing his left arm above the elbow and his left leg above the knee. He was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars Season 20, where he finished in third place. He led his team to victory in the first season of american grit on fox and he is the author of the new book living with no excuses the remarkable rebirth of an american soldier and we went in deep today i love this guy i love when i get to

just connect with a another bro who has uh got an athlete background and lived a great life and grew up in a great experience and had a dream and then lost the dream, right? This is an experience that is similar to my heart where I grew up with a dream and then I lost it when I got injured playing football and I kind of lost my identity. And Noah wanted to be in the army and he lost his identity after he got injured and went through a depression for many years. And we talked about really how to get out of that depression and some of the challenges

that happen when you're connected to family members and friends who are going through some type of depression, what you could do and how you can support people in that process. We also talked about Noah's definition of masculinity and how it's changed since being a soldier and what it was when he was a soldier. It's very interesting, the two different definitions. Also, what was more depressing to Noah than losing his limbs, why it's scarier to get severely injured than to face death for Noah, why Noah wouldn't go back to prevent his injuries if he could, which I thought was an interesting answer, and how women can help men move through any

type of depression. Powerful, real, raw interview today. So make sure to prepare yourselves for some greatness. And without further ado, let's get into the show and let me introduce to you the one, the only Noah Galloway. Welcome everyone back to the School of Greatness podcast. Noah Galloway in the house. Good to see you, man. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Thanks for coming, brother. I appreciate it. You are one of the most inspiring guys in the world that I think. And I remember watching you back and Dancing with the Stars, season 14, is that right?

Season 20. Season 20, what am I thinking? Season 20, yeah, they go fast. It seems like crazy, yeah. Season 20, why did I say 14? It was season 20. You were one of the contestants and you made it to top three.

Yeah, came in third. Came in third. I came in third, that's missing arm and leg and I don't know how to dance. No arm, no leg and you don't know how to dance. No.

But you made it third. And there was a shot in your book of you dancing that you said is one of the most viewed videos on YouTube. Yes. I'll just show it really clearly to the camera so they can see it. But we'll have that linked up as well in the show notes. One of the most viewed videos on YouTube was this performance. And I remember seeing it when it happened and being really moved by your story. So let's talk about your story.

All right. Who are you? What happened? And what got you to where you're at now? Well, you know, I was in college when September 11th happened. Oh, wow. So was I. Freshman.

Yeah. Yeah, so was I. Really? And watching those horrors on television, I went for a run and decided that I needed to join the military. It wasn't a career decision, just I needed to do my part, and that's where I made that decision was on that run. I dropped out of college, enlisted into the Army,

went through basic training, jump school, and then ended up with the 101st out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. General Petraeus was our division commander, prepped us, and in 2003 we were the lead element going into Iraq from Kuwait all the way up to Baghdad. Then after Baghdad, pushed to Mosul and took over the city there. And I found a career. I loved it. I loved my job.

And went on a second deployment in 2005. They put us in an area southwest of Baghdad known as the Triangle of Death. And it was a rough area. And every unit that had been there before us had taken a beating and we were no different. We lost a lot of guys. You're 21 at this time? In 2005, I was 24. Okay.

I was 24 and we were on a convoy mission just driving down the road and I was driving the lead vehicle and had my headlights off, night vision goggles on. And with night vision goggles you can see well but you can't see everything and what i didn't see was a trip wire stretched across the road when my front tires hit it it detonated roadside bomb large enough then we hit my door it threw this 9 000 pound armored humvee flying through the air and it landed in the canal running adjacent to the road thankfully it landed wheels down because i was completely knocked unconscious

and they said the water was up to my chest and they got me out of the Humvee and then got me back to, we were living out of an old potato factory and medics worked on me until a helicopter picked me up, took me to a hospital and, uh, on a camp outside of Baghdad, Baghdad to Germany, Germany to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in DC. And that's when I woke up five or six days later on Christmas Day. And it was all news to me from my mom that I'd lost more in my leg. My left arm above the elbow, my left leg above the knee, my jaw was shattered, my mouth was wired shut,

I had severe injuries to my right leg and some injuries to my hand. And it was a horrible thing to wake up to. I can imagine. Five days? Yeah. And to me, it was like one night, I woke up one day. Do you remember the accident happening? None of it. Because it was just like blindside, unconscious. Don't know any of it. You wake up, no arm, no leg. Yeah, exactly. It felt like just a

night's sleep. Yep. And then I woke up and two of my limbs were gone. I don't know what was worse, the losing two limbs or losing a career that I'd found. So many people go their entire lives without finding that thing that they're so happy with and i was there and it was all taken away and i you know i went through a lot of depression you know there's some ups and downs like at first i was like i'm fine i'll do good uh and then i lived in this denial for a long time when i moved

back to alabama and one thing i talked about in the book that a lot of people don't know is I really dive into that depression and talk about those mistakes. There's an entire chapter dedicated to me spending 10 days in the county jail, you know, just because I kept putting myself in these bad situations and then trying to dig myself back up and then getting knocked back down. And the only constant I had during all that were my three kids. And they were my constant reminder that, you know, I got to keep moving. Got to keep moving forward.

And that's what kind of pushed me through and then led to fitness and running off-road course races, Tough Mudders, marathons, and ending up on the cover of Men's Health, being their ultimate guy in the world's largest men's magazine. And then that led to all these other things, and then Dancing with the Stars. And, you know, a lot of people that do know my story, they know of the Dancing with the Stars, the Men's Health, the races. But the information I share in this book of the depression and the, you know, self-medicating with alcohol and just the bad decisions I made, I open up about. Yeah. The things that people don't understand. I mean, I used to play professional football down in your home state in Huntsville and I got injured.

Essentially, I was on a full arm cast for six months. I broke my wrist. They took a bone out of my hip, put it in my wrist. I didn't lose my arm, but I lost the ability to play football. And that was my identity. Yes. And I didn't have anything to fall back on. So for two years, I'm sleeping on my sister's couch, depressed,

not motivated, not inspired, lost my identity. So I can relate in that sense of losing my identity. Yeah, no, that's exactly, that's why I want to do it because it is, it's like people envision what their future is

and you erase that, you remove that from their future. What do you do? People don't know what to do. It's miserable. It's like people envision what their future is, and you erase that. You remove that from their future. What do you do? People don't know what to do. It's miserable. It's terrifying for all of us. Yes. Yeah.

Wow. So how long? I started season 14 because it was 2014. You were on the cover of Men's Health, right? Yes. Okay. That's what I was thinking. So when did the accident happen?

That was Christmas of 2005. 2005. December 19, 2005 is when I was injured. I woke up Christmas day. Wow. Okay. So how long did it take until you felt like you got back into the fitness world? You kind of got inspired? It was five years. Five years of getting out of depression. Yeah. And people ask me like, what did you think about the fact when you were in your depression? I didn't realize that I was that depressed until I was out of it and looked back. And I was like, wow, five years is a long time. It is. I mean, that's, that's not just physical, that's emotional, you know, and mental recovery to what I was going through.

And it was, it was very difficult to, you know, to climb out of. And thankfully I just kept driving on because I wanted to be a better father. That's been my goal then, and it's my goal now. Yeah. How old are your kids? They are 6, 8, and 11. Two boys and a little girl. Wow. Amazing.

What do you wish more men understood about depression and how to manage it now that you're kind of out of it? You know, when it comes to depression, one, it's real. I think that we've come a long way in understanding depression. We still have a long way to go. And I think that as a man, yeah, you know, this goes for men and women. But, you know, just to talk about men, it's it's hard to admit that you, you know, I don't want to say weak, but yeah, your weaknesses, you know, and to be vulnerable and honest and to open up and say to somebody, I need help. You know, we as men, we take pride in like I can handle this, I can take on whatever, or you don't want to talk about the fact that you can – I can be emotional and I'm okay with it.

I talk about it in the book. There's a part of the book where I talk about watching The Notebook, and I admit to crying. You know what I mean? Because it's like, hey, I have nothing to hide, and I want to put it out there. And I think that one thing I found that once I could be open about my emotions, I'm not walking around, you know, just crying all the time. Yeah. You know, that just makes it weird.

But I found that, you know, I went through where I had a lot of anger because that was displaced emotions. And once I found that I could be, you know, it was okay to be emotional, you know, and I am okay with my boys seeing that and my little girl seeing that, that it's okay. Well, I'm not as angry as I used to be. If that makes any sense, it's not, you know, I'm not bottling up one emotion and it coming out as anger in the other.

You know, it's having control and knowing that, you know, sometimes you do get mad and sometimes you do get sad, you know what I mean? And to know how to control those. And that's what I found. And as men go through depression, it happens. And it's not a weakness. It may feel like it, but it's not. What advice would you give someone who feels like they lost their identity or got fired from a job or their career ended or they went bankrupt? Well, you know what? I'll tell you. They're going through this transition and they're feeling depressed. What advice would you give them?

All right. So I use this example for veterans a lot. You know, if you end up getting injured and out or something happens and you get out because I found a career and it was taken away. That you loved. Yes. Now, I loved my time in the military. I am proud of it. But it does not define me.

And I'm not going to live it every day. I love to call it, and I've coined this phrase myself. If someone else is using it, they've stolen it from me. The Al Bundy effect. Al Bundy scored four touchdowns in a single football game. And if you remember Married with Children, that's all he talked about. That's the only experiences he had where he dominated. And then he stuck, miserable, selling shoes, unhappy, because he lives off that one moment.

Be proud of that, but that's a chapter in your life. My military service was a chapter in my life that I am proud of. But since then, I've started other chapters. You know what I mean? And next there'll be another chapter and another. My story does not revolve around that one. And that's what I tell people. You know what? It is hard. You know, when something's taken away like that, it's hard to bounce back from. But you know what? Be proud of what you did. And especially if you were good at it, well then say, all right, well, I was good at that. Now I'm about to be good at something else. Yeah. What about like a daily action or something that people can do when they're, again, when they retire or something happens and they lose their identity?

What could they do on a daily basis to remind them that, like, hey, this was something that was great, but now I get to move on? Well, you know, I tell people that. It's easier said than done. It is. Yeah, it is. It took you five years. It took me two years. Well, you know, I think the biggest mistake that we tend to do to ourselves is we make these grand goals that we have.

You know what I mean? And we try to make that leap immediately when it's made in little steps. You know, those small attainable goals. And that's what you got to do. You got to say, all right, well, what's, what's the next, next plan of attack? Yeah. You know, what am I going after now? And what do I need to do?

You know, and I've told, I've told people, I don't care, you know, what it is you find that you enjoy, you do it. If you love crocheting, we'll be the best crocheter out there. You know what I mean? But what you probably need to do is first learn how to do it. You know what I mean? And start working from there. Sure.

And that's what it is. It's like, Hey, sit down, write out a plan, what you want to do is first learn how to do it. You know what I mean? And start working from there. And that's what it is. It's like, hey, sit down, write out a plan, what you want to do, the kind of things you enjoy, and start working towards those. Now, I read somewhere that it's scarier for you to get severely injured than to face death. Is that right? It was, yes. When I deployed, every time I deployed, I accepted death. And that was okay. That was my

job that that was a possibility and i always felt like i was going to retire an old man in the military or i was going to die in combat wow and you know that was where my mindset was and to wake up in the hospital career over and not dead i was that in between that limbo with an injury i couldn't handle it now that was was then. Now I'm 34, be 35 this year. Got three kids. My life's in a different place. Oh no, I don't want to die. I got a lot I want to do. And I have a lot that I want to teach my kids and see my kids do. I'm not that young soldier anymore, but I was at that time. That was the mindset I had. Crazy, man. Why did you love being a soldier so much?

that was the mindset I had. Crazy, man. Why did you love being a soldier so much? You know, I've always liked excitement and adrenaline. And nothing's more exciting than when bullets are flying at you. I don't know if I'm exciting or scary or, yeah. I'd rather play football. But it was, you know, it was this, you know, growing up,

I've worked landscape and construction, worked in a plant. Like I always looked for these tough jobs to make me feel manly. Right. And nothing felt more masculine than living with the locals, you know, and being in a combat zone than that. There was one day I was on the, it was a two-story building and the roof of their buildings are flat, the little wall, you know, because it doesn't rain there. It's not worried about, you know, that. And I'm standing on the roof, don't have my bulletproof vest on, my flag jacket, and don't even have my, you know, my blouse on, the long sleeve shirt. It's just me, you know, T-shirt on, pants, boots.

And I'm standing there one leg up on the wall, and I'm just overlooking this village. You know, and I'm like, you know, I could have been shot at any moment. But I had this arrogance to me where I was looking over this village like i can help you or i can destroy you you know that's the mindset i had i felt like god complex yes oh totally yeah i was i was king of the jungle and it felt great sure and it was just an incredible and i loved it but then also i enjoyed working with the locals yeah you know getting to know them you know whatever they needed trying to figure that out. It wasn't all just me trying to be this tough guy all the time. I enjoyed being part of something.

Regardless of what the grand scheme of things were with the war in Iraq, that I don't get into. But my moments that I had, I enjoyed. To connect with people. Yes. And I found that again a couple weeks ago. I enjoyed to connect with people. Yes. And I found that again, a couple of weeks ago,

I went to Honduras to a really poor area, this city, Berlin that known as the forgotten city on this mountain, where there's just, it's a horrible, poor place. And to go and be there and working with the locals, like that was the same feeling I had where I felt like I was accomplishing

something. It felt so good. What was your definition of masculinity when you're, when I was in, yes. Uh, taking the most dangerous job possible and living it like there was no fear at all even though you you felt it you ignored it and you went on anyway

that to me back then was the that's what a man was what do you feel like is the definition now now a man who is not afraid to admit his failures and mistakes and show his emotions. I could meet a guy that has had a motorcycle accident and just completely broke his hand and popped it back in place right there and talk like, you know, I just popped my hand back, whatever, and ran a couple miles to go get help, whatever. I was like, wow, that's incredible. But I'm pretty sure it didn't go that way. You know what I mean?

That, to me, is trying to hide something. You know what I mean? Like, no, if that's what happened, that's incredible. But I'm pretty sure it didn't go that way. You know what I mean? That, to me, is trying to hide something. You know what I mean? Like, no, if that's what happened, that's fine. But, you know, don't be afraid to say, it was the most painful thing I went through. This was like, it scared the crap out of me. I didn't know what I was going to do. That's real. And then being able to show emotion.

I have had conversations with people. I give a lot of speeches. And there are certain things I've talked about, and the emotion hits me talking about my kids. I have had conversations with people. I give a lot of speeches. And there are certain things I've talked about and the emotion hits me talking about my kids. And I just feel it. Now, whether or not they see it, I mean, I know there ends up being a little quiver in my chin or something. But when I talk about my kids, it means something to me. And I'm not afraid of that.

And that's what I think being a man is now. That's great. Do you feel like your masculinity has been, have you ever felt questioned your masculinity since you've lost an arm? Oh yeah. That was part of like, that was one thing that I struggled with a lot after my injury. I thought it was, I was helpless. I got, after I was injured, there was a divorce and I rushed into a second marriage and, uh, after you got injured, then yes, yes. Uh, and rushed into a second marriage and uh after you got injured then yes yes uh and rushed into a second marriage because of the injury or because you're no we were falling apart actually what when i joined the military she took a back seat you know my concentration was my job right and so it started

falling apart so it was already discussed and then i got injured it was kind of and we went ahead and split up and then i rushed into a second marriage. And I remember one day trying to open something. And Tracy, that was my wife at the time, she came and opened it for me. And I was like, it's not supposed to be that way. I'm supposed to be doing that for you. And it bothered me. It really upset me. But as time has gone on, I don't worry about those things anymore.

There's other things I do that still you know, still make me feel like, you know, I'm the man. I still do things. I can still care for somebody, but if I can't open a pickle jar, I'm not going to sweat about it. You're not worried about it anymore. But it did. It really bothered me.

So how did you learn to let that go? And what do you do now to feel like you are? Well, you know, I'll tell you, you know, now, like, I feel like, you know, when I was on Dance with the Stars, I was with Jamie was my girlfriend for a few years. I proposed to her on the show. Wow. But then since then, we've we've split ways and we're still in contact. We're good friends. But we thankfully realized it wasn't going to work before we got married.

That's good. But when I was with her, like I made sure to do things like I always opened the car door for her. You know what I mean? Whatever it was, you know, and that's, that's the kind of person I am now. Like I go out with somebody, I want them to feel taken care of. Sure. You know what I mean?

I'm not taking away from their ability to do it on their own. I was, I was raised with three strong-willed sisters that are very successful and I respect that. But I also know that I can treat a woman a certain way and that's what makes me feel like a man is to make sure I'm doing what's right by them. Even if you can't open a jar. Open a jar. Yeah. I have no problem saying, will you open this for me? Hey babe, can you open this for me? I want to enjoy this pickle right now. What are some things that you used to enjoy that you don't feel like you can enjoy as much on your own right now? You know, that's hard to answer because, I mean, there's not a lot that – I went for a while where I was constantly trying to weigh out what I can do, what I can't do.

And I've learned to just not overthink those things. You know, there's certain things that are different because I'm missing more on my leg. And I'm also, for a while, I was uncomfortable taking my leg off. If I went to the pool, took the kids to the pool, I would sit back and just leave my leg on and not get in the pool. And now I don't mind. I'll take it off and I'll hop across that pool deck. Like it ain't got to get in there. Yes.

That's right. Yep. And what was it like now? Did I read that? Your, your father lost his arm as well. Yes. When he was 18,

he was working in a plant and a machine malfunction squished his left hand and he ended up losing it. And my entire life, he's had one hand done construction. One hand. Yep. Not the whole arm, but one hand. Yeah. One hand below the. Not the whole arm, but one hand.

No, yeah, one hand below the elbow. And that was a lot. We bonded after I was injured, more so than ever. Wow. Because he was able to tell me things. And then there was this part of me where I was like, you know what? If he did good with one arm, I'm going to do twice as much missing on my leg. And it was good to have someone to tell me the kind of emotions and the things I would experience.

Because the doctor could tell me. But I would also think, you don't know real life what it's like to actually experience it. And my dad did. So there was that aspect of things. So it was really good for me. of things. So it was really good for me. How has your injuries affected your capacity to care for and protect the people in your life the way you had done before you had the injuries? That's a really good question. So I always felt like the protector, the only brother with three sisters. Whatever it was, relationships, I was the protector. And after I was injured, I felt I'd lost that.

Like I was not the protector anymore. And it was, you know, something that, you know, there's just all these things that really made the depression really hard to come out of because I didn't. I felt like, you know, well, I'm physically unable. I felt like, you know, well, I'm physically unable. And then as I got back into shape and working out and then running these obstacle course races and doing all these physical activities, I have been in gyms and been able to, especially like I love kettlebells. And I've done things with kettlebells, you know, that other people with their one arm couldn't do.

And I started to notice that and see that I wasn't, that I'm still that strong guy. And, you know, suddenly I went from, you know, feeling that I didn't have the ability to protect to now I don't know. I'm not saying I'm not Bruce Lee out there. Like if something happens, I'll know, you know, but I don't have that fear anymore. I walk with a little more pride, uh, that, because when I walk with a little more pride. Because when I was going through my oppression, people would see me, and they'd ask if this is a war injury, and they felt sorry for me. And they just really felt bad for me in general. Then after I got back into shape, people would see me, ask if it was from the war.

They felt bad about that. But then they'd make a comment about the great shape I was in. And that's something I take pride in. Because I meet people all the time that have all their limbs and in horrible shape. Yeah. So I was able to use that to help build myself back up. You know, I may not ever be a cage fighter, but, you know, I feel like if I, if I have to, I can protect those around me or, you know, or whatever needs to be done. Sure.

And because I see these, these other people that have injuries, and I don't think they could do that. Yeah. So how did Dancing with the Stars come about? Because you got to cover men's health. I mean, how did that come about first? Because that probably helped launch the whole thing. Men's health, making that cover, they got a lot of attention from that magazine. I was the first veteran and amputee to ever grace the cover of Men's Health.

And I was asked to go on Ellen DeGeneres. And I had someone say to me, you go on Ellen and you're set. Right. I had no idea what that meant. Absolutely. But I was excited that I was asked to come on her show. Well, I did Ellen's show. 2014, right?

Yep, 2014. And immediately the phone started ringing. Survivor called me. They wanted me to come on. I thought, wow wow that'd be so cool to go on survivor but it's like x amount of weeks no contact back home if you get voted off you have to stay with the production crew you can i was like thanks but no thanks i have three kids here in alabama and i can't do it another show called turn them down the dance with the stars called and they said do you watch the show i was like well i've heard of it i've never watched it and they're talking about it and they said do you watch the show i was like well i've heard of it i've

never watched it and they're talking about it they said you know if you do it we'll put you in a house in la for the duration of your time on the show and i said ah you know sorry i can't do it i have three kids in alabama i can't be away from that long so i had an out and without hesitation dina katz the executive producer said not a problem your. Your dancer will come to Alabama and you will rehearse there and fly back and forth to do the live show. And I was like, crap, I guess I'll do it. So you stayed in Alabama. Yeah, and rehearsed every week. And it came in once or twice a week?

We'd come in about Friday. Friday or Saturday we'd come in. Then we'd prep for the show Saturday, Sunday, and then do the show on Monday. And then Tuesday morning head back. No way. And in the show you don Sunday, and then do the show on Monday. And then Tuesday morning, head back. No way. And then the show, you don't take a day off. It's every day. Yeah.

So it's like the days that we would fly from L.A. to Alabama, you're rehearsing into the evening and the night. In the morning and the night. Yeah. And then because I was at home, I remember one day I went on a field trip with my son. And we were at this farm all day. I'm texting Charm like, I'm sorry. We're still here. She's like, not a problem.

We rehearsed all night that night. You know what I mean? Because it's like you've got to rehearse. You have to get it down. Every single day. I'm texting Sharn like, I'm sorry, we're still here. She's like, not a problem. We rehearsed all night that night. You know what I mean? Because it's like you've got to rehearse. You have to get it down. For how many hours a day? It would vary. Towards the end, we would start, Sharn and I would start at 8 in the morning. I'd have somebody bring me lunch in the rehearsal studio.

I'd eat in the rehearsal studio. We'd go. Somebody'd bring me dinner. I'd eat dinner in the rehearsal studio. We'd keep going until about midnight. That was the last. Was it Birmingham or where this was? Well, so the last two weeks, I came. Came here full time. Because we were doing more than one dance.

Yeah, I did. And then it was getting more intense. And the kids understood. They were excited. They were watching every Monday night. It was awesome. My 11-year-old, he would watch it with his his pawpaw and i remember one night uh we had a dance it was pretty emotional and i got a text from my

11 year old that said i was crying pawpaw was crying we're so proud of you i mean it was just it was pretty happy how many weeks was it it was 10 weeks 10 weeks and you made it to the last week or yes we we did every single dance and then stood on to the final three and they choose someone? Yep. Rumor Willis came in first. Riker Lynch came in second. And I came in third. And I've met people that were inspired by my story.

They're like, you should have won. You got robbed. I'm like, no, Rumor deserved to win. They're amazing. Riker was amazing. Look, I was not the best dancer on that show. But you were the most inspiring. Yes.

And the fact that I came in third. Because when I did agree to do it, I thought, well, it'll only last two or three weeks. Yeah, yeah. I didn't know it would go the way it went. Amazing, man. What happened after that? What did that open up? Well, so I'll tell you. I remember before we started, we were there at Good Morning America for the announcement of the new cast.

Alfonso Carlton from Fresh Friends, he had won the season before. He was talking to a group of us, and he said, you're going to rehearse nonstop. Like everything outside. For three months, right? That's it. And then he talked about how you're going to rehearse nonstop. And then when the show ends, you're going to feel like everything stopped because you were doing so much rehearsing. And he's like, but keep going.

Keep pushing. And the show said when the next season starts, they'll forget last season. So hit it hard in between. You mean with like the press, with the opportunities? Yeah, everything. Whatever's coming because they have the spring show and they have the fall season. So there's two seasons a year.

So you have until fall to knock it out. Well, boom, I started getting after it. People would contact me for speaking, whatever, sponsorships. Fall comes around. The next season starts. Everybody, Dina Katz, Sharna, my dance partner, are you coming to the show to see us? I'm like, I'm going to try. Like, I don't know.

Like, I'm so busy now. You know, and then I was able to drop by when I could. It was great to see everybody. And then another season starts up. And then here we are going into another season. And it has been nonstop for me. Really? It has been amazing.

It hasn't slowed down. It has not slowed down. Speaking opportunities, what else? Yes. You know, speaking sponsorships tied in with Tough Mudder. So I'm running their races again. It's just been, you know, incredible to tie in armatron watches that are time keepers for new york yankees uh they also you know they're a watch company sponsor years now yeah i've tied

into them it's a nice watch man yeah it's clean they um you know they've been really good to me and it's like it's been fun to meet all these people and work with them and stay true to myself and then they're they want to work with me. Because when I said earlier that my kids were my priority to get out of the depression, they're still my priority. And I'll tell you what, I have had offers come across the table that my management team is like, all right, so-and-so wants to offer you this. You've got to do this.

And I'm looking at my calendar. Can't do it. I'm doing something with the kids. They're like, well, this is a lot of money. I was like, kids are more important. And there have been times that a group wanted me to do it. I'm doing something with the kids. They're like, well, this is a lot of money. I was like, kids are more important. And there have been times that a group wanted me to do something. I turned it down because the kids were more important. Then they were like, all right, we'll do something.

And if they want it, they'll do it. And here's the thing is, the advantage I have in negotiating is I'm not looking for fame and fortune. I just want to be a good father to my kids. And if all this happens because of it, well, then that's just icing on the cake. That's great. But my goal is to take care of my kids. And I will not turn my back on them

just because an offer for some money came up. And there's been people like Armatron Watches that respect that. And they want me to be that person. So once we did one contract, we signed another contract, we signed another contract because we've become a family. They have flown my kids up and sent us to Broadway shows and things like that. And that's the people I want to work with. That's cool. You know,

I'm not looking for anything big and glamorous. Sure. Uh, I want to work with real people because that's who I am. I love that, man. If you could go back and change that situation. Of being injured? Uh-huh. I wouldn't. You wouldn't? I wouldn't. And that sounds corny to say, but.

You could be in the Army for a long time and have a long career. I don't think I would have the relationship I have with my kids now if I hadn't have been injured. I mean, without a doubt. Because you'd be gone all the time. Yeah. But, I mean, I'd love them, you know what I mean, and try to spend time with them.

But how I am with them now. And it wasn't just the injury that caused this closeness with my kids. It was the depression as well. You know, and especially when I was doing the book and looking back on that and having to put that in there, I was like, wow, I was a horrible person. And I am so glad that I've come through that. Now, I claim to be a perfect dad. No, I make mistakes with my kids all the day.

I can tell you story after story of that. But, you know, I am doing my best, you know, and constantly trying to improve. Yeah. Was there, do you feel like your kids helped you get out of depression? Yes. But I'm just being around. Yeah. I'll tell you because.

I've been on become one day. And I was showing my little girl how a man was supposed to be, and that's what she's going to look for one day. And I realized, one, I needed to make a change, and two, I needed to make it fast because they were growing up. So that keeps me in check. She's going to be a teenager quick. Yes. Yes. Guys trying to date her real quick. I know. Yeah. And I want to make sure that it's not the kind of person that I was acting.

Yeah. Wow, man. Powerful. What's missing in your life right now? You know, I don't think anything is right now. Of course, you know, I mentioned that thing is right now um of course you know i mentioned that uh jamie and i had split up and that's been you know over a year and uh i'm not the player you know like i'm not the single guy you know i've dated around um i am picky and i think that the next thing that uh i feel corny even bringing this up but like i am looking for that next, you know, looking for a match, someone that, you know, to have two failed marriages and an engagement that didn't work off, you know, I did my best, you know what I mean? Uh, but it's like, I want to find that, that forever. Yeah. You know what I mean? And you know, it's not anything I stress about because I focus on my kids and with work.

And that keeps me going. How do you handle those breakups gracefully or not gracefully? How do you handle those breakups? Are you talking about the ones that have been in between? I mean the two marriages. Oh, those. I thought you meant all the ones that have been in between. It's like, no, I just quit texting them.

I don't know. Not with the close ones. Just quit texting them. No. I don't know. Not with the close ones. You know, like I talk about it. I talk about all three of them in my book because they are all very critical in making the man I am today.

And I speak very highly of all of them. You know, I needed them in my life in different times. And they did so much for me. So I'm thankful. And, you know, those breakups happen. You know, and they're not easy. Even when you're like you're in a marriage or relationship that is going nowhere, even though you both know it, it hurts. It hurts. You know what I mean?

It hurts. So it's tough to go through those. And I was just glad that I'm close with all of them and was able to talk highly of them in the book and being honest about it. What's your vision moving forward for your life? You know, I'd love to say, like, I want to do this. I want to do that. I want to accomplish all these things. My main goal is to continuing to become a better father.

to continuing to become a better father. And I mean, I have my kids are six, eight and 11, and they still have different stages of their life they need to go through. And I love that I get the opportunity to travel all over the country and share my story. And I hope I get to continue doing that. I love that people ask me to come on their podcasts and shows and share my story. I love that people ask me to come on their podcasts and shows and share my story. But my 15 minutes is going to run out, and I'm not worried about it because my ultimate goal is being the best father I can be. And that's what I'm continuing to try to do.

I've done good with taking these opportunities that I've had before me. I've been very cautious of how I take care of the things, you know, the success. I was lucky enough to become really good friends with Robert Herjavec on Dancing with the Stars and he's become a good friend. Yes. And he has given me great advice

on how to make sure that money is taken care of and things like that. So I'm all about just building that nest egg. If it keeps growing, that's awesome. But being a father is priority one.

That's great. What's your biggest fear? I mean, my biggest fear would be something happened to one of my children. Like that is, I mean, by far the most terrifying thing. I don't even like saying that out loud. But I mean, if something happened to them, that would crush me. Yeah. What did your dad say when you were in a coma for five days and he knew you lost your arm and your leg?

How did he feel? I asked him. I said, did you ever think one of your kids would lose a limb? And he said it never crossed his mind. He was too busy worried about him losing another one. And I can relate to that because it's like people have said, you've done so good. The fact that you lost an arm and leg, I'm like, yeah, but if I lose a fingernail, it's over. You know what I mean?

Like I can't lose nothing else. Right. And it was funny for him to say that, you know, he never thought about one of us. And it just, he said it, it shocked him and scared him because there was challenges he went through when he first got injured and the depression. And he didn't want me to experience those things. He tried to help me, but you kind of have to go through your own struggles. You know, it doesn't matter. Like I could meet somebody that is going through or about to go into depression and tell them everything I experienced and what I learned from it.

And that might soften it. But if they're going to go into, they're going to go into it and they have to be able to want to come out of it and be able to get the help and want the help. That comes up a lot when I talk about veterans and their situations, their mental health. And I've told people I'm not a doctor, so I can't speak on behalf of that side. But we can have the best system out there for mental health for veterans, but if the veterans aren't stepping out and getting the help,

and that goes with anybody. I mean, I reference veterans, but anybody in depression, it's all about, you have to want to get better. What's something that a woman can do with a man that feels like they're depressed or feels like they're overwhelmed or stressed out? How can a woman connect? The significant other of a man who is going through depression? Or a sister, a girlfriend. Anybody. You know, a mom, you know, someone who is close to the man. How can they connect with them to help them move forward in a positive way as opposed to staying in this negative cycle?

Yeah. You know, well, I mean, you want to try to guide them to getting help, but then at the same time. Without emasculating them. Yes. You know, and that's the thing. That's what I was about to say is, like, if you were going through something, if you were depressed and I showed up and said, hey, man, I just came by to check on you. You know I'm trying to say things to you. You're going to – whether you say it to me or not, you're going to be thinking you're not going through what I'm going through. Right.

So don't talk to me. Yeah. You know what I mean? You don't understand me. Exactly. I would advise somebody who knows somebody going through something like that to – and it's easier said than done. Find somebody that has been there that they can relate to. There has to be a correlation with those two people, something they can connect with. And they will respond better to that.

That person can help guide them to what got them better because that's what I would say. Yeah, you're right. A male can take that as emasculating, you know what I mean, and not respond to it well. But if they can get somebody that does connect with them, stranger or not, that has been where they are and help guide them out of that, that's the best advice I could come up with. So why did you write this book, Living With No Excuses? Do you feel like everyone makes excuses or is this more of – No, it's not one of these like in your face, you need to get up and quit being a pansy about things. No, it's more of my life and the challenges I went through and really an opportunity to open up about that

depression and be brutally honest more therapeutic for you than anything yes yeah and you know i was it's not all about the depression i'll talk about dance with the stars i talked about you know my childhood and uh deployments things like that there's a i like to think there's humor i like to think i'm funny yeah but um I wanted to do it and when I was going through the book and writing it and then after it was done I mean there were moments I'm like I can't believe I had to share this with people. But I had to remind

myself that those little moments of talking about depression is going to help somebody. And that's what I kept telling myself is somebody's going to relate to this. It may help somebody. You know what I mean? If somebody, like I was saying, if you can find somebody that's been in that spot, you know, if there's, if this can connect with somebody going through depression and they see that, you know what, life sucks sometimes, and you're going to be trying to move, you're trying to do

better. And then you get knocked back down. You have to get back up. And my advice is, you know, like I talk about that one constant, my kids, you have to find that one thing that is a reason to get back up, whatever it is. Mine were my kids. It could be anything. But if you can find that reason, you will keep getting back up, and eventually you won't have to get back up.

You'll be on top. Yeah, that's powerful, man. A couple questions left for you. I want to make sure everyone goes and gets the book before I ask them. Living with No Excuses, The Remarkable Rebirth of an American Soldier by Noah Galloway. Make sure to go get this copy as soon as you can. It's in Barnes & Noble, online, all that stuff. And what's the main website for you?

It's just your name? NoahGalloway.com. There you go. So you can check it out there and social media, Noah Galloway, I'm assuming, right? Yep. Yeah. And then Twitter is at Noah underscore Galloway. There's another Noah Galloway, this kid in high school.

You know what? He's awesome because he will direct people to me. Oh, that's good. He's awesome. I follow him on social media. That's cool. That's cool. Are you on Instagram too or not?

Yeah, Instagram. Yeah, Noah Galloway athlete. Okay, cool. Yeah, that all started when I was doing all the races. We'll tag you up on all the show notes as well for this. What are you most grateful for in your life recently? Recently? I'm telling you, when they're my priority, they're my priority.

And my kids. I have three of the most amazing kids. They are not only good looking. They get it from their mom. But they are just good kids. Every one of them, great personalities, smart,

they're doing great in school. Every one of them, different personalities, but they all mesh well and get along well. And there are moments every day that they do or say something that I couldn't be prouder.

Oh, that's cool. Very cool. This is a question that I ask everyone at the end called the three truths. Three truths. So it's many, many years from now. It's your last day here on earth. And you've done and accomplished everything you could ever dream of. Okay.

And you had the greatest, longest life. You've done everything you want to do. You've seen all you want to do. You've seen all your kids and grandkids grow up. And one of your great, great grandkids comes to you and says, okay, here's a piece of paper and a pen. We want you to write down three things you know to be true from everything you've learned that you would pass on to us. We don't have anything else we can remember you by

except for these three things. What would you say are your three truths? Okay. First one is no one ever said life is easy. You know, we've all heard that. And I think that's true. Second one, always be honest with yourself because, you know, we too often, we cannot be who we need to be because we're lying to ourselves on who we think we are,

who we're trying to be. The third one, take care of those around you. Because if you don't have those around you, you have nothing. Great truths, man. Before I ask the final question, I want to acknowledge you for a moment, Noah, for your incredible heart. You've got such a big heart, and everything you do inspires others. How you've recovered, how you step up, how you give to your family, to your kids, and how you care so much about serving others. You're an amazing human being, and I just want to acknowledge you for your constantly showing up and giving and giving and giving. Thank you. I want to acknowledge you for your heart and your courage, man. It's been really cool to see what you've created since a tragic accident and how you've overcome it.

It's not easy. And I acknowledge you for that, man. Thank you so much. Of course. And the final question is, what's your definition of greatness? Definition of greatness? Oh, man. Let's see.

Oh, man. that is working hard every year to get every one of those students to move forward in some way, not looking at the class as a whole but as individuals and getting them to move forward. Whatever it is, it's having a goal and achieving it. It's going after it. It's having those dreams and making them realities. Noah, thanks for coming on, man. Appreciate you. Thank you. And there you have it.

I hope you guys enjoyed this one. Make sure to share it out with your friends. LewisHowes.com slash 377. If you know someone who's gone through any type of adversity or they've lost a job or they've lost someone in a relationship or they're going through a depressing stage of their life, please, please, please share with them this interview. I think it will support them and give them another perspective, give them some tools and education on how to move through that depression. We all go through challenging moments in our lives. And it's nice to hear some feedback on how someone else went through it in a very dark, challenging time of losing literally parts of their body and losing their identity with their career in the process.

Share it with your friends, Lewis house.com slash three seven seven. Get the word out. Let's support Noah. Grab his book, follow him on Twitter and Facebook and everywhere and let him know what you thought of this episode as well. I love you guys very much.

I thank you for being here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And you know what time it is. It's time to go out there and do something great. Outro Music