The School of Greatness - 825 Give Your Dreams All You've Got

Episode Date: July 19, 2019

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 episode where I share where I’m at in my journey to become an Olympic athlete. I received some difficult news about six weeks ago about the Pan American Games. But I’m still training with the team for the next ten days. I need to give everything I can so that I don’t have any regrets. In This Episode You Will Learn: Why I’m leaving for Brazil for the next week (1:30) The physical sacrifices I’ve made for handball (3:00) The reason I’m going even though I’m an alternate (3:50) What it takes to accomplish a goal (8:00)

This is 5-Minute Friday! This is a personal 5-Minute Friday from me where I wanted to share something with you. Right now I'm about to go on a plane to Brazil to train with the USA Men's National Handball Team in a week-long training camp. And in one week, the team will fly off to Peru for the Pan Am Games. Now, the Pan Am Games is like the Olympics of North and South America.

All of the country's national teams from all the different Olympic sports in the Summer Olympics will come to the Pan Am Games to compete. And a lot of these countries will be competing for a spot in the Olympics next year. And whoever wins the Pan Am Games in the handball tournament goes to the Olympics. So this is a chance for us to go to the Olympics. I've been dreaming of being on an Olympic team from one of the youngest memories I can think of. Over 30 years, I've been dreaming about it. I joined the USA handball team about eight years ago. I started playing handball about eight and a half, nine years ago for the dream that I had

to play in the Olympics because I found this sports on TV one time and became hooked. And I started changing my life around for this one dream. I moved to New York City for a year and a half to learn the sport. I went to Spain to play professional a little bit. I've been all over the world to play with the USA team. I've had multiple injuries in eight years, pulling, ripping both groins, being on crutches for six weeks, having an elbow through the throat, bleeding internally for about four days, black eyes, broken fingers. I had fluid drained with a thick needle drained out of my elbow three different times, bumps and bruises, scrapes, all the different types of pains and sores that you can think of I've had over the last eight years because of this dream. And I'm going on this trip as an alternate. I did not make the final 14-man roster, and that was challenging.

It was very challenging for me because four years ago, I probably would have been on the team, but we didn't qualify for the Pan Am Games then. Four years before that, I just started playing and wasn't good enough to be on the team at the time. So this is a sport that I've been playing on and off for eight years with the USA national team

and club teams in New York city and LA been in Spain, been to Brazil, been to Argentina, been to Uruguay, Mexico, Canada, competing in tournaments, sacrificing my body, sacrificing time and energy training, investing a lot of money traveling and hiring trainers, equipment for a dream. And right now, I'm about to take off to Brazil to be an alternate. I've got to pay my own flight, to be an alternate. I've got to pay my own flight. I've got to pay my own hotel, my own food, everything. And I'm not on the team. They said I could come and train. And if something happens, if someone has an emergency or someone gets injured or something, then there's a chance that they could pick me up and take me as an alternate to put me on the roster. There's a chance. And I remember when I wasn't selected

about six weeks ago, thinking to myself, I've got to go still. I've got to find a way to go to training camp to support this team and to make sure that I give everything I got. Everything I got so I don't have any regrets. Because if I don't go to the training camp, there's no chance they're going to pick me up. There's a very small chance. I think there's about 15 different alternates on the extended roster list. And I don't think any other alternates are going to participate at the training camp in Brazil this week. The reason is because everyone else gets their flights and hotel and food and everything covered by the United States Olympic Association. But alternates have to pay their own way.

So I don't think anyone else is going. me, I know that when I have a dream, something I've been fighting for for so long and thinking about my entire life, that if I don't at least give everything I've got, then I'll regret it for the rest of my life. I'll regret it. I'll beat myself up. And I'm really telling myself that I'm not worthy of going after my dreams. I don't care what dream you have, how far away it may seem, how unfair it may feel that you haven't received it yet or made it happen yet. You've got to be willing to invest in your dreams

because dreamers are the ones that make magic happen in the world. Dreamers are the ones that make magic happen in the world. Dreamers are the ones that move the world. They move the world with their actions, with their big ideas, with their commitment to their selves. We're inspired by those that dream and the ones that take action on their dreams when they're inspired even more. It's out of my control of what will happen. I can only control myself by giving my best every

single moment of this trip. Seven days playing all out in practices. I'm going to have minimal playing reps. There's going to be the rest of the guys playing the most of the time. I'm going to have minimal playing reps. There's going to be the rest of the guys playing the most of the time. I'm going to be lucky if I get a few minutes here and there working with the team. But whatever I can control, I need to do that. I need to be the best leader I can be, the best teammate I can be, the best hustler I can be, and do all the little things right. And at the end of the week, they're going to tell me that I'm either going home or I'm flying to Peru to the opening ceremony of the Pan Am Games. And at the end of the week, I'll be okay with whatever happens, knowing that I went for it, knowing that I gave my all, I gave my best and did everything to prepare over these last six weeks to get ready. Training 30 days in a row at 5 a.m. while working, while

building my other business dreams, while running the School of Greatness, traveling for 10 days to Europe, staying focused on the dream with everything else happening in my life as well. I'll know in my heart that I gave everything I could, and that's the best I can do. And either I'm going to the Pan Am Games, which is my vision, I can do. And either I'm going to the Pan Am Games, which is my vision, or I'm going home. I'll know that it was for a reason and I'll be glad that I gave it all I had. I want to make sure you're reflecting on your life and asking, are you giving all you've got? If you are, awesome. Keep doing it and keep chasing your dreams. I hope you follow me during the journey. I'll be on Instagram sharing this next week. Please follow, send me your love, send me your support,

Lewis Howes on Instagram. And this is it guys. We've got one life that we know of in this lifetime and we've got lots of dreams. Are you pursuing and chasing yours? Or are you letting them slip by? I love you very much. And this is 5-Minute Friday. Hey guys, if you enjoyed this inspirational clip, then you'll love the free book I'm giving away right now.

It's called The Millionaire Morning. It includes some of my best tips for starting off your day with a millionaire mindset. Get your free copy at themillionairemorning.com and just pay shipping. Again, check it out right now, themillionairemorning.com.