The School of Greatness - 931 No Limbs, No Limits, No Excuses with Nick Vujicic

Episode Date: March 23, 2020

“You don’t need a miracle to be one.”QUESTIONSHow did your parents instill courage in you? (4:16)How do you unchain your fears? (12:30)How do we truly let go of hurt, pain and resentment? (24:05)How do we build self belief amidst so much self doubt? (45:20)What is the biggest lesson your wife has taught you? (56:45)YOU WILL LEARNHow to prepare ourselves for the world (7:35)How attitude affects encouragement and discouragement (9:30)How to unchain your fears (13:04)How to navigate through the ups and downs of life (19:10)A powerful way to let go of things that don’t serve you (25:31)The best ways to help someone in need (29:25)Why we must not hold on to resentment (32:52)Where our value comes from (42:20)How to understand your relationship to your dreams (46:02)How to define your own goals (50:30)The key to finding value in each day (1:11:54)LINKS MENTIONEDThe Nick Vujicic podcastMoney Secrets of the Rich by John R. BurleyLife Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good LifeBe the Hands and Feet: Living Out God’s Love for All His ChildrenIf you enjoyed this episode, show notes and more at http://www.lewishowes.com/931 and follow at instagram.com/lewishowes

This is episode number 931 with one of the most inspirational speakers in the world, Nick Vujicic. Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, a 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. Bruce Lee said it best, if you always put limits on everything you do,

physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus and you must not stay there. You must go beyond them. I am so excited about this episode. I have just been blown away by everything about Nick Vujicic. If you don't know who he is, he's one of the most inspirational speakers in the world. He's spoken on stages with hundreds of thousands of people, and he's been touring the world for over a decade, changing the lives of so many people to help them overcome their limitations and help them believe in something greater than what they were born with, what they

were dealt with, and any challenges that they've ever faced. If you don't know who Nick is, without any medical explanation or warning, he was born in Melbourne, Australia with no arms and no legs. According to Nick, the victory over his struggles, as well as his strength and passion for life today can be credited to his faith in God. His family, friends, and the many people he has encountered along the journey have inspired him to carry on as well. And since his first speaking engagement at 19, Nick has traveled around the world sharing his story with millions, again, filling stadiums. And he's established Life Without Limbs Ministry in 2005. And he's currently serving as the president and CEO.

And he's also got many best-selling books and a new podcast out called the Nick Vujicic Podcast. And you are going to love it. In this interview, we dive in, my friends. We talk about how being bullied in school shaped Nick's outlook on life and why it wasn't the worst thing for him. Also why the janitor at his high school encouraged him to be a speaker, the power of self-doubt and how to overcome it, no matter what adversity you're facing or how low your self-esteem might be. Nick's lowest moment when he went into depression and what he focuses on now when he feels like he may be going backwards in his life, when he met his wife and how he knew she was the one, that and so much more. We just formed a great

brotherhood. We had a great business meeting a few weeks afterwards where we sat down and helped him with shaping some ideas for his podcast and his brand and his business moving forward and got to spend some time with his wife and his team. And just this guy is an incredible human being. And I fell in love with him right away. And I hope you enjoy this and make sure to check out his videos. If you go on YouTube and type in his name, you're going to see some of the most inspirational, heartwarming speeches you'll ever watch.

I'm telling you, it's amazing. And if this is your first time here, please subscribe to the podcast over on Apple Podcast or on Spotify and share this with a friend. You have the power to change people's lives by sharing this with one friend or posting it on social media. It's lewishouse.com slash 931 for the link. And you again have the ability to help one person today. That's an amazing thing. And without further ado, let's dive into this episode with the one and only Nick Vujicic. Welcome everyone to the School of Grinning Podcast. We have one of the top motivational speakers in the world, Nick Vujicic in the house.

I'm going to pound it, brother. What's up? Good to see you, man. Love you. Super pumped. Love you too, man. I'm excited to be here Lewis. Dude, I think I saw a video of yours probably like seven, eight years ago online of you speaking at some small school or something where you're just kind of like flapping your foot. Maybe you're playing guitar or drums. And kicking a

tennis ball. Yes. Yeah. And I was just like man this guy's got such a positive attitude and such a kind soul. And then at the end of the video, you're hugging like a thousand kids. And I was just like, I can't wait till one day to hug this guy. So when you came in, I was like, my man, bring it in. Very excited. You've been taking the world by storm with your message of positivity, of living without limits. And for those who are watching or listening that maybe have never seen your story,

give us a brief recap of how you were born and really how you became this way. I guess how you're born, what happens, and how you got into this world. Well, first of all, it's so awesome to be here. Thank you, Louis, so much for having for having me and hello everyone watching. It's an honor. First of all my accent's a little watered down from Australia. That's where I was born and my parents they loved me. They encouraged me. They believed in me. They told me every day that I'm beautiful the way that I am and when I asked them what happened, why was I born this way, they said, well, we don't know why, but there's a greater purpose. And I love your title, The School of Greatness, because that's what it's all about. Leveraging your full potential in not saying and wishing and hoping, I wish I was given more to do more, but doing your best

with what you have. Those are the people who master full potential in their life. And I'm never going to be a motivational speaker to say, everything's possible, just dream and it's going to come true. No, not just hard work, but your full potential. Sometimes our dreams don't come true. But to understand with the right attitude, hey, whatever's meant to be, I'm going to reach my full potential. And that's what it's all about. And I didn't know why I was born this way. I didn't believe I would actually become independent, married, now with four kids, traveling around the world to talk about hope was really fantasy. I actually felt like at one stage, I had no hope for myself,

no purpose. How old were you when you had that? Yeah, age 6, 7, 8 were the bigger questions that I asked myself, saying, why am I here? Why did this happen to me? And I went to school, and kids would come up, and they would tease me, and I'd try to flip it around on a humorous level and say, they asked me what happened. I'd just say cigarettes. Right, right. You know, just the oldie but a goodie. Yeah, alcohol. Right. And, you know, I love pulling pranks, you know, today and doing crazy things like getting my friends to put me in the overhead compartment

of airplanes and dress me up as a pilot. That's amazing. Yeah, it's been it's been fun. Travel now 74 countries and the universal truth of asking yourself, why am I here? What's my purpose? What's my value? What's my identity? Am I defined by what other people tell me? Am I defined by my previous failures and what I can or cannot do? And so that whole understanding of who you really are and the self-awareness that we all need to have and embracing who you are,

embracing that you are unique, that there's not another you. And that's why my parents always said, Nick, there's not another you. Do your best. Keep going. Don't give up. Now, usually Serbian parents aren't as positive from my understanding. There's more of a mentality that's more pessimistic than optimistic. In Serbia, I don't want to be judgmental, but that's kind of the thoughts that I've heard from my Serbian friends. No, it's true.

So we have a mutual friend now, Mark. Exactly, exactly. So how did your parents actually instill this in you? Did they, were they always positive? Or when you were born, they were like, we have to switch this on so that he doesn't go down a dark place. Well, the way that i just told you how they encourage me aren't the words that they actually use every day it was more of like we love you but hey you know basically

we can't change what we can't change we can't tell you why this has happened but it's up to you you don't know what you can achieve until you try it because i have a little appendage on my left side of my body and it's it's it's enabled me with two toes to do first of all it's my mobility i can walk i can swim i can golf and fish and move and drive my wheelchair and it's amazing i've had no limits like i've even done sky have you have you done skydiving funny my girlfriend wants to do it this year and I'm like, I just have no desire. I've seen the video of you doing it, but I just have no desire. But I feel like I should probably do it.

I think because I have no desire, maybe I should do it. I don't know. That's up to you. Okay, good. I'm glad you're not pushing me to do it. I'm not pushing you, man. I'm not seriously saying, hey, look, my palms are sweaty and my knees were shaking when I did it. But I'll tell you, it was a thrill of a lifetime.

I'll never do it after having now kids though. Now we have four children and it's just, things change. It's not worth it. I went in a, the Blue Angels. Do you know the Blue Angels?

I do. The fighter jet. That's awesome. For me, that was the most terrifying thing to go in a jet with 5G or 6G, whatever we did

and to do the loops and everything because I get very, like dizzy quickly. Yeah. And I get seasick. I get like, when I go upside, because I get very dizzy quickly. And I get seasick, I get like when I go upside down, I get nauseous. So for me, this was a big risk to take. It's massive.

And for three days, I was pretty much sleeping, recovering from this. So I'm just like, I feel like I've done scary stuff. It's all good. Yeah, jumping out of a plane, I'm like, I don't wanna be out for three more days. It's the same thing with bungee jumping. I'm just like, I don't know.

I never do bungee jumping, and I wouldn't do anything just because someone told me to a while ago. Right, right, right, right. But for me, my parents always said, Nick, we don't know what you can achieve until you try it. And so they didn't know what I could do until I was given a keyboard, and now I can type 53 words in a normal computer. With like one toe. That's it. 53 words. my normal computer. With like one toe. That's it. 53 words. Yes, a minute.

That's crazy. And so no one knew what Nick could do unless Nick was ready to try something but embrace failure as his classroom. And that was the attitude. First of all, my parents said, Nick, you need to become a millionaire to survive. You're going to need caregivers. Mom and dad can't help you. You need to start a business in accounting and financial planning, get employees. They're going to be your hands and feet. And I was six years old when they told me that.

Wow. And so that was the... You're like, but I don't want to be an accountant. I'm like, that's boring. Or a soccer player. But that was the understanding. I'm never going to be a professional footballer. I'm never going to be a tennis player. I needed to, though, find my full potential. And I'm so glad that it started from ground zero where I actually started vacuuming the floor of our home with my shoulder and chin for $2 a week. And it taught me goal setting. It taught me being thankful for what I had. And my parents, the Serbian way, they don't give their children everything they want when they want how they want it. You cry.

You complain. They're like, you're not getting nothing. Nothing. Nothing. And it's interesting. Now look at the millennials. If they are given everything they want, how they want it, when they want it, when are they ever first thankful for what they have? And second of all, are we really preparing them for what the world is?

Does the world really give you everything you want, when you want it, how you want it? That's not preparing them. So my parents said, look, we are here for you. Go and do your best and get ready to fail. At six. That's basically at six. What the upbringing was. It's interesting because I, probably around six, seven, eight, I was asking, it's probably

every kid's asking, why am I here? What's my purpose? Why am I here? What is this place? And I remember I would get in trouble. I was horrible in school. Horrible. Always in the bottom of my class.

So the reason I created the School of Greatness is because I created the thing I wish I would have had and the way I could learn something when I was a kid. That's awesome. And I remember I would go into the principal's office often because I'd the thing I wish I would have had and the way I could learn something when I was a kid. That's awesome. And I remember I would go into the principal's office often because I'd get in trouble, and I would just tell them I wish I were dead all the time over and over again, getting into the principal's office.

Was there ever a time when you just said, I wish I were dead, I wish I wasn't here? And did you get picked on a lot in school or were they kind of like understanding of what was going on and friendly with you in school? And by the way, congratulations on your documentary. Thank you. Because that's one of my inspirational, aspirational dreams that I one day want to harp on that.

That's my passion to reach now young kids about bullying because of me being affected by it. And so everyone has a story. And I think everyone deserves a documentary but congrats to you and your team to do it because it's gonna inspire and change people's lives so it's awesome fist bump dude that's awesome appreciate it but that's the point it's like everyone feels at times that we're our biggest bully because we will always have someone saying something negative but it's when we walk away, do we believe it?

Do we let those voices echo in our mind when no one's watching? And that's when I realized I'm either my biggest encourager or my biggest discourager, and that's where attitude comes in. You know, you have people in your life where they'll keep on beating you down, but if you keep on coming back up, they won't keep you down. And so for me me that was the fight that i had to have within myself and i one day looked myself in the mirror after a big bullying day at school in australia and i looked myself in the eyes and said there's got to be one

good thing that i've got going and just hold on to that that no matter what happened and no matter what anyone else said that day, that I could hold onto deep inner strength to say, no, but you know what? I know I couldn't play that sports activity, but I was watching and waiting for the first person to be eliminated out of that game. So then I could come over there by their side and look them in the eye and say, good job, better luck next time. How are how you doing and all of a sudden i couldn't participate and i was kind of the alien but here i am transforming that obstacle into an opportunity and holding on to that and holding on to a physical aspect sure we understand that body is a body we have a spirit we have a soul we have a mind and those are the three biggest

elements of really who we are as a being. But I did look myself in the mirror and said, Nick, your eyes are pretty good looking and no one can ever tell you different. And so when I look at people, we know that the saying is the eyes are the windows to your soul. And so when someone looks at me in the eye, subconsciously, it's them affirming my value. And it's the attitude of looking you straight in the eye and saying I acknowledge you I see you I'm listening to you and I'm speaking to your soul and you're looking into mine all of a sudden everything else goes blurry and now you look at them and smile and say you know what better luck next time well they're telling me what they're going through all of a

sudden I have depression I have bullying but if I can look and reframe my attitude to saying this, if I don't get a miracle, I can still be one. Now all of a sudden that attitude redefines impossible. And so it's not a victimization, it's the attitude of understanding here I am, this is who I am, this is what I have. I'm going to be thankful for what I have and I'm going to do my best to make a difference in this world. Yeah. You know, it's interesting because sometimes the bullying is actually not that

bad compared to how much we bully ourselves. Like you said, someone might say something for what, 10, 20 seconds at school or a comment online, but then we hold onto it and we repeat it. We repeat it on ourselves. You suck, you're no good, you're not smart, you're not beautiful. We repeat it over and over for days, weeks, years from what one person said for a few moments.

And we attach it to that bullying. I did this for a long time. Kids would bully and then I would hold onto it and repeat it for years. It's crazy, right? to like that bullying. I did this for a long time. Kids would bully and then I would hold onto it and repeat it for years. It's crazy, right? Yeah, there are 48 year old adults who are still trapped by what their father said

when they were nine years old. And we feel like, okay, I've moved on, but deep, deep down, have we actually released those chains? And so it's unchaining those bounds, it's unchaining those fears, it's unchaining those, that mentality that really holds you back from actually being happy how do we unchain them how do we unchain them if we've done it for a day we hold on to it or a decade how do we let go of the the bullying or the

negative one of the greatest tools that psychologists use is actually writing a letter either to yourself yeah or writing a letter either to yourself or writing a letter to that person telling them what they did to you, how it made you feel, and how you forgive them. I've done this many times. I've done so many different rituals and letter writing and burning the letter and burying it. It's so powerful. It's been helpful for me too. Huge. And no matter how courageous we seem or immune to depression, we all go through ups and downs. We all sometimes need to just take a step back and say, okay, wait a second, what am I actually still chained to that I'm not even aware of? Is there anything you're still

chained to? There was a recent unchaining, I would have to say 18 months ago. What was that? Someone hurt me really bad someone close to you or more of like a business relationship? it wasn't a business relationship I quickly forgive business relationships actually because money comes and goes we all know that I need to learn that lesson

I need to hang out with you man you finish the story first do it, go ahead we'll come back to that for me for the last 7 years because you finished the story first. Do it, do it. Go ahead. Go, go, go. We'll come back to that. I mean, for me, it's been, for the last seven years,

I've really learned how to let go quicker because I held on for stuff forever. I was sexually abused when I was five and so I held on to this feeling of like,

anytime, I was always a loving guy but anyone triggered me with the feeling of abuse was like, I wanted to destroy them. Yeah, no, absolutely. Until I started to really start to heal

within the last seven years and practice it over and over. But in business relationships, because I was poor, at one time I was like, if anyone ever messes with my money, you know, they're gonna get it. But so I've had to learn a lot quicker to like let go of that stuff and just be like,

okay, money comes and goes, relax, listen to Nick, you know. No, the greatest stuff and just be like okay money comes and goes relax listen to nick you know you know the greatest lesson is just losing all your money twice and then coming back that's exactly what yeah yeah how did that happen at age 19 um i was in the stock market i was in real estate as a teenager and then i learned how to day trade wow Wow. And I did that as a college student. And then I went all in on a bubble that burst in 19, no, in 2001, 2002. That's when I lost 40 grand. And that was everything for you. That was everything for me. Now, before I lost that, I gave away 30K to orphans in South Africa because that was my goal. So, okay. I don't want to miss

the other question though. How do you unchain the bullying or the hurts? So you first said 18 months ago, there was a situation. Okay. Someone hurts you. Right. Maybe we should leave that. Okay. We've got so much to talk about. Okay. So right? Okay, so because my parents grew up poor, they taught me to give money back to the poor. My parents were in refugee camps. They met in Australia. They fled Yugoslavia in the 1960s. My grandfathers were both jailed and tortured for their faith.

So coming back from such a humble beginning and then seeing my dad work his butt off three different jobs, plus my mom working, hustling all the way through while we grew up, we basically grew up in my grandparents' home because they were just trying to do everything they could. And so we got to a stage where they're like, hey, you gotta hustle, become a millionaire, all that kind of stuff.

He taught, my dad taught me, learn financial literacy. That's how I got into it. And then I lost my money the first time at age 19. And you're probably thinking, well, I just learned financial literacy, but maybe I'm not that smart after all. Maybe I'm- But I took, that failure was my classroom.

Remember, I was always getting ready for a no. I was always ready for a falling of an attempt that became failure because that's how I learned how to become successful. That's how I realized I don't know what's possible until... So I don't know what's impossible until I know what's possible. That was the mentality. So when I lost the money the first time I got back up I lost money the second time what was January 2011 I had a cash flow crisis so you know business 85% of businesses fail in three years right so wait ten years later you lost how much all of it it? Yeah, I lost, yeah. You weren't married at this time?

No. Oh, that's good. Right. But I did meet my wife, and now I'm like, bad timing. Oh, man. So someone stole 50 grand from me. Yeah. And then I had a cash-

In 2011. In 2011. And then I had a cash flow crisis. And so the other parts of business is the failure because of success and you weren't ready for success. So all that to say, I know that money comes and goes and you can always pick up your shoes, bread and butter, if not bread and butter,

go bread and water. And then go back to, and you just keep on going. You're the only person who's going to stop you from trying again. Right, of course. Period. Doesn't matter. And you look back and say,

now I know what I know. I will never come back here again. And we're not going to take the money with us. Exactly. So it's like, if you lose it,

you're not going to have it if you're dead. Either way. That's it. That's it. It stays here. Right. But I'm driven now,

now that I'm married, four kids, and I want to make a difference in this world, leave a legacy. Nick ain't giving up. He'll never give up. He'll never slow down either. I mean, I ain't retiring. What's the purpose of that? What is that?

We got to make an impact in the world. Exactly. Too many people that need to be served. I heard the saying that the jet runs fastest on the end of the jet way. So with all your contacts, with all your wisdom, with all your knowledge and understanding, you actually are most productive in your last 10 years, believe it or not, with less work. And so I'm rampant. We're the same age. Same age, man.

You're a few months older. December and March. You're a little taller. Exactly. But in all of understanding where we're moving forward from failure to failure. So it's not failure. I don't like the word failure or success as much as valleys and mountains. After every mountain peak, there's another valley.

And you keep on going from success to success. But when it comes to going through the ups and downs of life, you do sometimes have a monkey on your back of unforgiveness, of something in the past. All that. Frustration. So tell me this. So here it is. And the amazing thing about happiness, Lewis, two things. The people who can unchain themselves of the past are the most happiest. And those people who actually intentionally practice an attitude of gratitude. I've met billionaires. I've met 21 presidents, prime ministers, vice presidents. I've spoken in front of 10 governments. I've been on the internet. Two billion people know

me from the internet, being on TV to 730 million people for 90 minutes of my time. to 730 million people for 90 minutes of my time. Like just a whole keynote to 700 million people. That's 10% of the world. And now we're focusing on America. But when I've done all that, looking back, I realized until 18 months ago that I've been carrying something that someone did to me in 2007.

And I actually wrote about it in one of my books. But no one really reads my books. They're going to see me more on the podcast than I will with you. But in my second book, I talk about how I fell in love with a girl in America back as a teenager. We were both teenagers. in America back as a teenager. We were both teenagers. And her dad was a mentor of mine and encouraged me.

But when he found out that we had feelings for each other, he didn't think that I was good enough. Suitable provider. If I can just put a verbal kind of just umbrella, not for my daughter kind of thing. You're 17. I was 19. 19. And she was also a teenager.

And we walked away, but I was waiting for her for a very long time. And unfortunately, when I could finally let her go in my heart and my mind, this was four and a half years of waiting. No dating. Waiting. Suddenly waiting for her to. No contact. No contact. go in my heart my mind this was four and a half years of waiting no dating waiting suddenly waiting for her to no contact no contact oh finally we we we saw each other again and it was like the first time i could actually think of her look at her and talk to her after all those years and feel like okay i can actually look at her just like any other human being and not have butterflies. Finally, I could let go.

And then guess what happened? What? She fell in love. With you or someone else? No, with me. No way. So, like, when we first met, sparks were in the air. Wait, was this 18 months ago?

I couldn't wait. No, no, no, no, no. I was going to say. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Ages ago. This is like 2002. Yeah. We first fell in love. Four and a half years. She said, I'm not ready for a serious relationship. I said, I'll wait. Ages ago. This is like 2002. Yeah. We first fell in love.

Four and a half years. She said, I'm not ready for a serious relationship. I said, I'll wait for you for four and a half years. And I waited. I'll wait for you. No time frame. Finally saw her after four and a half years. She had sparks just like we had when we first met.

And she's like, I actually might be stopping the biggest blessing in my life by not moving forward with you. Her dad still refused. And her whole family said, basically, it's either Nick or the family. Shut up. And that was so hard for her. And it was so hard for me. And we'd never really had closure on that. And I never really forgave her family until two years ago and it wasn't like

I got to talk to her whole family one family member reached out and we had a conversation and it helped me to like wait a second here I am I'm married I love my wife with all my heart I love my kids with all my heart you'll never forget your first love for sure. No one ever forgets it. But to actually be missing a part of my heart or thinking at all in some aspect, way, shape or form of that rejection, it was me. Whether or not people say sorry to you is not the point. Whether people understand that they've done wrong to you or not is not as much as a point of you actually saying, whether they say sorry or not, it doesn't make it easier even sometimes because you can still hold unforgiveness. Again, it's the attitude of

understanding, I need to let go of things that I need to let go for me. Because if I harbor unforgiveness, I already have no arms and no legs. Why add another disability? Exactly. Right? And so I feel like we all go through that. And it's all got to do with attitude. Who am I? What have people done to me, said to me? Just like that. It's all bullying. But what do you still subconsciously believe that you still haven't addressed? How do we get people, I mean, there's a lot of people watching, listening, or saying, yeah, that sounds easier said than done.

How do I truly let go of hurt, pain, resentment? There's a quote that you said, fear is the greatest disability of all. It is. And I think probably a negative attitude is probably one of the greatest disabilities of all too. I don't know if I'm going to speak for you, but if you don't believe in yourself and you have this negative attitude constantly, you're disabling yourself for all the good and all the love and all the joy in your life. Yeah. So how do we, you said writing a letter is one strategy. It's one strategy. What's another?

I mean, it took you what, 10, 12 years to let go. Right. So going back to any depression or letting go. So first of all, when I was a kid, going back to bullying and stuff, ages 8 to 12, I was depressed. I attempted suicide at age 10, believing that I had no future, believing that I had no hope, believing that people's opinions on me defined my future. Failure defined my future. I was just in this very unhealthy spiral. So there are three things to get out of depression. Number one, what I ritually do is, I'm a spiritual man. And so apart from prayer and believing that God gives me faith and purpose and help, I actually ritually write out the things that I'm still thankful for. And intentionally every day,

being thankful for what I have. And not just the things that I have, but I'm actually writing a book actually on attitude right now. And one of the things I wish that we all did more is stopping and going back to the last thing that could have happened even worse. Yes. And being thankful.

That it didn't happen worse. And I know that sounds... I didn't lose my foot. I can speak. I can see everything. Okay, so watch this. My dad died of cancer. Wow.

Okay, 2017. I'm thankful he didn't die in a car crash, that I could still say goodbye. I'm thankful that my whole family was in California when he got diagnosed with cancer. Can you imagine if half of us were in Australia and half of us were in America? They were all here. We were all here. Amazing. Really, and not saying that's a cop out or we could always be worse. And then what do we say about the orphans and the people who were human trafficked? Well, I've seen human trafficked people go through a rehab,

find their spirit and their faith and their value once again, to the point that not only are they mentally healed, but watch this, they get a job, save up money, and they go with a buck. Talk about forgiveness and letting go and transforming into a miracle to let other people let go of their chains. They save up money. They go with a bucket, a white towel, water, and they save up 700 bucks cash in India. I've been there.

They go back to the pimps and madams where they were once being abused by. They were kidnapped by them. And they said, I've come here to wash your feet. Shut up. No. Shut up. They do not. not. I've interviewed these girls. They go back with a bucket of water and a white towel and said, and I want to show you the symbolism of my forgiveness.

My soul has been restored. I am a brand new person and I know what you did to me was so bad. And I don't know why you've chosen this path. You've got money. You've got power. But your soul is lost and you haven't found happiness. And I've come here today to tell you that I held unforgiveness until I found the forgiveness for myself of the things I've done wrong. So I've seen, so I'll get to the three points of getting out of depression,

but I've seen from brokenness to triumphant victoriousness of victory where this sex slave forgives that person washes their feet hands of money and says give me that ten-year-old oh my god so they buys them from them by Wow that ten-year-old girl is told by the 19-year-old, you're my sister and that'll never happen to you ever again. They go through rehab, they find a job, they save up money, then together they come back. If that's not redemption, Lewis, I don't know what is. So do I believe in redemption? Absolutely. So if you really believe in redemption for even the failures of your own self and the redemption of broken pieces

being turned into something beautiful, then we must be able to forgive ourselves. We must be able to forgive others because in the end, we only harbor that negativity. So moving forward, the three things to get out of depression. Number one is still be thankful for what you have and be thankful for what could have gone worse, right? That didn't happen. Number two, talk to someone. I feel like... This is key. I feel like... Especially for men.

Most men never express how we feel. No, no. I wrote a whole book about... It's called The Mask of Masculinity. It's about opening up and being more vulnerable as a man because for 25 years, I held on to shame and resentment. And right when I started to talk about it. And right when I started talking about it, when I started to set myself free.

So sorry to interrupt, but talking to someone, one person can transform your life. And I think especially when you become a visionary and you become successful, you actually realize the value of having friends, real friends who can be like a men's group around you, who can encourage you and you just share life together. What's going on, man?

Well, this week I have a men's group once a week, and we do life together because we need each other. And so talking to somebody, being transparent with them, and getting that encouragement. And thirdly, actually helping someone in need where you cannot ascertain nor even is it in your mindset of waiting for them to look you and say thank you. Just being in service, giving. Yeah, and that instigates purposeness. Many people are depressed because they don't know what to live for. They haven't found something yet to die for.

When you have found something to die for and live for, when you know why you do what you do, that's when purpose gives you the strength to override all limitations and fear. Purposeness was key for me. And that's what I wanted to tell you as a teenager and no matter what hell I went through I tricked my attitude into a positive mindset how did I do that I focused just like that look myself in the eyes and said I'm holding on to the eyes hold on to a goal and my goal was to give money to orphans so I put a picture of an orphan

on my mirror wow who's smiling at me I didn't know who that orphan was and I knew no matter what I was going to go through that day that I'm a day closer to making a difference in someone else's life and the reason Lewis why I became a speaker was because a janitor, you're going to love this, it was the janitor at my high school who looked at me and said, one day you're going to be a speaker. And I said, you're crazy. He was the first person to encourage me to start speaking to students at my school, which led me to a public school speech where in front of 300 sophomore students, I was just sharing my heart, and one girl was weeping.

Half the girls were crying, but one girl was weeping. And she interrupted my speech. She put up her hand in the air, and she said, I'm so sorry, but can I come up there and give you a hug? I think that's the video I saw, yeah. And she came up and she hugged me. She said, no one's ever told me that they love me. No one's ever told me that I'm beautiful the way that I am.

And that's when I knew I was born to be a speaker. And I realized, wow, here I was at 10 years old trying to commit suicide because I had no hope. Now finding hope and helping other people find hope for their own life, it's the greatest drug I've ever found in my life. It's amazing, right? It is. And that's why we're here in America establishing a whole new platform in corporate America because it's not just the teenagers who lack self-belief.

It's not just the teenagers who bully themselves. It's not just the teenagers who have problems dreaming bigger. And when they see a man without arms and legs on stage saying, what's your excuse? Wait, wait, wait. What attitude do you have? Why? Let's adjust that and let's see the trajectory of where you really could go. If this is what I've done without arms and legs, what can you do? It's amazing, man. It's amazing. One of the things that came up for me is someone said this.

I can't remember who, but holding on to resentment or being angry at someone is like drinking poison and expecting them to die. Something like that. I'm getting the wrong wrong. No, no, no. You're right. Something like that. You're right. Something like that. You're right. And so the more we hold on to this resentment, or even just, I feel like the more we hold on to depression, anger, resentment, and negative attitude, it's like we're expecting someone

else to be hurt by this attitude or this resentment, but we're just hurting ourselves. And that person continues to abuse us over and over again the more resentment we have. So we only can set ourselves free when we start to forgive. There's other proactive things, and I love that. There's other proactive things that I'm actually writing about in my upcoming book in the next couple of years that will come out in Attitude. But I've learned something about me

that I've never learned before, just recently, which is being proactive and actually realizing and being aware of those triggers being found when I go into a room in my mind. How do we get to that place? Is it when we're tired? Is it after we've had a drink of alcohol? Is it when we're missing something?

Is it when we fail? When we didn't sleep well? Didn't sleep well? Is it a music? Is it a music? Is it a song? Is it a mood? And trying to be fully, now I'm not getting so scientifically, but no joke, I actually found the triggers

that took me to that room. What were they? And I started cutting it out. So believe it or not, this is the first time I'm ever sharing this on public. This is what happens here, man. This is what happens in the School of Greatness. It's awesome.

I love you, man. You're awesome. I love you too, man. So no one knows this, but I've got now chronic back pain. So I have really intense pain that kicks in about 5 or 6 p.m. every day, no matter what I do. Just to sit up straight. You can see that I'm not sitting up straight. It takes matter what I do just to sit up straight you can see that I'm not sitting up straight it takes a bit for me to just sit up

straight and so with that I you know in the Serbian culture you can ask anyone we grew up seeing my parents have a glass of wine a day every day yeah and that's it just normal culture that's. And so we were surrounded by that. And so what I found myself doing was going towards that but also taking the edge off the pain of my back. And when I did that, especially when I'm traveling, that's when your mind kind of like, hey, I can now relax. And sometimes it's so easy being away from the wife, being away from kids, that some of those other issues come up and you start going into that room. Then you start playing some songs that you're reminiscing. It's just a trigger effect.

And what I realized was I never want to be dependent on something at all. A substance. A substance on any way, shape, or form. It's not like I had a problem with alcohol as much as I actually challenged myself. I took two months not drinking anything. It was fine. Then did another three months. No problem.

But knowing that that's going to eventually end, I'm like, I wonder if that itself is enough. telling you November 16th 2019 I made a commitment to myself that other other than special occasions to have one drink so my birthday my family's birthday is my anniversary Valentine years yeah those eight nine days of the year my twins are born in the same day so I can can't do two. But I'm off alcohol. Really, man? Completely. Completely. Congrats, man.

Thanks. Thanks. That's big. To me, it was big. It was big. Well, here's the thing. I mean, you probably have a lot of pressure, especially in the space that you're in. You're speaking of a positive mindset.

You speak a lot. I do a lot of motivational speeches in corporations, but you also do a lot in the faith-based Christian community. And you probably have a lot of pressure to show up a certain way every single day. And sometimes if you're feeling pain, I mean, it's like you've got pain, you've got stress, you've got all sorts of stuff you're dealing with. And I promise I never took a shot before I went on stage. That's never happened. For the record, no joke.

It was perfect, man. We're all human beings. I've never been drunk in my life. It's awesome. Come on. I've never been high. I've never taken drugs. I've had a couple sips of alcohol here and there, but I've never been drunk. I remember saying to myself,

I have other vices. Don't worry. I'm not perfect. I have sugar, candy, cakes. I remember saying to myself, I have other vices. Don't worry, I'm not perfect. I have like sugar, candy, cakes, and it's like all of it. But I remember saying to myself, when I mess up in life, I don't want it to be because I'm on a substance and making an excuse. So good. I want to be able to say, yeah, I was an idiot. I made a mistake. I screwed up.

It's my fault. And I'm the one to blame. Not this thing where I was on this influence. But I think it's cool. So why have you never told anyone about this? Why is this the first time publicly? Were you feeling shameful by it? Were you feeling? No, it's almost like I haven't written a book for five years. And they say, so what have you been learning? I'm like, well, let me tell you some stuff. But what was beautiful about that, it's actually making the most of life. The two other stories I want to bring into this on the alcohol thing

because then you understand the full context of things. My kids, I used to jump on the trampoline. My oldest now is seven. So when he was two, we used to jump on the trampoline. I used to run around. My back got worse in the last seven years. I can't do as much. But then after I have a shot of whiskey or scotch,

which is what I really enjoyed, or a glass of wine, I don't feel like it. And he looked at me as a young kid. I think he was only four or five years old. And he knows that daddy, he's a smart kid, smart kid. He knew what jet lag was at age five. And he said, oh, daddy, I know why you don't play with us because you're jet lagged, right? But I hadn't been in a flight for three weeks. And I'm like, man, if I didn't take that shot, I would have had the energy to remember that. And that was like, I'm missing out. My son's missing out.

I'm going to be the best me that I can be. I don't want to take medication for my pain until I really need to. Yeah, maybe some natural herbs or CBD. Something. But my wife as well, after I have a glass of wine, like I'm a little bit more relaxed, right? And when she makes me laugh, and when something funny happens, it's not like I go giddy. Like, I'm not like that. But I wonder when I was wondering subconsciously does she think I'm actually smiling or laughing at what she just said more now because I just had a drink right right but I'm like no I'm that's got nothing to do with influence so I want even every word an interacting moment that I have with my

wife and I I'm a little different Louis you know that I've lived on the road yeah and you know that I'm a person that I'm thankful when I'm home. I don't want to be 30,000 feet in the air anymore. Yeah. And that's why you inspire me, by the way, with this model. I love this. But no joke, I want to make the most of every day. And three months ago, I lost one of my great friends in a car accident and um he was married to

a girl called Bernadette check this out for a story you think I I have an issue you think we have okay just like a story of of just pain and and friends so we have we were friends with and I'm writing this in our book. I haven't asked for permission, but I'm sure they'll give us permission. But two couples that I've known, a couple in Ohio. That's where I'm from.

Okay. In Akron area. A couple in Ohio and a couple in California. The husband in the couple of California came down with leukemia. And the wife of the couple of California came down with leukemia. And the wife of the couple in Ohio, she had bowel cancer or colon cancer.

They both died around age 39. And these couples knew each other. We were all friends. And they bonded as couples going through the same thing and chemotherapy and all that kind of deal. So the husband, who now's wife died and the wife whose husband died, they got married. No way. Now, this couple in California had a child at one year old. That's when the husband died here.

They had no children. He came to California. They got married. They had a children. He came to California. They got married. They had a child. Wow. And at 10 months old, that child, he died in a car accident. So imagine this woman in California who loses her first husband to cancer and has a child and then five years later loses her second husband in a car accident at 39 years old.

Lost her husband, not the son. Yeah. The husband died not the son. Yeah. The husband. Husband. Wow. So now she's left with two children from two different fathers within five years. And I look at this woman, and I was able to speak at his memorial service, but I look at her, and I won't share her name, and I'm like, wow.

And she looks at me, and she says, I don't know what good is going to come from this. But you look at her and she looks at me in the eyes and you just see she's never going to give up. And she knows that someday, sometime, somehow, maybe she's going to be able to inspire one other person to not give up. And I feel like that's the human spirit that we must understand. The crux of every cloud or funk or curveball or depression or whatever you want to call it, it comes back to who am I and why am I here? Your value is not determined on your past. Your future is up to you today.

You loving yourself, embracing yourself, not judging yourself, being able to forgive, but being the best you can be proactively, being self-aware. Don't let you, yourself, get in the way of you. It's not to say that everything's possible. It's not to say that everything's possible. It's not to say that everything's smooth. No.

We all go through ups and downs. But I needed to get out of my own way to reach my full potential and then take one day at a time when you can't think of thriving and you can only think of surviving. That's a reality. You've been through that. I've been through that. The strongest of motivational speakers have been through those seasons, and that's okay. Don't beat yourself up. Take one day at a time and go one step at a time, and eventually you will come out of that valley

and come on the other side of that and say, wow, I'm glad I'm where i am because people look at me one last thing lewis people say wow nick strong he's courageous he's a man of endurance they can ask me nick do you think you're a man of strength and courage and endurance i said yeah they can say well why say because i know what i've been through we've been through what we've been through to become who we are today, to conquer the next barrier. And so we've got to keep on going, got to keep on going. And I just hope that people see the smile on my face is authentic and the peace and strength that I have in my eyes,

never to pretend that I've got it all together. No one has it all together. That's true, man. But if we can get ahead of that curve, we can get rid of those negativity aspects and move out of that room and shut that room down. Fire excuses. It's like, here I am. That's where I want to go. How can I help myself focus on that next goal? Keep on going. Knowing that your value and your happiness has nothing to do with money or fame but being happy content and embracing every

day i could die today lewis happy to i know where i'm going couldn't care less when i die i'll die at the right time i don't think about death as much as i think about life and i'll live it to the fullest man i want to ask you a few more questions because this is powerful for me. The first one is self-doubt. I'm a big believer that self-doubt is the killer of dreams. That's great. And the more we doubt ourselves, the less joyful we're going to be, the less happy we're going to be. You said something about money and fame. Putting those things as our value is not going to make us happy if we value those things for our happiness.

How do we overcome self-doubt? If everything is telling us we're not good, we're stupid, we don't have the skills, we don't have the value, no one cares about our parents left us this person cheated this person stole this whatever. How do we build self? belief When there's so much self-doubt. Yeah, it's a great question So I always encourage people to first define what their goal is and where they want to go Mm-hmm what they must understand. You sound like an athlete.

Do I? This is all I talk about. I learned all these lessons from sports and it's like everything starts with the goal for the season. That's great. I look at life as seasons because in a sport you have usually three months in the season and then there's the post season, then there's an off season, then there's a pre season. It's kind of like the four seasons of life.

It's good. But everything you need to have is a goal. So I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I'm glad you're speaking my language. Great, great, I'm glad. So my book's not gonna help you. But it's true. That's exactly what it's all about.

So first defining who you are, where you wanna go, but also seeing your dream and your goal, not as something, but actually as a baby. And you're parenting and you're nursing and you're nurturing that dream. Now, no one says that their parents were perfect. That's true. So we're never a perfect steward of our dream. Oh.

And when we look at our dream, we kind of try, think of it as, well, which season am I in of this dream and how do I treat it? Take baby steps first. The best way to build self-confidence, which is the opposite of self-doubt, is to set small goals. Do what you can now and start building on that confidence. You can't build confidence without a track record. It's true. And you can't wave a magic wand and now all of a sudden your dream's coming true. It's taking one, what's the first step? You know, and if the baby falls down trying to walk, you don't, you pick, okay, let's try again. There's an amazing meme online. It says something like, you know, when a baby falls a thousand times when it's trying to

walk, it doesn't say to itself, maybe this isn't for me. Yeah, I love that. I love that. Oh, I fell down. Let me get back up. It's not like, well, maybe I shouldn't walk because I failed. No, you need to fail over and over again. Right, right.

And that's part of the process. Thomas Edison said, I didn't fail 9,999 times. Now I know 9,999 ways in hell not to make a light bulb. And to have an emotional, psychological... It's a framing of it. It's a framing of it. Attachment, it's a framing of your dream and goal to almost be you're birthing a baby. You're not birthing a baby, but you're nurturing a baby. So that thing can become giant and run

and strong. And so you're going to help it. You're going to help. You're almost like you're putting yourself in the baby's shoes. Okay, what's my first step? And so that's it. So taking, if you want to become a speaker, go to a seminar. Read a book about speaking. Go to Toastmasters. Go to Toastmasters. Start somewhere. So many people say, I ask them, what's your dream?

I guess one day I want to. And I'm like, really? Have you ever written your dream out? I'm like, hey, wait a second. So how much money do you want to make a year? And they tell me, I'm like, so is that before or after tax in california i'm on 54 percent tax all right it's like it's a difference it is like okay so and you and you want to get married and how many kids you want and you want them to go to college so wait how much money do you really need to have in the bank to actually

get a five to six percent interest bearing mutual you know you know it's like sure well oh they're, I said, yeah, do you know anything about compound interest? No. Do you know anything about, how much are you saving? None. How many credit cards you got? Three. That was me 15 years ago, yeah. Do you really believe in your dream?

Have you ever really been honest with your dream? And I'll never forget. My life changed reading a book called Money Secrets of the Rich by John R. Burley. His book changed my life and I went to his boot camp in Scottsdale, Arizona and we did this thing where we had this breakthrough exercise, right? And my dream was to become a speaker. This is 2002. Wow.

Okay. This is when my mom said, my mom mom what do you mean you're gonna be a speaker she said do you know what speaker i said no do you know that's australia there was no aussie motivational speakers is that if there's a motivational speaker in australia in 2002 they were american yeah right the american who came over here exactly no one was making money it was an industry that was not even heard of. It was dead. Maybe Tony Robbins came over one time. That's it, right? That kind of thing. My mom said, what do you mean you're going to speak?

She said, what are you going to speak about? I said, I don't know. She said, do you have any invitations? I said, no. She said, how are you going to get the invitation? I said, I don't know. She says, all these things, really good questions. But I said, I don't care. When I knew my goal, I didn't care how many times I don't care when I knew my goal I didn't care how many times I had to fail because I defined that goal for me I went through a breakthrough event really cool exercise that most breakthrough events do on one side of the piece of wood you put your goal on the other side you put your fears that you got a breakthrough so these people they punch this piece of

wood and they crack it right and I didn't walk on hot coals because my pants would go on fire, but I headbutted this thing, right? And it defined me. Really? It was a defining exercise. So are you breaking the side of your fears and the goals are on the other side? Yeah, my fear was...

You're facing your fear, you headbutt your fear, and then you have to break through. Yep. My fear was... You're facing your fear. You headbutt your fear. Yep. And then you have to go. Breakthrough.

Yep. And I realized there's a lot more to my story with my parents. But my parents were so scared about my decision to become a speaker that they said, you must do your accounting and financial planning degree for a plan B, which is great advice, which I'm thankful for. But I had to break through the fear. What if my parents never talk to me again? And that was extreme. But that was in my head. I didn't want to disappoint my parents. They did everything they could for me Why now disappoint them? Is this my stupid?

You know crazy little fantasy or is this what Nick's gonna do? And that was the moment like Nick's gonna do it Wow with or without my family without them Even if they're not there for me, I'm doing this because it was a part of your dream. Exactly. And I think we need to be guided by our dreams. We need to be driven by our dreams. Because if it's staying in there,

we don't pursue it, then what? You're right. And I'm not saying, now look, I wasn't married. I wasn't engaged. Right, right. Now that you're married, if you're married, that's a different thing. Well, with or without my wife, I'm gonna,

no, no, no, that's a different thing. You gotta learn to communicate to renegotiate your dream right you know and seasons and commitments and them to believe in you and what's the trigger point to success when do you give it up when do you not give it up though that's a whole different book that's a really good book to write actually to write them I should write that book talking about sure you mentioned your wife a few different times throughout this yeah when did you know your wife was going to be your wife what's the biggest lesson she's taught

you and what is it you love about her the most after all these gosh i love those questions so when did you know your wife is your wife okay biggest lesson she's taught you yeah and yeah stir those two so we met in April 2010 in Dallas okay we had sparks and fireworks in the air I couldn't feel my legs almost ten year yeah meeting meeting right right hey yes yeah and you got that yeah And then there was a complication. She had a boyfriend at the time. Oh, that's a big complication. And there's more of the complication.

But we were not in touch for six months. And then we met up and the chemistry was huge. And we started developing a friendship and then went into dating. And three months into dating, that's when I lost all my money the second time Wow so she was there for you and you had nothing that's when you know okay this girl's amazing so Wow I had more money than the average 19 who which 19 year old gives away 30k cash then loses 40k then comes back with the money that goes back into real estate so my mom's like just make sure your wife as a teenager make sure your wife never marries you for your money.

And the question was like, but how would you ever really know? How do you know? That's impossible, man. You gotta get rid of it. So, 12 weeks after our dating, I lost it all. What'd she say? So, first of all, Nick was not Nick.

So you're in crazy mode you're in survival mode you're and I'm panicking panic running around without legs on yeah Lewis I woke up 30 days straight with panic attacks oh man I was not myself I'm a patient yes all that stuff it was terrible your legs are trembling yeah sweating was I'm on the floor I can't I can't I don't even know what to eat I don't know what to eat. Losing weight. It was bad. I've never been so low in my life.

Wow. Sure, when I was depressed with, you know, some other things in my life, but this was really, and the worst timing of all, like I'm supposed to be at best now to develop a friendship who could be my wife. And I finally told her what happened. She said, don't worry, babe. I'm not going anywhere. Wow. I said, babe, I lost all my money. She said, don't worry.

Look straight. Don't worry. How long did it take you to tell her? It took me two weeks to actually. She knew something was wrong. So what are you, are you just like, everything's fine? She was in Texas. I was in California.

Yeah, okay. I said, look, I'm not myself. I'm coming over. So she sent her friends home, and we talked during the day, and I finally was with her, and it took me three days face-to-face before I could really tell her anything. Oh, my gosh. She said, so what happened?

I said, I lost all my money. I said, four things happened within three weeks. Cash flow crisis, and someone took the money. I just took on more than I could chew. And I said, I lost all my money she said don't worry I'll get a nursing job and support the both of us. She did not. In a split second she looked me straight and I'm like man I want to marry you. You said that? No I'm thinking. So that was the day. Okay. That was it. Then six months later, she was in Dallas, and I was in California, and we had a text going on.

And it was the first uncomfortable moment where, like, we were not on the same page with something. And she was going into the shower, and she just said out loud i just want someone to fight for me oh my gosh and and and and what what it was was there there was an issue of of just an uphill climb of what we had to together do together and it was it was uncomfortable and i felt on my heart i'm just gonna pick up the phone pick up the phone she picked it up while she's in the shower she turned off the shower. Said, babe, I just wanna give you a call today,

I'm gonna fight for you. Word for word, verbatim. And that's when she knew I was her husband. Three months later, I popped the question. I got the ring and a cream puff with a tray of cream puffs. I got her to feed me the cream puff. And I finished the cream puff in my mouth without choking on the ring.

I went down on her finger and she thought I was getting kinky and then I pulled back and put the ring on her finger, and six months later we got married. Wow, man. So that's when I knew that she was going to be the one. What was the biggest lesson she's taught you in the last, how many years have you been? Eight now.

Eight years. We just did our eighth anniversary celebration. The biggest thing she's taught me, The biggest thing she's taught me, she is quicker to love people, quicker to forgive people than me. She has a huge heart. Her heart's bigger than Texas. Wow. And she's not afraid to dream.

She's actually probably the most intelligent woman I've ever met in my life. Wow. I just look at her after she said something. I'm like, she's so wise. I'm like, man, that would have taken me. I didn't even think I'd ever come to that epiphany. She just says it straight off the cuff. I'm like, she to me is a woman of discernment and wisdom and clear,

just cut through the crap. There's no fog in her life. Like she just, it is what it is. Nick, this is what you should really do. Right. And I'm like, okay. Don't do this deal, don't hang out with this person. Just straight up. Not that she offers it, but I ask her for it, and bang.

So she's taught me that there's always a path. And to do things together, I think is what my best friend taught me. She's my best friend. But to do things together, I think, is what my best friend taught me. She's my best friend. But to do things together is so important because if you don't do things together, you've missed the whole point of living. Wow. And being content with where we're at and to not freak out. She sees me freak out.

I don't. She's Japanese-Mexican, okay? My girl's Mexican. Awesome. Old Mexican. Does she speak Spanish?'t, she's Japanese, Mexican, okay? My girl's Mexican. Awesome. Old Mexican. Does she speak Spanish? Yeah, she does.

No way. Born and raised in Mexico, man. No way. Yeah. Where? Zitaco de Michoacan. Where is it?

Michoacan. It's a state, yeah, north of Mexico City. Yeah, no Michoacan. Yeah, my girl's from Monterey.

Awesome, yeah. Her mother's from Monterey, yeah. We'll double date, man. Of course. Si se puede,

como no. I need to learn Spanish now. Of course. That's amazing. Si se puede, como no. I need to learn Spanish now. Are you fluent? I understand 70%. My mission is to get a full-time teacher this year. That's good. In the next month. It's great. I'm trying to find someone to come to my place and teach me.

It's good. I feel like it'd be the best skill I could learn. I'm sure someone watching a podcast could probably... I know, right? I'm a fluent salsa dancer. Ah, yeah. I've been salsa watching a podcast can probably have it. I know, right? I'm a fluent salsa dancer. Ah, yeah. I've been salsa dancing for 15 years around the world. I like the top salsa clubs.

It's a blast. So I'm around the culture and the music all the time. Man, I love watching people dance. It's a blast. If I had arms and legs, the first thing I would do is dance class. No joke, I love it. It's a blast, man.

Anyway. So the thing you love about her the most? So the thing I love about her the most is that she's calm, she's collected, she's wise. And she's taught me to be happy and not freak out at anything. You have no idea. She's still in the process of getting her papers. She had a rough life. Her mother left.

I can imagine. Her mother left the family when she was 3 her dad died of cancer when she was 18 she was alone in the house with her brother took over her father's fish breeding business to just sustain and then she came to America

with her brother speaking no English not finishing high school came to America with her brother, speaking no English, not finishing high school, came to America to start all over again. So she's been through a lot, I've been through a lot, but together, it's like, wow, I feel unstoppable when I'm by her side and I just gotta sit down, calm down,

cause I'm like, personality A. You're right. She's my brain. And she's taught me to switch my brain off. And I want to share one last personal success with all of this. When I go to the dining table and I bring my phone, she grabs my phone. She puts it on the highest bookshelf. She's like, good job for it. the highest bookshelf. Good job for it.

Right. Exactly. Do it. Try it. Let me see. Entertain me. I'm not a doctor on call. No one's going to die. And I was so adamant about time management, prioritization, and reverse engineering. Where do I want to be? And where I wanted to be, I achieved in 2018. Lewis, I'm looking you in the eye and telling you for a year straight, I was able to, with 17 employees, one for-profit company, one non-profit company, 17 employees. I'm CEO of both. I switched off my phone every week Friday Saturday Sunday way Monday Wow I

wore this no phone I worked Tuesday Wednesday Thursday eight hours a day Wow and I'm not traveling that was my week that's inspiring man it was for kids that's gonna be inspiring amazing well you just learned to prioritize what are the things I need to do and who do I need to hire to do this for me? Exactly. Delegate. As opposed to work harder. Exactly.

So now I'm going through a massive rebranding though. We're gonna help you. Thank you. I'd love to figure that out. But the bottom line is I don't want to travel internationally anymore. Between my back, my physical. Kids. I don't know how I'm gonna be in 15 years time, but I want to be there for my kids.

I want to be there with my wife. And having that opportunity, even for me, it's a scary transition. It's not like I've got millions in the bank saying, oh, yeah, let's throw a half a million at this. You know what I mean? I didn't want to work to become rich. I do enough work to get what we need. To reposition is not an easy task. It's not easy, man. For anyone. I've been through a rebranding of my website for like

eight months. It's like moving to a new office, letting go of agencies, hiring people. It's a lot of energy, time, money. But it's amazing. It's the right thing to do. And if you look at nickvojicic.com today, well, let's – Don't look at it today. Unless you want to book this guy to speak, look at it in a few months. Hopefully, it'll be rebranded. I'm just going to say it's a miracle because we actually put no marketing or branding. I don't know how you do it. I'm sometimes – in some countries, I'm top three speaker.

That's crazy. And we've done no marketing and branding. In the U.S. So I've been spoiled how you do it. I'm sometimes in some countries, I'm top three speaker. That's crazy. And we've done no marketing and branding. In the US. So I've been spoiled. That's crazy. And so now I'm like, hey, America, I'm here. I want to go all around corporate America and help all the companies use me as a megaphone. As almost like a physical demonstration of what they've been trying to tell their team

and sales team. Hey, we have no excuses. Let's run and let's live a life without limits. It's hard to sometimes hear from your partner, your spouse, what they need to hear. Sometimes you need to bring someone else who they can respect and be inspired by to say, okay, it's time to do what you told me to do

three years ago. Right, exactly. So it's amazing. I get it. What's the thing you're most proud of that most people don't know about you? Wow. Either something you've done, something maybe that you haven't announced to the world, or maybe something you've done that no one knows about, not even your wife or your kids or something that is big that you're proud about as well but something most people don't know about. I have to say that every entrepreneurial visionary needs some spark, not just of continuing to create and build and innovate but to give back and I've silently been mentoring and I might actually start a podcast category just for it but coaching CEOs of non-profits so I've had 15 years of experience of non-profit I turned around our non-profit from where it was from different directors that were hired.

I was kind of the speaker, the founder, the president, but not the CEO. And I took over about five years ago. And I learned a ton in the last 15 years and basically helping nonprofits who are doing okay. Most beginning nonprofits, they'd be happy with $30,000 to $100,000 in the bank. And we help them go to the next level. And it's just an hour with me and the executive team and the CEO. Sometimes it's four hours. I love whiteboarding.

I love helping them define their next goal. How do they change this? How do they change this? How do they change that? And I've learned that any big organization, they cannot change 20 things. But if any organization for profit or nonprofit, if you just hold on to two or three things per year to change and you do two to three a year, massive change happens. So they're now triple in the bank. One of them just has done phenomenally well. And I'm actually now mentoring because of my friend who lost both husbands.

I actually Googled, what's a nonprofit that helps widows? And apart from Bill Gates' whole deal, there was only one. And it's run by three widows. And they've done the biggest uphill climb of non-profit registration, being able to give actual money to a widow. Because here I am, and I asked the local church, I said, can I give a tax-deductible receipt to a widow through the church? They said no. I'm like, hmm. So I had a call with these women.

I told them who I was. They said, but what do you want for it? I said, nothing. I don't want you to even tell anybody. Now I'm telling everyone. But I'm just saying. You just wanted to serve. I just want to serve. And so there's something that no one knows. I love seeing other people fulfill their dreams.

Yeah, I love it. And using the talent and the skill, if I can help fast track 15 years of education in a year for free, I would do it. And so what we're doing is I'm getting so many requests that we may have a whole list of content, even maybe phone calls that we could do, and just helping many nonprofits. You know, there's 400, no, 1.2 million nonprofits in the U.S. alone. That's crazy, man. So many people are saying, well, Nick, how did you break it?

How did you do this? How did you do that? How did you build the team? And all those kinds of things. And so that's something that many people don't know. And if I don't do that, I feel incomplete because I want to pass it on. It could be a whole podcast series.

Right. Just how to help nonprofits. That's it. Scale, grow. That's it. And they'd subscribe. Absolutely, yeah. To all the content.

I don't know. I think I bring value to that. So we, after this show, Lewis, are gonna brainstorm. A lot of things, man. It's gonna be great. And I'd love to learn from you because this is interesting, right? Here I am as a worldwide speaker, trying to actually rebrand myself

to put my stake in the ground here in America like never before. And I'm excited for you. And it might take a podcast and all this stuff that I'm gonna pick your brain on. We're gonna talk after for sure on this. I've got a couple questions left for you before I ask the final few questions I want to make sure that people do hire you to speak if you got a big corporation hire

this man if your decision-making they're sending to your boss where can they go if they want to book you or learn more about booking you for speaking Nick voyage calm it'll be there by the time this is up it'll be it's up there yeah uh go there we can also follow you on instagram yes facebook instagram i am we're at the same i'm hearing you're growing like crazy but we're at the same 1.5 okay cool and then uh english facebook we have nearly 10 10 million uh-huh but i've hardly done nothing that's English and then I've got two million in Spanish and then we're doing it no we well like we're starting now okay

we'd see see I worked my butt off around the world to get that. But we didn't strategically build it. So, I mean, that's just the, that's organic. That's amazing, dude. And that's just the, it's just a little barometer of what it took to inspire a billion people on some sort of level. It's amazing. So, Instagram, Facebook, just your name. Yep. Nick Vujicic, N-I-C-K-V-U-J-I-C-I-C.

Nick Vujicic. That's it. Where else can we follow you or support you? You've got five or six books. This is one, Life Without Limits. Yeah, Life Without Limits.

That's our bestseller. Amazing. We sold over a million copies of that. That's it? It's in 40 languages. You're playing small, man. Again, no marketing.

It's crazy. 40 languages, go get this book. So now 1.1 million, you guys. Thank you for selling out. But yeah, go to any bookstore on that. Just go online for that. But yeah, I'm writing a new book coming out on attitude. I want to take the attitude space. I feel like that's the one thing I could talk about when it comes to happiness, I feel like that's the one thing I could talk about when it comes to happiness, depression, overcoming, exceeding your own expectations of your limits. Yeah, relationships, everything. All of that.

So we want to do an attitude checkbook and just help everyone to have the premium attitude to have the optimum altitude. I love it, man. This is a question. It's called the three truths. I ask this at the end of every interview. So imagine you've accomplished and achieved all of your dreams and you've lived a very long life. You've lived as long as you want and then at one point you gotta go, right?

And hypothetically you've gotta take all of your content, books, materials, video, audios with you. So no one has access to your spoken or written or visual word any longer. Hypothetical. But you have a piece of paper and you get to write down

your toes or your mouth. You get to write down three things you know to be true about everything in life that you've learned. These would be the only

three things you could share with the world. There are three lessons to the world I call three truths. What would be yours? How long can the sentences be? As long as you want.

All right. Truth number one. Truth number one, you're beautiful just the way that you are and you have value. Number two, you've been created and designed for a greater purpose.

Find it and run for it. And the third thing is, even facing death, there's hope. It's called heaven. I love this, man. And so that for me, I understand we all have different philosophies and religious beliefs. I understand that. But for me, I found nothing limitless like that,

that even if and when, not if, but when I face death and however I may face it, every day I know that I have value. I'm achieving my greater purpose and I know that this ain't it. And when you have that, then you make the most of everything you have because not only are you doing good to be good, to know that you are good, but that you actually do good, do well, to even change the trajectory of eternity for other souls. And if you could encourage people to know that there's a wonderful thing called purpose and eternity, that to me is the bottom line. But when you have that in your mind,

go for your dream. Keep running. Never give up. Yeah. Now imagine that you're able to broadcast live to the entire world and everyone can understand English.

And you had, you could only say one thing to the world. And you had 30 seconds to share a message. And the whole world was tuning in at this moment. What would you say to the entire world? I want you to know that I love you. I want you to know that your broken pieces can somehow and sometime will come together for the good to be something beautiful.

I have a history of brokenness and pieces in my life. And I tell teenagers, it's always worse being in a broken home than having no arms and legs. So it's not about what brokenness we have. It's about holding on to the beauty that will come from them, where if you can help someone else in need, that's when you realize you don't need a miracle to be one. Oh, that's good, man. You are a great speaker. That was 30 seconds. Yeah, I love it. It was on the dot. Yeah, it was on the dot. You got into time. Is that good?

Dude, before I ask the final question for you, I want to acknowledge you, Nick, for your generosity, man. You have a huge giving heart to serve people. And it's not easy for a guy with arms and legs to fly around the country the amount of times that I do. But for you to do it hundreds of times a year, year after year, to serve, to inspire, to lead, to create hope for people, and to tell people they're beautiful and they matter is a beautiful thing, man. And I wanna let you know that I value your heart and your effort and your energy towards service.

I really appreciate that part of you. So I acknowledge you for that. And so many things, I'm excited to hang out. Hopefully we can double date soon before you leave. Definitely, some Mexican food. I'm in, man, I'm in. My final question is what's your definition of greatness? Greatness, humility.

Believe it or not, if there's only one factor, because the moment you think you're more important than somebody else is the moment you have clipped and limited your own full potential. I think the greatest barometer of greatness is humility because with a humble heart, you're happy, you're thankful, you have a servant heart, and you know that every single soul matters. So you take time to make the most of every opportunity with everyone. I think humility is, out of all the words that I could have ever said, would be, to me, greatness. Nick, my man. Appreciate you both.

Love you, man. Love you. Beautiful, man. Thanks. Thank you, brother. My friends, if this didn't inspire you, if this didn't lift you up, if this didn't help you overcome the limitations of your own mind, I don't know what will. Nick is one of the most inspirational speakers in the world. You've got to check this man out.

He is an incredible human being. Follow him over on social media. Check out his new podcast. Check out all the stuff that he's doing on his website as well. We'll have it linked up over on the show notes at lewishouse.com slash 931. And you have the ability to change and impact someone's life today.

I want you to think about someone close to you, someone who's a friend, a family member, an acquaintance, someone at your job, someone that you work with that could be using inspirational messages like this in their life to help them improve, help them grow, help them move forward in their life with passion and power and clarity and confidence.

Send them this link, lewishouse.com slash 931, and you will become a hero, a champion in their life by being the catalyst that inspires them to grow and just continue to stay learning on a daily and weekly basis because we always need to be learning in them to grow and just continue to stay learning on a daily and weekly basis because we always need to be learning in order to grow, in order to improve. Otherwise, if we stop learning, we start slowly dying. And I want you and your friends to keep learning. If this is your first time here and someone sent you this link, give them a virtual high five, give them a hug, send them a text and say, thank you so much for sending me this episode.

I appreciate you thinking about me. I appreciate your generosity, your kindness, and your thoughtfulness really means the world to me. And keep spreading the message. Again, subscribe to our podcast over on Apple Podcasts, over on Spotify, and share this with your friends on social media. Tag me, at Lewis Howes. Make sure to tag Nick as well. I'm sure he would love to see what you think about this also. You can check out our YouTube show.

If you're not over on YouTube, go subscribe on youtube.com slash Lewis Howes. Put our videos out there. We have some amazing video content out there that will inspire you if you want to watch the videos as well. And I'm just so grateful that you decided to show up here when you have lots of different choices online to learn and grow from. Again, Bruce Lee said, if you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus. And you must not stay there. You must go beyond them. My friend, I know that you might be feeling some type of adversity and challenge in your life right now. Whether it be your work, your inner confidence, relationship, career, vision for your future, family.

There's something in your life that you might be struggling with. And I'm telling you, if you continue to work on yourself, if you continue to improve and you continue to serve other people around you, show gratitude and appreciation for your life and continue working towards your dreams, your goals, you will start to manifest and attract all the goodness that you want in your life. It's coming for you. You must keep working and you must be patient and grateful at the same time every day for the efforts and the work that you put on on a daily basis you are deserving of so much goodness you are deserving of so much love you are love you are purpose start showing up that way and you'll start to attract it in a magical beautiful way i love you so very much i'm so grateful for you and you know what time it is it's time to go

out there and do something great.