The School of Greatness - Success, Humility and Healing w/ Javier “Chicharito” Hernández EP 1435

Episode Date: May 8, 2023

https://lewishowes.com/mindset - Order a copy of my new book The Greatness Mindset today!Over the course of Javier Hernandez's 16-year career, he has gone from tabloid superstar in his native Mexico, appearing in three World Cups for El Tri, becoming Mexico's all-time leading scorer to date, and playing for the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid to presently, being the face of the best team in the MLS, the Los Angeles Galaxy. Javier is a representation of a new generation of athletes who are using their voice and abilities outside the field to speak about issues that matter, creating opportunities for others, and disrupt the status quo. Javier is much more than an athlete, he is an entrepreneur, a father, philanthropist, and mental health advocate. He is a positive and additive force in the sports, gaming and entertainment industry.In this episode you will learn,The importance of family support when you reach the highest level of success.To have a posture of learning and curiosity even while at the top of your game.To have complete confidence in your abilities.You will learn: Humbleness!The biggest price Chicharito paid to be a champion and see the success he has in his career.For more information go to www.lewishowes.com/1435

My friend, I am such a big believer that your mindset is everything. It can really dictate if your life has meaning, has value, and you feel fulfilled, or if you feel exhausted, drained, and like you're never going to be enough. Our brand new book, The Greatness Mindset, just hit the New York Times bestseller back to back weeks. And I'm so excited to hear from so many of you who've bought the book, who've read it and finished it already, and are getting incredible results from the lessons in the book. If you haven't got a copy yet, you'll learn how to build a plan for greatness through powerful exercises and toolkits designed to propel your life forward.

This is the book I wish I had when I was 20, struggling, trying to figure out life. 10 years ago, at 30, trying to figure out transitions in my life and the book I'm glad I have today for myself. Make sure to get a copy at lewishouse.com slash 2023 mindset to get your copy today. Again lewishouse.com slash 2023 mindset to get a copy today. Also, the book is on Audible now so you can get it on audiobook as well. And don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode. I don't think you get to be a champion. I think you need to become a champion since day one and prepare, work, give, pay prices, sacrifice, since day one. When people go through those emotions and those situations, they get started. Welcome to the School of Greatness.

My name is Luis 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. You know, I was talking with Martha, my girlfriend, about you today. And I was like, what do you think people would really want to know about the man I'm about to interview? And she said, well, he is arguably one of the most famous people in our country

and arguably one of the best soccer players that's ever come out of Mexico. And there must be a massive weight, a massive pressure to handle that success because people celebrate you and they cheer for you. But if something doesn't go, if you guys don't win on the national team or in somewhere, then all the weight, the pressure, the criticism comes back on you as well. So I wanted to welcome you to the show, but also start by asking that question of how have you learned to strive for a dream of being the best you can be, one of the top players arguably in the history of Mexico,

and handle the emotional weight of success and criticism at the same time? Wow. I wanted to give it to you right away. Wow, no, thank you very much. First of all, thank you very much for having me here. I've been telling you this privately, but I've been following you since a couple of years

and I've been watching this amazing project that you have and then dreaming about it, learning about you guys and your guests and stuff. And then suddenly I'm here sharing with you parts of my life, my whole life and the process that I've been through. And going with the question about the pressure, think that's that's one of the of the key things not only with athletes not only with like people who have jobs that it requires a lot of like fame and that kind of situations I think everyone comes from that pressure you know sometimes family pressure you know my country religion it's a massive subject you know, sometimes family pressure. You know, in my country, religion, it's a massive subject.

You know, then family culture as well. So every time you're trying to feel some expectation about people. In my case, for example, it was the other way around. My family always, always let me be whatever I want to be, right? Because I come from a very sport family, right? The father of my mother was a soccer player professional too. And then my mother get married with my father that is a soccer professional player too.

So I was the third generation of all soccer players. And they were the other way around. They always tell me whatever you want to be. But then... You fell in love with soccer. It was in my veins. It was in my veins. So I'm bringing you this because the first time that I experienced

that type of pressure or narrative about those kind of situations was when I was a kid. And when I didn't or I couldn't spend that much time with my friends because some parents of my friends start speaking bad about my success in that time or that i was a good player they always give the credit that ah it's because he's the son of of that guy really oh it's because he has some like help because of course their family is famous and stuff like that like if i didn't earn nothing right like if everything was given to me wow yeah that's a big thing to overcome when your father your grandfather is a is a famous athlete in

the same sport yeah then you have a leg up or they gave you an advantage yes so how did you overcome that first from from you know childhood from a young boy to overcome the narrative and kind of out beat your father and your grandparents you know how did you overcome that with a lot of mental fitness man and I didn't realize in that time my family my parents the advantage and your grandparents, you know, how did you overcome that? With a lot of mental fitness, man. And I didn't realize in that time, my family, my parents, the advantage that I have in that moment, it wasn't that I was playing because of my family,

the advantage that I have over there. It was that I learned from so many things that other people can't learn because they don't have those figures in their in their life you know my my dad had a career my grandfather had a career so they they know about the career they can teach you the knowledge exactly the things that you cannot see the things that you shouldn't be doing that much the things that you should invest more time etc right so one of them it was my family saying they always teach me like let's not avoid or let's not suppress like yeah those things are out of control we cannot manage them we are not we're not going to play to change

their minds you need to to keep going in the road that you want to be and they always ask me do you want to play professional soccer player that That was the main goal, right? Professional soccer player. Every single time I was, yes. And they told me, well, these obstacles are the ones that are going to make you stronger for those things, even when I was a kid. So being surrounded by amazing people or people that are in the same vibration as you,

it's key. It's key, man. And unfortunately, there's people, for example, there are kids over there that they don't have that problem. They don't have even parents. They don't have brothers. They don't have people around that. So it's very important, I think, to be so humble.

We were speaking about this before. So humble that you need to learn. And my family teach me that without teaching me that right because i always was i trust so much in them because my father like i have tangible evidence that my dad told me look i did this and it worked out and look son i didn't do this something that i should have have done and look look what happened. And look what happened to me. I could have had a better career if I didn't do this,

if I slept better, if I didn't drink alcohol. Exactly. Stuff like that. Situations, right? So that was the first time about depression because I was the son of, the son of,

and the grandson of, the grandson of. But something that was very beautiful inside my house, inside my family we we took that in a joking and loving way even my grandfather he did an amazing job of like saying look man like look man you cannot speak to me like one v one on until you do this in a very joking way in a very like son i love you i know you are your worth is amazing but of course you need to get there somewhere that you need to do to

get right so yeah that pressure and that situations I start a little bit living with that but man the only way that I learned it was I think the bravery of my family and myself to go for it and fall and fail right to don't achieve things that I didn't achieve in that time to feel the pain of growth you know the to be in the spot not people when you say to people be in the spot they imagine just a soccer player playing in the stadium does a spot no the spot is meaning those situations where things are not not going your way man when they tell you you are not good enough a lot of managers told me you are not good really a lot

of situations it didn't happen for me for example when i was 17 years old my teammates or the national team won for the first time a world cup under 17 and i was in the list of the 20 for example 26 players and just 23 go there. So I was just caught in the last minute. No way. And wait about that, Luis. One of the toughest but so richful moments that I live in this story.

Because that's painful. It is, but wait. No, but wait, what happens next? Because of course I'm cut out, right? And then they go and win. Of course, but no. Wait they go and win. Of course. No, wait, Luis. Wait, let me take you to this because wait,

it's going to get even more interesting. They're doing very good. I'm in Guadalajara doing my stuff and trying to, I say, like climb the ladder to get to first division, to professional division anyway. And you are watching on the TV

and news that your teammates are doing great.'s great then suddenly the owner of the team that I was that I was playing that time invite me and invite another teammate knowing that we were in the whole process but we didn't go there the national team but we were cut out my other my other friend was cut out because he got injured I myself it was because the manager just decide another player was better, right? Anyway, they invite us to fly private with our families to watch the final. And wait, you know my response when I was 16.

I said, no. No, I said, wait, I'm not going to go. I can't watch this, yeah. I watch it by TV, and of course, I can't. And that's why my family, it's been crucial in my life. Because my parents at that time, they couldn't go. Because my father was like a manager. He was a team.

So he couldn't go. And my mother didn't want to go by herself. So what they decided is like, let your grandparents, the father and the mother of my mother, go with you. And they convinced me in a very loving way of like, go, it's going to be a great experience. Wow. A great experience. They didn't say it's going to be fun.

They didn't say nothing. They said like, it's going to be a great experience. I'm not saying that my parents knew what I was going to feel. But they were like, man, they're inviting you, the owner of the team of You Want to Play Professionally, and it's a gift, receive it, right? Yeah. Anyway, we go there. It was in Peru, in Lima, I know the final. of the team of you want to play professionally and it's a gift receive it right yeah anyway we

call that he was in Peru and the Manoa the final you go there you see your friends before the match then you go to the match right you go to the stadium like we are in the stadium final Mexico against Brazil oh my gosh okay final first goal that the score was 3-0. Mexico won, right? First goal, amazing celebration, excitement. Nervousness still. The second goal happened. Still the same, like we're in the game. We're winning, et cetera. Luis, the third goal came in, and it was like 20 minutes to go.

When that goal scored, I knew they were going to be champions, right? Wow. I started crying without knowing about crying because that was one of the first lessons about these bittersweet feelings, right? Because, of course, I feel so much love, appreciation, gratefulness. My friends, like best friends are winning. My country is winning. But the bitter situation is like I could have been there oh man man and

then and then I was crying by myself and I forgot my grandparents were there he gets to my to my course till every time that I speak about this but my grandmother came and she was crying as well looking at me celebration of the third one everything and I remember she held my face and she said Luke son like Luke son right now it's not your time but if you trust in me like in the way that I know you do and in us your time will come trusting Right now, it's difficult to believe it. And I, of course, I imagine it's very difficult to believe it. But now it's when you need to trust the most.

And we just held and we cried because that was our moment of like, yeah, we're happy everything is happening, but it wasn't our time let's embrace it it's not like cry shut up and keep moving no it wasn't like learning how to go through emotions man yeah because it was painful of course of course it was painful right you let it out and you process it and then something else of course you go to the hotel you kind of yeah you kind of celebrate with your friends but but you cannot say it's like it's like when people invite you to a hotel, you kind of celebrate with your friends, but you cannot celebrate.

It's like when people invite you to a party and you cannot eat the cake and you cannot dance. And you are in the party, right? It's like, right? So that was the first time exactly that it was a breakthrough in my life about that. What did you do after that moment? Because it was a letdown, it was a disappointment,

it was a sadness, it was a grieving, it was an emotional loss, but there was a letdown. It was a disappointment. It was a sadness. It was a grieving. It was an emotional loss. But there was a win, and your friends are celebrating. They're champions. What did you do mentally and physically after that moment? Okay, physically, we traveled back to Mexico. And then, yeah, I went back to my house, and I see my father and my mother for the first time.

Of course, I shared the loss. We shared all the loss. And then I have a very crucial a talk with my father specifically my mother was there and my sister obviously but with my father my father asked me this he said son i know what you're feeling i know he feels like a loss he's always been very objective and he said But son it wasn't a loss and I was like he said it wasn't a loss and I'm gonna explain you why How many times we talked about you being world champion under 17 for Mexico? And he was like No, we never have that talk. Never even dream it. He said

These situations are extras and a consequence of what you are doing this opportunity couldn't happen if you weren't doing good in your club in your club and your dream if I'm not mistaken it's playing for the first division division of Chivas right I said like right and I was like yeah right so this is not gonna figure that it could help you I said it could help you to get quicker or better or the path could change, you know? But it's, nothing has changed. And tomorrow you need to go to play for the team that pays your salary,

that gives you all the tools for you to develop your talents and try to get to the first division. And I was like, wow. And I asked, and I told him, yeah, but dad, what I'm feeling, what I'm going to, yeah, I understand, but like, what I'm feeling, et cetera. And my dad said, look, this is going to make you stronger. And I'm going to tell you why. Unfortunately, in life, when people go through those emotions and those situations they get stronger mentally and emotionally and

it's gonna sound difficult but I'm I'm not happy but I'm glad you're leaving this because right now you are stronger than some of those players and he was very very critiquing this sense and I'm gonna say I never said it but my dad said look son I'm in me i hope from the bottom of my heart that those 23 players get to first division but i'm sure not even half are going to get there wow because i know the path i know how that life is and i know how everything happens right it's almost better that you you were top 26 but didn't get top 23. Exactly. Because if you would have sat at the bench and never played at all,

it may have been an even worse feeling. Like I'm sitting at the bench. Exactly, exactly. I'm sitting at the bench. I'm celebrating, but I'm not, okay, I'm good. Yeah. But you're not like feeling the pain of the loss, you know, of watching and being so close.

You're like, you're there, okay, maybe you can coast a little bit. But this really drove you, it sounds like. Did you just turn on a switch mentally and physically with your training and your mindset after this? Did you start training harder or what happened? Yeah. Look, something that has happened every single time in my life until today,

in that moment I didn't have the knowledge or the experience, right? And I mean, that's why school of greatness and this and these projects are made for it's like going through all of that release the stress release a lot of like stuff that you are like carrying it and it opens up energy now i can explain it like that with my experience. But at that time, I didn't know. What I knew was if I'm feeling something, look, if you're feeling sad, cry.

If you're feeling angry, let it out. Don't, with all due respect, but by yourself in a way, shout and that's it and you let it out. If you're happy, laugh, enjoy it, share. All of those emotions, my parents kind of teach me in a way. So after that, things start happening Louis a part of myself was a release I was like convinced of like okay my body's here they are right let's keep working I keep doing the same and the same and the

same and then two years later I go to the World Cup of all the twins same team even more difficult because in the under 20s for example in the under 20s. With the same manager. Same team, even more difficult. Because in the under 20s, for example in the under 17s, normally there's the limit of the age and normally everyone goes. But then under 20s in that time, they're one year older than you have the opportunity to go.

So it's more difficult to go. Because there's like two ages of players can go, right? And I go there. And I go to the World Cup. I score a goal. We didn't, we weren't out of quarterfinals or something like that. We lost against Argentina

with Kun Aguero, like amazing players. But then I go there. The resilience that I, that my family and myself show in that time of like going through that emotion, stay in the path,

and when it feels, or sometimes in these like path or tunnels that we call, even when you cannot see the light that you can feel, make yourself like, believe, faith. Believe that was it, that was it, that was it, that was it. And then I, look, and just to merge a little bit with your first question about the pressure people don't believe that my family was amazing of never ever make me feel that I have chief whatever I have achieved or if I play an amazing game and

score three goals to make me feel that it was like they always humble me really always it's not about pressure but they always humble me and I always create this process of like I know every time that I play a match regardless we are going to talk about the things that you can improve no matter what what you could do better so imagine i'm going out to cancel with my friends but i know as as as soon as i step in the car in my house or my parents are there we're gonna like review their match talk about it it. And I learned how a little bit, yeah, battle my ego. Man, when you're 17, 18, World Cups, you can score goals. Of course, you don't have those experiences.

You feel like you are in the top of the world and you feel like already made everything and stuff. And my family helped me in that sense of like, yeah, yeah, yeah, always like, like which is the goal and they teach me something without the words but I think with actions about like there's nothing is gonna be enough you win a match always want to win another one you score one you always want to write if you play one walk up you want to play more if you scored 100 goals now you want to score 200 so like unconsciously they teach me that like

always like amen there's always better things to achieve or to work for right so that's that's how I handle pressure and then we can keep going on my story because yeah then imagine that was a pressure in my family in my niche but then of, when I was 21 years old, my life changed completely. And then the entire country knew about me. And then I was representing the country. And it was like you explained it in the beginning, right? Sometimes if I don't score goals, it's like I let down my country, literally.

How does that feel? So this was a 21, you're in the World Cup? Exactly, in the 20, yeah, 21, 22. I just become 22. But before all that, they transferred me to Manchester United. Right, before this. So you're playing with Man U from Mexico. Yes, no, no, even no.

I was playing with Chivas, and I was the first player ever that I made the jump from a Mexican team to a triple A European team. Because normally in the past, the other Mexican successful players, they always went to a double A team or 1A teams, and then they start going to better teams. Exactly. I was the first one to make

a transfer from Chivas to Manchester United. That's crazy. No one ever done that, right? Ever. So that's why I became so famous in that sense. And then the World Cup happened. Before, in the middle of the transfer, they transferred like done that ever so that's why I became so famous in that sense and then the World Cup happened before like in the middle

of the transfer they transferred me they bought me but then I couldn't play with Manchester United until after the World Cup so you didn't play a game yet no

no because I was I was being part of Chivas it's like you made the transfer but you can play three months later right something like that and after the World Cup

so this was announced people knew you were going to go to man u it's like a big deal but then the world cup happens and you're 22 what happens in that world cup my change my life changed completely first of all when they announced the manchester united when i came back to an airport in mexico it's being until now I cannot like yeah going back to Mexico or I use a hat and now with the COVID mask glasses

or things like that I cannot come back my life changed when I was 21 literally it was like I cannot like

I get used to okay let me how I'm gonna handle it because I cannot go to airports and not because I don't want to be

with the people it's the other way around it's about security it's gonna take me two or three hours to be out there. Then security or things like that. Not in that time. So then I played the World Cup. The World Cup was fine for me.

And then I go to Manchester. You scored some goals in the World Cup. I scored two goals in the World Cup. The narrative was very good that I should have been playing more. It was very positive, et cetera. And then I go to Manchester and when I get to Manchester I start like seeing and learning that life is like everyone doesn't see the life that you see right why I'm gonna explain to explain to you. Because in my eyes, in my feelings, and in my brains,

I don't understand still people when there's one guy being in the top of the top of the top, and regardless if you like him or not, that you feel proud that a Mexican is there. I don't understand. I don't, Luis, and it's not in my core. I don't understand. I don't, Luis, and it's not in my core. Like if I see another guy doing great, I never feel threatened or less or whatever. It's the other way around. It's like I want to learn.

It's like, oh, what he's doing that is making him great. And it's like he's or she's in their own path. Let me learn. So that was when I was realizing like, man, I know things probably cannot go in the most successful way in the beginning, right? Because I need to get used to it. I need to play more. I didn't play as much in the first six months. But I was reading and seeing people speaking like,

yeah, look, he doesn't deserve to be this Mexican. And things like that. He will never play there. And honestly, I was speaking with my family and he was like, how? Why is this happening? They weren't celebrating you. Exactly.

And those supposed to be the people that I would love to feel the lifting up, the support of, like, no matter what, we support you, you will play. Like, be more positive in that sense, right? So I start learning of, like, oh, this thing of like Nothing is gonna be enough and everyone has their own their own opinion

So do they want you to deal with that? Do they want you to be successful in the Mexican national team but not leave? Is that part of it like the thing is successful and help the country but then if you go somewhere else it's the thing was that they're not like somewhere else that's too good for us? The thing was that, like, I believe that the thing was that a lot of people, I think there's a lot of people that they don't feel so secure and so happy with their lives that they use, because they are not happy with their lives and they are not at peace.

Of course, they feel and they see lagness, so they want to see that in front of me. So imagine a Mexicanican 22 years old playing manchester united and the only thing that they could be seeing is like he's sitting on the bench that's the only thing that we're talking about oh wow in the beginning right sure he cannot play wow and things like that so they instead of seeing the glass half full they were seeing the glass half empty but not because it was half empty. It's because now we realize that people, when people speak about you,

they're speaking more about themselves than yourself, right? But it was very, yeah, it was difficult, man, because at 22 years old, everyone is speaking about you in that moment because, of course, you are in Manchester United. There's a lot of people that they want you to be good and be successful and make the country proud and et cetera.

But then the narrative, a lot of other like the media and all kind of stuff start learning that the narrative, if I go against him, for example, we're going to create the narrative of the I hate him or I love him. And in my country, because of the soap operas, people love that. People love to see a hero or a villain. They love the extremes. So the narrative for some media,

what they say, okay, let's just, for example, in a sport program, there are four people. Two needs to go in favor of Chicharito. Two goes to against. Two, we have an amazing battle. We create ratings and everything goes up. So that conversation starts to polarize in my gosh. Two goes to against. Just a battle. We have an amazing battle. We create ratings and everything goes up. So that conversation started to polarize in my country. Oh my gosh.

But I understand. I said, now in my experience right now, for example, Luis, I can say, that's something that in my country I would love to change because there are people that probably you don't like what they do or how they do things but that doesn't mean that they're doing the things wrong if you don't like something it doesn't mean that they have a bad taste or it's not great you can be like you cannot like something that is great and it's fine for example if you give me for example a clear example beatles or queen a music queen hundred percent and the people people are gonna be the beatles and i understand and i can admire and say amazing music it's not for me but i'm not

gonna be saying no they're terrible look, do you see the difference? So that narrative with sportsmen, I mean, Martha as well knows that as well, right? She's as well one of the most famous actresses in her country. It's like, why discredit people just because? Probably you don't like it. It's fine to don't like me, but that doesn't take the fact

that in the story of my life, I'm in Manchester, man. I'm the first, and so far, the only Mexican player that have been playing in the Manchester United history. And I'm the only Mexican player that have won one Premier League and I won two. And I'm the only Mexican. This is something that I feel very proud. And we can talk about it.

I'm the only Mexican player that was a Sir Alex Ferguson player. Wow. The only one in history because he's retired. Wow. No Mexican ever played for him before. For him. You were the first one? First and last.

Come on. Sir Alexon that for me is the best of the whole history of managers you know and coaches so imagine that wow wow louis what was the the biggest lesson that he taught you that manager we first i'm going to tell you the most important one that that was without words in my imagine in my 22 years of life in Mexico not any manager or coach treat my family like Sir Alex Ferguson did really brother we are right the mexican family like like managers i'm not criticizing them what i'm saying is the way that sir alex ferguson welcome my family wow myself obviously but my family learning their names of my sister my father and my my mother, invite us to a lunch, but not a lunch.

And he even said when he came to the lunch, in the first lunch that we, because I met him before, but then my family met, and he invited us. He even said, we're not going to speak about football. We're going to speak about yourself and yours. Explain to me, I want to know about you. Wow.

Sir Alex Ferguson, man. Coming from Mexico, Sir Alex Ferguson. He's like a legend, a god. Doing that, like, making yourself like you're human. Like, of course, he's good at what he does, but he's still a human, like us. In some areas, of course, he's greater than other people, but we're still humans, man. We're still human. We're still human. We're still people.

So that lesson. And then the other one that I'm going to take with me forever because it's not even a lesson, but it's something that it brought me so much peace. And as well, a show, like his show as well, that humbleness he was He said to me when he retires He brought me into his office to speak with me now, and I thought he was like, okay I don't know what he's gonna say. He's gonna retire and the next season

It was like he retired like three three months before the end of the season So he was like I thought he was speaking with him with the players to say goodbye Right. So he invited me and I went to his office and we started talking. He said a small talk and everything and appreciated back and forth. And then in the end he said, look, I want to finish this meeting with something that I want to tell you. There's been only in my whole career four players that I regret. I didn't give them more time in my time because you deserve it and I took the decisions that I took already I'm not regretting it regretted

them because I thought it was the best for the team always but those four players he mentioned the other three you are in that category four places that I would have loved to give you more time because you deserve it and because of the way that you are and the way that you work and the love that you have for this club. And I want to say that I'm sorry that you didn't get that time.

Imagine Lewis. Wow. How old were you now? I mean, that time I was 26. Wow, so four years. No, 25. Three years into the year. Wow.

Those lessons, man. And then, of course, the way way that he treats the way that he managed humans he knew if Lewis needs Probably a little bit of like I'm gonna ignore you you don't need to talk There's others that they need to have a bottle or something like that There are others that you need to a little bit be more hard on them. But he knew how to manage 25.

But for that he needs to know people. And focus on people. Not only the sport, of course he knew about the sport. But how I'm gonna take, he knew that the most important part a part of tactics and the sport is how I'm gonna take the best out of my players and that's why he stayed for 26 or 28 years being the manager changing players and changing coaching stuff to through that time I keep winning it's crazy it's insane I'm

curious when you scored your first goal with Man U, after being in Mexico the whole time, transferring from Mexico right to Man U, did you believe that you were meant to be there with those players and in that league? Did you feel like, I'm just as good as everyone here? I deserve to be here? Or did you doubt yourself? just as good as everyone here? I deserve to be here. Or did you doubt yourself? And how did that first goal feel? Wow.

Look, Luis, right now I can be completely sure that in that time when I was a kid, because I said I was a kid because I was 20, like mentally and emotionally, I was 22. I was already becoming a man. But I mean like emotionally and mentally, I'm learning a lot about emotions, lot of stuff he was I don't want to look bad at least yeah right then don't

mess up at least right now I learn and it comes now from different different place, obviously. But in that time was like, don't mess it up, right? So that don't mess it up helped me to be aware of how I'm not gonna mess it up. If you don't know what's messing it up with what, you need to be very aware. So that give me an advantage of like, be more aware of all my teammates, about what they do, what I have to do, what probably I shouldn't be doing.

And then in the field, I'm a constant observer of what other people are doing great. And if it goes with me, I want to learn it. If it doesn't go with me, that type of decisions, I don't take it. Since I was a kid because of my family. So that's why I was like,

I don't want to look bad, first of all. And then that goal came in Wembley that it was even a funny one because the ball was a little behind. I slept. I shoot.

But then the ball goes, I shoot it, but the ball goes to my face and then it goes in. And then it goes in. It was even a peculiar goal. It went in, though. It's like, go!

It even makes, like, they impact more people because it was funny. Right. It wasn't like a clean strike. It's one of the transfers. First goal in Wembley, brain out competition. He scores. They won. How he scores, right?

Right. Crazy. So after that goal, yeah, I was like, yeah, I'm meant to be here. And that's something of like, I can. Of course I can. I can. And something as well that I've always been thriving, it's I can and I will. That's something that, yeah, my father and my family and myself always speak about it, even with the love languages and the way that you speak with yourself. It's like, it's different that you can, but you can speak and say, I will.

It's more brave to say, I will. And then if you didn't make it, be humble enough to say, I didn't make it. I didn't make it, yeah. It's fine. Yeah. It's fine. Yeah. So this is amazing.

I love hearing the mindset and the story behind this. And you mentioned early on that your family always kept humility within you, right? They focused on celebrate you, but also talk about what you can do to get better. Was there a game or a season or an experience or something in your career that truly humbled you? And in your life, when did you feel the most humbled? I'm going to take back the story way more because I'm going to explain you this type of humbleness that a lot of people don't know. Because I think most people are used to when you speak about humbleness that there's like a success so you don't you don't you don't levitate right so you think down for me was the other way around always is not is I never even though I don't want to say never of course we'll have moments that you feel a little bit hyped and different obviously we are humans but my

humbleness always was about self-confidence. It was the other way around. Did you have self-confidence? I didn't have that much. That's why the humbleness, because in my opinion, humbleness is not only about don't feel more as well as don't feel less. And in my life, it's not being about feeling more ever. It's the other way around.

Don't feel less. That's the humbleness. That was the lesson that i'm going to tell you right now those moments on my life that it was incredible the story about the world cup and everything then of course i got my debut and in my debut i scored a goal right and it was amazing but then but then since i got my debut we went champions in that time everything but since my debut just to put like a time lapse Since I got my debut, we weren't champions in that time, everything. But since my debut, just to put like a time lapse, two years, Luis, were one of the toughest two years in my life. Because then after that, I didn't play as much that I want.

I had so very difficult and unpleasant experiences about not being, for example, telling you you are not going to come even in the bench. You need to travel now in a bus six hours with the second team division but from one day to another back, like the stuff.

With Man U. No, no, no, no. With Chivas still. Oh, gotcha. This is before everything. Before everything. This is even after the World Cup

of the under 20s in Mexico. So, but the humble part comes here. Again, I was with my mother at that time. My father was traveling because of the managing work, right? So one time, I was supposed to travel with the first team. And in that moment, when you knew, for example, it was the locker room.

You know, you are 20 to 30 players in the locker room first division locker room okay but then one day before every match if if in your place you have a piece of paper it means you are like called up for the game you are involved you are in the squad for that game if you don't have the you need to go and ask like the second assistant what's gonna happen with me do you want me to like training tomorrow or you go and play with the other team or you have they suffer whatever right okay so that one is like I saw my shit over there so in those moments were like tiny tiny like victories for me of course it's like step of the ladder you know you need to be involved in the column then if you come in make an impact and then and then of course, okay. Then the next day, I come with my bag and everything.

And then I was changing and they told me, hey, the manager needs to speak with you. And okay, I go, so I go. And I was even thrilled, oh, he'll speak with me, probably. So I need to change. The other way around, he tell me, look, Javier, we did a mistake, my assistant, I say, so whatever. You shouldn't supposed to have this so

the thing is you need to go to to your house the problem is the second team already traveled so you're not going to play that weekend so tomorrow i want you to come and train by yourself with our fitness coach over there obviously but yeah right now we don't need you to train here so if you wanted to go home, like go home. In that time it was like wow, okay. And the humble part comes here. Because then my mother picked me up, we have chats and stuff and we were in the laundry room in my house because I remember and the humbleness that I felt the most humble was again, my mother told me, son son i've been talking with your father

i've been talking with a lot of people about like because of course we can have doubts that if you are not good enough we want to see it because as well that's like that could be a gift for you too you know to be in time to pivot you know and with all the objectiveness you are good enough your parent like your father sorry will tell you right if he doesn't think you're good enough i will tell you i've seen so much games i'll tell you if you're not so do that and now i want you son from now on he said i'm over and she said from now on no expectations I don't know how what do you need to do what you have to do I'm gonna be here to help you play for the love of the game don't forget the love of the game don't keep

trying to achieve love the game love the game go back and train like if you're already playing for division If you're the key player of that team play like that really like that feel like that I don't know how is difficult and again, you need to trust something things that Things that we cannot see things that they're not tangible. You need to keep trusting And she has me again you want to you want to be a soccer player a professional soccer player right now I would like of course. Yes, ma'am. Of course, right right so you need to do that so the homeless call was like she telling me find the self-confidence in these moments because when you score goals it's nice it's better it's easier but in those moments

where you are again going through pain through those ideas that you need to break because of course your ego is telling you you are not worth enough you deserve this blah blah blah etc stop so that moment was a breakthrough because that moment start slowly slowly putting in practice what my mom told me right and it's like do it for the passion go and enjoy it don't enjoy they tell you you're going to the bench oh like don't don't get the out don't give the power to the outcome give the power of the love of the game and giving everything so you know deep inside if you are retraining give everything or not right things can come your way or not but if you keep giving everything you are like she said she

always said this you are investing you are investing if you give everything no matter the outcome you can have bad trainings or good trainings but you keep giving everything and she said it in this way if you keep giving your heart putting your heart into every training you are investing and that was one of the most humbles moments moments, Luis, because I could, I felt, I swear, I felt, I don't even know how I did it because I was, I trust so much in my family, in them. And they were like a mirror for me that I had to trust to myself. The things start just, start like working out, working out.

I started playing more, I started playing more, I started playing more. And then the story that we already know. So that was the moment. Wow, man. In that laundry room. It's going to stick forever in my life. Because it was the other way around. That's why I told you.

Of the humbleness. It wasn't that I scored three goals and my mother tried to, hey, come on, come on. Hey, let's see it. Put your feet in the ground. When you were failing, she was building you up. Yes. she was building you up yes and I think thankfully I've been failing so much and I didn't avoid the failing the the failing and the feelings the feelings their feelings that come with the failing they like the consequences of

that were that I was able to grow and then to live the experiences yeah because you felt the pain you felt the sadness and then it made you focused and continue to have a good attitude and the world makes room for passionate people if you show up passionate with your heart to something every day of practice it becomes undeniable how valuable you are to a situation or a team or a relationship. So if you just show up with passion and a good attitude, if you've got the talent, people recognize it. For sure.

You'll have an opportunity. For sure. For sure. And I was, yeah, I was, I'm still am. You know, you saw me the other day. I'm so passionate about this. I love it. I love it.

It's good, man. I love it. Yeah, it's fun, man. Yeah. I'm so passionate about this sport. I love it. I love it. It's good, man. I love it. Yeah, it's fun, man. Yeah. I'm curious. Speaking about just soccer with Mexico, what is one thing you wish the country of Mexico really knew about you? Because they know about all the goals you scored and the World Cups and the Premier

League Championships and your father and grandfather, they know the Chicharito but what do you wish they knew about Javier? Look Luis I'm a believer and I think you too about that everything happens for a reason and they they needed to happen in that way right in our paths but as well I will say like in the past five years let's say more or less five to six years they are knowing parts of Javier that I didn't show in the past not because I was hiding them it was because I was I was believing to some of the noise of telling me how I should behave. That I'm still, but what people don't know is I'm still behaving in that way, but I am a human being.

I'm starting raising Javier. So if Javier as a human make a mistake in something, he's a human. If Javier or Chicharito don't score a goal, his value is still the same as a human being. In the business, of course, he's probably doing good or not good. Consequences will happen. But I am still a human being.

The worth of a human being doesn't come how much goals I score, how much money I earn, or how many photographs I can say, or how many autographs I can sign. That's not the value of a human being, right? So that's something that I'm doing now. So to answer your question, could it be like showing, be more authentic and more vulnerable earlier, probably?

And yeah, I think that will be it. But I'm doing it now, right? Yeah, you're doing it now. I'm doing it now. So yeah, I'm trying to keep it up. That's good, man. That's good, man. What do you wish the Mexican people knew about you that they don't know?

You talked about, you know, you're a human being, and yes, you know, your worth is not determined by how successful and how many goals you have and these things. And you're being more authentic and opening up in general, but what is it you wish they really knew about you? Whatever I can say, whatever I can do, whatever mistake I did, whatever accomplishment I did, whatever interview, whatever award, whatever action, whatever it is, it never, ever, ever, and I could say never that even though I'm not perfect and I did it like I said when I was a kid,

but I never felt that I have more value more value or less value than another human being I swear on my kids life ever if I did the mistakes is because I did the mistakes I'm human being if I achieved stuff I achieved stuff because it's not better I'm doing. I'm doing different things. I'm in a good way to achieve that. But that achievement doesn't make me going to bed and say, oh, I'm better than little Wes. Oh, I'm better. Because the only, I don't know how to call it,

but let's say the only person in the world that I want to beat is my ego really of course my ego is telling me ego is the challenge I believe ego something that I learned the ego is like uh it's like your rival in a very cool way so every night I'm trying like say I give everything I put my heart on it And I think we have a good battle ego in a good way. When it's very positive. And some others, you know, those days that are very frustrating them. And then you're probably like, okay, you won. Just today, not tomorrow.

So things like that. So that's something that I would love them to believe in the core. That I love to share you know me, Luis from one month ago I love to share and my sharedness doesn't come with being pretentious

or because I want to share it's so much love to tell the people that I love, I experienced this and if you learn from it, I feel even like, share my path, and whatever, whatever any, like, whoever wants to take even a small piece or nothing,

my sharing with the most love, it's something that makes me, like, makes me feel so much peace. So much peace. Because for me it's like, oh I learned something, I want to share it, and if that new skill, that experience, like the fun and the joy that I experience, I want people to experience.

So the only way that I want, I want to share it. So sometimes with this passion, as you can see right i can understand when people can miss misunderstand that cool cool look like a little bit present to us or a little bit like oh show enough i can understand but i swear it doesn't come from there it comes from a pure love of like like let me share you you know like i came to school of greatness man it's like i want to share it. I came to school of greatness, man. It's like I want to share it with my guys, not to make them busy the other way around.

Because as well, something that we talk about of air is, and you know this, I'm a believer that if I can, anyone can in that sense. I don't believe that I have something different I'm special than anyone the only thing is I learned to be brave and I think bravery every one of us can be brave I don't think there's no unless of course we know that there are people that probably they're diagnosed with some situations and all that stuff. But if you are completely healthy in that sense, we all can be brave.

Brave is not a quality that I have special. No, it's something that I'm doing that I hope a lot of people could do. Don't worry of feel the pain. Yeah, man. Feel the pain. Now I'm curious about the difference between the mindset of a champion and someone who never wins a championship. You've been a champion many times.

You've played against champions where you weren't the champion. You didn't win, but you played against other champions. You won championships. But you have a mindset of a champion what is the difference that you've seen of all the other champions out there and those that never win a championship or just never get the opportunity to because their mindset's not there what's the difference Wow, very interesting subject, Luis, because I think... No, no, because I'm trying to put it in this way, it's more tangible in a way, like more of a process, because I agree with you.

The thing is, look, I think if you, first of all, in my point of view, because that's what I live, is the passion about it. Honestly, if it doesn't make you feel scared while you are dreaming, in my point of view, you could do it good enough. But to get champion, to be a champion, because the passion and the love,

you know what love is love sometimes and most of the times so it's not only love love it's accept some stuff let go some other you know feel unpleasant moments so I think after the passion it if you deeply, deeply enough with your consciousness and your inside work, don't feel that it's tough emotionally, it's tough mentally, and it's tough physically, if you maintain that, that's the thing. The road to the championship, I think, it shouldn't be pleasant. Right. It shouldn't be fulfilled.

You should find the joy. But it's not pleasant. It shouldn't be suffering either. Don't get me wrong. It's not about suffering. Don't go to those extremes. But it should be hard most of the time. Hard even of like, I want to go and have a dinner

and this fear of missing out, you know, that kind of stuff. Probably don't having some relationships with people because they can drag you down or at least they're not letting you space for energy to just shine because you are not available because of course it's very demanding, man. It is. So we're one champion.

It is. I always said it that I gave my youth and like my adolescence, my puberty and a lot of things to the sport. Like I didn't leave them. I didn't go to too much parties when I was 20, 21. I didn't know how to engage women because I didn't have the practice, right?

I didn't have social skills because I was so... Focused, yeah, you were. Man, yeah. So I think, in my opinion, that could be a difference it's the process man it's a process and don't get me wrong and i learned this from from from canelo alvarez that i talked with him the other day he he was and i think he was right i never look at it apart of all of that if you are not completely critical yourself and you don't if you don't see talent and your objective with yourself you don't see talent don't expect greatness right right talent is a part of it

even if it's a small amount but you need to have talent for some talent yeah yeah some as well a part of all that structure as well you need to have the talent to be a champion yeah so love that i think that's it and I want I want to keep mentioning because that's a word that is like a mantra for me and that's something that I would say I'm be brave and the bravery people think is just a bravery to try to live the good experiences don't be brave to be in the stage right be brave to do yes that bravery I'm talking about the other bravery is like a embrace uncertainty requires a lot of bravery miss people love people in ways that probably are

not their ways that you want like they're not here like my grandfather is not here how I'm loving and I feel love to him. The relation that I have with a person that is not in this world, in this like simulation. How like be brave with those small battles daily. I don't think you get to be a champion. I think you need to become a champion since day one. I think you need to become a champion since day one. And be, and prepare, work, give, pay prices, sacrifice since day one. Just to put it like that, not since one,

but like since day one. What's the biggest price you've paid to becoming a champion? Oof, sorry. Oh, goodness. Ah. I did a tattoo here with my sister. That is just, of course, is just with my sister, but it requires the biggest price. It says, no matter where with her handscript it's don't be like don't spend that much time with the people that i love

don't spend that you didn't spend that much time yeah i cannot spend that much time with people i love because because a part of my passion, my purpose, for example since I moved when I was 21, 22 years old, it was my grandparents. I didn't spend that much time with my grandparents even though they traveled and stuff. I didn't spend in that time, example with relationships with friendships friendships like went away because yeah time we don't spend time you don't procure them even love relationships so they and don't get me wrong it wasn't because more of because i don't want to be alone it's not even like that solitude and even now more than ever i embrace it but it's it's a price to pay obviously that you

feel you of course you want to be with the people that you love and now i i broke up like this because regardless that it's not that something that i decide and i didn't like i didn't want to be like this it just happened for different things that I'm not going to enter in that very small details. I'm not spending that much time that I would love to with my kids right now. It's getting there. It's getting better. And I will spend that time.

And I'm not saying that I'm choosing championship because of my brother and my kids. It's not that way. But because even how everything happens right now, I'm choosing my growth, be a champion, feel a little bit of pain, missing them. But I know that far away and when they grow, this fulfillment, that's something that I want them to learn about their father I want them

because what I want from them I it's they I want them to be the best version of themselves they want to learn to grow to feel that love and the only thing that I want is I'm gonna love them forever but I want them to be competent and efficient so they can enjoy this life because it's their own life yeah so and I want them to feel this energy of their father a better version of himself right now look all of this you know and technology is gonna help in that sense but this is one of the other prices that I'm paying right now to become even a champion this season,

not being that close with them, even though they're going to come in four weeks, they're going to stay here and I'm going to spend time with them because I don't want them to be mistaken that it's not coming this of like I choose my career, my kids. It's not like that. It's the other way around. I did everything so my kids could be closer

and things out of my control that I want to speak about it, it's like it happened. And again, I've been more brave to accept some consequences and leave this type of stuff to grow. And like I told you, to experience all of this, to be stronger with the purpose that deep enough I believe

that my kids are going to be proud of the father that they have. Know about the success and achievement. Right. About the fulfillment, that energy, that frequency that I want to maintain every day so I can transfer that to them.

This is a really interesting concept because I'm assuming people watching or listening might have a judgment here. Yeah. But for me, there's this idea of creating fulfillment within your life's purpose and being a champion of your life. within your life's purpose and being a champion of your life, whether that's being a champion on the soccer field or not, is choosing to be having the most fulfilled version of your life. To me, that's a champion as well, even if you don't win the championship. And you're in an interesting situation because your kids are in another country right now. And I'm assuming that there are some people that might criticize you and say,

well, you're playing soccer, a game that you've already succeeded so well at. Why not just be in the same country as your kids right at this time for the six months or this year or whatever it is? But what I love hearing you say is you're choosing to have a full, rich life. And there is a sacrifice to that right now because of the situation the situation just right now the logistics of the situation but it's not the rest of your life exactly it's just right now and I did I did everything for them to stay here you know I do everything yeah so I can of course have both and I don't I don't think it's a bad life living in L.A. and growing up over here.

But there were situations, and I cannot talk about it, that they were out of my control. But I did everything. Everything economically, everything in a way of like, I want them to stay close. And I think we both can be here and have a successful and fulfillment life. Not successful,

fulfillment life. And our kids as well, right? But it didn't happen. So at that time when it didn't happen. How do you make the decision then to stick with your career about this joy

and this love that you have for one thing and not have both together? How do you make that decision personally? Look. Because I think it's a tough situation. It's very tough because I'm going to explain you. I'm going to tell you like this.

First of all, I compromise with an organization that is LA Galaxy. I give my word, first of all. Secondly, I did the best as I could. I did everything that I knew at that time, that I didn't knew, and I act very nice and very loving. And it didn't happen, the outcome.

And if you can see it, something that I take it and I interpret it like this, the stories that I've been telling you, if you see it, it's about patience, right? Trust. Bravery. Man. I think... No, it's not that I think no it's not that I think I know my kids and I were gonna have an amazing

relationship we're gonna heal whatever we both need to heal ourselves and I'm gonna be one of the best influences like we have very positive influence for them because they will notice they will feel and they will learn about fulfillment wow for me

and it's taking me because like you said the champion is like that my championship is not only the lifting the trophy lifting the trophy is the consequence of all of this

of the fulfillment of living your, of living your purpose, of living your passion, of going after what you want as well. Heal whatever I need to heal. Enjoy whatever I need to enjoy. Experience whatever I need to experience. But I know. Look, it's like this,

and it's not even a complaint. It's just an example because it happened. There were moments with my father, even though they're still together, my parents. I didn't see him that much because of his job. So just about the perspective that life wants to put sometimes, they're going to come, like, everything is going to be figured out. The message here, I hope, is not stay just in the easiness of judge things that you can judge

if you can under not understand if you can see it and feel it here that those decisions that we're talking about my decision about my kids but in every aspect of anyone's life in every different concept that's when the universe is telling you do you really you're attracting everything what if this is the price that you need to play what attraction how I realized that about the gut feeling and about that is not the pleasant one the most pleasant one was of course being touching my kids every single morning and every single day and every single night decisions needed to be made by both of us because we needed to split and then things happen and then we are like we are right now right and instead of staying as a victim and complain

be bitter i love them i decide to love i have another tattoo here that says in spanish love is my superpower oh that's beautiful how do you say that i'm mark amar is me super poder oh that's cool so it's beautiful man i choose to love beautiful, man. I choose to love, man. That's good. I choose to love and I choose the hard way that it's love. People think that love is nice and it feels easy. Yes. It's like, that's why I love love in that way.

Because, of course, you are a pioneer about this, right? It's like speaking about yourself in a very good way. Healing your past. Accept yourself. like speaking about yourself in a very good way healing your past accept yourself know yourself with your shadow right with your things that they are not incredible and you need to continue to master yourself right and that's I think when the love comes about when it's when it's not pleasant but it's when it's not pleasant, but it's richful. It's joyful, joy. It's not happy, it's joy.

It's like, oh, I know that sometimes I do this. Oh, I know sometimes I can do, you know? But then, it's not only about learning, it's about that you master yourself so you can control yourself. It's about power. That self-power. yourself. It's about power. That self-power. So that's why sometimes we are so inclined to take the decisions about the safety. And safety is people think safety is being yes.

And that's why the vulnerability is like a paradox, right? Because when you are vulnerable, you feel exposed that anyone could hurt you. Right now, thankfully, because of the times in our lives, the be vulnerable is telling you, man, I'm doing this with you. I'm crying, I'm speaking about my kids, I'm doing. That's vulnerability. But then, don't take me wrong, you see me play. I could be a beast inside as well, I know.

But that's the thing we all have done. It's how you master and then you are responsible of it, right? So anyway, just to finish like that is These two humans changed my life Alan, oh, you know, no, I'm a kid. I have that the two of them here. That's beautiful and this I hope people can see about this that Yeah, be a champion of your life requires a lot of bravery a champion of your life requires a lot of bravery, a lot of decision making, a lot of love, a lot of acceptance, a lot of vulnerability, and a lot of embracing uncertainty

and being certain the lessons your mom taught you for sure your grandmother exactly I'm curious about this topic of relationships because I don't know I know one other soccer player I don't really know much about football soccer I played it growing up but then I really didn't follow my right but I know it's massive around the world yeah I know it's people are crazy people are obsessive about the sport i understand in europe it's like that's all people watch it's a matter of life and death and families it's like the craziest thing right um and from my observation again i follow a few players online but it seems like there are some soccer players footballers who

have great relationships I see Messi with his wife and his kids and Ronaldo and a few players that I watch right and then it seems like other soccer players have horrible relationships now relationships are challenging in general of course it's hard for regular people let alone people at the top of a you know a professional sport. Why do you think, do you think it's easier or harder to be in a healthy quality relationship when you are a driven man at the top of a sport? What's your thoughts on that? Is it easier or harder?

Because I see Messi and Ronaldo, It's an amazing subject, man. It seems like they have good relationships, but who knows behind the scenes. I have no idea. People can post something on social media. But you saw these guys every day for the last 15, 20 years. You've seen guys in multiple leagues all around the world. Some of them have great relationships. Others don't.

What does it take for a great athlete to also have a great relationship? Okay? I'm gonna look I think and you don't to say names of people No, no, I think look Like you said it relationships are hard for average people and we can yeah and you brought

and you brought up something about like like partnerships and like and like that that type but even with the friendships and stuff

like relationships are key because imagine if it's difficult to know yourself accept yourself master yourself and then find someone

that it's in the same time time lapse in your life that you can have coincidences in time that I call it, you know, to walk together and stuff like that. It's very difficult. But look, man, I think something that people don't realize, and I'm going to speak about athletes in general. I don't know in USA because of the sports and because the system that they have that

you can have college, have different like environments, you know, when you are young. 95, even 98% of soccer players around the world comes from nothing, man. From even poverty, from not even like, I'm gonna speak about my father my father like my father was poor one generation before me sometimes he he needed to work when he was 10 years old to try to get some sense of a peso to try to eat something so I think it's just a matter of like of course of course like knowledge yeah knowledge you know you always try to do the best that you can well what you know

how do you know exactly that's why they're the word bravery because when you are as brave as brave as you are normally you put yourself in situations or experiences and they're gonna give you knowledge knowledge right so I think nowadays that's why I believe so much in meaning you and these people are they're being like pioneers because and I want to speak about it it's like sometimes people say just man up and i understand there are moments that you need to man up but if i show you vulnerability it's not weakness man because i'm showing you vulnerability i'm not telling you that that vulnerability is controlling me that's different like what i'm feeling i can show you that i'm sad i can cry that's not controlling me I'm feeling it as one thing and I show I'm sharing it that human so I think it's just a I think relationships with soccer players it's it comes about the

backgrounds man is difficult really coming from my country for example even though that I wasn't a rich family which I wasn't I was completely middle-class because my dad even though he was he had a very good career money-wise he wasn't a brilliant career neither even though that he played constant and then putting the teams that he played etc I was from a middle class so it's just about that I mean like I like I spoke religious is is very involved over there the ways of of the social like like like groups and culture that is in my country brings you like a lot of stereotypes a lot of how you need to be behave or or not exactly a lot of machismo but then as well the other way around as well they're women that they just are it's very they're women

that they're just looking to the surface as well right it's true as well it's man to relationship i always said it to relationships to broke up even though that you can tell me that someone did something both need to have responsibility it's true both men to approach a relationship project if it doesn't work both you did your stuff or you didn't do your stuff you did your stuff or you didn't do your stuff you allow stuff to happen you allow stuff to happen. You allow stuff to happen. Be responsible. Be accountable, man. Accountability.

Because that's the other thing, the other way around speaking. Like, normally, like you said it, what people hear, see, there's way more context about that stuff. And the situation for a relationship is as much accountability we can have. Even in the breakups,

could be in a more loving ways Because we are used to speaking of my country about the drama the fighting the soap opera always and don't get me wrong Men do a lot of mistakes and women do a lot of mistakes if we both want to learn about relationships We both learn about relationships and for that you need to know yourself because you need to be completely honest but that's the other thing that i believe that people are not brave enough i'm gonna tell you as well yeah brave enough to have communication brave enough to say what you want brave enough to accept that there are things that you cannot have the perfect situations that probably in a project that, these things couldn't happen right now because these other things are happening.

You know, agreements, love. But that's why I believe that you need to work on yourself. I believe when people don't agree about this, you work on yourself and then you share it. Yeah, that's true. You share it. I'm curious, of all the teammates that you've had

or all the people you've played against, and you're aware of, which footballer in your mind had the best family? Like the best relationships, the kids, like they showed and it seemed like they had the best family relationships with their partner and their kids. That you're like, wow wow they're really you know this is amazing it's beautiful a lot of people it was a lot even myself with my family for example the relationship that i still have like i think we all and a lot of players did because i believe as well in something that is that is the gray areas right we're very teach of, we have some like guidelines about how relationships should be.

And of course, most of the people like to follow the guidelines and it works for them. But there are others that they don't or the small gray areas, they want to add something that is not common or they want to take something out that is not common. So that's why I said relationships are, and that's a beautiful part of relationships, that they're two human beings who try to get along. Try to figure it out. Right, try to figure it out. Try to figure it out, man.

Whatever you want to figure it out. You want to get married, kids, not company, whatever it is. So that's why it's so beautiful. Yeah, it is. Because realistically, I think that the narrative should be like, learn from anyone, see whatever you want to see, take whatever you want to take. And don't take whatever you want to take.

There's no better or worse relationships. You know why? Because we're never going to know. Like, I'm never going to know what relationship it is, or myself, even though I can explain it to you. Because you need to

live it and feel it. And then, like always happens happens one person has one perspective the other person has another perspective yes and they're both right and true it's true from their perspective right perspective yeah exactly so a lot of people have a very good relationship with families with kids with partners a lot of sure yeah i'm gonna ask you some football questions um best team you ever played for oh my god you played a lot of great teams yeah i'll say i'll say no yeah the teams it's a manchester united and real madrid yeah i mean there's no other team above them. Best game you ever had. In your mind, it was your best game.

Ooh. Maybe you didn't score the most goals. No, no, no. Maybe you... One of the... Ah, this was my best game I've ever played. Look, from one to ten, I'll say I played like a qualification, right? Sure.

Number nine. Because I don't believe in the tenth. Sure. 10 i'll say i play like an uh like like and then like qualification right like sure number nine like i don't believe in the tenth sure but you say nine it was like the best but as well this the the the meaning of that game the one that i play with real madrid and i scored the winning goal on quarterfinals to the champions league to go through to semifinals of champions league because a part of how i play and a part of that i score the winning goal and we win and we get through the meaning it's there's nothing above those experiences the only thing is you need to maintain it right just like that's the the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of the best right i have world cups but i haven't played in a in play of world cups

right i scored a a goal in the round of 16s but we didn't get through you know argentina so this one the meaning was the champion it's like the dream that's literally the biggest the biggest championship and i scored goals with manchester united that gave me as well like a titles for the premier league as well but their leagues this one with the champions league and spain how the story was that i came that i shouldn't play that much i was alone did he has the capacity or not to do something they do like that and then i started play the whole 90 minutes and i was subbed in the last minute then i I scored the goal, and we win. And we won. So that was the game, yeah. What's the best performance of someone else you've ever played on a team with or against?

Another player. No, I'm going to say, yeah, it's very difficult, but yes, it comes easy, easy. I'll say a team was the team. For me, it's one of the greatest teams ever built, and it was the final that I lost in the Champions League against Barcelona. That team with Messi,

but the players that they were, I think they, of the 11 they play, I'll say the 11 of them, they were like almost in the peak of their career. Wow. The 11 of them. Real Madrid?

No, Barcelona. I was with Manchester United. Manchester United. We lost the final in London 2011. Wow. In Wembley 3-1 we lost. What's the best individual performance you've ever witnessed? Like playing, no?

Against or with? With and against. You were just like, this is unbelievable what this person is doing. Wow. They were just on another level. That's good. I'm'm thinking I feel very humble because there's a lot I'm thinking about a lot I'm just trying to choose one to learn. I'll say that Look I'm gonna mention players. I don't know There was there were a couple of games that Wayne Rooney I play with him and the way that he played the game like he was like like a master of all around in his position.

You can see scoring goals, making the team play well, assisting, defending, like a very well-rounded Wayne Rooney. Then I played, thankfully, with Cristiano Ronaldo. I saw plenty, but there was one that we played against Sevilla, and he did a hat-trick. It was like, out of nowhere, just boom, goal, and then boom, goal, and then boom, goal. It was like, wow.

Like, if he has magic powers to know where the ball is going to come every single time, you score three amazing goals, you know, with the talent. And the other one was Messi. Messi against us in that final that I mentioned to you. Those three players, that was in that final that I mentioned to you. Those three players, that was the three players that I witnessed

that I was like, wow. What is the biggest lesson you learned from each one of those players? Whether personally or watching them

or playing against them. One lesson from each one of those players. With Cristiano Ronaldo personally, that everything that has been said, I think it's it's being

underestimated because for example this comparison about messy that of course is a professional hard-working but has more talent that Christiane on how the talent of Christiane also imagine that how much value he needs to be if you have a guy who suppose because he has supposedly he doesn't have that much talent he's doing the same thing right right imagine if you are right because he has so that about him the professionalism the hard work and the self-confidence the self-confidence I've never felt something like him his presence presence the way they believe that he has in himself it's out of this planet then wayroni it's

it's like he played his whole career like he was playing the streets of Liverpool he's from Liverpool like with that easiness like with that freedom even from everything like don't believe in no one just believe in himself playing he has a he was very he's talented but he was very clever here as well way more than people think so that and then I think Messi I didn't play with him I played every single time against him. And it's just like, yeah, his left foot and the talent that he has. It's just like, yeah, it's artistic in a way, right? It's just like, wow, I play against him and you want to stop him and there's no way sometimes. But he was in his peak.

There wasn't a way to stop him. Really? It was impossible. But you were never defending, right? No, no, no. We crossed, but not so many. You just watch him. Exactly, watch him.

Yeah, exactly. Wow. And with Cristiano and with Wayne, apart from watching them because I play against them in national teams, I play with them. Right, right. That's cool.

Must be fun when you're up. Amazing. You're getting passes, but that's amazing. What is your biggest fear moving forward? Biggest fear and doubt that you face. fear and doubt that you face? The fear that I feel constantly it's like kind of not like not being present and conscious conscious being conscious about myself like I believe yeah I believe that yeah we say we because I believe in that body, I am or we are, we are not the voice that is here, we are the observer of the voice.

So that's the conscious, when you realize you're listening to the voice, it's like you are that, you are, that's you, that's you, right? So the fear that sometimes like I don't want to, I call it like I don't want to fall asleep in my conscious, I'm being in this automatic, automatic but like sabotage mode. Because you can be in automatic when you have great habits,

when you are loving, when you are present, you don't need to think. You are in auto mode when you are completely present and feeling everything, but it's in a positive way. So I call it don't fall asleep

in this like sabotage mode right That's we're afraid of Yes, yes This is powerful man. Yeah, I'm inspired. What's uh, I got a few final questions for you. Yeah, go for it What is um have all the time of the world? What is what is the thing you're most proud of that most people? aren't aware of? They're aware of all the championships, but what's the thing maybe people would think that you're not proud of that you're really proud of?

Three words. Yeah, three words. Three words. Bravery. Generous. three words a bravery generous I was gonna say and like yeah like humble humble humble yeah yeah I don... People that have met me, and it's very difficult to speak about this because I don't want to like... Do you know what I mean?

It's difficult to say these things because I believe that when you are saying you are not being like that in a world, and speaking about humbleness, but when you truly, truly, truly know me, it's like there's no evil inside me, man. And I've had so plenty mistakes that I've done. But never with evilness or I want to hurt someone

or I want to make someone's life difficult. Even though I know how to compete in my sport, like you need to take advantage of someone, and I can see weak spots in the sport to take advantage, and I'm very sensitive and I can see humans, never, ever have like, I wake up and i want to make i want to make someone feel like no it's just that i'm human and i did these things right so those three words i think like describe me in a way and people don't because of fame and because my sport and my job and the media and et cetera. It's just those three words. How brave I am, how humble I am, and how generous I am.

Yeah, it's beautiful, man. Well, I got to acknowledge you, Javi, for we've hung out a few times now. It's been, what, a month or two since I've got to know you? Yeah, thankfully. We've hung out, I don't know, five times now? Five times. Yeah, something like that. I've seen a couple of your games. You've been to my home.

You know, we've hung out outside of the studio, and it's been beautiful getting to know you, getting couple of your games. You've been to my home. We've hung out outside of the studio. And it's been beautiful getting to know you, getting to know your heart. And I want to acknowledge you for showing up fully for yourself, even under challenging circumstances. I met you when you were injured. I know what it's like being injured playing a sport. It's not fun. But showing up, doing the work, you know following a healthy routine you've done

that showing up the best way you can for your club showing up the best way you can for yourself for your family for your kids even though they're not here i acknowledge you for showing up with a positive light even under challenges and breakdowns and stuff you're going through man it's beautiful to watch you show up with passion, with love, and positivity. I appreciate that. So I acknowledge you, man. And I'm excited for our friendship and hanging out more. And hopefully we can...

Likewise, man. You are a pioneer about this and not only about myself, but about millions of people, you know, about this self-work that we all have to... Not have to do, but literally... I never use those words, but to, not have to do, but literally, I never use those words, but yeah,

we have to do, we want to just enjoy better this life. Absolutely. To have better experiences, you know, and just feel better, man. So I appreciate what you're saying because likewise, I admire you

and I've been so grateful to be here in this project, but a part of that is just start to knowing you as well and be how authentic you are over here and the same outside. Because, you know, people sometimes think, yeah, like us as well. You can see me in a way and then you don't know how real time people are. But I honestly, I'm grateful that you are so authentic and what you preach, you are. That's a beautiful thing.

I appreciate it a lot. Appreciate you, man. How can we so authentic and what you preach, you are. Thanks, brother. That's a beautiful thing. Thanks, brother. I appreciate it a lot. Appreciate you, man. How can we best support and serve you? You know, you're playing with the galaxy right now. Come to a game. Follow you on social media. Where do you like to spend the most time on social media and how can we support you? Look, right now, thankfully, I made a structure, and I'm working with a community manager,

like company, that they're helping me a lot. Normally, I spend more time in my Instagram, you know, sharing stuff. But then, something that I want to speak more about, it's my streaming life, kind of. Because apart of the streaming, of course, I stream on twitch i play video games i start a project where i'm gonna inviting people in a way just to talk and my my intention on your twitch on

my twitch my intention of that like like i told you of air my intention about that and i said it with my first guest that he was canelo alvarez it's mostly of course I want to invite Mexican people, you know, but it's to probably Create a narrative like a very positive narrative that for example, my eyes have never seen that it's like People who have gone through a lot and they put the name of Mexico on the top and they live amazing and extraordinary experiences you know chat hang out and empower themselves that it's that it's like that we get happy of the success of someone else because i think we lack of that in my country we lack of feeling happy that someone that you don't even know is doing great, but generally

happy and don't feel threatened, don't feel insecure, don't feel reflected or projected about your insecurities of them. Like, just trying to find the negative or find the lack of something, right? So that's what I'm trying to do. And I'm just saying it in that way because the message, not only because I'm doing it, I don't care if I do it whoever needs to do it it's like I have a culture get used to it of having

yeah more fun and happiness with the success of someone else or the happiness of someone else right

so yeah those are the ones and then TikTok I don't use TikTok personally that much because what we do is like normally

whatever it comes on my streams I have an amazing editor that put the videos of but I love the content you can see very profound content to you can see very funny content even laughing about myself and then video games and then this project that is called El Olimpo I think in English is called Olympus what's your twitch account my Twitch account is ch14. Gotcha. Same with Instagram. And Instagram is ch14 underscore.

Got it, yeah. We'll link it up for sure. Yeah, link it up. Yeah, link it up for sure. I love that, man. We'll make sure to link all that stuff up. If you guys are in LA, go to a game. Or if you're in LA Galaxy, of course, obviously.

Or if you're in the country and you're traveling to a game, then make sure to watch. And you like soccer? That's it, man. Oh, you are curious about soccer? Yeah, go check it out. How much is growing up in this soccer? That's it, man. Oh, you are curious about soccer? Yeah, go check it out. How much is growing up in this? It's blowing up, man. The ground is blowing up in this country because, yeah, I mean,

it's the most followed sport in the world, so why not USA should be following it? What's the popularity of the U.S. compared to football, basketball, baseball, hockey? Is it number five? Yeah, I think it's number five, but getting very close to hockey. Very close. It's growing a lot. It's it's number five or getting very close to hockey It's growing a lot. It's great. There's more clubs like Every year now this year's are noise like Austin. Louis is starting this year is a friend. They're doing amazingly Yeah, Austin was a couple years ago. Lafc was another one. It's like LMS the most recent were Austin

Charlotte Lafc is one of them You mentioned Austin, too. so there's a new one yeah that's great yes no no and every year like i think every year one new franchise come that's amazing so it's expanding yeah it's blowing up it's amazing man yeah it's blowing up man well i'm excited for you for the rest of this season i'm gonna have to watch another game or two um this is a question i ask everyone at the end called the three truths. So hypothetical scenario, imagine it's your last day on earth, many years away. You live as long as you want to live.

Accomplish all the dreams you want to accomplish. The beautiful family, everything happens. But you have to take all of your wisdom and content and highlight clips of videos with you. No one has access to your content anymore. It's all gone. All your Twitch streams, all your Instagram, gone. But you get to leave behind three lessons to the world. And this is all we have to remember you by. These three truths. What would be those three truths for you? Oof, oof, oof, oof. Okay. The three truths.

¿Cómo se dice three truths? Tres verdades. Tres verdades. Tres verdades. First truth will be... Yeah, even in that scenario, it's like, be brave. You just have one life. Be brave, for sure. Be authentic.

I believe in that too. Be authentic. And I want that too. Be authentic. And I want to do just a small context about that because people think that be authentic means sometimes to stand out in different ways or feel better than other ones and do different things. When you are trying to do something different,

you are not being authentic. Because authenticity needs to get out. Be yourself. Exactly. And if sometimes that authenticity looks similar as other ones it's fine it's just your touch so when you're trying to do different things you're not being authentic right you're you're just trying to stand out for not like i think pure reasons ah oof and the third one it's ah oof

and the third one it's never stop learning for sure in every sense mentally like emotionally

like never stop learning even when you feel that you're mastering something you keep learning even at least

consistency you need to learn, you keep learning. Even at least consistency, you need to learn how to learn. Absolutely. Learning lessons. That's it, man. Two final questions for you. One is going to be what is your definition of greatness? We'll start doing that but then it's infinite, right? It's never going to stop because there's no place to arrive. You start loving yourself, accepting yourself, and make, like growing, making yourself grow, like growth. That's my definition of greatness because then, then I've been listening these things from you,

from different people, women, and everyone who experienced like extraordinary things, it's like seeing the things the other way around. Then the outcomes are a consequence of that. Yeah. Of this. That's it, man. Yeah.

Love yourself, accept yourself, and growth. If you could leave a final motivational message to everyone in the world who speaks Spanish Si pudieras dejar una mensaje motivacional final a todos los que hablan español en el mundo, ¿qué dirías? ¿Quieres que lo diga en español? Sí, solo una mensaje en español que inspire a cualquiera que escuche en español. Cualquier cosa que quieras compartir. ¿Alguna mensaje motivacional? Sobre creer en sí mismos, sobre amarse a sí mismos,

sobre ir por... Sí, no, es... Mira, que nuestra cultura, primeramente, como mexicanos, está en chingona y también en toda Latinoamérica, que lo único que nos está... o uno de los mayores obstáculos para que podamos crecer

como cultura general somos nosotros mismos. Es el vivir en una mentalidad de víctima. Entonces, si asumes la responsabilidad de tu vida, pero también de tu realidad,

y te empieces a amar y aceptar y que eres capaz, no te lo tienes que encontrar dentro, capaz de crear esa vida que mereces poco a poco, ese es el mensaje que yo les quisiera decir y que desde lo más profundo de mi corazón, no hay palabras para que ojalá me puedan creer, pero ojalá con que una persona de verdad crea, pero ojalá con que una persona de verdad crea, que creo en ellos y que de verdad siento que cualquier persona que esté escuchando eso puede, puede. Que no será fácil y no será placentero.

Será doloroso y será muy complicado, pero que vale la pena. Que creo en ellos y que espero que ellos crean en ellos mismos. Sí se puede. Sí se puede. Claro que sí, hermano. Sí se puede. Gracias. Yes, you can. Yes, you can. Of course, brother. Yes, you can. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I hope today's episode inspired you on your journey towards greatness. Make sure to check out the show notes in the description for a rundown of today's show with all the important links. And if you want weekly exclusive bonus episodes with me as well as ad-free listening experience,

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