The School of Greatness - YOU Are Your Greatest Asset | Eric Thomas

Episode Date: January 2, 2026

Eric “ET” Thomas reveals the brutal truth he learned living homeless in Detroit: your greatest enemy isn't the world against you, it's you against yourself. He shares the moment he looked in the mirror and apologized to himself for the choices that led him to abandoned buildings and survival mode, and how that single act of taking ownership changed everything. This isn't about positive thinking or motivation. It's about taking back the keys to your life and refusing to give anyone else power over your future. Whether you're stuck in a good life that feels empty or drowning in circumstances you didn't choose, ET shows you how to stop blaming and start building the life you were meant to live. The path forward starts the moment you realize you are your greatest asset, and everything you need is already inside you.ET’s books:The Secret to SuccessGreatness Is Upon You: Laying the FoundationGreatness Is Upon You: Abandoning Average and Seizing GreatnessGreatness Is Upon You: How Sacrifice and Humility Positioned Me for GreatnessGreatness 21 (Character Bootcamp Book 1)You Owe You: Ignite Your Power, Your Purpose, and Your WhyIn this episode you will:Unlock your greatest potential by investing in yourself first before chasing external assets, careers, or relationshipsDiscover why taking full ownership of your life is the only path to freedom, even when others have genuinely hurt youTransform your relationship with yourself by becoming your own first best friend before seeking validation from othersBreak through the victim mindset that keeps you powerless by recognizing you are the common denominator in every situationMaster the difference between fact-based and feeling-based decisions that will determine whether you thrive or surviveFor more information go to https://lewishowes.com/1871For more Greatness text PODCAST to [phone]More SOG episodes we think you’ll love:Shaka Senghor & Christian HowesMuniba MazariMichelle Obama Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy!Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome back, everyone, to the School of Greatness. Very excited about our guest. If you want to succeed, as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful. We've got E.T. the hip-hop preacher in the house. My man, welcome back. It's been a while. It's been a minute. I got to say this.

Congratulations, man. You know, I was saying when I was talking to you, it's like 10 years ago. You know, and I remember because you were like, E, I want you on the show. And I hadn't really started doing podcast. So that was like one of the first podcasts, and I was like, but my mother, my godmother was dying of cancer. And so I was like, man, I can't leave and go, but I definitely want to, and you were gracious enough. Like, where are you at? I was like, I drove out to eat where I was like, I was like, I was like, let's do it.

And man, just to see your evolution, you know, over the years. And like I said, it was a lot of us that started during that time frame and to see kind of where you are to day and you survived, the resilience. Yeah, man. Bouncing back, getting big and stronger and better. They're like you ready to go back to the sports. Let's go, baby. Let's go.

Yeah, so, congrats, bear. I've seen that, I mean, I can't name all the people, but Kobe, I see my girl, Tab on the show, you know, and just to see all the people you had. Of course, I watch the show and learn from it. So, man, congratulations. Thank you. Appreciate it. Congratulations.

I'm excited about this because I feel like you haven't been out there a lot. You've been doing a lot of your own stuff for a while. for a while. So I'm excited because there's probably a lot of people who don't know your full story. Because you used to tell it a lot, 10 and 5 years ago. So I kind of want to reintroduce you to the world. And I feel like the world is at such a unique place right now as we go into 2025. Yeah. And it almost feels like there needs to be a massive mindset shift for everyone to take back ownership of their life. Absolutely. To take the full. responsibility of their life, cannot rely on other people to give them opportunities,

but to go own their own opportunities by creating and having a clear vision. And there's a few things that I want to talk about that you have, that I've seen you share some incredible strategies around mindset. I'm going to dive into in a second. But for those to don't know, you were at one point living homeless, you know, a long time ago. People probably don't know this about you because you used to talk about it but it's like you had a season of life where you didn't have any money you had no education you had no opportunities essentially living homeless yeah struggling trying to figure out what you're going to do with your life yeah and and i don't think people remember this about you because they see the success they see them the coaching the speaking

the the massive following the new york times best seller they see all these things now but 20 years ago you weren't in this space. No, I definitely wasn't. And what was the space you were in back in the day when you were living, you know, without the opportunities you have now? And what was the moment you switched your mindset that allowed you to take different actions

to start creating your own opportunities? Yeah, so I'd say, it's the mindset. Like I had a victim mindset. You know, it was, my mom got pregnant at 17. You know, my biological father wasn't in my life. You know, I didn't go to the best. best schools in Detroit, you know, I wasn't in this environment. I didn't have, like, everything was about somebody else. You know, it was like the outside, inside theory, you know what I'm

saying, which is terrible. It's like everything that's supposed to blow me up and take me to the next level has, is somebody else's responsibility. Like, it's something that is going to happen or somebody and it's going to, and it was like, yo, E, like, why are you in this abandoned building? Like your mom's not here. Your biological father. No, he's not in your life. But he didn't get pulled over by the police officer. And the police officer doesn't know the counselor or the principal that kick you out.

It's like, but there's a common denominator here. There's a common denominator. And you homeless, your mom's not homeless. Your biological father's probably married with a family somewhere. Like, yo, is that right or wrong? Who cares? You are living in this abandoned building. High school dropout.

You're on your way to. And so when I look back, all the anger and the frustration and the hurt, it was all blaming. Everything was about this person or that person or this person. Nothing had anything. I never even realized I was where I was because of who I was. And I was actually getting the physical manifestations of my thoughts, of my feelings, my emotions. Like, I was creating this and didn't even realize. I thought my mom created it.

I thought my finally created. It was like, no, you created this. And I'm going to tell you the moment I realized, you are the greatest common denominator. You're probably the least greatest. Like, you're the common denominator. Once that realization hit me, it was like, oh, okay, you got some confessing to do, bro.

Like, and I'm going to tell you the hardest thing that I've ever done. Somebody asked me the other day, like, what's one of the hardest things you ever done? The hardest thing I've ever done was look in the mirror and tell myself I was sorry. Sorry for what? I was sorry for what I've gotten myself in. to the choices that I made, you know, okay, yeah, you, you, you, 12 years old when you find out

that the person is raising you is not your biological father and your mother lied. Absolutely. Bro, that's not necessarily best circumstances, you know, for a child to be born in. Like, your mom lied about who your father is and you know your father and don't even know you know your father. Like, you've been around your father. But you didn't know he was your father. I didn't even know he was my father. Wow. I'm with his mother. My grandma and me like this. I'm with his sisters. I'm with his brothers. My aunt said uncles.

I'm hanging out with them every day. And so the realization of like, you know, not only you get lied to, like, it's been manipulative. It's been deceitful. But what do I do,

how I run away from home at 12. And I'm living in garages and living in my friends' homes. And this vicious cycle of every time something goes wrong or every time, you know, I'm confronted by this reality. That's not your father.

is run away from home, it's run away from home. And at 16, it's like, okay, Mom, you just flat out lied to me. Everybody told me you lied. You keep telling me you didn't lie. You go tell me when I got older. I'm like, I'm out. But it's like, when I looked in the mirror, it's like, why did you have to take, why did you have to leave? Your mom, you had counselors.

Why, when you sat on with a counselor and they tried to walk you through the tools and the strategies to get on the other side of this, why were you in the, don't talk to me. You ain't my mom. Don't talk to me. You ain't my daddy. Don't talk to me. I don't want to talk to y'all. These are professional counselors who are saying, yo, we can't. You're going through a lot. But we're here to help. I don't want counselors at school, principals, teachers. I'm just now insubordinate. I'm an evil, mean, mean, mad. And I looked at myself in the mirror. It was like, why was that the choice? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You got to talk to me. I know why you made the choice, but why did you make that choice? We know what the choice was. You're right way from all. You always run from conflict. You always blame somebody.

But why? And the reason why is because it was easier to put it on my mom and my dad than for me to have to do the work. And so the Eric Thomas that you've seen, the NFL, NBA, commercials, whatever. That dude is the dude that looked himself in the mirror. It's like, yo, you owe yourself an apology. And not only that, you owe yourself correction. You owe yourself change. Wow.

You need to be taught. You need to be trained. you need to become a better human. And now that was one of the most difficult days of my life was looking at myself, correcting myself, telling myself I was sorry, and then moving forward saying, now what are we going to do from this point?

So the growth you see is the response to, are you repentful, meaning you're about to change or are you sorry? And I'm like, no, I'm not sorry. I want to repent. And I want a better version of me because I shouldn't. What's 16-year-old? to be living in abandoned buildings.

He's not a trash cans. Like that's not, it's not healthy one. It's not safe in Detroit to be in abandoned buildings walking. It's not safe. And I had put myself in so many situations where guns were pulled out on me. You know, people would break into the abandoned building and take my belongings from. It's like, E, what are you doing? Like, come on, bro.

This version of me had gone all the way. It was like, if you don't, if you don't stop. Wow. And so, yeah, that's, I'm glad you did it because, like I said, I don't talk about that anymore. So it's interesting you just said that because the future you had to have wisdom and kind of speak to the younger you. This version of you at this age, you know, 10, 20, 30, 30, 40 years later or whatever is speaking to the younger you and saying, wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Greatness is in you. Dang, man. This is fascinating, man. Was it like an intuition that got you to wake up or was it like just rock bottom?

that was like, okay, I can't go any lower in my life. Now I need to wake up. Okay, so I always think it's a combination, right? So it is. It is a rock bottom. But this is a blessing because rock bottom turning to go to church with my boy, right? And go to church with my boy turn into I start dating this girl, right? And I fall in love with this girl, you know, and this girl becomes almost like my first coach.

you know and she's saying to me now I never forget she called me to her home she's like my mom's not here I'm like praise God she's like can you come to the house I was like well sure yeah I'm 16 17 17 I'm like we're like finally like this church girl and finally you know so it's like you'll come to the house now this was pay phone day I get to the house and she comes outside I'm confused like why you come outside and she's like I want to talk to you I was like okay we could talk but can we talk in the bedroom you know and so she's like no no I'm serious I'm like I'm serious. She said, do you love me? And I was like, whoa. Like, we kids. I'm like 17, almost 18. Like, do I love you? Like, I don't have no other girlfriends. If that's what you're asking me,

but I don't, do you love? She said, no, no, no, do you love me? Like, is this serious? And I was like, yes, serious. She said, well, I just got my acceptance letter. And she showed me. And she said, when I go to college, if you don't come up, come with me, I'm breaking up with you. And so it was twofold. It was, I was right bottom. But this relationship was like hope. Like when I was with D-D-D, it was almost like I wasn't homeless for that time frame that we were together. Wow.

You know, we were in church together. You know, I got a job because she made me get a job. It was just, you know, we would do stuff together, concerts. We would do stuff together as kids. We would downtown Detroit. It's a restaurant called Nickies, right? Greek town. So we were in Greek town on the weekends.

Like, I was living life. And I was like, whoa, she's elevating your life. I'm like, bro, you rock bottom. And the only light you have in your life is saying they go and they're not And look bro, I'm just being real I'm not the smartest guy in the world But I'm not I'm not stupid

She's not gonna go away and get a degree And come back looking for a homeless kid Four years from now. It's not going to happen No you know and so it was it was right She saw a grade and senior year But you had to do the work I had to do the work and I did the work I went to night school I got the GED I followed her to Oakwood and we've been married over 3rd

You feel me? And so it was like, it was a combination of rock bottom and hope. And when you put those two together, it was like, I had something to wake up to something to look forward to. So I'm going to be real. That's why it took me 12 years ago to 40 degree because I never went to college for college. I went to college. I went to college for Didi. Wow. That's why I went to college. And so once I got to college and we got married, I was like, yo, I got what I wanted. And she was like, okay, we're going to have to do this again. Yeah. I can't be with you if you don't finish what you start. Wow. And I started to go ahead and this business and get. And I started. And I started the speaking career, you know, in the middle of that as well. There's a lot of like

pressure for people to accomplish certain things by certain agents. But it took you 12 years to graduate college, right? So you're in your 30s or whatever. 30. Absolutely. And then you're 44 when you got a PhD. Yeah. Yeah. What do you say to some of the younger generation that feels like they're a failure if they don't accomplish things by 20 or 25 that they feel like they're supposed to accomplish. So here's where, here's where I went with that. One of the dangerous things is the outside, inside theory. It's dangerous. Because what you're doing, whether you know or not, you are comparing your journey and your life to somebody else's journey and somebody else's life. Like, you don't even have, let's just be honest. You don't even have the right context to do

that. You don't know why they're doing what they're doing. You don't know, like, what their strengths and weaknesses are. So you compare yourself to somebody that may have strengths that you don't have like they've not they're nowhere near who you are yes and so you're comparing yourself so this is why I believe for those of us who finally get it it's the inside out like everything we do starts from the inside and then from there we kind of say oh okay I'll see my boy louis he doing x-y but I'm not doing it because you're doing it but I'm calling you you're kind of said e and the industry this and so I'm using the information you're giving me to build my journey not I'm trying to be you and so what I realized was yeah there's some kids that

can come and graduate in four years because they took K through 12 series or not to be disrespectful there's some kids that can come and graduate for four years because they're going to get a job you can't come and graduate in four years one because you didn't take K through 12 series and you're about to be one of the greatest speakers ever it's going to take a little longer right it's going to take a little bit longer to develop you so my man on a four year plan but he might no disrespect but he may settle into a traditional life and so for the four years that's all the days. But if you are about to be Eric Thomas

that I didn't even know I had the capacity. You're talking about the school of greatness. God was like you have to be in a school of greatness a little bit longer. You have to be in a school of greatness a little longer. Why? I always say, you know, and everybody knows it. But when you're doing a swing shot, the further you pull it back when you let it go.

So for me, it was like, I was like, it's going to take 12, not because you're behind. It's going to take 12 because that's how much time it's going to take to develop you. So once I release you into the world, now you're going to be able to do phenomenal stuff. Let's go. So I can't compare myself to the dude that's just going to get a job somewhere,

who's just going to settle. And all he's caring about is his life. You know, he's not necessarily creating content or writing books that are going to change the world. He's just trying to take care of his family. So 40 years works for him. So now I'm comparing my life to a person who is not even trying to accomplish what I'm trying to accomplish. That's dangerous. Dangerous. Wow.

But I mean, what about the people? Going back to kind of your story of the victim mindset. You know, your mom lies to you about your dad. You don't see your dad, you know, banning warehouses. You know, all the problems, inner city kids, struggle, getting kicked out of school, struggling. You had everything against you, right? And I told on nothing. See, I'm glad you said that.

Okay, so I got you. So that's the outside inside. So that's the, you had everything against you. No, the greatest problem was I was against me. Oh. That was the bigger challenge. But most people, most people have both of that. I wouldn't say most people, but a lot of people might be listening or watching who might feel like the outside has been holding them down.

No question. Their parents have been holding them down. Their school, their teacher, their coach doesn't give them the opportunity. No question. Their boss is holding them to whatever it might be. The economy is holding them down. 1,000 percent. Where I live is holding me down.

The president, the government, it's all holding me down. It's holding you down. How does someone get to a place, and maybe it's true that things are holding them down? They're absolutely true. Right? Maybe it's true. Yeah. But what I'm hearing you say that living in a victim mindset or living in an outside, inside theory, will not help you get to where you want to be.

All I'm saying is this. They have the potential only to hold you down because you. you're allowing them to hold you down and you're seeing it they're holding down let me tell you the one thing i wish i can go back all my mentor was everybody everybody told me and they were right look bro i'm not saying that they were wrong you need to get a degree you need to make some money you need to do whatever but what they taught me was that my greatest assets were um real estate my greatest asset my greatest asset was a degree or a career nobody ever told me i was my greatest asset yeah i'm my greatest asset yeah it doesn't matter what i look look

People act as if if you grow up in a house where your parents are rich, you're automatically, bro, we can look at people who grew up in wealth and are messed up. They own drugs too. They make bad decisions too. Unfortunately, they take their lives as well. They check out. Brah, it does not. So people think money environment or you have both your parents in it and you get, so you think

your story is, it doesn't matter where you come from. If you don't activate you, the environment doesn't matter. matter anyway. Great environment, bad environment. If you're not activated, if you, I sit here sometimes and I could whip myself. My grandma used to whip. I could whip myself. And why do I say that? Or I'm sitting in the school of greatness. Like, no, we were together 10 years ago. I'm still standing. I'm mad at me because I, like you said, I got a PhD at 44. I could have got one when I was 34. I just didn't. I thought, you know, and I, when I go into the schools, I tell all this, everybody leave principals

counselors everybody leave listen to me kids this is 2024 y'all got the internet y'all on tic-top y'all blew tic-tac up and i knew it because adults are on LinkedIn and

LinkedIn made no money TikTok billion internet Instagram why because these young people are there I said when you show up to anything it blows up here's my problem you're in the school and you're failing why because you're waiting for the teacher to teach you The teacher didn't teach you

TikTok. The teacher didn't teach you how to play YouTube or call duty. They didn't teach you how to do that? You did it on your own. Why? Because you wanted to do it. And anything you activate, anything you do for you, it's going to blow out. But you're waiting for some teacher to teach you. When you can pick up a book, you can go online and learn on your own. So in this environment, you are absolutely, you're not reaching your fullest potential because you're sitting back or what's the teacher's job. It's the counselor's job to tell me

when I'm supposed to graduate and what classes I'm supposed to take and then what degree to get and then what job to get and put me in the right job but she's not call the duty there's no school council there's no teacher there's no principal and you own there with people from all over the world and y'all plan and communicate competing and listen to me these kids are so dope and they don't realize how dope they are they did something with video games that we never did they turn it into a career you can make much but i'll plan video games I hate to date myself with joysticks. I know it was joysticks, but when it was joysticks,

you couldn't make millions doing it now because of these kids and they're taking this thing and giving it a life that it never had before. Anything you touch when you know who you are, believe who you are. I kind of PhD. I don't say that like on the bragging. I say that because if I got a PhD,

that means I could have finished high school. But I wasn't in school. I was just there because my mother dropped me off. Like I, I wasn't immersed in it. I wasn't excited about it. I wasn't enthused about it. And so it's like, now I'm enthused about life in my life. And now I realize, yo, your mama don't got no, whatever she did.

That was just to get you start. That's like on the swing. When somebody push you and get out the way, you, they don't, the swing doesn't work if that person keeps pushing you back and forth. It only works if they push you, they get out the way and you do your feet. And so it's like when I showed up and said, Eric, the government. the way you come from, your dad not being in your life, your mom being young, that has absolutely nothing to do where why you can't read.

You can't read because you are lazy. You can't read because you don't take it as serious as you take playing airmental football. You shouldn't be playing in environmental football. He should be studying. And so when I start taking my life serious, wow. Again, I mean, I say this with all, you know, sincerity.

I'm in one of the best podcasts in the world. And not only that, when people were asking about, I was like, oh, no, I got a relationship. Like, this ain't what you think it is. This is not, to your point, I don't do podcast. Like, I don't have that media schedule where I, you don't see Eric Thomas on different shows. And I remind people, don't get a twisted, I can't be on shows. That's just not my thing. So I'm not here to date just on some, I'm going to, I'm going to hit.

Louis Biden, then I got this podcast, that's not what this is about. This is about a friendship that I'm tapping into and saying, man. It's good to see you alive. It's good to see that we made it. It's good. I still remember the red shoes with the red shorts. Yeah, man. And we're in there.

It's just kicking it. And now I'm like, yo, this is an enterprise now. This is on a whole other level. Not saying what you did two years ago with me was nothing. Sure, sure. I'm saying this and it still be alive and it still be welcome. Yeah, man. It's like, yeah.

It's beautiful, man. This is what happens when you realize you're your greatest. asset and you tap into you nothing wrong with real estate yeah yeah nothing wrong with investing the s&P 500 but at the end of the day you have to be the first thing that you invest in and if you invest in you i just believe there's nothing that can stop 100% and investing in you and being willing to stay consistent in the long run absolutely because we were just talking beforehand it's you know we we met 10 years ago we've done a lot of stuff together you've been on the show a few times I've been to your events. You've spoken to my events. We've helped each other with book

launches and all that stuff and just been fans of each other over 10 years. And we've seen a lot of people in this space come and go. You've seen people try to come and they get a big hit and then they fall off and they don't stay consistent. And we've continued to stay consistent. And I think what both of us do really well is we have a vision of our of a future that for ourselves in the world that we live into. We speak into that. and we constantly invest in our own personal growth. You know, you're always growing, evolving, transforming, changing, whatever you want to call it. And I feel like we have to hold ourselves to that standard.

Otherwise, it could all go away if we don't. And so it's, and I'm curious, you know, for those that are listening or watching that are still thinking, you know what, it's just too hard for me. The world's against me. Like I hear what you're saying, E, T. I know you did it. I know people like Oprah did. Like all these kind of outliers, it's like, that's only for a few people who can really break through and create the life they want. My parents really didn't show up for me or I was abandoned or I got cheated on and abused, the sexual abuse and physical abuse.

I know what you went through was pretty hard and it was tough and inner city, but what I'm going through is even harder. And it's just, it's too much of a weight. It's too hard. It's too much friction to eat healthier, to get up earlier, to be consistent. It's just too hard. Do people need to think about motivation in order to overcome themselves and their problems and their challenges? Or do they need to think about being more disciplined to overcome the weight of the world they're feeling? Yeah, I say both they are.

But to your point on the discipline, you need to be more disciplined about your minds. What do the people need to be thinking about with their minds? So here's the deal. You already in pain. get a reward for it. It's just like, look, do we in favor. Everything you say, you're right. But why go through life with whatever people did to you when you were younger or a young adult

and then you have to live with it for the next 40, 50 years? Like, why would you sit here and all the stuff that you said was absolutely right? My daddy wasn't there. My mama did this person did to me. Why would you let them destroy your life? Let's go. Why would you let them own you? Why would you allow that thing they did to hurt you,

now I've defined the rest of your life. Yeah. It's like, no, I was in pain. It's real, but get a reward for it. So for me, walking into, first of all, driving here in a car service, getting to L.A., walking in this beautiful facility, seeing the other businesses that are here,

I'm like, I'm proud of you, bro. You made it, E! You could have stopped. That's the homeless boy, and nobody would have tripped. Your daddy wasn't there. Your mom was 17 when she got pregnant. All the negative that happened, to you. Eric, we understand. Bob, understand. Let me tell you, one of the things that just blew

my mind the other day. So, you know, we were fortunate to own a home in California on the Hill, right? So we got this property. We got the basketball court with the logo, all the companies that, whatever, and I go outside yesterday, and I see my wife and my son playing basketball. And I'm thinking to myself in California, on the Hill, looking at all these beautiful properties. Yeah, man. My wife and my wife and my son, I'm playing basketball. And I'm thinking to myself in California, I'm thinking to myself in California. I'm thinking to my, I'm thinking to my wife. I'm My son are outside whooping. Dream life. My wife was like, I want to work out.

My son was like, I didn't even know. She was like, I'm going to play basketball. I'm like, I can't do it right now. And I'm listening to a voice. He came home, heard the basketball, went out with his mom. I'm like, yo, my son, 29 years old is spending time with his mom as an adult male. He could be anywhere doing anything. He's with his mom.

Her firstborn, they got this bond that I don't have. And they're out here hooping. And as I look at the property. I'm like, yo, what if the 16-year-old Eric Thomas would have staged the 16-year-old Eric Thomas? So I'm saying for those who are listening, get a reward for it and then do me a favor. Don't just think about you.

Like, do you know that my son and his mind? This is where you, like, this is where you start. Like, he got the son of the pool to work him. He's starting somewhere I've never started. The cars, the Rose Royce, the Escalade. Like, he's starting somewhere I didn't start. Why? because I didn't stop where I started.

I didn't stop. I was like, okay, this is where we started, but this is not about to be my end. And so his beginnings looked told. My man, went to Michigan State and was a general manager for Izzo. He traveled the world. He's got a final four winning, the elite eight ring.

He's got the jack. He sat under Coach Inzo, Hall of Fame coach for four years, Coach OG. He sat under these guys. Like, some of his boys went to the league. There's some of them still in the league. Like, he got that because,

I didn't go, I quit because my mom, my dad did, so I quit, I give up. This is worst thing ever happened. I was like, you get a reward for it. And so to see my son, I'm coming to a concert tonight with my daughter. Listen to me, like, I didn't give up. And so I'm saying to everybody, we all go through pain. Some of us go through pain and it becomes our tombstone. Some of us go through pain and it's a scar.

And we live a life of reward. So I'm just going to say, again, 2025, do me a favor. check you. So you're in the ballot box and you're looking at all these options, doctor, lawyer, teacher, well, whatever you see, president, mayor, governor,

do me a favor. Before you check off any of that SMP 500 real estate, before you check any of that, check you. Before you check anything, check you and go look yourself in the mirror and go,

yo, I'm my lottery ticket. I'm my ticket out of the neighborhood or, you know, I'm the broken curse. Like, whatever you want to call yourself. But the day I stopped saying, my mom, my dad, this person, the police, the count, the day I stopped doing that, the day I said, you, do you think anyone can have a beautiful, amazing life if they live in a blaming mindset? No, no. You know why?

Because what I didn't realize as a young adult is that when you say it's somebody else, whether you mean to do it or not, you give them the keys of your life. You give them power over you. They got your whole life in their age. because you said it. You said it. They didn't do this and because they didn't because they got the keys. Now, I'll be honest, the reason why we don't want to take the keys because we got to drive. We got a drive. And I told you today, I was like, I got too much to do. I normally drive. I'm like, I got too much to do. And it felt good to be in the car driven. It felt good. Yeah. Like, I'm going to phone talking to my wife. We haven't worked in doing our thing,

making a couple business calls. Like, I don't have the responsibility of the traffic. Paying attention. I got bad tension. He moved. He moved. He moved. I'm going to do. I'm going to do. I'm moved over and got, I was like, why is he stopping in the middle of, but it was a truck was going on. So he had to move up. I didn't know what was going on because it was the first time of my life that I wasn't really like responsible because I normally drive. And that's why people don't want to drive in their lives. They don't want to be responsible. It's so much easier to say, my life is messed up because you did this while. You did that. Once you take the keys now, you got to go anything. But I'm going to tell you this. This is why I like it. While it's more

responsibility is more freedom. It's more independence. It's more control. Opportunities. They limit it. The limitless when you take the keys. And so I took the keys in my life and said, my, thanks. Dad, thanks for not being there for me. You gave me a dog. You gave me a passion. You gave me

a resilience. You taught me how to make it when the very thing that's supposed to be there for you isn't there for you. And I tell people, would I want? Some kid asked me the other day. He's like, man, when you say you're, Your son is lucky because you're in his life and his mom is in his life. I said yes and no. I say yes, he's blessed to have his mom and dad, but he ain't got that dog.

He doesn't have the hunger? He ain't got that dog. My son is a great kid. But he doesn't have a drive. He ain't got the same drive I got. And that drive came without some stuff that I had. That stuff came from lack. And so I say to anybody, you got to, you got to understand it could go either way.

But when you take the, you take the, it's like I walk into a school and I ask, how many of y'all, 50 kids? How many of your kids in here? A thousand kids. How many of your dad's one in your life was not living in the house? 90% raised in mind. And guess what? I automatically can relate to him. That's the Genesei qua that my daddy wasn't there.

That's the it factor. If my father had been there, I might not be able to go in here and relate on my videos and go viral. People are like, okay, maybe if I just had aired voice or if I just scream and I just look Yeah, yeah, bro, that's not what that's not what it is. It's when I speak, you hear it because I've been through what you've been through. Wow. And so you recognize that voice. You recognize the pain.

You recognize the struggle, but you recognize I overcame it. And that's why you're like, I want to rock with this dude. Because this one ain't some kind of way Eric ain't the one that's making us feel like, oh, it's okay that you went through this. And it's okay that this. And it's okay if you don't want to grow. And it's okay if you don't want, no, what you hear from me is. as a coach that's saying, Jordan, you got six rings in you,

but you got to stop playing this way and you got to start playing this way. Kobe, you got great, but you got to do it this way. Serena, you got a Venus, you got to, Daniel, Richard Williams is saying. He's not out there just, he's teaching, training, but he's also correcting. And so for me, they hear my voice. I'm not letting you get away with murder because greatness is in you. The greatness is in you. And now it's time to go to school.

It's time to go to work and bring that greatness out of you. So just anybody, anybody could be successful. But as long as you're playing the blame game, you have given permission, the license, registration, the keys, you give it all over to somebody else. And the day you take it is the day that you can start deciding which direction you want to go. Wow. So it sounds like step one, take the keys back to your life. Take the keys back.

What would steps two and three be for setting people out for their ultimate life? What would that beginning process? Is it get clear on a goal? Is it start with motivation? Start with discipline. Like change your habits. What would the next couple steps be to set up the mindset for success? I would say step two, and I don't know why they don't teach this in school.

Be your first best friend. You know, like get to know you. We're so busy wanting to be. in a community that we don't realize we are a community right and look i'm not trying to be deep you know people could you know you believe this you don't believe in this but what i was taught you know in school especially catholic school it seemed like adam was by himself first it doesn't seem like it was like somebody else it was like adam was first and then whatever happened after that so the first man was by himself and i think that's important for those of us who

study that why because all of us think we have to have somebody to be somebody and this guy started on his he started his journey on his own before he connected with somebody he whatever he knew his purpose you know he he walked in his confidence he walked and a lot of us are going I hear people all the time oh well I'm not doing good life why not I don't have nobody I'm not in the relationship I'm saying you're telling me no listen to me very closely do you think for one minute that getting in a relationship with somebody is it can be the key because so many people have gotten in relationships and gotten out of it. So that can't be the key.

Now, two healthy people, not perfect, but two healthy people coming together, oh, no, that's different. It's expansive. But guess what has to happen? You've got to be healthy with you. You can be with this. So we even messing each other up when we have two dysfunctional people trying to connect with each other because we think two functional people going to come together and make each other.

It's not going to work. So I just think the first step after the first step is you got to figure out who you are and love you and feel good about you and show up in the ring you and not care when nobody think about you and that's why this this relationship has worked so well for me over the years because when we're together it's never been a thing of e why you do that or e why you do that or e why you do that it's always been like e you have a unique set of skills that make you great you have a unique set and so we've always focused on what's our unique skills and what do you know that I don't know and how can you help me get to And so a lot of these young kids are joining things they shouldn't join and being with people because they think their happiness is going to come from being with somebody else.

And I just think if you, if you be, eagles aren't trying to, they just are eating. They're not trying. Lions aren't, what do you think about me? What do you think about my war? You think I'm too loud when I roar? They're not concerned. And so I think step two, figure out who you are, love you. And step three, figure out your North Star and wake up every single day going after your North Star.

Because when you have a North Star, you know, and the people that you love and you spend time with have a North Star, have a purpose. And that purpose might be, we both have people whose purposes are help us with our purpose. Yes. They don't necessarily have an individual purpose. Like they felt like they were called to help us to serve our mission. That's it. So we need a North Star so they can know what their purpose. start yeah so that would be my my third one it's like you've got to figure out what makes you happy

and again i'm not saying there's anything wrong with um first time i did a behind the scenes coming in here just because i was like to my patreon community like yo y'all need to understand where i am and what's going on but i don't if you follow me on instagram or or tick wherever i'm on you don't see behind the scenes i think that's a phenomenal tool to show other people what but my wife is private so so for us that does not work she does not want to be seen in the line line she doesn't want to be in Dubai and stop and go let's take up let's document what we're doing she doesn't like that so for some people it works but I don't have to do that to still find a space right there's some people you know they do tours right I don't do tours

that's not I used to do them I don't do them now there's some people that write books some people don't write books like it doesn't matter but what matters is you have to find a thing that wakes you up at three o'clock or six o'clock or ten o'clock like you got to find a thing that brings the life out of you the joy out of you the happiness out of you and you can't do that following somebody else's north style so my last one will be mad figure out what you was put on this earth to do and i mean every single chance you have to do it do it and when you're not doing it enjoy your life my son was like dad um i'm tired i say you're tired you burnt out for what look at your mom and dad you work for the family company what are you doing

well i've been up the last six days working 10 12 hours i said for what would you be doing that for like why wouldn't you take advantage of the you said what should i be doing i said you should figure out what it is you do he's a designer right you should be designing clothes Monday Tuesday Wednesday whenever five six hours a day and then Saturday Sunday or Friday Saturday because of your family you should get a trip somewhere and go spend it with a friend. You should go see the, you should go to Italy. You should go to Rome. You should go to South Africa.

So you should go to the Gold Coast in Australia, son. What are you doing? Like, you should work. But a part of work also is where is your play? You should play. We worked hard so you could be back. So don't be like us. We grew up in a working class home.

We grew up in Detroit. We grew up, Brooke Cloud. You're not blue coffee. So go enjoy your life. Be balanced. So I'm not just saying fine. You're no star in terms of what you've been called to do for others, but there should be a healthy amount of time that you spend enjoying your life, you know, and enjoying the little time that you have here. We both know. We won't be doing this podcast 100 years from now. Sure. We don't know how much longer we have, but I won't be 154 sitting down time. So however much time I have left, I need to work hard. And I need to enjoy it at time. Absolutely.

That was a beautiful, man. I've heard you talk about a concept I want to share in a second. But I feel like there's a group of people we've been talking to. You've been talking to that are the people that maybe don't have the opportunities they want. They don't have the life they want. They feel like people are holding them down. That's one group. Then there's another group of people, which I feel like is a majority of people that have a good life.

It's okay. It's good. but they don't they're not living a great life for themselves they got a good job and they're pretty healthy got a decent relationship but something there's like something missing i think if you can if that resonates with anyone listening or watching comment below or leave a like if you feel like yeah my life is good but i feel like something's off you have this great concept called creating a mental rock bottom to push yourself towards your goals can you share more about kind of some practical steps of creating your own mental rock bottom so that you can go to the next level in your

life? Okay. I want to use the term that you use and you said create. And I just think so many of us have stepped into careers, that group. We have worshiped create, career is more than we worship create. And so the first thing I was headed that group is what would life look like if you did it on your terms? Because right now you're really not doing on your terms. What you've done is say, yo, if I want to survive, if I want to strive, this is what I have to do. And you have allowed people to tell you, okay, you need to be an engineer or you need to be a, and you need to move in. So you've done a phenomenal job and being obedient.

You've done a phenomenal job in complying. Yes. Like, you've done a phenomenal job. You follow the rules. Yes. Congratulations. You know what I'm saying? Like, you didn't rob a bank.

You know what I'm saying? Like, you haven't done anything illegal. You did exactly what a good child should. do. And I have a daughter that I have to get on her sometimes because she's that child that's like, yo, dad, what do you guys want me to do? And I, and I- She's obedient. She's obedient. She's obedient. She's not bad stuff. I said, do me in favor. Don't always be obedient. Like, you need to sit down and ask yourself if you weren't thinking about the family's name. If you didn't, if Eric Thomas, E.T. The hip-hop preacher was not your father. What would you be doing? What would you be doing

if you didn't have to worry about honoring, you know, the dynasty. And you do a phenomenal job of honoring this dynasty. I'm not taking anything. Went to school, handled your business. You've never been in trouble before. We've never had to spend money doing anything. You've been a phenomenal child. But what would you do if you live life on your terms

and you were able to go where you would want to do? And so that's the first thing I would ask them to do. I want you to think about your life instead of the life. Because that's what you've been thinking about, the life. Now, think about your life. And I want you to start putting it everywhere. Now, the next thing I want you to do is I want you to know that if you have the ability, like I never forget, C.J. was like, okay, you know what you're missing that the big boy, all the big boy speakers, you know what you're missing. I was like, no. He was like, the New York Times bestseller. Now, I'm not telling you got to do it, but I'm saying that's missing. That's one of the, you know. You got it. So he was like, first of all, do you want it? Do you want it? Don't do it because I'm saying you need it. But do you want it. And he could elevate you, but do you want it?

I was like, yeah, I want it. The next question, because what does it take to do it? And then am I willing to do what it takes to get it? That's it. Because it's a lot. It's a lot. But here's the thing. I believe if you think about it, it is only because somewhere inside of you,

you have what it takes. Now, capacity is there. Williness is something totally different. Yes. That's different. But I want every human to know. You wouldn't be watching the school of, you wouldn't be watching or listening to the school of greatness if you didn't believe you were

great. I'm just, for real, you wouldn't be spending time with this man on a regular bank. I'm telling you, I wouldn't be going to Columbus. Right, I drove to Columbus. Brough, it's not a, trust me when I tell you, it's not a, you don't get off the freeway. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not 65 and you get up. Why did I go? Because this man is great and greats want to hang with greats.

I need y'all understand. Look, y'all, you know. may not know. Listen to me, I've got no mad suitcases that I still carry this day because he gave him to me. Like, I didn't buy new one. I've carried the exact same ones that he gave me. And my son bought a set because I had a set because it reminds me of him when I travel. It's like greatness, great. So you wouldn't be watching. You wouldn't be locked in. Some in your spirit has you tuned into this bad because you know you're great. Now you've got to say to yourself, and my, willing to cooperate with the greatness that's in me.

And then once you do, and you start consistently operating in that, you're going to feel good about it. Here's what you have to do. You have to understand. Andre DeShields, I think, said the top of one mountain is the bottom of the next. Wow. So you get to the top of the mountain, but you understand the GED was just one, the 40 degree was just one.

The master was just after the PhD was the New York Times. After that, it's the assessments, it's the training, it's the training, it's the coaching. I'm in masterminds. I get coached. Yeah. Right. And so it's this idea of yesterday's greatness can't be enough because I'm alive today. So if I'm alive today, it must be some more greatness in me. And it's my job, like the two-faced, is my job not to just look, I don't know about you, but I would just use a little bit up and get another one. I'm getting the last drop. I'm squeezing and I got money. I'm squeezing that two-pace. Why? Because I'm trying to get everything. thing after two before I go to another.

And with my life, before I get out of here, which is why I could murder myself, that I didn't realize at 12 that I was great. And that's why I said you got to check in 2025, you, 2025, right? Because I didn't know I was great. And once I checked and realized how great I was, I was like, bro, we're going to keep doing this.

And to the day we died. And so I would just say to you, you're watching, you're in this space, you're reading his book, you're going to his conferences because you know it's in you and it's time to stop being lazy and it's time to it's time to activate you i love that man well here's the thing why i think a lot of people might stay stuck is they they allow their feelings to keep them in place of frustration you have this great example that you say execution should be fact-based not feeling based but people feel the overwhelm of the economy or the government or their parents

or their partner or whatever, the responsibilities of the world, they feel anxious, avoiding, overwhelmed, burnt out, like doubtful, insecure, and they allow feelings to consume their inaction. So how, what's an example of how someone can shift from being driven by emotions into fact-based actions towards their goals? It was what you teach, man, the meditation thing. People don't take it serious. Yeah.

This is the time to get control of your mind. And for most of us, our mind is in control of us. So when you talk about meditating, it's like this is a habit of the grades. And one of that happens of those individuals who are not where they want to be is I'm not trying to be funny, but it's like lazy. To absolutely meditate regularly is a discipline. It is, man. It's not easy. It's not easy to get control of.

You're, I'm like, where did that thought come from? Right? So, so, God, let's go back to the 12-year-old that found the birth certificate, right? We found the birth certificate. We found the birth certificate in the emotional state. Oh, yeah. We found it in an emotional state.

Listen to me, I'm not the first kid who has ever gone through this experience. And you know what? I had to ask myself in that mirror at 16, 17, 18. I had to keep asking myself, when you saw it, Why did you see it that way? Why did you not call your mom and say, Mom, you wouldn't talk about this? Why didn't you go?

Hey, Mom, the counselor, can we go sit down and talk to the counselor? Hey, Mom, call Dad. Can we just sit down? And listen to me, I went from, I can't believe that you would do me like this. I went from a ball of emotions to living in the abandoned buildings. It was the most, it was the stupidest decision I had probably ever made. I put myself in so much danger as a. 12-year-old, 13-year-old, homeless.

Based on emotions. Only emotions. So the same document, nothing changed about it. But if I could go back as this adult and look at that, I would look at it as facts and go, wow, your mother protected you. Wow, your mom loved you so much that she didn't want you with your biological father because she thought he could be a threat. Right wrong or indifferent. Your mom didn't do this because she was trying to hurt you. Your mom did this because she was trying to protect you.

your mom brought you into a family your mom didn't try to hide you i did it she wanted this man to be your father he didn't he changed your name and gave you his last name wow he treated me as if i was his own wow wow he didn't lie he made his family treat me as if i was and don't ever say anything about my past because my past has nothing to do with him making a decision at the courthouse to be my dad wow it's the same document what emotional the other one is factual your mother loves you your mother cares for you your mother's trying to put you in a healthy environment your mother has a job your mother married somebody who was a former gym he has a job he has a college degree he played basketball he's a responsible man he protects his family take care but emotion wouldn't

let me be rational emotional would let me think rationally it had me irrational so i would say when you make emotional decisions you get emotional consequences but it takes meditation It takes controlling of the mind to say, how should I behave? How should I think in this situation and what's going to give me the best outcomes? And I'm going to be honest, I've learned we can save the emotions for when I'm looking at the nomad bag and going, man, that's my boy. Thank you. Why would you even buy me?

Like, what would make you think of? And this is a perfect gift. You know what I'm saying? Like I didn't think to buy suitcases for myself. That's where the emotion should be. Me coming in and seeing you hugging you. what's something fam but when it comes to business yeah when it comes to being a leader and a decision maker we're not doing emotions we're doing empirical evidence wow we're doing facts what does the

facts say what does the research say what does the evidence say okay and based on the research and the evidence this is the game plan let's go it doesn't matter how you feel yeah yeah don't matter man man i love this yeah uh again if we're we're talking about really developing developing kind of a bulletproof mindset when the last five years for a lot of people has been a lot of stress and overwhelm anxiety in order to have a more powerful resilient mindset how important is it for not just me and you because I already know the answer for me and you how important is it for everyone to have mentors in their life so everything man listen to me I never even thought about being a multi-millionaire or a billionaire I was in a room with Warren Buffett

I didn't even know how much it was worth when I was in the ruins afterwards. And then this all started making sense, okay, now that I know who I am, you, 2025, like check, I know who I am. Now it's, oh, real estate is a way? Oh, so you mean to tell me that being a blue collar, okay, that's what my parents knew, but you don't make a whole bunch of money work yet. You make more money when you put your money to work. Oh, that's real estate. Oh, helping kids who are talented, figure out their things. talent and taking a percentage?

Oh, okay. I didn't even know this stuff exists. Got it. And so it is important. Bob Proctor pulling me to the side. How much do you charge? You should be charging. Les Brown calling me and said, I meet you in Orlando.

Les Brown, sit me down, talking to them. Listen to me. Coach it is everything. Why? Because I just said, think of Michael Jordan without Phil Jackson. Right. Think of Venus and Seruania without Richard Williams.

Like, yo, I just want you to pitch a Kobe without Phil Jackson. Think about Tim Groot without, Mike without. Tim Grohry. Come on, not Tim. Where would he? So coaching is critical. Here's what's going to blow your mind. When you get to our level, you really need more coaching.

Because we didn't exhaust it, all the stuff. You really need coaching. After Jordan won his first championship. He didn't say, I think I've got to figure it out of my own. I don't need a coach. He said, let me find. Tim, to train me. Let me find the mindset coach, the recovery coach, you know,

make sure we're getting to the next level. They said, I read it, but it's research, I'm almost sure it's true, that LeBron, look at LeBron what he's doing right now. It's amazing, man. Bro, a 40, a 40, check him, Duncan, on 20-year-olds. Whoever had the arguments, you know what I'm saying? Because there were those of us who was alive.

Yeah. We watched George do his thing. But, bro, when LeBron is doing right now, but when I do my research and not emotional about, oh, how is he doing it? No, when I do my research, he spent a $1.5 million on his body, recovery coaches, meaning dietary coaches, everything, meaning mental and emotional coaches, acting coaches.

Like he got on. And so you see the decision he made. And you see, okay, yeah, he was great. But that investment that he made in himself, and now look his son is in, and then he got another son as pop. These are decisions that he's making. He's not emotional.

These decisions are based on facts of experts. And then we're seeing the outcomes of it. We're seeing the numbers that he's putting up at this age versus the, and nobody's ever put these kind of numbers up at this particular age. So we all need coaches, you know. And so that's why I've made a decision that E, the one area that you need to step up in, speaking is good, traveling the world,

but you got to the same way people open up doors for you and walk you through, you have got to do the same thing. I've literally the last two years have had a small group of people that every morning I wake up with and I train them for an hour every single morning. It's amazing.

And what's amazing about that is to see the difference between people I coach and people who watch me online. Wow. It's a different. You're watching me online. You're getting the motivation,

but you're not getting the daily schedule. You're not getting the things to do list. Yeah. You're not getting the mindset. You're not getting the analytics. You're not getting the blueprint. So it's like you're watching and then you are interpret.

And this is why I think audio books are good, but I think training with our books are good because people will read our books and interpret them in a way that we didn't intend for to interpret it. Yeah. So when we do the training or they get to come to a conference where they get to watch the podcast,

they're really investing more to what was he really saying? Yeah. And if they can do what you're saying, that habit, they can get the outcomes at me and you get. Yeah, it's also being around other people who are in that mindset, who are pushing and you're seeing them grow and it's influencing you to grow. And the community aspect of we're getting coached together, we're growing together, we're working our goals together, all that stuff. I wanted to ask you a couple more questions before we wrap up.

Again, we're going back to the 12-year-old you who's down and out figuring about your dad's not your biological dad in your lives, your mom lied, you know, challenges in life. and we're talking about where you're at now. Where do you think you'd be without a spiritual relationship with God in your life over the last 30-plus years with all the ups and downs? Where would you be in life right now, the E.T.U with no spiritual relationship. I'd say he'd dead. I'd say dead. Really? Yeah, because I was an extremist. You know, everything I did, I did it to the fullest. You know, so I think I would be dead, honestly.

I would say this to simplify for people, because sometimes we, You talk spirituality. It's just, for some people, it's just too deep. I would say to you, what happened when I, you know, made a commitment to God is that I connected with the person that made me, that knew me like nobody else knew me. And he coached me from the 12-year-old to nine. He coached me. Wow.

He's like, bro, I know you. I made you inside out. I know what's the best environments for you. I know who's good for you, who's not good for you. I know your temptations. I know your vices. You know, I know your good habits, your bad habits. and just let me teach you.

Wow. You know, and so it was maybe five, six years of fighting. Resisting. Resisting. You know, because he introduced himself to me at eight. And I guess maybe it was too young, but homeless, I was like at 16, like, okay, I'm ready to get coached. Where's that coaching program you said? I'm ready for that coach.

And so from 16 to maybe 25, you know, it was like, okay, I'm going to come to coaching some days, some days. I'm not some days. I'm not. And then my son was born. I was almost 25 years old. Jalen was born. And Jalen was born in 1995. I turned 25 in September.

He was born July 20th. And when Jalen was born, it was the day coach said to me, this is why I've been trying to train you. Because I wanted you to be the best father you could be. And so you miss him, you miss some classes. You miss some lessons. Your son is here now.

He needs the best version of you. Wow. We can't, we can't, we can't repeat the mistakes of the past. And so I need you to hurry up. And so when Jalen was born, from that day forward, you know, I remember when he was born, I held him. It was kind of like he looked at me. Like, you're the person that's going to take care of me. Wow.

You know, and that was the day. And this is what a lot of you are running from is the R word. And I get it because it's tough. Responsibility. Oh. That was the day where it's like, you got to be responsible for somebody else. Yeah. You cannot, you've got, I've never played a video game since Jalen was born.

Wow. I've read more books since Jalen was born that first year or two that I ever read in my life. I took my career serious and speaking. I start, you know, Zig Ziglar, you know, Nightingale, you know, Ogmendino. Yeah. You know, Proctor, all these. Oh, bro. You name him.

Dennis Kimbrough, like I went, I went deep. I went heavy, you know, Arthur Ash, you know, Days are great. And I read everything. I was in the library. like an addict just studying and studying and studying and it was because I didn't want the I didn't want some of the consequences of the past to come in this generation you know and so for me it was like you know your son's here you got to handle your business and I just heard I was more attentive I started getting up at six and then I'd play this game daylight saving times would come I would

okay say don't follow it stay up at five is the new and then the next year the four and then I got started getting up at three and I started getting up at three o'clock in the morning it because it was still there was no dogs outside nobody was driving around the family was sleep and i was like okay coach i'm sorry let's go back over the lessons i didn't get and let's go over the new lessons like coach me show me show me nobody knows me and i tell people i had a brand new catalack man it had 10 000 miles and the engine blew and i immediately took it back to catac i didn't take it to bmw i didn't take it to honda i took it straight to catalack and i went right back to the creator like yo you made me and i'm tearing this car

car up. I'm not putting oil in it. I'm not changing the rotating the tires. I'm not putting fluid in it. Show me how to take care of this. And he began to show me how to do it. It's just like amazing to see when we're on one accord and I'm following he told me. He's like, yo, it's like, yo, it's time.

I think I called you maybe last year. I was like, no, no. You just supposed to call and say, what's up? You know, and then this time it was like, yep, you need to do it. You know, I was like, all right, I got it. I got it. Brandon. I think, I was like, all right, you know what I'm saying? So just listening to him, doing what he's telling me to do

and let the coach me so I would say you know don't spiritualize it and make it too rebidment to do it's the coach and just get a relationship

with the coach let the coach get a relationship with you and just do what he told you to do when you're going to let the results you alluded a little bit about you know

this version of you was kind of speaking to your 16 year old self and saying like here's what you need to do stop doing that start doing this like whether that was

you in the future or God speaking to you in the future in the future in the future like hey this is why your higher self needs you to do right now yeah what do you like god is speaking to you now or your future self is saying to you now for the wisdom you need to hear to take you to the next this this this this is what god is saying you spent all of your

mature life pouring into people who can't do a whole lot for you you spent some kind of way in your soul you feel like because of where you were and all these people that help you get to where so it's like you like you feel like you owe people to not be a mutual relationships like you feel like you so blessed and you have so much it's almost a survivor of guilt and now you just got to be with people who you got to pool and you got to be with people that you got to bed to and you got to be with people who you just got to bless and you may not get nothing back he's like no no no in this season these relationships have always been there for you but you haven't taken advantage of them because it's like I got to help and I got to fix and I've got to be

I got a savior complex. I got to help you and help you because somebody helped me and I wouldn't be here and it's like and CJ said to me, Eric, no, the only reason it worked is because you wanted it to work. Those mentors didn't do nothing for you. They did, but you had to want it. You're helping people that don't even want to be helped.

They want a handout. They don't want to be helped. Now, the rest of your life, son, be in relationships where it's mutual. Just, bro, this might seem insignificant to you. But, you know, they called me and was like, yo, let us know when you get here. Yeah, yeah.

And I was like, all right, I'll be there, you know, whatever. And it was like, no, no, no, tell us, you know, when you pull up. I'm like, tell you when I pull up. Like, I can get upstairs in my own. They're like, no, no, no, no, tell us when you get there. We're going to put you downstairs. Oh, and you want anything from Starbucks? No.

I'm like, no, no, I'm good. I didn't say anything until I was like, no, I'm just in the car. I'm good. I can get my own Starbucks. And he said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I'm trying to teach you something. She didn't ask you if you had money to buy Starbucks. Do you want something? She asked you, did you want something from Starbucks?

And I said, you know what? I even text her and say, you know, I normally say no. I don't say yes to this kind of stuff. But you know what? Yes, I'd like a grande medicine ball with no honey but three agave. Wow. You know? And she was like, okay, you want to get, you need to use the rest of it.

And he was like, yo, this is the season. You're pouring out so much. Receive. Get some. Receive. Get in these mutual relationships and get something. So that's what I'm hearing him say, you know, as I come today, it's like, you, these relationships have been there for you and you've done your part to make sure you stay alive. But you don't always, you don't always allow people to reciprocate.

You know, so that's the season for me. It's like, hey, bless the world. And, hey, if you don't ever put out another video, there's enough video. and all kind of content for people to now look out for Eric Thomas now put Eric time now go to the weddings stop working all the time now go to the events stop just working all the time and stop just you and your wife or your little no no there are other communities that are waiting to bless you and the way you've blessed others and it's time for you to enjoy that yeah so that's what's what you're telling me you deserve

to receive man I would acknowledge you Eric for being in this season of life Because I've known you for 10 years, but you put so much focus on giving in a big way, which is a beautiful blessing. But I think you can also give and receive at the same time. It doesn't have to be mutually one way. Just give, give, give, give, give, and, like, exhaust yourself to, like, serve, serve, serve, and then they can give nothing back to self. So I really acknowledge you for being in a season of, like, how can I give and receive?

How can I deepen these relationships with people who, because I know people, try to pour into you. Absolutely. But you're always too busy, or you're trying to give, give, or you're traveling nonstop. I got to help save the kids and teenagers. Oh, of course, dude. And so I acknowledge it for, you know, being, acknowledging this season of life for you and saying, like, it's time to like, and I can even see it in your face and your chest,

even I just energetically when I saw you today. It was like, man, you look healthy, healthier. And I think it's because you're allowing yourself to receive. And so it's really beautiful, man. I'm glad you're in that space. space. You look younger, too. You and me both. And you know what? I've got people in my life who have, you know, my God Chuck to Church. E. What do you need? I have people who've been there and I haven't even allowed. And so it's like, no, there are a few people already in your circle

who've tried. You've got to let them fully. And then there are other people not in your circle of information who are, who've been trying to. Sure. And you got to me too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Receive, man i love this man okay so you can my email yeah exactly well if people want to learn more they can go to you 2025.com they can also go to i think it's eric thomas dot com or et the hip-hop preacher on instagram youtube obviously lots of great free content uh if you're not able to sign up for the challenge right now but it is free yeah yeah i'll challenge it's free yeah you 2025 dot com yeah make sure you guys check that out leave a comment of the thing that spoke to you and resonated the most with you below on youtube as well

And I'll always make sure to share it for the friend that you think would empower them to step up in their life in a powerful way Two final questions for you Eric. I appreciate your time. Me too. I appreciate this. I think I asked you this seven years ago last time you're on, but I'm going to ask it again and see where you're at now You keep evolving as a human. This is a question called the three truths. So it's a hypothetical scenario. Say you get to live to 150. You get to live as long as you want. We got to come back and do it five days. Before then, you get to live as long as you want, but it's the last day on this field. You know, you're as old as you want to be. You get to create and accomplish and give and receive all the things you want, but it's the last day, very far in the future. And for whatever reason on this hypothetical scenario,

you've got to take all of your content with you. So the world has no more access to ET's content, books, challenges, YouTube. It's all, for whatever reason, hypothetically gone. it's called oh i know right it's hypothetical it's not going to happen but let's just say let's just say it is but on the last day god says you know what i'm going to let you leave three things behind three lessons from all the wisdom you've gained that all the content you've created all your experiences you get to say three final things three truths and this would stay forever for people to watch here what would those three truths be so the first one is unpleasing

plug. It's not unplug, man. Unplugged from everybody. You know, unplug from everybody. I don't know if this is one, but I'm plugged from everybody and plugged with the creator, man. Like, plug with the person that brought you into the space, knows you, loves you, you know, unplug. Number two, man, fun love. You know, DD, man, DD, it's just been so rich being in a healthy relationship. It's beautiful, you know, because it shows you who you're not. Like, it's not what you think. It's not just this warm, fuzzy, you know, but Didi has been like, hey, you're a great human, but you got to work on this, you know. And then the last one, man, love, you know, love. It's so easy to see our differences.

It's so easy to, you know, the things that are, you know, polar opposite. You grew up here, you grew up here, you grew up, I believe in this, I believe in that. You vote this way. You vote That's where I believe this. I believe it. It's so easy to let one or two things separate you when it's about a hundred things that you guys have in common because you're human, you know? And so it's just like love. And I think of a lot of my friends who've never gotten to go out of our community,

never meet anybody outside of our little world, and to be in Dubai or New Zealand or, you know, wherever. Travel in love. So that's the last one. Love, but don't love in your little, little pocket. Like, get out and meet different people who come from different spaces and places and just see how dope the creator is by being around the people who he created. Absolutely. Because he created you and not like me.

And so there's so much doeness, you know, around you that I can get into. But I do, you know, I have a lot of friends. You know, the thing I love about you is I've done podcasts. with people like it's dope because people are energetic but I always know when I'm with you it's not about energy it's about inward and you make me go inward in a way that I don't have to do with a lot of people so many people are surfaced they don't make you go inward whenever I'm with you it's like oh e let's let's let's have a meaningful we may only be together for an hour but let's let's make it meaningful and deep so when I walk out of here my wife is about to get a new

version of me. So I'll say love with travel and meet all the different people from all the different walks of life, eat different food, see the world different, live in different spaces and just see how good the creator is by introducing yourself to the ones he created. Wow. That's beautiful. I love those. Final question. What's your definition of greatness? Man, I'll just say this verse, well done, thou good and faithful servant. You've been faithful over a few i make you rule over many to me greatness is fulfilling the purpose of the manufacturer so if i made this cup i i want to put whatever i want to put in the cup i don't want the cup telling me i don't want to do that and so for me it's like what is it that you want me to do

and there was a time you wanted me to save the world now you want me to save myself oh my gosh so if that's what you if that's what you want now if that's the new thing that you're you're asking me to do, I just want to make the manufacturer go, I created this for this use, and I am utilizing it in the way that it should be used. And that's, you know, of course, you got to evolve and grow and do all the stuff you have to do. But yeah, that's, to me, that's what greatness is. The creator getting everything out of you, not just you, because I feel like, you know, if you create and get everything out of me, I'm going to have a great light, too, but it doesn't necessarily mean. I've been married for a while. I've been happy, and my wife

was like I'm not as happy as you are I'm like what we have me said no no you're happy but there's some things I need you to do that you're not doing I'm like what you're doing everything it's like that two things can be true you I could but you're not and so I don't want to just be happy I want to create it to go yeah I'm grateful that I created you and I see you're doing in the world whether it was that I wanted you to do and now also for yourself what I wanted you to do because I wanted you to be happy to. I didn't want your life to just be about work and being a blessing.

I wanted you to be blessed as well. So that's it. My man, E.T. My brother. Appreciate you, man. Thank you, brother. I hope you enjoyed today's episode and it inspired you on your journey towards greatness.

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