How to Eliminate Self-Doubt with Lewis Howes
In this week’s episode of Cocktails & Convos we got to interview the Lewis Howes and hear all about his past experiences and how he challenged himself to push through his fears and self-doubt in order to turn his life around. His story is literally mind-blowing…
Nothing about Lewis Howes is typical including what he does for a living – a question we can't stand because there's no easy answer. Lewis describes himself as someone who "creates content to help people improve their lives" and we couldn’t agree more because our conversation with him gave us so much to think about long after our interview ended. Watch below then keep scrolling for our fave highlights!
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
Changing your life starts with making a decision to push past fear and self doubt and that often comes when you're at your lowest. In high school, Lewis struggled with insecurity which stemmed from dyslexia and poor grades. As a teenager he decided he was sick and tired of being afraid. Rather than run from his fears, he met them head on. Several years later when an injury ended his professional football career, Lewis found himself at a crossroads. The first thing he did was write up a list of everything he was most afraid of then set out to conquer every single one. At the top of his list? Public speaking. It's safe to say he overcame that fear!
Go outside the box. Don't constrain yourself to an idea of who you ought to be or should do. Lewis wanted to open himself up to all kinds of experiences. He joined the choir and the school musical. He even became a synchronized swimmer! Later on in his life he was determined to master salsa dancing and practiced in front of a full-length mirror while watching YouTube tutorials. Today, he can salsa with the best of them and even impressed Julianne Hough!
Surround yourself with positive, uplifting and encouraging people. Especially important: find yourself a coach or mentor to guide you, inspire you and hold you accountable.
Get comfortable with rejection. Lewis was determined to overcome his fear of talking to girls when he was in high school. One summer he decided he'd sprint up to any girl who gave him butterflies and talk to her (we can't even imagine!). The rejections came fast and furious but he didn't stop and by the end of that summer he'd conquered both his fear and the sting of rejection, while gaining new admirers in the process.
Don't settle for anything less than your biggest dreams. You don't have to be the smartest, most athletic or best looking. You just need to believe in yourself. Self-doubt kills more dreams than any external force.
It can be lonely going after your dreams. There will always be naysayers and those who distance themselves from you because they don't understand your motivation. Some things you have to do on your own.
We have to be willing to face our past to heal. If we don't, those unresolved emotions will manifest into relationships with our partners, children, and friends.
When it comes to our children, the most important thing we can do is to be present. Put down the phone and everything else that's competing for our attention and focus on our kids.
Make eye contact with your kids, your spouse and really, all people in your life. The power of eye contact opens the soul. It allows us to see that which is unspoken.
Be vulnerable. Not only do people relate to vulnerability, it shatters pretense and allows our authenticity to shine.
MORE ABOUT LEWIS:
Lewis Howes is a lifestyle entrepreneur, high performance business coach, and keynote speaker. A former professional football player and two-sport All-American, Lewis is a current USA Men's National Handball Team athlete. He hosts a top 100 podcast in the world, The School of Greatness, which has over 40 million downloads since its launch in 2013. The White House and President Obama recognized Lewis as one of the country's top 100 entrepreneurs under 30. Lewis has been featured on Ellen, The Today Show, The New York Times, People, Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Men's Health, and other major media outlets.
Start here with Lewis' website: Lewis Howes
Sign up here to be notified when Lewis' documentary is released! Chasing Greatness Movie
Listen to Lewis' podcast, The School of Greatness: Apple, Spotify or Google Play.
Follow Lewis' day-to-day life: Lewis' Instagram
Purchase Lewis' books: Amazon