Lewis Hamilton ON: EVERYTHING You've Been Taught About Success Is A LIE... | Jay Shetty

I think the easiest thing in life is to. give up on whatever you know whatever. you're focused on or whatever you're. hopeful for the hardest thing is to keep. going but we have to like we have to. continue to hold on and I would imagine. for so many people out there that is. probably the most difficult thing the. best-selling author and host the number. one Health and Wellness podcast on. purpose with Jay Shetty. hey everyone welcome back to on purpose. the number one Health podcast in the. world thanks to each and every one of. you that come back every week to listen.

learn and grow now I know that our. community is dedicated to living happier. healthier and more healed lives and I. love sitting down with people who are. dedicated to their own happiness their. own health their own healing and doing. that for the world through their work. and I have to be honest it's not every. day that you get to sit down with. someone you admire you're inspired by. you look up to and someone who is truly. the definition of the word goat uh I'm. talking about the one and only sir Lewis. Hamilton seven time Formula One World.

Champion someone with over a hundred. race wins considered the most successful. F1 driver of all time and Lewis's. willingness to embrace what makes him. different has defined his values and. outlook on life and in 2014 those values. saw him win BBC's Sports personality of. the Year followed two years later by a. position in Time magazine's 100 most. influential people list Lewis received.

both accolades for a second time in 2020. in a year that saw him become a leading. voice in the global fight for racial. equality in doing so he was recognized. as British gq's Game Changer of the year. and Powerless most influential black. person in the UK and further to this. Lewis won the 2020 glorious Sportsman of. the Year award and most notably was. formally recognized with a Knighthood in. 2020 New Year's honors for his. outstanding achievements and.

contribution to Motorsports on the track. and off the track Lewis is also. passionate activists for so many. underrepresented groups and communities. his mission 44 is doing incredible work. please welcome to on purpose Lewis. Hamilton Lewis thank you for being here. thank you so much for having me no this. honestly is a special one for me it's. been one of those ones that you know. when I first launched the podcast there. were a few names that I wanted to sit. down with and you were one of those. names so for me it's a very special.

moment and for this to be your first. ever podcast which you just told me I. didn't even know and you literally told. me this like 10 minutes ago and in my. head I'm thinking wow thank I I'm so. grateful to have that honor honestly. honest mine I'm really so grateful for. everything you do and so I've been. following and listening to you and you. sent me the book a long time ago already. so I really appreciate everything you're. doing today oh well thank you man thank. you and I'm excited to unpack your. journey because as we said because it's. your first podcast people have heard. parts of you.

but but we don't really understand the. depth and the texture of of Lewis. Hamilton and so I guess I want to start. in a in a different place and we'll. we'll kind of go through on this journey. I wanted to ask you what do you feel. is the hardest thing you've had to do in. order to be who you are today I think. continuing to have the belief in myself. and not letting that Veer off since I. was young since I've been told from my. teachers that I would never amount to. nothing The Bullying or the things that. you face at the adversity you face the. discrimination.

and just continue to keep your head up. continuing to. to march on ahead uh towards your dream. and never lose inside now I think that's. definitely for sure the most difficult. thing is keeping keeping your goal and. your eyes set on that and not being. distracted. um not giving up. I think the easiest thing in life is to. give up on whatever you know whatever. you're focused on or whatever you're. hopeful for. the hardest thing is to continue to keep.

going but we have to like we have to. continue to hold on. and I would imagine for so many people. out there that is that it that is. probably the most difficult thing yeah I. think that's a great answer because I. think people look at you and they assume. that you never have to make that choice. right they see someone in your position. someone who's achieved what you've. achieved and the Assumption can be oh. yeah but he's the greatest he was he was. just always that way and he doesn't have. to make that choice every day but as you. said since the beginning of your life. whether it's childhood whether it's.

breaking into a sport that wasn't set up. for you. there have been so many moments let's. let's go back to school let's talk about. some of that more in depth because I. feel like. a lot of people struggle at school but. you kind of went through a lot of. altercations and adversities at that. time what were some of the things you. were hearing some of the bullying some. of the racism the experiences that you. had that felt limiting or made it feel. like it was easier to give up I think. for me I mean school was the most.

probably the most traumatizing and diff. most difficult part of my life wow. um I already was being bullied at the. age of six. um I think at the time that particular. school I was probably one of three kids. of color. and. just bigger stronger. bullying kids were throwing me around a. lot of the time. I was always the last picked in the you. know when you're standing playground in. your uh in the line of when they're. picking teams for football I was always.

the last one chosen or not even chosen. even if I was better than somebody else. um and then. the the constant Jabs the. things that are either thrown at you. like bananas or people that would use. the m word just so relaxed. um people calling you half cast and you. know just really not knowing where you. fit in that for me was difficult when. you then go into like history class and. everything you learn in history there.

are no people of color in the history. that they were teaching us so I was. thinking oh well where are the people. that look like me. and. I mean for me in my school there was. only around I think there was around. seven maybe six seven black kids out of. 1200 kids and three of us were else put. outside the headmaster's office all the. time the Headmaster just had it out for. for us and particularly for me I would. say so like just juggling all these. different emotions that you're feeling. plus I struggled at school I didn't find.

out till I was 16 that I was dyslexic. fortunately I came across a teacher that. was actually caring and. um took me down that road and helped me. discover a little bit more about myself. and how I can better myself through. education but. um. I think that for me was. that was tough also because I was racing. every weekend I would leave on the. Thursday night we would travel you know. pack up the motorhome we'll travel. around the country to race on the. weekends. and no one else knew when I'd got back.

to school every all the kids have done. normal things on the weekend and. I'll come back and say I'm I was racing. and people would be like oh I've done. that before you know like at this at the. theme park or something. but no one really knew what my goal was. and could really they thought we would. maybe it was a joke you missed a lot of. that social interaction also I was. putting all the lowest sets at school. and told that if you do well you can. progress and then never ever let me. progress no matter how hard I tried.

um so I really felt that the system was. really up against me and I was kind of. swimming against the tide but I'm so. grateful for that that Journey because. that's what built me to the person that. I am today but there were a lot of. things that I suppressed because I I. couldn't go home. and say hey to my I didn't feel I could. go home and talk to my parents that you. know these kids kept calling me them. where today I got bullied I got beaten. up at school today or I you know I. wasn't able to defend myself I didn't. want my dad to think I was not strong.

and so I'll you know if I had tears I. would hold them back if I had emotions. it would be in a quiet place. and. um. it wasn't really till I started racing. that I was able to channel this emotion. that I had into my driving and it's like. when I put this helmet on. Superman was my favorite I loved how he. fought for the people and I loved how he. did the right things and he was a really. inspiring character for me but again no. superhero was of color so you know but.

you can still aspire to be someone. that's if they don't look like you you. know um. and so I remember going to karate I. remember putting this helmet on in. racing and it felt like it was my cloak. you know my superpowers had come out. when I was driving and I was battling. with these kids and I was doing able to. do things that they. seemed to not be able to do as well. and that was my love wow yeah I mean. it's. my mind was opposite I was bullied a lot. at school as well I was one of five. people of color in my primary school and.

I was also overweight and so I was. bullied for that. and obviously you know my parents are. from Indian backgrounds and so they'd. gone through it much worse than I did. when when they'd moved to England. but the difference was that I would go. cry to my mum and then my mum would come. try and save the day in school and that. was the worst that was so embarrassing. like your mum's they're telling the. teacher what happened and then I'm like. oh no Mom don't do this and then it's.

even more embarrassing because the kids. pick on you going oh mum came to say oh. yeah yeah Mommy's right yeah so that. that was my version of it I wasn't. scared of crying to my mum but then it. had it had different things but yeah. that that's so hard as a kid when you're. going through that and you're trying to. find yourself you're trying to figure. out what confidence is you don't even. know what that means you feel like not. going to school but then even though. you're saying you found it in racing I. mean racing was similar because you were. working class you're still to this day.

the only working-class black driver to. do as successfully as you have so not. only do you have it at school you also. have it in your passion like in the. thing that is your cloak is your. Superman so how does it feel when you're. also dealing with it in that area where. you've discovered what your passion or. your interest is at that age what does. it feel like when you're getting in that. space it's inescapable. you know you use that as an escape but. then you're confronted with it also and.

so I was just grateful that I had this. amazing figure in my dad you know I got. a you know my best one of my best. friends like his dad was never there I. know there's not many people that have. separated parents and and being shared. between parents is not an easy thing. um you know some days with your mom and. some days we did that my my mum was the. soft loving. parent so. that's where I really I feel like I. learned a lot of compassion and empathy.

that's where I feel like I get it from. her and my dad was at that strong like. kind of stronger Rock and also just. someone that looked like me on and just. he would say do you talking on the track. don't be distracted by it don't listen. to what they're saying do your driving. on track and show let's just be quiet. and walk away as well as you know. um. so but you know again like your parents. my parents went through well. particularly my dad was someone that. also face adversity through his life and. he's like I want to do everything in my. power to create a better life for my kid.

so that I don't feel or experience the. things that I have encountered and. through my through my journey and so but. I think for me it was also difficult. having biracial you know I'm biracial so. having a white mother mother for example. and a black dad. I knew my dad would understand the. racial slurs that I surrounded me my mum. couldn't understand it so I couldn't. really speak to my mum about it she was. loving but. she's never been educated within it she.

didn't know anything about black history. and slavery and so it was a very. difficult but but I had love there which. was the most important thing yeah. um but in the racing it was like you. know like kids you just want to enjoy. yourself you want to be included and you. know when you're kind of outcast a. little bit it's um. it's difficult for kids you know and so. that's why today like I'm like if I'm. posting something I hope that when I do. click that button. I hope that it is a positive wave for.

some of the kids out there that are. being distracted by all the stuff that's. going on around the world yeah I mean I. was I was telling you earlier I was so. grateful. came out to watch you in Austin a couple. of weeks ago and got to meet your dad. and I heard you talk about your dad in. that way before and so when I met him I. was it was I was just you know it's nice. to share that with him and I was just. saying how beautiful it is to see your. relationship and and how it's evolved. it's always been that way yeah yeah. that's what I thought yeah yeah to walk. us through whatever you feel my dad has.

been like the leader in getting me you. know he had four jobs at one stage just. to keep us go-karting because when we. all started gokind most of the people. were majority of the people were from. working class families. um so but then there are of course a few. wealthier kids. that have slightly better access to. equipment and. um mechanics and all those sorts of. things and my dad was my mechanic so it. was just me and him on the road and and. my stepmom Linda. um she would be there supporting.

um making sure that we're fully clothed. making sure that we we've eaten and. we're hydrated all those sorts of things. for the weekend prepare my kid. um so it was very much a family outing. it was a family kind of. um family weekend we did it as a family. um we've traveled together my little. brother would be on the road with us as. well who's a major inspiration you've. definitely got to speak to me one day. um born with Cerebral Palsy. um when I was seven and is a speaker. today so he's and racing he's done he's.

defined all the odds and wow uh even. though he's seven years younger than me. still very much an inspiration but the. thing with my dad was he was maybe he. was my manager all the way till I was. like 20 I got to we got to phone one and. he was he worked so hard his work ethic. for me was that that's was inspiring for. me seeing how hard he worked the time he. gets up in the morning the little sleep. that he would have end of his day in the. garage working on the go-kart preparing. for the weekend packing up the track and. getting us to where we are mechanicing. learning to be a better mechanic and and.

still weighing all these different. things it was quite phenomenal to see. um but I think it was difficult for him. to then show me love and sometimes you. just want to hug from your dad you know. or when you're facing these things you. want to be able to be embraced but. um when I think I got to when I was 22. 23 it got really intense when I got to. form one because all of a sudden you're. thrown into you go through karting and. cars you don't go to school to to learn. to speak to the media you're literally.

thrown into the pit. and at the time I didn't have management. other than my dad my stepmom were booked. flights and trips but. um I didn't have PR I didn't have. anybody to help protect me or prepare me. for things. driving I was good I would say but in. these things is where a lot of mistakes. happened. um you've got the. the kind of all the media attention and. you have to so you're just learning on. the go which was very difficult for a. youngster I think yeah absolutely and.

and also I just you wanted to try and. live some sort of normal normal life but. nothing's normal for you at the time. and the thing for me and my dad were. just we're really bumping his at one. stage it's like I really just want you. to be my dad so we can let's go and have. fun let's go and have a laugh but we. hadn't had that for a long time and so. um eventually I decided to sit part ways. for my dad and I was like I'm gonna. start making some of the decisions for. myself and the mistakes that I'm gonna. need to make and there was definitely a. period of time where we spoke less.

um but we both have worked so hard to. come back together. and we have one of the greatest you know. he's the first person I want to call. when I finish a race. um because I know he knows what it's. like he was there from day one and so. you know he's been to the last two races. with me he's probably gonna come to the. next one there's days where I do feel. like I'm not enough there's days where I. don't feel like I'm good enough and. people be like yeah but you've won seven. World titles anyway yeah but still.

there's days where I question no you. still got it you still. are you can you still be the best yes. you can and so I have to just always I'm. having that conversation with myself. often but my dad's also there sometimes. I'll say something that's maybe not the. most positive and he'll be the one there. just reaffirming no you've got this. believe in yourself and it's so. important for people to have people like. that around them and I support myself I. surround myself with other positive. people as well and we continue I think. it's all our job to lift every as many.

you know everyone up right I want. everyone around me to win and yeah. um and to become the best versions of. themselves so no thank you for sharing. that as well thank you for opening up. about that because. yeah I think the relationships we have. with our parents are just. so significant when it comes to. achievement and success and when you. start doing sport at your level even at. an early age. wins and losses starts becoming so. important so win and loss is important.

in everyone's life in the sense that. everyone has it in exams in school and. things like that which we'll talk about. in a second as well but for you you're. having a. in a very over way like you have one two. three and then you have everyone else. and and how have you kind of worked with. that since you're young because I can. imagine that your psychology can become. very much like if you win things are. great if you lose things are bad how. have you kind of processed that as. time's gone on and was there a time when. it was unhealthy and difficult and has.

it got better or is it something you're. always working on so on one side of. things you know I struggled at school as. I said so the teachers would write these. reports. that I was. not focused or I wasn't doing well and. and I remember the fear of that report. every year and I try so hard to do well. and then these teachers I don't know if. teachers out there realize when they. write those reports what's happening. back at home whether you have an abusive. uh household or. you know the the stress of that was was.

difficult I feel embracing if I if I. would win I could see a smile on my. dad's face and it was really like okay. if I do well at this I know that I'll be. accepted you know. um but I go to work double hard to be. I've got to always be first I always. laugh about the whole if you're not. first you last because I'm literally. whilst that's obviously I've not been. fresh my whole life. first was everything yeah. um in order to be accepted in order to. fit in and maybe to be appreciated.

um not only in within my relationship. perhaps with my dad but then also. around my friends. and it was until I got older I realized. it's about the bigger picture but when. you have success it's so short-lived. it's like it really is really. short-lived you win a race then you go. back home and you have big as a racing. driver you know the weekend's so intense. you've seen it. there's so much energy so much it's. really really in a stressful environment.

for everyone that's working within it. then you go home and there's a huge come. down like one or two days later and. you're trying to balance those emotions. that emotional rollercoaster. um and learning to kind of channel that. and figure out ways to keep it balanced. whether with your routine and those. sorts of things has been really key for. me. but I think during the last couple of. last few years really understanding that. it's about the bigger picture. um I'm fighting for something far. greater than winning a race I'm really.

fighting for. changing the world you know we're more. divided than ever I would say it's. devastating I can't watch the news it's. devastating every there's so much. happening. but there are so many great people out. there that are doing really great things. and. I want to be one of I want to be a part. of that. [Music]. inspirational energy bubble that people. like yourselves are a part of. um because we want to we need to create. a brighter future we need to create. better Future Leaders look how many look. how bad our leaders are.

that are in governments you know like we. need to be as part of the next. generation of thought leaders. um that are positive and. um yeah so that's what I'm trying to be. a part of every day I'm so I'm really. trying to focus on. my intentions as you're talking about. like setting your intentions each day. um I'm trying to learn new tools that I. didn't have when I was a kid I didn't I. didn't know about yoga I didn't know. about meditation. um I didn't have podcasts to listen to. good people to listen to and aspire to. kind of help me put on the right path so.

yeah. um yeah we've got a lot of work to do. there's almost not enough time here on. this planet right we're here for such a. short time really in the Scale of the. Universe yeah but I think you're one of. those people that you know and that's. when we first connected that was one of. the biggest reasons for me that I saw. you using your platform for a bigger. purpose I was like oh that's fascinating. like that's so interesting to me because. that's a choice too I think today we. kind of assume that if someone has a.

platform or if someone's you know number. one in their field or if someone's got. followers that they should talk about. stuff we kind of assume that anyone who. has followers should talk about stuff. first of all I don't think that's the. case I think a lot of people choose not. to. uh but but you were someone that stood. out to me massively where I was just. like wow this person's really not. just winning on. on the track but it's thinking about how. winning on the track transfers to what.

you can do off the track because of the. influence because of your network. because of your impact. and I find that to be really. The Missing Link for so many people. because. I always say that your purpose is. something not just that makes you happy. it's when you use what makes you happy. to serve other people like when you use. it to impact other people's lives when. did that drop for you like when did that. click for you like were you ever. I guess what I'm trying to say is.

there's a transition when you're saying. that well you know winning like maybe. get the nod from my dad and obviously I. was bullied and then I'm winning but. then I'm number one at something like. was there a point at which number one. didn't satisfy you or was there a point. at which. the success that came from it or or you. didn't actually have to get dissatisfied. you just found that there was a better. way to be successful does that make. sense the parv that was striking when. you're just saying that for me it was. like I feel like we often live in fear. of what people think.

um how you're going to be judged how. you're going to be received if you. you're free outspoken you're going to. lose your job you're going to be fired. I've always been. a outspoken person I think that's just. been a quality I've never been a. follower. um I don't like to conform to how people. expect. what people of what people expect from. you as I said I was having a success and. I was like okay now I'm on I'm at the. top what can I do with it yeah and there. are so many causes there's so many. problems out there and there's so many.

so many amazing causes and which one you. know there's only one of you so like. what where do you put the focus and. that's take it took a long long time to. really find what that was for me I think. for me education was something that I. felt extremely passionate about because. I. I've been out to India I'd been out into. some of the really. poorest places like Manila and seeing. young kids. who are like us but begging for food and. not having the same opportunities and.

for me that was that broke my heart. and realized how privileged we are and. how fortunate we are it was like I want. to be working with people out there that. are trying to create more you know. there's over 100 million kids that don't. have access to school or education so. how can I get involved in that so align. yourself with people that do. but I think I was I was winning and it. was giving me that tip of happiness but. then I would kind of drop back down to. normality and. there was something missing.

and it was that purpose really or. understanding what that purpose was and. understanding what. why you've been put here why are you. beginning the platform. that you've that you've been given why. were the only you know only people of. color this whole time through it all and. when I started speaking about. um diversity people like oh you want to. get more people of coloring as as racing. drivers only 20 of us so as I know it's. this forty thousand forty fifty thousand. jobs there's thousands of engineering. jobs in the background and there's such.

a lack of diversity coming through I. want to be a part of Shifting that. narrative and shifting that conversation. and having people be. question themselves and have those. difficult conversations with with people. so I first I just started by having. those difficult conversations with my. boss. and one of the things he brings up that. he said that hit him hard I said have. you ever thought of as a white person. walking into the paddock into the race. weekend Paddock and being the only white. person there he's like he's like I.

hadn't even thought of that I said well. that's what it's like for someone like. me when I'm in the room you noticed you. noticed that out of 50 people in a. meeting you're the only person the black. person there. and it's not because we are less is. because there are these barriers within. Society through education that are. limiting people to be the best they can. be so my job is to be empowering and. improving representation I'm really.

really passionate like black Equity as. well so that's why I got involved with. the Denver Broncos Denver Broncos yeah. yeah and usually when I'm in. conversation with sponsors or companies. I'm like hey so what it how diverse is. your team what are you doing about. diversity inclusion how are you creating. a better work workspace for people. that's what I want to be a part of I the. success can come later and that's that. would be along the way but if you're not. asking those questions or you're not. tackling those issues.

then we're not blind yeah and so all. them pretty much every partner that we. have we have a lot of Partners within. our team I've asked these really. difficult questions and they're like oh. you know what but we can do more I'm. like well let's do it. you know yeah so I think I've grown very. close with my like Mercedes-Benz and. Gamma they've. been so open that we changed the car. from Silver to Black in 2020. and as again I said to them like the. car's been silver forever it's always. been silver arrows and I was like. imagine if we change the card to Black.

well that could you know us turning up. and arriving is how you show up and it's. how you know imagine the message we can. send and we had the black car for the. whole year and we didn't even really. talk much about it we just let it be. and we went with it and that's when I. won myself with that car so that's. beautiful. now that must have felt special. it was honestly my whole life flashed by. my not that last lap in Turkey. my whole life like all the struggles the. questioning whether you were going to.

make it or not just all those doubts all. those fears kind of flash by Me by you. know through my eyes and came across the. line. and I was like I did it. and I wanted the kids out there to know. that you can do it too. you know. um so that's what I try and like every. day just try to be encouraging of. kitchen yeah yeah do you sometimes feel. that we were talking about this a bit. earlier that. you know in other sports we get to see. the emotions and the expressions of.

players that we love or. you know anyone who's on the court or. the field of the pitch whereas with you. because we don't get to see that in your. eyes in your last lap like that we can. only hear it today which is why I'm so. grateful to have this moment because. I obviously whenever whenever I'm sit. down with someone who's a high performer. like you it's obvious that there's so. much emotion and preparation and power. but with racing specifically you just. don't get to see that do you sometimes.

feel that the only people that can truly. relate to you. are the people you compete with because. I feel like it's like you said there's. only 20 of you that are racing anyway. it's lonely anyway 99 of people in the. world have no idea what it feels like to. drive a car as fast as you do and the. way you do in in any comparison. do you sometimes feel that the only. people you can relate to are the people. that are racing against you and then do. you kind of feel. is there a loneliness in that experience.

or is that kind of like a power in that. as well definitely the other drivers I. do feel that there's more we have a lot. more in common than we think but we're. so competitive. and a lot of us have our defense like. you want to beat the guy but then you. like the guy you might like the person. outside the car but you can't show that. like there's this whole psychological. battle you're having with yourself and. getting away of yourself a lot of the. time so I really feel like as an older. driver I'm trying to be more like. reaching out to youngsters and. um because they're the future you know.

um and I'm excited to see some of these. young drivers are coming through are so. so talented I don't know if they've got. the best structure around them like I. mean like I didn't necessarily have the. ultimate structure that I perhaps have. now. so just try to be a kind of a positive. light to them but naturally none of them. are black and none of them have. necessarily faced the same as me but. they've faced their own challenges and. and things about respecting that with. within everybody and I've tried to be. create allies necessarily like in having.

the difficult conversations with some of. them I mean I'm so grateful for I've had. a couple of them it really took the knee. with me in 2020. um just on that you know. my dad was going back to the house with. my dad my dad like never let me cry as a. kid he said there's a sign of weakness. like don't let me ever see you shed a. tear so I remember just holding back. through those difficult times as a kid. holding back most of that stuff in 2020. I cried I hadn't cried for at least I.

think at least 10 years maybe more. it was there was a lot of bottled up. stuff that came up that I had not. realized that didn't even know about. suppressing a pain or a feeling so I. remember kind of bending on my knees. thinking no what has happened in the. world I've got to I've got to be. outspoken I've got to take that chance. because if I don't do it then no one's. gonna do it if I don't. if I don't take the knee if I don't let. people like me know that I care and I. hear you and I'm I'm with you and I'm. going to do something about it I'm going.

to risk it all. I don't care if. my partners want to drop me because I. want to be associated with this. narrative I don't I'm like and I. literally let go of all the fear and. that's why I went came so forward with. it. and I know it's not easy for everyone to. do that. um but I just want to really and try to. encourage people out there too. to be themselves to speak out if they've. got a problem if they're seeing. something within the work working. environment or experiencing something. you gotta be outspoken about it and.

there's a right way to do it the first. day I was going to take the knee I. remember I didn't feel like I could tell. my team. I was like because I know I felt that. they wouldn't understand how important. it is for me to do this this day so I. remember I had my black lives matter a. shirt hidden and. I just wore it out there and I I went. ahead within so no one knew no one knew. but every uh the sport had built and. made all these t-shirts like um we race. as one yeah slogan and they gave these.

t-shirts to all the to everybody I was. like I'm not wearing that that's not. what this is about and so this is what. I'm doing and this was around George. Floyd right yeah and afterwards my team. were like well why don't you if you just. told us we could have prepared a bit. over I had this fear that they would try. and stop me perhaps but that was just a. fear. um they've been massively supportive. through the whole thing My Hope was that. you know kids would be watching me like. what it what it what is that why is he. taking me what what does that shirt mean. what is going on Dad Mom.

and then the parents being in an awkward. position having to explain it maybe but. I think what was really encouraging for. me I think when we started really. getting into the whole diversity. inclusion we did the research there was. only three percent out of two thousand. people in the team as three percent. diversity so. since then we've been on this Mission. the team have started new projects we've. discovered that the the sport generally. hires from one group of universities. which is not diverse and if there are. any young black students that go there.

they're twice as unlikely to be hired. when they come out compared to their. counterparts and also paid less. exercises all these things that perhaps. people didn't know that's the Hamilton. commission right yeah yeah and that just. was interesting to to experience that. and now now we're working on like a. diversity Charter that all the teams. have to be a part of and it's not mine. it's for the sport and it's to encourage. those teams because there's still not.

any diversity within you know if you. look at Ferrari they don't have hardly. any there's most teams don't. um but when I go back to my team to the. factory normally in our marketing. department wasn't very diverse initially. and I walked in after the pandemic and I. started seeing such a more diverse group. of people I was really quite emotional. because I was like oh my God there's I'm. starting to see change. but you don't see that on TV yeah so. when I talk to the to the bosses of the. sport I'm like hey you know there's all. white men facing oh and and me facing.

the camera at the start of the race. where are the women. where are the people of color we've got. to be showing some young kids are. watching and they're like oh there's a. place for me there I can be there I can. be an engineer I can be a mechanic or. whatever it may be and even for young. girls oh I can be a racing driver or an. engineer a strategist or whatever you. know so representation's so so key to. inspiring the young youth especially in. these industries that they already have. less access to right like that's the.

point that it's not just it's not just. representation because you want them to. even. have the opportunity it's the fact that. there's just no access point which is. what you're trying to create I think. what's what I find really. beautiful about you doing it is you're. doing it though when you're like I'm. having all my emotions come up at the. same time as trying to be a voice for. other people and when you're saying like. I'm I'm taking a knee because I know I. have to make a stand. externally but internally you're taking. a knee because so much of your own stuff.

from. years ago is coming back up like that. must be quite hard when you're. that's that strikes me as something. that's really inspiring about what you. did is that you were going through your. own healing at the same time as trying. to do healing for the world there is so. much healing to do right and I was. completely oblivious to that I needed. healing I needed to really peel back. some of those layers. um I think for people that turn into. tune into a race and you mentioned. earlier on but when you. we arrive everything's set up We There.

is work that we're doing in the. background naturally people don't see. they just see a show. but there is an unbelievable amount of. work that goes on in the background. um when I talk to people that talk about. how much weight you lose they're like. yeah you just sit in the car and you. drive. um there's this huge psychological and. emotional roller coaster that you're. going through that it would be really. hard for people to. comprehend and you would mention about. all these other athletes you see their. faces in other sports you can't see. because we've got helmet on but you go. through this roller coaster ride in the.

race and then you get out and they the. camera's right in your face you're not. prepared for that your emotions are shot. particularly if you failed or feel like. you failed. and you don't always answer the right. way if you wear your your heart on your. sleeve. people that don't necessarily like that. necessary always people take advantage. of that so then you build up all these. protection mechanisms and mechanisms. that's not necessarily. you and at the core. but won't be the safest thing for you. you know what I mean like I read.

something the other day about. it's like three steps of you and there's. one the one of which you present your uh. who you present there's you and your who. you are to you and your family and. friends. and then there's one the part of you the. real you that no one ever gets to see. and I think just today in today's world. it's so vicious on social media it's the. media can be you know can really tell. you apart. and you build up you know like you you. make a mistake in something you say in.

the media and your ridicule Feud you. never do it again so you build up and. you go more and more in your shell. and you become harder for people to. really relate to but I think for me what. I've realized in these last few years is. really peeling back those layers. and you know letting people know that I. grew up in a council state I you know. I've lived on the sofa with my uh my my. parents we've had those struggles. um the successful people out there you. see they too have had those things where.

we need to show that young kids who are. going through that same thing that oh I. can if he can get there or they can get. there then it must be possible for me. too yeah. um and like being showing you about. vulnerability that's something that I. really struggled to to. to do for a long long time and. um. like today that's something I think I'm. a lot more open than I've ever ever been. yeah I'm not living in fear every day. and that's like the most. that's the most important thing I think.

for me personally I'm living a much. happier life because I'm. I'm a lot more open yeah it's liberating. yeah absolutely yeah it's liberating. when you finally feel like you're not. trapped or you're hiding held or yeah or. hiding yeah or hiding my favorite quotes. is from my Angelo when she says we are. all powerful beyond measure and that. really hit home also for me that that's. my favorite quote because and I have a. tattooed. because really we are so we do limit.

ourselves we get in our own way right. along with the other things that get in. our way but. a lot of our fear stops us from driving. forwards from progressing and that's why. like I do the craziest things I jump out. of planes yeah you've done what 80 jumps. yeah like just just I love challenging. myself and doing things even though. there's maybe fear there but overcoming. that fear is like it's the best feeling. when you overcome it and you realize. that she was all just a bunch of. nonsense in your head I want to.

encourage so all my friends I'm like. let's go and do this today they're like. are you crazy. my dad don't even think as a kid my dad. was like is he really my son because I. wouldn't do any of these things and even. still today. um I still find that he's actually done. skydiving with my Dad yeah he said he. would never do it but he did it so but. driving 200 miles per hour is probably. one of the scariest things that you do. all the time like that's not for you. anymore whatever things I've never had. that fear yeah uh as a kid and I was.

just never you know I think if you go on. a ski slope and you see these kids. coming by the kids are generally. Fearless right yeah but think as you go. get older yes you start you hurt. yourself a little bit you start. protecting yourself more and more but I. just don't have that I think. I feel like that was something that just. wasn't necessarily put in me I'm. terrified of spiders yeah that's the. only thing but I'm doing 200 miles an. hour that's actually when I'm most at. peace I would say yeah it's like I'm. like flowing it's like my that's my. element and that's why I like I love.

doing what I do it could be really. really hard when I start racing I've. been doing for 30 years I'm 37 I've been. racing 30 years and when you stop like. what what's gonna match that nothing's. gonna have a probably a match being in. the stadium or being at the race and. being at the Pinnacle the sport being at. the front of the greater or coming. through the grid that motion that I get. there when I do stop. that will be a there'll be a big hole. Yeah so I'm trying to generally focus on. things find things that are going to. replace that that will also be just as. rewarding and that's like Mission 44 for.

me meeting kids at schools having these. conversations with families and parents. who clearly you're going through. difficult times and want to create the. best opportunity for their kids. encouraging them they're like okay I've. been there too look where I got so you. can get there it's just got to work. through it that's for me the that's way. more rewarding than winning the race. yeah so much more yeah that's I'm so. grateful and I'm so happy that. everyone's gonna getting to hear this I. felt you're the only and I know you know.

you're talking about when that happens. but it's brilliant that you're planning. already because you can see how. so many athletes mentally. when they know their career has somewhat. of a shelf life or a somewhat of a time. span like it's so hot it's it just. completely wrote but I remember you're. reminding me of when I had the fortune. of sitting down with Kobe Bryant and I. said sat down with him when he'd already. retired wow and I interviewed him oh so. great I'm so jealous he was one of those. people that was not upset being retired.

he loved it because he knew that his. mission for him was to make these short. movies and make all these uh Sports. based content to inspire kids to tell. their stories and to help them find. better stories and so it's exactly what. you're saying where he wasn't he's one. of those people that I've met he was not. sad about he was so happy he was so. pumped that's what I'm working towards. yeah because he he knew that he had a. mission and he had a purpose and he'd. gone and won an Oscar for a short movie.

that he'd made and you know he was. creating content to inspire kids and. that's where his heart was and of course. watching his daughters play and so I'm. super inspired by him yeah I know but. yeah like when you said that that's what. I remembered and and he was in the same. boat he was like I always wanted to. script right and never had time to. script right he said I was always. playing basketball and he goes but then. I started script writing and I got a. coach and then I was writing and getting. better as a writer that's what I think. when I've spoken to other athletes we. focused so much on that being the best.

you can be and that one thing that the. other things that you also love like if. it's playing an instrument or if it's. writing scripts like it all falls. everything falls away and yeah. um how can you come compartmentalize. staying in the in the zone in the focus. Lane but also building up some of those. other skills and discovering other. passions you know people's. we've heard people tell LeBron shut up. and dribble like yeah that's there. there's a lot of people put you in the. box and say this you can only do one.

thing but as I've seen and spoken to. some people. that are active and retired a lot of. them say when particularly when they. retire that they. everything kind of fell apart like. everything fell to the ground they had. nothing to back it up with and they. hadn't discovered what they're doing. next so then they go through this. emotional Journey. um of of Discovery but it takes time. so I'm like trying to learn from those. things and applying them and find the. other things that I'm passionate about. so I generally feel today that I have.

lots of things in the pipeline. that when I do stop it's gonna be like. so grateful but I have something better. that I'm moving on to yeah. um but I I have no doubts that I oh me. and my dad will always have to go to the. go-kart track or something you know I'm. always going to be competitive yeah I. can't that's literally a strain in My. DNA that's just never gonna gonna shift. I'm competitive at everything I'm happy. to hear that it's it's it's I'm sure. that's refreshing it's great for people. to also hear that even to inspire young. people or Inspire anyone who's gone to a.

place in their career where they know. that there's a certain moment where. things are going to wind down but then. they're going to transition I think I. don't think we celebrate the transitions. enough in life and life is made up of. transition absolutely and people think. that it's maybe less or something but. it's yeah it's it's not about that yeah. exactly so it's fascinating you found. that what are some of these like you. said like um you know I've been doing. jumps I've been doing this with my. friends what are some of the routines. that you put into place to help you. manage your mindset because I feel like. you're you said that being at 200 miles.

per hour for the duration of a race is. like being in flow for you that means. you're extremely comfortable with your. own thoughts extremely comfortable with. being in a high stress high pressure. environment but being just with your own. self. talk to us about how you I mean it. sounds like that's always been the case. but what have you done to become more. and more comfortable with that yeah I. think naturally this is the natural. ability right but. um I've been out of focus for an hour. and 45 minutes without making mistakes.

and that's that's literally insane it's. unbelievable dealing with the pressures. um a friend actually asked me last night. because I talk about. we lose a lot of race a lot of weight in. the race yes. like sometimes you can lose up to 10. pounds like four kilos and people like. whoa I need to be particularly in. America they're like oh I need to be a. racing driver. um for the weight loss but this question. is my friend asked me the other day. that's like where does the where does. the weight go like yeah because my suit. doesn't because afterwards I weigh less. but the I'm like so it must evaporate.

you somewhere so I've never got to. figure out where all that weight. actually truly goes because it obviously. isn't in sweat but that's like messed my. mind about. um but the suit definitely is obviously. a little bit heavier but um it's about. gaining tools and I think as when I was. younger I didn't have I knew how to. arrive at the race I channeled the so. this emotion that I had through whatever. those difficulties were into my driving. so it's laser focused like if you watch. a video for me when I was five years old. on Blue Pizza you'll see I'm just laser.

focused but. um being able to control emotions being. out to be calm and present. staying centered there are loads of. obviously different methods that people. can use so things that I try to that. I've started to incorporate over the. years more in my life is things like. stretching things like yoga and. meditation has been a real. that for me was something that I never. thought that that I kind of turned a. blind eye to it when I was younger.

I thought that's not gonna be helpful. but being able to be sit still for a. second. and listen to the noises around you. um and understand you want to tap into. that kind of. in a child or whatever it may be. that's for me been taking that moment. for yourself each day treating yourself. with love and being kind to yourself you. know because I think for a long time I. wasn't kind to myself. and. that's been a process uh doing things. that being purposeful and and having.

real certain intentions each day. no matter how big or small. and you know I wake up I'm looking in. the mirror brushing your teeth then stop. for a second sake this today's gonna be. the day today's gonna be great. um and no matter what you're faced with. you know just. whatever you come out with yeah yeah. talking to yourself also speaking to. people I think is very important I think. as a kid as I said I didn't feel like I. could speak to people I didn't feel like. I could tell my mom about these. experiences I felt embarrassed I.

couldn't tell my dad so I thought he. would fulfill think less of me I. couldn't talk to any of the teachers. couldn't tell my most my friends most of. them. uh weren't particularly of color so. but finding. learning to be open and speak to people. or find someone to speak to whether it's. a therapist or whatever that's. that's been a huge um help. um I don't not necessarily have a. therapist especially someone that I'm. able to then just have shoot a with. basically yeah.

um and confide in and Trust like trust. has been something that I've never had. done didn't trust anybody through those. experiments I had as a kid. and it's been very very hard to build. trust with people but creating allies. finding things that are that you have in. common with people like my boss for. example. him and I just. breaking each other down and then just. having realizing that was similar in. many many ways but also very different. but that's not what should divide us we. can then be allies and so that's why.

we're working on. being the most diverse team we're. working on. pushing we have we've studied ignite. which is about getting. you know improving that pipeline of into. motorsport for people. um from underserved communities and. there's so much work to do you're doing. it though man I'm trying to I'm trying. to and you know to the point you were. asking earlier like has has enough been. done absolutely not in the industry yes. and like you don't feel that yeah and. it's not only in either industry it's. everywhere and is that your goal to sort. in the industry and then expand out or.

you're starting you're starting across. the board anyway yeah yeah that well. with the team with where it's we started. an organization which called ignite. which we both fund and that is focused. on the sport Motorsport in general. but Mission 44 is focused on a much you. know societal challenges and barriers. and and education. and. um that's a focused in the UK at the. moment but I want to bring that over to. the states absolutely man.

um you know hopefully by at least 2024. um also just been to Africa and there is. so much Beauty there and I really really. want to have an imp you know really want. to help there as well so yeah. um we will continue to expand but we're. one of the one of the few black founding. non-profit organizations in UK and with. um black CEO for example a very diverse. group of people. um and just having those conversations. with people of just what a diverse. Workforce means and how that bet can.

benefit you when you have people from. different backgrounds all coming up with. a diverse diverse thought and creation. it's that's how you have more success. yeah it's a no it's a no-brainer when. you hear it and you're just like wow. that makes so much sense and creativity. is better and you you'd be able to come. up with far more innovative ideas and. you've got so many more cultures now. being celebrated involved and I I feel. like. it's. it's interesting to me that the world. hasn't caught on with that yet like it's.

it's interesting that even despite there. being progress there's not enough. progress but. what what is the block like what is the. stop is it a mindset is it just habits. and laziness like what is the actual. like if you got to the core of it from. everyone you've been speaking to like. what are you what is the issue is the. issue that. yeah is the issue just laziness and just. oh this is the way things have always. been or is it or is there actually like. a setup I don't have the answer to it I. I ask that question all the time and.

I come up with lots of different. theories in my mind. um sometimes I'm like maybe people don't. just don't care maybe people's problems. are so big that they don't have time to. focus on other things and it's hard. enough just to do the thing that you're. focused on or just overcoming the issue. that you're overcoming so how am I gonna. have more time to yeah. to speak about these things why should I. take the risk and risk my next step and. so I feel like it's about learning to be. selfless right and.

um which is difficult to do if you're. not being loving yourself and not in a. good place yeah so I think it all comes. to us at hopefully a time at a certain. point in our lives. um but also you know we live in a time. where like social media is so it's such. a dangerous it's such a powerful tool. but it's also can be so dangerous and so. dividing. and I see people out there today and. there's people that I admire that I'm. that that I would follow and I'd be like. how they.

projecting something that's not. necessarily healthy for you for people. out there how are they projecting. they're not using this platform to be. more inspirational or be more positive. and there's others that are but then I. don't you can't judge because that's. their Journey. well you can continue to do is try to. you know with that Maya Angelou quote. it's about being shining your light as. bright as you can possibly get it and. hope that by doing it. you I think you automatically uh. encourage the people around you to want. to do the same.

and I never truly understood that until. I see the team that I work with how we. all Inspire each other how with this. year for example we've had the you know. 2022 has been one of the hardest years. for us as a team. um as we didn't build a great car and we. had our struggles as many people do and. how we've had to all come closer and the. relationship I've had with people that. I've worked with this team for 10 years. and there's conversations we've had this.

year people have opened up like they've. never opened up before people have cried. like it's been. it's been beautiful to see yeah I feel. like with some a far better team than. we've ever been before because we're. living with intention we're actually. talking about impact. that everyone in the team's gone and had. diversity inclusion training no one's. been kind of like I'm not I'm not going. through that class why do I have to go. and learn with diversity and inclusions. about it I'm and why it doesn't impact. me you know people like I understand it. doesn't I wouldn't necessarily notice it.

but I want to understand it more so I. can be better in my working environment. it's been unbelievable that's amazing. also leaders within our sport are now. now where we are on a road to being a. more diverse and more inclusive sport. but I think my job is to continuously. make sure that it that that same the. effort that we're putting in now doesn't. kind of fall away and become kind of. you know just because it was. um trending yeah yeah yeah that is.

actually something that's on the top of. the list sustainability is on the top of. our list and that real true core values. we don't go out of our way well you know. because a lot of people it's very easy. to kind of be led by the money. success. but making sure you stick to your core. values it's so true so important it goes. back to what you said though that that's. what real leaders do like leaders don't. follow what's trending like leaders have. focused on transformation and then. they're dedicated to transformation and.

they're going to keep doing it until. they see a change whereas followers. follow Trends and oh it's not trending. now it doesn't matter we'll focus on. something else but you know obviously. it's so clear just listening to you. today and it's amazing Because unless. I'm so glad I've had this opportunity to. talk to you because. I can hear just how. deeply dedicated you are to this and how. it's at your core it's like it's. everything that comes out of your pores. today is just you know which is which is. really special to see a value being. embodied like to empower other people.

you have to embody the value first it. doesn't just you don't just go around. empowering people and so to hear how. your soul and heart is like completely a. sponge for this stuff and then to. wanting to go and share it with the. world it's really remarkable man ah. thank you yeah well I mean it's I've I'm. by far perfect no yeah I know and I. think that's like it's not about being. perfect it's about just every day one. step at a time trying to be better. trying to do more yeah and. um learning a lot about myself I've had.

to break myself down. in order to be able to be better and. what do you mean by breaking yourself. down uh well just when you when I told. you about like all those barriers you. put up over time to protect yourself and. then kind of like knocking those. barriers down yes. and it's enabled me to connect with more. people it's enabled me to realize my. place in the world and I don't feel like. I don't belong anymore I feel like uh. you know I've got a place and I've got a. purpose and that's and I think a lot of. people are struggling to find that. purpose but it's okay you'll you will.

find it do not give up keep getting up. you know like just keep saying those. things to yourself and you will. eventually find it and you know you're. already living in your purpose and. having such a huge impact on so many. people you know telling stories which uh. is it's amazing to see. um I started this production company. inspired by like Kobe and so many out. there but stories for me storytelling I. watch a lot of movies I don't know about. you but yeah I love movies especially. Sports movies yeah like when I go home.

I'll like I you know order takeaway or. make myself some pasta or something like. that. and then I put the plate in front of me. and I can't eat till I found something. to watch like my my Escape is watching a. movie and I always like to find. something hopefully inspiring yes. but what the reason I created this um. production company is because. you know until recently we didn't have. any people of color are superheroes We I. think these stories storytelling is so. so important for people out there for.

inspiring people and and I want to make. sure that in and everything that I do. every project that I work on is with a. diverse Workforce like I'm doing this. from one movie with um Brad Pitt and Joe. kazinski and. um but my job is to make sure that it's. diverse behind the camera as it is on. screen the story is empowering and. uplifting. um it's not there's no BS in terms of. the racing and. hopefully one kid will watch it and yeah. or more and feel empowered to go and do.

something great absolutely I love that. man I'm so glad you're doing that. because when you said do I like movies. the movie that came to my mind was uh. race have you seen race because yeah so. like that the story is unbelievable but. when you watch the movie as well it's. unbelievable to see what Jesse Owens did. like to think that he had to go I can't. even imagine I can't you know you just. can't imagine if everyone's not seen the. movie you have to go see them yeah it's. just one of those movies that's like how. do you do that like how do you go and. race. in Nazi Germany like I have like I must.

have been terrified terrifying and you. know there's been so many great stories. like that that are out there that need. telling yeah. um continuously telling yeah 42 is. another one yeah 42 is awesome. um but yeah there is these really unique. people out there I think for me being in. this sport being the only one and being. the first is that is that has been. lonely yeah and that has been really. really a difficult thing to kind of.

understand and and. um through my life I know many many. people like Jesse for example being the. first and only. at the time you know I've taken huge. inspiration from him Nelson Mandela was. like ah he's just one of my biggest. biggest Inspirations. um I was so so fortunate to get to meet. him when I was I was like 23 or. something oh wow what was that like yeah. ah it was mind-blowing I mean when you. when you then I got to form one and you. have the success all these things come. and you don't even you've dreamed of.

being a racing driver but you didn't. dream that all the other things of all. the other things that come along like. meeting other unbelievable people I went. to Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday in. London. and I was sat on his table in this huge. room full of like. Bill Clinton was there like uh. Denzel Washington was there open Winfrey. sat right next to me like all these. people that you would never ever in the. million years dream of think you would. ever get to meet yeah and then you. discover and they're also just human. beings with feelings and with emotions.

and with their own challenges but I was. so young at the time it was it was. I don't even recognize myself when I. look back at me seven years ago. I see a shell of me and I think I look. today and see myself and know myself so. much more. um. and that's again that's an empowering. experience to be in but yeah I went into. the room and met him and he sat at his. chair. and it was like walking into I was like. God or like a king you know and his silk.

shirt was. his Aura was something you could see his. Aura his smile he was beaming. that was the most probably the most. impactful day for me. um as a youngster wow Lewis it's. unbelievable talking to you I mean what. you've achieved on the track off the. track and now I'm even more excited to. see you continue to achieve uh as your. journey continues because I'm going to. say this and I don't say this often and. I genuinely my team can vouch for and.

everyone else can listen back to any. episode. I think you're one of the most. on-purpose people I've ever interviewed. and I appreciate that no and I genuinely. like it just there's nothing else that. comes from your being apart from what. your purpose currently is with Mission. 44 and and it's it's really remarkable. to meet someone who's so on purpose I. don't I genuinely don't have that. experience and the only person you. reminded me of was Kobe he had it too. when I was around him there was no. there's nothing else it wasn't like he.

missed anything he was at peace he was. it was peace with purpose you know and. you have that same Aura and spirit from. from at least my experience thank you so. much it's so kind of you yeah and I. really mean that I really mean that it's. incredible so uh we we end every episode. with a Fast Five which means every. question has to be answered in one word. to one sentence maximum okay and we ask. these same questions to every guest. that's ever been on the show I should be. prepared for that because I've seen you. so well no the the first question is.

what's the best advice you've ever heard. or received I think it was the achieve. my dad uh never give up that's been like. the slogan in the back of my mind every. single day the other one would be um. just that you'll always be learning and. that's what I learned from Nelson. Mandela he was like I'm 19 and I'm still. learning today and like I was like what. can you tell me it's like I'm still. learning today and it's okay to be. learning you're always going to be. learning something new and growing. yourself wow that's beautiful very like. wow but like guys that was pretty basic. but no but it's not it's it's powerful. knowing he said that yeah as in the fact.

that he said that on his 90th birthday. that is powerful because it's a long way. to go yeah and it's like a lot of people. I feel like a lot of people feel by 90. especially him he has so much wisdom to. share yeah but the fact that his wisdom. was I'm just learning that yeah I'm. still learning that's pretty cool all. right second question uh what's the. worst advice you ever heard or received. give up it's just the opposite yeah yeah. literally the worst bit of advice and it. wasn't I mean it wasn't necessarily.

advice but I when I was younger there. was other parents of other racing. drivers I was racing against. I remember this one guy and he's like. she just you just don't have it you. should just give up their parents were. saying their parents the grown man in. these 40s or 50s told me that and I was. eight told you told me yeah to my face. and I remember just being so like what. am I supposed to do with that what do. you mean give up what was the reason I. would imagine because I was beating his. kid. maybe I don't know I never really. thought of what the reason would be and.

the same with teachers you know yeah. what is this crap you know you're. terrible at this you'll never know go to. the next set you're never gonna amount. to anything why are you even here I had. a parent I had a teacher tell me that. and wow it broke me down so much. question number three uh. how do you deal with loss and how do you. deal with the win I think success is as. I mentioned earlier short-lived success. is there's a lot less learn in success. it's like the tip of the iceberg it's.

the losses and it's the failures and. it's the continuously just the. perseverance that you needed that you. need to do like I love that image of the. iceberg where you see the sea level and. the iceberg on the top that everyone. sees but below is what people don't get. to see and it's it's relevant for every. single person out there it's finding. your core it's letting yourself know. it's okay to feel the pain it's okay to. accept that your failures. and you know put it on you it's like. it's just another another notch on your. belt that is going to make you stronger.

and just knowing that that is the case. I've failed so many more times and I've. succeeded so many more. and that people don't even know maybe. necessarily about or see. and still today I'm making those. failures those mistakes and or making. mistakes. but I know that that's straight that's a. part of the journey that's that's what. I'm then harnessing and that's what's. making me stronger all right question. number four out of five uh what's. something that you thought you valued. but you don't value anymore immaterial.

stuff at some stage and you actually. realize they're not important and we. live in such a materialistic world so. learning to detach yourself from that. and know that it's moments with special. people it's moments with your with your. family with your loved ones with your. friends that are what you get to take. with you when you stop you know when. life comes to an end right I truly. believe that it's those memories that. are what yeah memories of you also which. lingers not what you had or what you're. able to attain.

um so I think that was something that. took me a long time to to to learn and. yeah whilst I still have things I don't. have. I've actually tried to unclutter my life. because we. now I remember my dad used to call me. into the garage and we used to go. through all the crap that he would keep. I don't know if your dad your parents do. the same thing yeah geez we just used to. call me and it was the worst day ever. when I had to help him clean out the. garage but we hold on to so many things. right. um so just decluttering your life yeah.

making it more simple. um so that's why I like I love to go and. surfing that's like the most tranquil. kind of thing that I get to do sit in. the ocean and sometimes just sit and. ponder about life what I'm gonna do next. and that's my getaway I think people. have to find that balance of work. because if you just work work work work. and you don't replenish your energy with. positive things then you will just. continue to be breaking yourself down so. I try and find that balance I think. everyone needs to do that yeah that's.

beautiful surfing skydiving those are. yours uh Fifth and final question if you. could create one law that everyone in. the world had to follow what would it be. holy crap uh the one of the things that. I'm like I struggle with every day is. and it's just how life is and it's been. the way for thousands of years that. there is such a disparity between. wealthy and and the poor and you know. you still when you drive around L.A. there's still so many people living on. the streets. this should you shouldn't be able to. have billions.

right I think this there should be a. limit to how much you can have because. there's enough to go around to everyone. so somehow create a lore that creates. more equality. yeah and equal access to every for. everyone you know um. I don't know how to deal with implant. Implement that law that's all good but. like geez man I've met kids that are. starving yeah same. and you think oh God like. how we we are so so lucky so many of us. um and knowing that and not taking.

advantage of of your everyday. um is so so important it does what law. would you change it does no I think. that's beautiful that's I mean we've. yeah I mean now now yeah I see I see who. you did there if I had to create a law. in the world that everyone had to follow. this is at least my today answer and. maybe it would change as well is. it kind of and it's inspired by what. we're talking about I think I I wish at. school the law was that every child had. to learn about emotional mastery.

to understand how to understand other. people's emotions and understand their. emotions and take that into. consideration when making decisions and. if every child was given that exposure. to emotional Mastery then. people would just have tools of how to. deal with their own pain and someone. else's pain and. and how to deal with when your parents. are going through pain because I feel. like pain is the issue we have any pain. today that's so good man I told you not.

to come out. you're so right Satisfied by you it's. going back to education that's why I. like when you go to school you don't. learn all the they don't prepare you. enough for what's to come not at all and. and that's tapping into mental health as. you mentioned exactly that's exactly. yeah and that's kind of where my purpose. is right like my purpose is that feeling. of. you know when I went on lived as a monk. that's where I got exposed to emotional. Mastery like that was the goal of what. monk training was about and I was 21 22.

when I did that wow that's still young. says a lot about that shows a lot about. you yeah yeah but it was it was kind of. like a Fascination that I had I was just. like well if I can't understand my mind. then how can you live life like that. that so so anyway it comes from but it. comes from what you're saying that the. education that needs to happen at a. younger level so Louis it has been such. a honor and a pleasure talking today my. man it's a huge responsibility that. you've taken on. for yourself for the world and. I don't think there could be anyone. better doing it and I really really hope.

that any help that I can offer any help. that my community can offer please know. that we're right here with you thank you. right behind you so thank you so much on. purpose Community I know would love to. get behind anything that we can yeah. dude I'm so uh I'm so so grateful for. the time you give me today yeah and and. again for like what you what you do. um because you're having such a positive. impact on some so many people including. me you know so when you perhaps don't. realize it you're yeah you know you're. having such a big impact.

um and I'm so grateful to you for that. mate thank you man it means the world. coming from you honestly thank you. everyone who's been uh listening and. watching today make sure you go get. educated about Mission 44 about the. Hamilton commission really incredible. initiatives that Lewis started that are. leading the way to make sure that. diversity and inclusion are taken more. seriously across all Industries which I. think we would all agree with and to. anyone else who's watching or listening. make sure you tag Lewis and I on social. media with your biggest insights there.

were so many words of wisdom that Lewis. shared I want to know which things stuck. out to you which things made a. difference in your mind and the biggest. thing is I want you to pass this on to. someone right there's someone who needs. to hear Lewis's story that's going to. transform their life and I want you to. pass it on he shared so many people that. inspired him we know he's a huge. inspiration to so many make sure you. share this with someone because you have. no idea whose life you might change. thank you so much if you love this. episode you'll love my interview with. Kobe Bryant on how to be strategic and.

obsessive to find your purpose.