The 'Afraid' Quarterback Who Won 4 Super Bowls Anyway | Terry Bradshaw

Key Takeaway

Schedule a 15-minute “mirror evaluation” today: sit alone, name the parts of your life that are working and the patterns causing pain, then choose one negative pattern to address with a concrete next step—an honest conversation, a boundary, or professional support. Terry Bradshaw’s turning point came when he stopped blaming others for repeated relationship outcomes and examined his own choices. Self-awareness is not self-criticism; it is the starting point for changing cycles and building a life with more peace.

Episode Overview

Terry Bradshaw reflects on achieving four Super Bowl wins while privately struggling with fear, low confidence, depression, ADHD, illness, and three divorces. He explains how counseling, self-examination, faith, kindness, and a deeply supportive marriage helped him understand his patterns, recover from setbacks, and redefine success beyond status or achievement.

Full Transcript

Transcript of The 'Afraid' Quarterback Who Won 4 Super Bowls Anyway | Terry Bradshaw from The School of Greatness. Auto-generated from episode audio; may contain minor errors.

When it comes to sleep, consistency matters, and so does having a bedtime routine you'll actually stick with. Hatch Sleep Clock makes it easier. It tracks your sleep right from your nightstand. No wearable required. Instead of just getting a sleep score, you'll get personalized insights to understand your sleep plus recommendations to build a routine that works for you. Try Hatch Sleep Clock, the sleep tracker designed to get you to sleep. Available now on Hatch.co and Amazon. You know how people sometimes invest in something that seems incredible at first, but then it doesn't live up to the hype?

Like when everyone was convinced NFTs were the future and people were buying them for thousands of dollars and now they barely have any value. Marketers know that feeling. They optimize for numbers that look great, like impressions, but then they don't see revenue. LinkedIn has a word for that, bullspend. Instead, you can get the highest ROAS of major ad networks with LinkedIn ads. Cut the bullspend. Advertise on LinkedIn. Spend $250 and get a $250 credit. Go to linkedin.com slash lewis, terms apply. If you're a small business, you know one great hire can change everything.

Maybe it's someone to keep the day running smoothly, find the right producer, or take work off your plate so you can focus on what you do best. Finding that person matters. Indeed, sponsored jobs get you quality candidates when you need them most. Join the 3.3 million employers worldwide that use Indeed to connect with quality talent that fits their needs. Listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at indeed.com slash podcast. That's indeed.com slash podcast.

Terms and conditions apply. Hiring now? Then this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. The School of Greatness is presented by ChatGPT. ChatGPT work, a new way to work in ChatGPT, can help you organize multi-step projects. ChatGPT work can use your app's connected tools and files to create things like landing pages, trackers, even web apps. You can also make ChatGPT work more specialized by installing specific plugins. Get ChatGPT to work on your most ambitious ideas and projects. Get started at ChatGPT.com by selecting work mode, available on Plus and Pro plans.

Everywhere I go, airports, events, walking down the street, people stop me and say, Lewis, this show got me through one of the hardest seasons of my life, and it's one of the coolest things when people come up to me. So if you see me, please come up and say hi, and let me know how this show, The School of Greatness, has impacted you. It lights me up because our mission at Greatness Media is to impact 100 million lives every single week. So if today's conversation hits home for you, do me a favor and push the follow button right now.

It means that the next conversation will be delivered to you and we'll find you exactly when you need it. Again, thank you so much for being here and listening to The School of Greatness. Make sure to follow right now to stay up to date on the latest and greatest. There's nothing more powerful than hope. That's Terry Bradshaw, a man who won four Super Bowls and still had to fight his way back from three divorces, cancer twice in the same year, and a depression he didn't even fully understand until his 40s.

If you've ever felt like the world only sees your highlight reel, the wins, the title, the trophies, while you're quietly falling apart behind it, then this episode is for you because Terry's proof that success doesn't protect you from pain and that getting hit isn't the story, getting back up is. In this episode, you're going to hear Terry get honest about therapy, faith, learning to say no without guilt, and why hope was the only thing that pulled him through when nothing else could. Terry Bradshaw is a pro football hall of famer, four-time Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers, longtime host of NFL Fox Sunday, and author of the new memoir, Looking for Terry.

My name is Lewis Howes. This is The School of Greatness, and let's welcome Terry Bradshaw. When was the season of your life, and maybe it's now, but when was the season of your life you were the most competent in yourself, and when was the season of life where you were the least competent, just as a human being? I would say in all areas of life. Well, the first thing that comes to mind is the player. I never was supremely confident as a quarterback in the NFL.

Really? I always had fear. I was always scared of losing. I hate that feeling. I mean, I watch these guys today. I watch the Peyton Mannings and the John Elways and the Stallbacks that are just, you can just see it. You can see Joe Burrow in Cincinnati. You can see Allen in Buffalo, Matthew Stafford at the Ram. You can see. You just watch them. They're just filled with confidence, and I was always afraid of losing. I just say to myself, you know, don't think I haven't had this conversation hundreds of times with myself.

I lost my throw in motion because of my confidence, and I went home and I tried to pick up and figure out how to rotate the football. I mean, I lost all of that. Really? I basically started over. Interesting. Yeah, and it was such a struggle. I worked on it my entire career. It was just, in college, I just throw. The pros, I guess, all the negative and afraid to make mistakes. You internalize everything. I can't make a mistake here. I'm calling a pass. Oh, you got to complete this pass.

If you don't complete this pass, then you might not be able to throw another, you know. It was crazy, man. I hate telling. You know what? I hate saying that because it's like, oh, come on, John. You did all these Super Bowls, yeah. I'm proud of the fact that I had all these struggles and I've yet to play, you know, but God, I just ... Where do you think you would have been had you had more confidence in yourself? Even though you excelled so well, you won four Super Bowls being afraid, but where do you think you would be if you were fearless and had all the confidence in the world like these guys today that you're talking about?

Well, I will say this. Confidence as a player or the guy that can handle a situation, I did get that, but I still struggled. I threw with a finger on the tip of the ball, which is wrong. I tried everything in the world to get my hand off the tip because the more skin you have on a football, the better you'll throw it, the better you'll control it, and the more accurate it'll be. I knew that, but I practiced, and I just ... It would not ...

If we'd have had quarterback clinics and quarterback gurus back in my day, I would have gone to them to change it, and they could have helped me. I would have been so much more accurate, and so much more controlled. My whole process wasn't getting hit or even coverages. Mine was when is the timing going to be right, because I've thrown a ball in the Super Bowl 14. I threw a pass to a guy wide open. That ball came out of my hand, whack, whack, whack, whack, whack.

Great. That doesn't happen. That shouldn't happen. It drives you ... It just drove me nuts, but playing in big games, eh, it didn't bother me a lot. No. Even though I had my demons on the inside, you know, with control of the football, and ... I mean, I threw for over 300 yards in that game, but I also threw three interceptions. What would you say is the season you've been most confident in your life? Is it when you're playing football at some point? Is it in the last 20 years?

It's now, really. It's now. When I quit playing football, I got a book coming out, Looking for Terry. In that book, in that book, you go through ... Everything you've asked me to talk about are things that I discuss, and I think, I'm not the only one in the world, and millions of people are doing what I'm doing. I'm good at talking, and I'm a good communicator. I know that. Now, I'm not bragging. I'm not being vain here. I mean, I love to tell stories. I'm very honest.

I'm very truthful, but that's why you say, but wait a minute. You won four Super Bowls. How could you have trouble? Well, I'm telling you. I'm not asking you to believe me. I'm just telling you. You didn't see it, but I lived it. You experienced it, yeah. I never threw the ball in the NFL like I threw it in college, never, never. I know that. Nobody else knows it. I'm just telling you. Sure. Yeah, and I got it on pretty good. Yeah. As I told the quarterback for Oklahoma, John Latere, they said, well, you got to improve your completion percentage.

You only completed 63% of your facet. I said, John, I completed 51.9% of my facet in the NFL. Wow. That's terrible. That's terrible. But right now, for sure, I'm doing exactly what God has prepared me to do, and that's talk. Wow. Talk, communicate, to share the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful. My wife gives me numbers because I talk so much, and I'm a people person. I'm sure you are, too. That's why you do this podcast. I love people. I can't meet somebody and not find something about them.

Grocery store. I don't care where I am. I have to know something. Hey, how you doing? Good to see you. What's your name? Maybe you move on. Of course, you're always moving on. When I got diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and you swell up, you're on steroids, you put on weight, and you're eating everything you can see, well, I'm noticing I got these marks on my body, these fluid, because your socks cut, you're creasing in, you got a big deep crease. So, we're in Hawaii, we're at the Kmart buying stuff for our house, and everybody, hey, Terry, how you doing?

Terry, how's it going? Oh, hey, hey, hey. Yeah, you can tell I'm a little puffy, I put on a little weight, but I've got rheumatoid arthritis, and I'm taking steroids to find out what the blend's gonna be, so I'm overweight right now. Oh, okay. Well, good to see you, man. Next guy. Hey, Terry, how you doing? I'm doing pretty good. As you can tell, I put on weight, and I'm going through the same story. My wife goes, honey, honey, honey, wait, wait, wait, what are you doing?

What do you mean, what am I doing? I don't even know I'm doing it. You're telling everybody this, hey, Terry, you're on steroids, they don't care that you're on steroids, you're a puppy, they just recognize you, and they're gonna say, hi, get out, and I said, am I doing that? She said, yes. I said, oh, honey, I am so sorry, I will not do, thank you so much for bringing that to my attention. We get in the car, we drive across the highway to a magnificent Target.

This Kmart was that good, big, this Target's bigger, got more stuff, it's a real bear, so we drive into the parking lot, go in, get our buggy, going down the aisle, here comes this guy. Hey, Terry, how you doing? How am I doing? Look, as you can tell, I'm a little puffy. Did it again. Oh, I've got rheumatoid arthritis, and they're trying to find the right blend. I'm embarrassed. I'm about 50 pounds heavy, and I, you ready for this? Can I stand up? Yeah, yeah. And I pulled my pants up and pushed my sock down, and I went, look, look at the crease from the, and while I'm down, it hits me, what I'm, I started laughing, man, I can't help myself.

Look what I'm doing right now, I'm embarrassed. And I just say, man, I'm doing good. And I looked at her, she's just shaking her head, and I just said, why do you do that? Why do you do that? You know, now I can't say goodbye. I see somebody, we're talking, and so her deal is now, three, and I'll keep talking, she'll go, five, and that's goodbyes. That's how many goodbyes I've gone through and haven't goodbyed. You're like my, my wife is like that. The other day, she goes, seven.

I don't even laugh. Say goodbye seven times, and I'll leave it there. I just started laughing. They don't know what I'm laughing at. I'm laughing at her. She's like, let's go. That's funny. Oh, it's real funny, but that, she gets a kick out of doing that. Yeah, my wife from Mexico, her family, they say goodbye for like 30 minutes. And I'm like, you said goodbye, you hugged already, leave, you know, it's like, or don't say goodbye. And I don't know why, why do we do that?

Who knows? I mean, I. We don't want to leave. You know, we like having a conversation. I don't know. Yeah, yeah. Something else. He said, hi, hi. Hey, didn't you? You went on the fishing trip. How's that go? Oh, really? You know, I went on three. Really? Wow. No way. You're still with, Sam still work for you? Really? You just. Keep going. Yeah. Hey, it's actually. Hey, but when I went down to my ankle. You started to realize that, yeah, yeah. Louis, I broke up like, like you've never seen in your life.

It's embarrassing. That's amazing. Well, at least you're aware of it though. That's good. Yeah. You got someone to support you with that. I know. What is the difference between the persona that you've kind of created over the years versus what people really see behind the scenes? There is definitely parts of your personality that you kind of push aside depending on what you're doing. You'll say, well, this, this is not going to work here. I don't want them to see this, whatever. I'm an engaging, curious guy who likes to laugh, have fun, and I don't necessarily, I don't dislike it, but I don't necessarily get into the deep, dark stuff, which we all have.

Yeah. So, in doing interviews, my goal today with you or anybody that is interviewing me, I want this to be the most enjoyable interview you've ever had. I'm gonna do everything I can to make this work. So, that is not pretending, that's real, but I think we all, Lewis, I think we all hold back, some of us. I try, if you ask me a tough question, a personal, I'm gonna answer it, I'm never gonna tell you, I don't wanna talk about that, I'm never gonna be rude to you, I'm gonna answer your question, and then later, after I see the interview, I may go, oh man, I wish I hadn't have said that.

Really? Oh yeah, I embarrass myself. I think sometimes my antics are a little silly, goofy, while I might think that I'm entertaining or being fun, and in some cases, I am, in a lot of cases, I am. Then, in other times, I'm like, I wish I hadn't have done that, because I think that's one of the reasons I don't like to watch myself, because I embarrass myself, and I don't mind that being me, what you're gonna get, but I don't necessarily wanna watch it. Really? Yeah.

Is there something where you feel maybe, you feel embarrassed by watching yourself, or you feel shame, or you feel like? Shame. Well, not shame, I'm a little embarrassed, because you can be too much of anything. You can go over the top. You can, your personality, since I'm, I don't call myself an alpha male, but I'm smart enough now, in the job that I have, not to be an alpha male. I am smart enough to drop down and let everybody else go, and not try to say, oh yeah, let me tell you what happened to me, and keep mine out of it.

I enjoy that part of me. In other words, I don't have to dominate the conversation in a group of people. Like I told you earlier, I like to listen. Yeah. I like to be entertained, but I do, I'm very much aware that my personality can wear people out, and I don't like that part of me. And I don't like that part of me. When I'm giving speeches, for instance, I love, when I get on a roll, I love creating and making people laugh. Yeah. You know?

And once you hear that first laugh, keeping it going, right? That's right. Yeah, it inspires you. I had a boss one time tell me, you can't be funny on TV. You're gonna lose your credibility. And I remember telling him, how am I gonna lose my credibility? I won four Superbowl. They gonna take them away? Right. And I think what the point is, if you're in a leadership position, you're not supposed to be funny, you're not supposed to be engaging, you're supposed to be serious, serious, serious.

And I can be serious, and I am serious, and I don't have a problem with that. It's just that I prefer that part of my life not, you know, in my business, with my horses and my cattle, and my speech, I'm serious. But at the same time, I'm engaging. You know, with the people I work with, the people that come to buy stuff from us, I'm engaging. I want them to feel welcome. I want them to feel at ease, and I think a warm personality, and a warm smile, and a chuckle here and there, I think that's good business.

Yeah. Yeah. Support for this episode comes from Ring. Whatever shows up around home this holiday season with Ring, you're protected. The holidays get busy fast. You're running errands, gifts are showing up at the house, maybe you're traveling, and that's a lot happening at once. One thing I really like is being able to check in when packages are arriving at the front door with battery doorbell, 2K. When you've got gifts being delivered, and you're not always home when they show up. Indoor cam is small and easy to set up.

Just plug it in and place it pretty much anywhere inside. An outdoor cam plus gives you retinal 2K clarity for your yard and outdoor spaces. Ring helps you stay connected to what's happening at home, so you can spend more time enjoying the holiday moments that matter. With Ring, you're protected. Shop cameras, doorbells, and more at ring.com. In business, there's the easy way with staples or the hard way. Hard means waiting too long for custom prints when your business needs them now. Easy means banners, business cards, and more ready as fast as same day.

Hard means unfortunate printer errors. Easy means quality professional grade print solutions. Don't choose hard, choose staples. In store, online, or through the app. When you're at work, you never know when you'll be interrupted, but with the Dell Pro powered by Intel Core Ultra with vPro, no matter what distracts you, your laptop won't. It's battery optimized for the way you work with built-in intelligence that quiets distractions when you need to focus. Your laptop will help keep you locked in, even when it's bring your dog to work day.

Built for those who stay in the flow, the Dell Pro built for you. Dell.com slash Dell-Pro. You know, I was getting to connect with you and your wife just behind the scenes for a little bit before this. And you've been, how long have you been with your wife for now? 20? 22, 23 years. 23 years. 23 years. I'm curious, what is the thing that you love the most about your wife that has made the greatest impact on your life in the last 23 years? Okay, let me tell you this.

Let me just say this to everybody. I am a product of three divorces, okay? Am I proud of that? Absolutely not. Now, you said ashamed earlier. I am ashamed that I've been divorced three times or once or twice, whatever. That is not something certainly that I'm proud of. I grew up in a Baptist family, Christian family. You get married once, okay? I got divorced and I'll never forget my preacher telling me I was going to hell. Really? Yes. That doesn't feel good. No, it did not.

So I never went back to that church. Yeah. It's not that I was looking for someone to say it's okay to get divorced. I wasn't trying to find someone that agreed with me. I just didn't think according to my study of the scriptures that I was going to hell because God will forgive you. Right? Yes. But I'm not proud of it. Now, here's the thing I am proud of, if this makes sense. It does to me, maybe not to our viewer, is that once I got divorced a third time, it finally dawned on me, it's not them.

No, it's not the people you were cousin. It's not the women. Yeah, yeah. It's me. Interesting. Now, why am I marrying the same woman three times? So I went about finding out why. And once I believe I understood why and realized that in counseling, I needed to break the cycle. What was that cycle? All the three women were all alike. Nothing wrong with that. It just wasn't for me. And it wasn't about them, it was about what you were choosing. Me, me. Yeah. And I had to learn about me.

Interesting. All right, I had to look into a mirror. I used to use this in speeches and I do. And when I get to thinking about it, it doesn't really apply. And it makes sense. I call it mirror economics, but it's really mirror evaluation where you honestly are in a room by yourself. All right? And you're looking at a mirror. Nobody in there but you in that mirror. Now, what do you see? Let's go. So you start talking to yourself. Oh, my right ear is bigger than my left ear.

I got a big stomach. My eyes are deep set. I'm a little bit bow-legged. I'm this, I'm that, I'm this, I'm that. Physically, I am going through everything about me, but this is good. I have a nice kneecap. I got nice legs. My wife's always so, boy, you have great legs. Okay, oh, I do have, I got a nice leg. So you, good and bad, but you're brutally honest. Brutally honest. Now, how important is it to me to take the negatives and try to make them a positive?

I know I got the good stuff. Now I gotta work on the bad stuff. And I think through counseling and going to counseling, I am attracted, basically, I don't wanna say this wrong because I married to an awesome woman who I love madly, but I was attracted to the wrong thing. The wrong thing appealed to me. Deep inside, it was the wrong thing. No, nothing against the women. Absolutely nothing against them. It's me. And that's okay. At least I know now. And what I needed was what I have.

And it took me a while to figure it out. I needed a friend. Hmm. I needed someone that I wanted to spend all my time with. Can you imagine? Yeah, yeah. Spend all your time with a woman all the time? I needed someone that I could talk to who didn't judge me and ridicule me. And I needed a woman that made an effort to study and understand me and not take face value and then take the negative and go, well, I can't handle this. Instead, saying, why is he acting like that?

Why is he this? Why is he that? Is this a deal breaker? Okay, let's talk about it. My wife makes me talk about stuff I don't wanna talk about. A lot of men don't wanna talk about a lot of stuff. I didn't wanna talk about it. And then finally, I'll go, okay. All right, here's the deal. And I dump it out. And she'll say, okay, all right. And then we talk about it. Yeah. I met, fell in love with my buddy. Now, here's the great thing about my wife.

I couldn't do the normal courting thing. Took me over a year, year and a half to tell her I loved her. Uh-huh. I wasn't about to tell her I loved her. Yeah, because you weren't about to do that. No. But to answer your question. The thing you love the most about her, yeah. Yeah, the most I love about her is that she's such an awesome lady in every aspect. Being a Christian, she loves her Lord, which is awesome. She loves her kids. She loves my kids.

My kids put her through hell. Really? And she's right there for our Lord. Wow. Yeah, those daddy daughters. Yeah. Nobody's good enough for my daddy. Wow. Yeah, and she's right there. It's just, you know, God finally gave me my match. And you know what's great? You know what's great, Lewis? I don't ever get, I don't ever, ever get mad at her. Why? Disagree with her. Occasionally, I've raised my voice. And immediately, but nothing has ever happened where I say, I gotta get out of this. No.

I'm not going for that. Nah, you know what? Okay, great. I mean, she's my best friend. I never thought I'd say this ever in my life. Who's my favorite golf partner? She is. Well, golf. I don't play golf without her. Wow, really? No, I don't play. I haven't played a round of golf in probably 12, 14 years that she's not there. Really? You don't go do like a guy's trip or guy's golf? Well, no, no guy's trips. I don't want a guy's trip. Right. I mean, like a golf charity event.

Let me tell you something. Let me tell you about a guy trip. All right. You got a great marriage. Okay. So we've been married five years, six years. Everything's great. So this one morning, I wake up early, I make coffee. I get dressed. I go in to tell her, you know, I'm leaving. She says, where are you going? I said, well, I'm gonna run over so-and-so. He's got a horse I want to look at. Then I'm going over to so-and-so. They got a baby out of one of our stores.

I'm gonna go check on that. Then I'm gonna run by Mike's. And then I'll be back this afternoon. So she goes, well, wait, I'll get dressed and go with you. I said, no, no, I want to go by myself. Broke her heart. So I kiss her and I go and get in my truck and it bothered me. I crank up, I go outside the ranch gates, down, I get on the highway and I'm driving and I can't stop thinking. I hurt her. I exited, turned around and went back.

Couldn't do it. And I've never, I will never do that again. Why didn't I, what was I wanting, my man time? Right, right, right. I'm. Don't know. I don't want man time. I I like I like we time. Uh-huh. I don't fly anywhere without her Wow I go nowhere without her Nowhere Wow every trip. I'm on she's on every work trip. She cut every work trip She I turned all our businesses over to her because she's she wanted to be a doctor. She's radiologist So she very smart lady.

Mm-hmm, and she is super smart Wow and Loving and kind Wow, and I mean, she's my angel. I mean, I'm I'm a lucky dude What is the biggest lesson she's taught you over the last 23 years of marriage? This is the first thing that came in my mind bitch, and it's true She has said it's okay to say no. Mm-hmm, and you just said it while ago your people pleaser Oh, man, I don't want to do that. But he's a buddy. Yeah, you know, I don't want to do that I did that two years ago and didn't enjoy it.

So she said she is She's taught me It's okay to say no, I would say It's okay to say no. Yeah, don't worry about hurting people's feelings. And if you hurt their feelings, you know, that's okay Yeah, it's okay And then you're happy. Why should I be unhappy but you're happy, right? Why not? Let me be happy So I think saying no, but I say no through her. Yeah, you know Hey, hey Lewis, would you go tell so-and-so? Yeah, of course Yeah, so she protects your energy that's great.

Yeah, right. Yeah, and she you know what She could yeah, I Had a lot of people pleaser and me growing up. I was also very driven as an athlete, you know Yeah football as well, and I would never as half as good as you I didn't win any Super Bowls or anything like that. But I was I felt Driven to achieve to accomplish and I also felt very insecure growing up like I wasn't a Martin school, right? and Didn't feel like I had a lot of friends growing up until later later you're right So I kind of brought on this persona of like I need everyone to like me.

I want to please people I don't want to say no I don't hurt people things like that and it got me feeling very resentful over many years resentful myself resentful of others and I wouldn't say I went into a depression, but I definitely felt a lot of Negative thinking for a long time and I felt like I had a lot of suffering mentally and emotionally because of it Until I learned how to you know Do the my own mirror test right start reflect right start healing some of that and then I created a lot more peace within myself Well, you get a lot of guilt because people throw a lot of guilt on you Yeah, what do you mean that I received it people put you in a position and you'll be happy with me but I'm going to be miserable, you know, and Sometimes it's like you everybody knows this look if they don't like it get over it, you know, they're not your friend.

Anyway We none of us have a lot of friends none of us even family is not friendly and I Think that's hard to deal with especially if you're a kind-hearted Gentle giver who loves to make everybody feel good and happy and so on so forth that when you say Something negative they go. Well, how could you think of they thought the world of you as I'm my mother when she died. I Didn't shed a tear. No, you don't think that Indra that still bothers me. Why?

well my dog died James died and I picked his casket up at the vet when I came out the plane and Took it put it in the back seat and I got in the car Tammy's sitting there and I just started bawling Uncontrollably hmm over a dog. All right My mind will not let that event leave Nobody did more for their mother nobody Put up more from their mother Nobody Tried to make her life better than I did and Nobody in our family was abused as much as you verbally as I was Wow and and I think When my mother died It was like well now I don't have to worry about why haven't you called?

Wait a minute and I just don't need that. Well, I travel when I hadn't seen you and did it Well, I'm gone all the time. Well, you just need to stay home. You don't need me traveling that much Well, I I wanted to say well, I got to travel that much because I got to make this money to pay for that house I just built you or buy that Mercedes-Benz. I do I got to pay for all this stuff I didn't say that right, but you say it now you had the resentment in you though.

It pissed me off Yeah, why don't you just appreciate? Appreciate what I'm what I'm what I'm doing. I love you to death that hasn't changed, but I don't know I know I don't know. I haven't talked to a counselor about it, but it has bought another wife It's it certainly tried to help me with it. Sure, but when James a dog died a dog and I booed and you know what it was. You know what? I came to conclusion. What's that? That dog was so sweet to me.

Hmm That dog was so loving that dog was so kind and I Had nothing But love from that little puppy. I think love and kindness is what triggers me. That's why as a football player Lewis My coach was hard on me. Mm-hmm. I don't like him So a high school coach or a college high school coach now that high school name didn't give me a high school was fine um Coaches were fine. They never screamed. They never belittled me or anything college I got nothing but love in college.

My coach or the college was a guy that made me great Wow, he was one that lifted me up. You're the best. You don't worry about that Don't worry about that. Don't care what they said I'm tell he's you're you could do thing he and I'm just sitting there next thing, you know I believe in Wow, and he elevated me and I if you're nice to me Kind to me and I think anybody out there will say this I'll do pretty much whatever I can for you my friend I hope you're enjoying this episode and the school of greatness drops new conversations every Monday Wednesday and Friday around money mindset healing manifestation and Relationships and if you're not yet following the show then you're missing all of them Please tap the follow button right now and you'll get notified the moment every new episode drops because the next one Might be exactly what you need now.

Let's get back to the conversation You ever grab the healthier snack? Take one bite and immediately wish you'd pick something else if a habit feels like punishment You're probably not going to stick with it Look committing to yourself starts with building habits that you can stick to That's where stars and honey comes in their protein bars have 15 grams of protein and only 4 grams of sugar Toss one in your gym bag Keep one in the car or bring one to the office and you don't have to choose between nutrition and taste Try iced lemon cookie mint chocolate chip red velvet or peanut butter mousse Order stars and honey protein bars at stars and honey Calm or find them at target stores nationwide That's stars and honey calm or pick up a box on your next target shopping trip As a loyal listener of this show You're always challenging yourself to grow to be better to keep learning and Southern, New Hampshire University can help Southern, New Hampshire University offers over 200 career focused degree programs online plus Southern, New Hampshire University has some of the lowest online tuition rates in the u.s so balancing school work and life actually feels achievable and affordable to find your degree at snhu.edu greatness, that's snhu.edu greatness Which coaches were the ones that were that berated you is it once you got the pros they were on top of you on top?

Of me Chuck was the worst people didn't necessarily see it, but I spent all my time with him and He was tough he never gave me confidence He never I never felt that he cared for me at all now Mary and his wife might say Oh, you should have heard all the wonderful things. Well, that's great. He told you didn't tell me. Yeah, I you know Stopped me going through a hallway right before we go out on the field to play the Cleveland Browns I'll never forget it and he stopped me put his hands on me.

He said you play bad in the first quarter. I'm pulling you Okay, that's great. Thank you. I appreciate that I'm home. I'm gonna run through a wall for you Yeah, you know Just I don't understand it I Played well, but you know, I think stallback and Landry may have been that way because I Get these coaches don't want to get close to the players necessarily Or at least let you know it because one day they got to tell you. Hey, you're out of here. Yeah We got you.

Yeah, I get that. I understand that. Mm-hmm, but that's a quarterback. I Didn't need the negatives. Yeah, just you know, I wouldn't defend me if they talking bad about me and I'm your guy defend me You know, yeah, but I had to What I'm if you're ever gonna ask me in this interview, what are you most proud of your accomplishments my most proud of is this that I took all the negative crap that I had to deal with and I turned it around and I used it to make me strong I Turned it to make me strong to make me Okay, that's why you feel, you know, I'm not gonna say this here That's some choice words for those sure and I'll show you and I put up a wall and I'm proud of the fact and I Know how to put the wall up today.

Mm-hmm. You know, you're not gonna hurt me. You're not gonna get to me You know try do I say what you want to say? I really don't care. It's 78 years of age I really don't care. Yeah, no, I'm curious about this You've you've already been open about this One of the things I was telling you before we started rolling is that 2003 or 2004 you opened up about? Depression on right V, right and there was no one really opening up about any of this stuff mental health depression, right?

sexual abuse none of that stuff was right talked about in 2003 2004 and it really wasn't until the last eight years were more kind of male athletes were opening up about the different Problems their face right personally, right, right And so first off only knowledge you for leading the way because I know It takes even though maybe it didn't feel like it was courageous for you Someone whoever starts opening up about something that's never been done before They're the ones who lead the way they're the ones who get the most, right, you know, not retaliation But get made fun of the most they get you know What talked about in a weird way the most exactly and I know you got made fun of by other guys who weren't really Accepting of you opening up about right Russians Knowledge you Terry for leading the way for all of us.

Well, I didn't know I was leading the way right, you know, um the reason I even guy diagnosed It's just the fact that I just had these these anxiety attacks and and emotional breakdowns for no Apparent reason to me. Where do you think that was coming from man? It may have I They were tracing me all the way back to childhood and that could have been part of it You know where you were I was told one, you know, my mother said you'll never amount to SHIT really your mom said my mom Wow I never forgot that Wow never I even told her Yeah, she'd how old were you when she said that probably eight She said you never amount to anything.

Yeah, really? Yeah Kids don't forget that so that's painful. Yeah, that's painful That's right from your mom or from a friend from you know one and I think it wasn't a great student But it I did I wanted to be a good student, but I wasn't a great student I couldn't understand why I couldn't focus. Mm-hmm. I couldn't I could not understand why I struggled in certain classes I Couldn't I knew to get anywhere in my life with my dreams of playing the NFL I had to go to college.

Yeah just bury it and you questioned yourself and My whole life. I just I did all that um, and I didn't find out about ADHD or ADD until after I tried from football and I just could not it just had piled up on me and I finally started thinking and there's something's wrong. Mm-hmm and Suspend three days of testing and They put me on Basically ADD medicine I didn't like that. Yeah, but that did explain them the counseling explains it And you're like, oh man I'm really glad to know I have this Because now explains that so you're actually relieved when you learned about it.

Oh, yeah, it's like it's like why don't you? When you learn you've got something That's a negative You've got a you've got to find out what's gonna what's the answer to the negative one? Why did I get it? How do I get over it? It's like when I got cancer. Okay, I got cancer All right, it's gonna can kill me. So what can I do? All right, what caused it? Well, we don't know what caused it, you know, but you get all the information you can go and so after the ADD Diagnosis was a few years later That it just kept and travel and travel emotional breakdowns miserable sick a depression is a sickness Man I listen I Don't wish it on anybody because it comes in this.

It's the it's the thief in the night and So you get ADD Edie and you find out okay. This is why I struggled in school. You can't focus. It's not my fault It's up here. They don't cross over And you're going okay, but I was good at football. I loved football. I didn't love algebra. No, I'm not me either a Trigonometry, okay, I love but what I loved I was good at so I Could you could you could override this something you love something that was fun.

Yeah, but things I had to Things that I wasn't interested in and didn't care what's the struggle and I just could not Put my finger on and I knew I had to be good and I you ever you ever done you ever read a You ever read a paragraph and then go What did I just read it? Oh, yeah page of the Paragraph again that just do this and read it again. What's it saying and then go? Let me focus. Yeah, that was my whole childhood.

Yeah, and then you go, okay That was me, you know I still do that I'd be on the plane studying for the Fox show and I'll have to reread this stuff three four times Yeah, because it it doesn't lock Depression was later and it was just Couldn't it Depression it's triggered by certain things in your life. It could be divorce could be illness could be death in your family whatever Everybody goes through it some of us It's there You know, and then when we had these events in our life.

Oh, it's devastating and So I couldn't get the answers I thought it was the ADD that was making me miserable But I'd been to counseling on that so I understood I understood the ADD I was fine with that You know, one of the reasons I hated doing football games was because I couldn't remember named the numbers What do you do if you're announcing the boot? You got the number 26 just made a great tackle and you got to go 20. What's his name? You should know that When I put me in the studio, I was happiest guy in the world.

I didn't have to know that Yeah, unless I wanted to yeah, so the but the depression thing well, you just Then you're sitting there Lewis and you're going Golly, I've had this for a long time and never paid any attention. I just thought it was all part of the ADD and when I The first signs of it, I didn't know what to do. I was a little I didn't know who I could talk to I didn't know so first thing. I thought well my preachers a good friend.

I'll go talk to my preacher about this So I'll go talk to him. What do you say and this went on for weeks me and him talking, but he said This is a little bit more than than I can handle I need to send you to a Family counselor Psychiatrist I Said okay, so he he found a good one for me. So I started Seeing her. What does she say? Well, she said this is a little buff Little Bob everyone. Yeah, they ended up with a psychologist and what did what they were they?

pretty much what the psychiatrist had acknowledged, but they Put me on some medicine which You know, I still take to this day but the greatest thing about The depression is that I went to three years of counseling To understand once again, it's three divorces Losing your confidence as a quarterback. I go through all these events in my life Where why wasn't I superior? Why wasn't I why wasn't I like here? Why wasn't I like this guy? Why wasn't I like him? Why weren't I? Why why am I not some like you've talked to already?

Supremely competent. So why am I not this? Why do people I why am I made fun of? Why is this? I mean why why why why and it's tribes you friggin crazy crazy so when I went to see the the counselor That was just like The greatest thing in the world Because now you know what I'm doing. I'm dealing with me. Mm-hmm. I worked on me and Understood the depression Understood how it what triggered it now sometimes it if I'm just tired it I'm just tired.

It comes on naturally and I'm lucky that my wife who's in the other room She'll see me sitting by myself on the porch and she knows Here we go. No, and she'll come out and just say What can I do for you? Mm-hmm, and sometimes I can talk and sometimes I can't but it doesn't she doesn't I you know, it crest And it goes away and I I know how to deal with it and I and the best way is just talk about it Just feel it out and that's what's so great about Tammy.

Hey, babe, I'm having a hard time with this and then You know, you know the it's okay To be depressed, it's okay All right. That's just the way it is All right Depression doesn't steal your personality because people will say well you you're funny. You're always laughing. Well, yeah It's showtime. Yeah, I'm on performance. Yeah, you know there have been speeches I've been given and Something I'll hit me in the middle of the speech in front of hundreds It's not thousands of people and I'll have to turn my back on the audience because I'm blown really I'm just lost it Just lost it.

It's it's bizarre, but it's okay, and I learned that it's okay It's okay, we're gonna deal with this and and it's okay Yeah, it's not a bad guy. Yeah. Hey, yeah Something about I like in your book. You share a lot of these stories. There's a lot of humor in it as well It's called looking for Terry. I'm when you guys should check this out but there is a quote at the towards the end that I really like that you address and It says it turned out the key to my success in life was the same as it was on the gridiron when I got hit I got up and I wanted to ask you about this, you know three divorces Get up Depression get up Cancer twice in the same year year.

Yeah Having to reinvent yourself, you know, right the four-time Super Bowl champ, but then retiring but then getting the Hall of Fame But then who am an identity shifting all these different things like depression divorces new relationship divorce all these different things It's a rollercoaster of emotions, right? It's something you mentioned earlier is You know, you grew up very Christian in your relationship with God. I'm curious. How has your relationship with your faith with God? Evolved through all these different challenges all the different suffering the depression the cancer.

What was I someone that said God why me? I'm just curious. Yeah, what what I never curse God. I've I've already told you I'd At why why why should I not have these problems because I'm Terry Bracho a Fox got a guy on television a guy that won Super Bowls. What makes me so better than you or anybody else? I'm not better than anybody. I've accomplished certain things and I'm proud of that I want you to be proud with me, but that doesn't make me better that why I'm not better than you I don't I I would never think that you may treat me differently Because of some of the things I've done.

I don't deserve that I've had I've gone to the front of the line I did it Sunday after the show because they had ice cream and there were 20 people in line I just went right up to the front and got ice cream Because I'm Terry Bracho. Yeah. Yeah Not had to go and watch the game and everybody I know everybody and they all go wrong up, you know So I but I don't take advantage of that. I never know I guess my question is how is your relationship change evolved with if your faith?

Yeah, God Yeah, through the challenges you personally with God as it is shifted as I do feel stronger to feel less connect No, no, I feel definitely stronger Absolutely, why is look I well first of all, I'm a Christian so I believe that Christ is the Savior Okay, and I've accepted that. Yeah and I believe that so I'm never going to question that never gonna doubt it. You have your faith. I have mine you asked me. I just told you I When I have had bad things I've never questioned God I just actually I've I'll open a day up a lord Thank you for whatever's gonna happen to me today.

Whatever is presented to me a day. It's all good Yeah, my relationship with God has not changed. It's only gotten better. That's good. Why is that? Why wouldn't it be? I don't question. I don't doubt what happens to me in my life This is this is I believe God created me And I believe that he has set a path for me. Mm-hmm. I Think that there there he presents Situations to me See how I handle them Most time I don't handle them. Well, I'm not gonna lie to you.

I'm not perfect That's why I have to pray for forgiveness. You can't be nice a hundred percent of the time. Oh, yeah, you can't don't go nuts yeah, and so my my faith is Look, I'm in the middle of the stretch. Mm-hmm. I'm getting closer to the end now When is that my wife says shut up don't talk like that. But look when you're 78 Your brain does that for you? Really? You you'll see you will think more about life after death. You'll think more more about your relationships So you'll be you'll think about things that you have you'll ask yourself Why am I thinking that and if you'll really sit down and analyze yourself, you'll find out Yeah, I want to make sure that everything's in good shape soon I'm my wife runs all our businesses.

My wife handles all their money I want her to know every penny we have every investment We have every insurance policy we have where everything goes what everything does so that when God calls me home She doesn't have to go. Oh, I gotta get attorney. Oh the she already knows Yeah, all of that pressure is taken away from her Well, you know and that's good and I think for anybody out there make sure your house is in order You don't want to leave your wife Scrambling and oh, I didn't know that was gonna happen.

I didn't know this or that. No, everything is there It's laid out. Well, and but I don't ever question God. I don't have a problem with cancer I don't way I looked at it was If I die, I'm going to heaven. I believe there's a heaven And if I don't die I get to stay with my wife and my family I got three girls, yeah, so it's good good Yeah, I don't want I'm you know, I'm not ready to go. I mean there's But if I'm called Wow, you know, and I don't know you ever thought about you ever asked yourself Okay, here I am laying on my deathbed.

I know I'm dying. What are you gonna be thinking? Wait, what are you gonna be thinking? Are you gonna be thinking about your wife and your kids? Are you gonna be thinking about hey, you'll be thinking am I going to heaven? Mmm. Do I believe in heaven? You're gonna be asking yourself questions like that You know, it's just like that's some scary stuff. Yeah scary to me. Yeah Sorry, no, that's okay. Oh, yeah I am This fall LL Bean is celebrating the moments people look forward to all year the first school drop-off the first Sweater weather day and the first chilly evening around the fire pit for over 100 years LL Bean has been part of these traditions crunching leaves and main made bean boots cheering from the sidelines in scotch plaid flannel and Walking the dog in a rugged field coat, so grab the layers and people you love and get outside Visit LL bean calm to shop the fall collection LL bean be an outsider With the US Bank smartly visa signature card you earn an unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase No quarterly activations No categories to track just unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase think about those bigger everyday purchases Travel groceries things for the house where afterward you realize I could have earned cash back on that That's the kind of opportunity that adds up over time visit us bank.com Smartly card to learn more the creditor and issuer of this card is US Bank National Association Pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc.

Some restrictions may apply If you could I've got a few final questions. Yeah, this has been really powerful Terry. I appreciate you opening up like yes if you could go back to My age. I'm 40 right 43. Yeah Knowing everything, you know in the last You know almost I guess 35 years from 43 to where you are now, right if you could give advice to that that younger Terry about What's about to happen? What advice would you give you? Oh, you know life. There's several things I could say to him number one Have you reached your full potential and if you haven't why hmm Why well, are you are you doing something in your life that's making you unhappy, but you're being rewarded financially Is that really something you should continue doing?

Mm-hmm interesting. Are you being good? There's a There's a blessing in life for being good. That's overwhelming. I'm a good guy. I know I'm a good guy I treat people with respect Everybody I treat with respect Makes me feel good. Can you say that? You know Are you happy? Okay, do the mirror thing. Ask yourself, why am I not happy? And be brutally honest. Pursue that journey to happiness. And if you've got the wife and the kids, and they'll be happy for you, and they'll go on it with you, man, gladly.

So those are just four little nothings, really. I can't imagine, I can't imagine not waking up tomorrow morning, not knowing what I'm doing. That's the exciting thing about life. I got a plan, you know? And nothing I like more than getting in bed with my wife, snuggling up, and we put on these shows that nobody understands while we watch them. I mean, we watch, I can solve more murder cases than anybody. We've watched so many of those shows, and then I've watched shows that she likes that I didn't want to like, but I like, and that's our, and we love, and we got the dogs there.

I mean, is there anything greater? Now, I can only think of things greater as with, you had kids, and they'd come around, and they'd, mommy, mommy, daddy, daddy, and they'd jump in bed, you know, and oh, man, there's nothing can take the place of that. That is your note. Man, and they reach for you like you're a feather. Nothing like that, but I just think people sometimes get confused that if they have a lot of money that they'll be happy, and we all know that there's too many billionaires committing suicide, so that's not, they're lost.

They're lost. They don't have, there's a big difference between happiness and joy. When you have happiness, it's like, I'm enjoying meeting you today. I'm enjoying doing this. This makes me so happy, but this can be changed by you saying something right now that's not nice, and being, you know, cruel or something. You could ask something. You could even make a comment. Now, I probably wouldn't respond to it. You would know I'm not, but I'd leave here. I would not be happy, but joy, I'm not fazed by joy.

Joy's a very, it's a flat line. It's just nothing bothers joy. It's buried in that soul, and it's there forever, and it's great, but happiness is like this, man. I mean, by the time I leave here and get to where I've gotta go next, we may have a flat tire. I am not gonna be happy, you know, because I'm gonna miss the next engagement, whatever it is I gotta do, but if you're at total peace with your life, and you've got a plan for your life, and you're a good person, and you're pursuing your dreams, God bless you, man.

That is the best. Don't waste your life. You know it. Absolutely, man. I got a couple of final questions for you, Terry, but I want people to get your book, Looking for Terry. It's a memoir, and it's got a lot of amazing stories and lessons in here that's gonna bring a lot of people inspiration, joy, and a lot of fun as well. Here's a question I like to ask a lot of people towards the end of our conversation. We talked about you going back and giving advice to your younger self.

Right. If you could go to the future, to the last day, imagine, hypothetically, you get to live as long as you want. Okay. Long as you want, you get to stay on this earth, but it's the last day. I know it's the last day? Yeah, you know it's the last day. God's calling you home. This is your last day, Terry. Okay. It can be as long in the future as you want. Yeah. But on the last day, for whatever reason, you have to take all of your work with you.

It means this book has to go with you, this conversation. Anything that's ever been said by you on TV, we don't have access to it anymore. Where'd you get this? Hypothetical, it's a hypothetical. Yeah. But on the last day, God says you get to leave behind three lessons to the world, three truths. For you, what would be those three truths that you would leave behind, those three lessons? Three truths. Wow. That's a really good question. How am I gonna answer that question? It can be as simple as you want it to be.

Touchstone, probably most of them already. But if you could boil it down to three things. Be kind. Be kind. Well. Be kind. You'll get so much more out of life, so many more rewards will come if you're kind. Second thing I was gonna say, don't write this down, don't trust the politicians. Which, yeah. If it's your truth, yeah. Yeah. Be kind. I would hope that you find true love. True love. That's, as we well know, that's the good, the bad, the ugly. Find true love. Be kind, I hope you find true love.

There's so many things I could say. This one just came to me about, you're not as good as people say you are, and you're certainly not as bad. Yeah. Trust yourself. I would also put faith in there, but that's gonna be a given, because God's calling me home. Yeah, those are beautiful, I love those. Okay, two final questions for you, because I know we gotta get you out to your next meeting. Which got? What's the one question you wish people would ask you, that they don't ask?

The one question. You said at the beginning. I know, I know. You wish there was a question that I would. No, you got me. So what's the one question you wish people would ask that they don't ask you about you? You know why I enjoyed this interview with you? Number one, I like you. Appreciate it. Number two, your questions are really good. Thanks. You kept us on a path. And you're making me think. That's good. The one question I wish people would ask me, why do you think people like you on television?

Or do they? Why should I believe anything you're saying? Where's all this coming from? That's a hard question, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You ask that to everybody, because you should. Yeah, no, I don't. You know, for me, you said at the beginning, if there was a question you asked me, that had never been asked before, yeah, this would be a valuable conversation. So I didn't know if there was a question that you feel like people always ask you about Super Bowls, and your thoughts on football, and this and that.

But it's like, what do you really care about? What is about you that you wish people were interested in you different than the character, the persona, the success, the accomplishments, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Hall of Fame, all these things? Things you don't deserve. What's your greatest fear moving forward? My biggest fear? Yeah, knowing that. My biggest fear, I think my biggest fear, if I have a fear, is not being able to work at Fox NFL Sunday. Really? Yeah. Because you're home for so long now, right?

It is my life. It's all I've ever done. It's what I, listen, you get up and go to work, are you happiest? You can't wait to get to work. Are you that thrilled? That's what I am. Can you imagine going to work on Sunday with Strahan, Howie Long, Gronkowski, Kurt Menefee, and talk football? And to six million viewers out there, the number one rated show every year for the last 32 years? No. And have fun, and enjoy, and never get upset, never get jealous, are you pulling for everybody?

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you make a nice living, and you watch football all day. It's a good gig. And they bring food in for you, and they ask you, what do you want for lunch? Yeah, yeah. What do I want for lunch? Oh my God, what a great question. You know, I mean, and your bosses walk in, and they're smiling, and hey, how you doing? Great to, I mean, really? I don't have that anymore? If I have a fear, that would be it. Who would you be without that show, if it ended?

Okay, here's, I already planned it out. I have a lifetime contract speaking for Washington Speakers Bureau. So I ask the question, my life or yours? I'm like, it's important, right? So I've been a motivational, well, I'm a humorous. They call me a humorous now. But I've been speaking professionally for over 40-something years. And I do love it. I love being on stage. So you'd go on tour, you'd be speaking. I love it, I love getting in the crowd. I don't care if it's 10,000. I don't care what it is.

I absolutely eat it up. That's cool. It is, man, my wife say, how you doing, you good? Yeah, yeah, how you gonna start the show? When I'm getting ready to make a speech, I start two or three days ahead of time. And nobody knows this, but I'm writing. Or I'm thinking, I've been writing for all those years. I don't write it down, I write it here. And I place it, and I'll say, okay, where am I going? I'm gonna do this, something's always gonna come to me.

No, okay, I'm gonna go, da-da-da. I remember this is, to me, it's funny. Maybe our viewers won't. So Tammy gives me this, I heard this saying on television by this bass singer, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful bravado, oh. And he had this saying before he sung. And come, devil, come. And crashing with the, and the horses came down, and lightning and thunder to the beautiful bass. And I'm like, golly, it's like, ooh, get chills. It's just gorgeous. He paints this picture of Jesus coming down on the horse, and it's like, wow, and the thunder, and the, then he sings this, oh, he sings this song, and he has this saying, and he does this saying.

I went, oh my gosh, that saying is amazing. But it's on TV. I wanna hear it again. So I tell Tammy, this guy just said this. Here's a show he's on. Can we get this? Can I, I need a copy of this. Can I get this? Few weeks later, she comes in, and she goes, here it is. She got it for me. So I get this saying, and I decide that during my speeches, I talk a lot about, I have a lot of fun. I talk about business.

I talk about goals. All the things a speaker's supposed to do, but I tell stories, and tie it all together, and personalize it, and so on and so forth. Then I'll take a break somewhere, or somewhere, and then this comes. I'll take a pause, and I'll say, it's in the quiet crucible of your personal, private suffering that your noblest deems are born, and God's greatest gifts are given to you in compensation for what you've been through. Mm. Wow. They're a quiet crucible. Had to look that up.

I didn't know what it was. Trials, and your quiet trials of your personal, private suffering. Your noblest dreams are born. God's greatest gifts. So it's while you're struggling that you're thinking, how am I gonna get, how am I gonna get out of this? I'm in a hole, you know, but I don't give up. I keep clawing, I keep skimming. I got things to do, places to go. So I'm down, but I'm not out, and I crawl to the top, and God blesses me for not giving up.

And it's perfect. So first time I'm gonna use that. You ready for this? Boy, I'm shelling down the corn. I'm giving a speech. I'm sweat splattered everywhere, and I mean, I'm getting into it. And I stand back, and I take a deep breath. When I say, it's in your quiet-ness of stuff that you're doing. You forget. Wow. I forgot, and I made up this saying. And I'm like, oh my God, what did I do? So the next speech I give, I take my pause, and I've gone over it, I'm going over it.

And I go, it's in the quiet times when we most think about, oh, I just did it again. I am so mad. But I get through it. They don't know that I, they don't know what I'm doing. And then, finally, finally, I got it. You're reverie, yeah, that's great. My final question is, what's your definition of greatness? Well, let me ask you this. Is it really that important? Is it? I mean, greatness. Is it really important? Why not just say, what's your greatest happiness? Why greatness?

That means I gotta accomplish something. At first, when I hear great, automatically I say, think to myself, great, what makes this so great? Oh, because they accomplished so much. You don't think somebody else is gonna accomplish more? Why's it gotta be great? Is he the greatest quarterback that ever played? In his decade, yeah. Is he the greatest running back? Yeah. But we spend all our time in America looking for who's the best. We spend all our time in America, who's number one? I already told you, Fox NFL Sunday, number one.

Proud of that. But America loves its winners. And it loves to put them on a pedestal and idolize them. Only later, they may disappoint us by something they've done, okay? By something they've done, be it morally or whatever. So I don't really go by what is greatness. You can look it up and say that you do things better than anybody else or this person has. Okay, and you go, oh, that's great. Many times when you watch television and a sporting event, great, great, great, great, great.

It's overused, great. You know, it's just overused. I never... I don't know that I've ever been called great. I've been called an icon. I don't even know what that is. But great, I don't know is great really that important? Is it? Maybe to you, maybe to our viewers out there whether well, wait a minute, he's the greatest bowler ever. Mickey Mantle was the first guy to make $100,000. He was great because he had home runs and stole da-da-da-da-da. Now people are making millions. So he's not great?

Well, he was. So I just am not big on great. Yeah, that's okay. I never have been. That's okay. I never have been big on great because something's always gonna be better. Sure, yeah. And something about great's gonna be a disappointment. Yeah, it's true. Look, I can sit here and start naming people that people call great and I can point out something about them that's not so great. Maybe you don't know it. But then that wouldn't be the right thing to do. But I just don't live with great.

My definition has evolved over the years. I think earlier, when I was younger, it was about being the best. And now. Best. And now it's about pursuing your goals and your dreams. And in that pursuit, making the maximum impact on the people around you. For me, that's more my definition now rather than are you number one? Listen, the greatest impact you can have on people is being nice to them. Of all the things you do and accomplish in your life, the best thing you're ever gonna feel good about is the fact that you were nice to people.

And we live in a world today that's not nice. We live in a society in this country which is not nice. We're mean, we're hateful, we're bitter, we're immoral. I mean, in America today, all right? What's wrong with being nice? You realize, what do they always say? You kill more whatever flies with honey. Kindness, sweetness. I mean, don't fight fire with fire. It works. Try it, it works. Maybe that's greatness, being nice. If that's what you wanna call it, yeah. Cause I mean, I can use the word great easy, but I just am not impressed with great.

You know, I've met some of the most famous people in the world and they are so nice, which makes me just love them and like them even more. And I met some that are not nice and I can't stand them. I don't care what they do. And if you gave, let me tell you, if I had Elon Musk's money, for instance, if I was almost a trillionaire, I wouldn't be a trillionaire, you know why? Cause I'd take 500 billion and I'd feed the hungry or I'd shelter the homeless or I'd take care of the homeless kids or the battered women.

There's so much good you can do other than building monuments to yourself. Makes no sense to me. Where's the joy in that? More people will say wonderful things about you the more you do for man. And what can you say mankind or humankind? Cause you can't eliminate the women. Humanity. Humanity, there you go, humanity. Don't you agree? I think about it all the time. Golly, I wish I had that kind of money. Man, well, look what I would do. I would, oh, be Bradshaw city, Bradshaw city.

I'd have feeding people. Golly, what a, I'm like, that's cool. You know, giving hope to people. People that are down and out on their luck and just giving them hope. Boy, there's nothing more powerful than hope. Man, I can get out of this. You mean I can get out of this? Of course you can. You know? Well, I love it. I think it was a great answer. I mean, it doesn't have to be about greatness but about kindness, so. Yeah, which is more powerful. Yeah, it is.

Yeah. Terry, I appreciate it very much. Thanks for being here. Thanks for everything. Louis, a pleasure. I hope we get to come back. Of course, yeah. I'll have another book or I can just come back and we can just shoot the breeze. I love it. I love it, thanks. My friend, I hope you're enjoying this episode right now because we are on a mission to impact 100 million lives every single week. And every follow here on this podcast helps us reach more people. Make sure to hit the follow at the top of this show's page right now.

It's the single biggest thing that you can do to support the show and the impact of us reaching you every single time we have new episodes. I appreciate you and I can't wait to see you in the next episode. I hope you enjoyed today's episode and it inspired you on your journey towards greatness. Make sure to check out the show notes in the description for a full rundown of today's episode with all the important links. And if you want weekly exclusive bonus episodes with me personally, as well as ad-free listening, then make sure to subscribe to our Greatness Plus channel exclusively on Apple Podcasts.

Share this with a friend on social media and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts as well. Let me know what you enjoyed about this episode in that review. I really love hearing feedback from you and it helps us figure out how we can support and serve you moving forward. And I wanna remind you if no one has told you lately that you are loved, you are worthy, and you matter. And now it's time to go out there and do something great. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

Building a portfolio with Fidelity Basket Portfolios is kinda like making a sandwich. It's as simple as picking your stocks and ETFs, sort of like your meats and other topics, and managing it as one big juicy investment. Mm, mm, mm, mm. Mm, now that's pretty good. Learn more at fidelity.com slash baskets. Investing involves risk, including risk of loss. Fidelity Brokers Services LLC, member NYSC SIPC. Who knew Walmart business could help boutique bed and breakfasts elevate the guest experience? Terri knew. She uses Walmart business to get the items she needs for all the properties she manages.

I'm in charge of creating an amazing stay for every guest in 12 different properties, which I do through food, like gluten-free bagels for the hillside property or low-sodium saltwater taffy for the bayside one. And when she needs more than just groceries, Walmart business has her covered too. From mini fridges to mini shampoos, I can get it all in one place. It's Walmart, built for your business. Who knew?

Go deeper

• All The School of Greatness episode guides