Lewis Howes, a New York Times best-selling author and motivational speaker, opens up about his early traumatic experiences, including his brother's incarceration and childhood abuse. He discusses how these challenges shaped his journey to success yet left him feeling unfulfilled. Howes emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, healing, and the benefits of therapy. He believes that trauma can catalyze growth if faced with courage, and shares insights on finding inner peace and living a meaningful life through resilience and support.
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Brother's Imprisonment
Lewis Howes' older brother went to prison for selling LSD when Howes was eight.
This led to family turmoil, shame, and social isolation for Howes.
insights INSIGHT
Finding Meaning in Adversity
Howes reflects on finding meaning in tragedy and adversity.
His brother's time in prison led him to become a successful jazz violinist.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Childhood Trauma
Howes was sexually abused at age five, a secret he kept for 25 years.
He believes this trauma led to inauthenticity and emotional reactivity.
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How Men Can Embrace Vulnerability, Create Strong Relationships, and Live Their Fullest Lives
Lewis Howes
In 'The Mask of Masculinity,' Lewis Howes explores the nine masks that men wear to protect themselves from emotional vulnerability. These masks include the Stoic Mask, Athlete Mask, Material Mask, Sexual Mask, Aggressive Mask, Joker Mask, Invincible Mask, Know-it-all Mask, and Alpha Mask. Through personal anecdotes, interviews with psychologists and notable figures like Tony Robbins and Alanis Morissette, Howes provides a roadmap for men to remove these masks and achieve true fulfillment. The book also offers insights for women to better understand the men in their lives and how to support them in their journey towards emotional freedom and deeper relationships.
The School of Greatness
A Real-World Guide to Living Bigger, Loving Deeper, and Leaving a Legacy
Lewis Howes
Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl
The book is divided into two parts. The first part recounts Frankl's harrowing experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, between 1942 and 1945. He describes the inhumane conditions and the psychological and emotional struggles of the prisoners. The second part introduces Frankl's theory of logotherapy, which posits that the primary human drive is the search for meaning, rather than pleasure. Frankl argues that meaning can be found through three main avenues: work (doing something significant), love (caring for another), and suffering (finding meaning in one's own suffering). The book emphasizes the importance of finding purpose and meaning in life, even in the most adverse conditions, as a key factor in survival and personal growth.
The Greatness Mindset
Unlock the Power of Your Mind and Live Your Best Life Today
Lewis Howes
In The Greatness Mindset, Lewis Howes provides a comprehensive guide to transforming one's life by clarifying personal identity, discovering a meaningful mission, and overcoming self-doubt and fears. The book offers science-backed strategies, personal anecdotes, and step-by-step guidance to help readers define their passions, values, and priorities. It emphasizes the importance of a growth mindset, healing past trauma, and developing a clear and meaningful mission to live an authentic and fulfilling life.
Lewis Howes is a New York Times best-selling author, entrepreneur, speaker, and host of the popular podcast, The School of Greatness. In this episode, Lewis opens up about the various hardships and traumatic events he experienced starting at a very young age and reveals the valuable lessons he learned as he worked through those traumas to improve his emotional health. He talks about how his past hardships likely contributed to his success in business and athletics, only to leave him feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled. Next, he discusses how many aspects of his life were suffering, the inflection point that drove Lewis to seek help, and the long but beautiful healing journey that followed. Lewis makes the case that adversity, and even trauma, can be beneficial if one finds meaning in tribulations and has the courage to face one’s fears and insecurities. Finally, Lewis shares the many modalities of therapy that helped him along the way and gives advice for those wanting to find inner peace and live a fulfilling, rich, abundant, joyful life.
We discuss:
Lewis’s upbringing and the impact of his older brother going to prison [2:45];
Finding lessons in tragedy and adversity [10:45];
Lasting trauma from being sexually abused at age 5 [13:15];
Inflection point that drove Lewis to seek help, and a beautiful experience at a therapeutic workshop [16:45];
A powerful workshop on emotional intelligence jump started Lewis’s healing journey [27:30];
How being authentic can strengthen bonds with family and bring inner peace [39:30];
Comparing adversity with trauma and finding meaning in struggle [45:15];
Association between adverse childhood events and diseases in adulthood [56:15];
How addressing his issues with intimate relationships helped Lewis overcome physical pain related to his past trauma [59:15];
Healing is a journey that takes time and requires courage to face your fears and insecurities [1:08:45];
How Lewis thinks about mortality and uses it as motivation to pursue his dreams [1:13:00];
How anyone can benefit from therapy or coaching, and Lewis’s advice for finding inner peace [1:22:45];
Lewis’s newest book, The Greatness Mindset [1:29:15]; and
The Peter Attia Drive 
