Transcription
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