Everybody, welcome to Impact Theory! In this episode, Tom Bilyeu interviews Devin Harris, one of the original Jamaican bobsledders. Devin’s story is an incredible testament to the power of dreaming big and a never-say-die attitude. Born and raised in one of the most violent parts of Kingston, Jamaica, Devin found solace in his grandmother’s stories. She inspired him to want to do things that other people thought were impossible or incredibly difficult. She planted a seed, and Devin found a way to make his dream a reality.
At age 15, Devin found inspiration in a program called Road to Moscow, featuring Olympic athletes worldwide telling their stories. This show showed him that anyone could become an Olympian with reason, given that they have these extraordinary dreams and an unusual desire to achieve them. His grandmother may not have set lofty goals for him, but she instilled in him the belief that he could achieve anything he wanted if he worked hard enough.
Devin’s story is a testament to the willpower and determination it takes to succeed, especially from humble beginnings. Living in an impoverished community makes it easy to settle for less and believe that success is not attainable. However, Devin’s story suggests it takes more than a positive mentality and the will to succeed. Devin has a “do or die” mentality regarding his goals. He doesn’t just believe that he can achieve them, but he believes that he will.
Devin’s incredible journey incorporates failure and success. He joined the Jamaican bobsled team with little experience in the sport, but he rose to the challenge and worked hard to become one of the four people on the team. Devin’s journey teaches us that success is not always predictable or manageable, but it’s essential to keep pushing and never give up. He crawled into the bobsled on his first run, but by his third, he had found the courage and determination to hope and, ultimately, succeed.
Devin’s story resonates with so many people from different backgrounds and experiences. His positive attitude and never-say-die philosophy allowed him to achieve his goals and succeed despite his challenging beginnings. His story instills a sense of hope that even when the odds are stacked against us, we can still climb out of poverty and achieve our dreams.
In conclusion, Devin Harris’ story is truly unique and fascinating, and his journey teaches us how to overcome adversity and achieve our dreams. He proves that it takes more than a positive mentality to succeed, and his “do or die” mentality has allowed him to accomplish remarkable feats. He encourages us to dream big, work hard, and always keep pushing forward, no matter how hard things seem. Thank you, Devin, for sharing your story and inspiring countless individuals to achieve their goals.
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Summary of Transcript:
Devin Harris talks to Tom Bilyeu about his difficult childhood in one of the most violent parts of Kingston, Jamaica. Harris says that his grandmother instilled in him a belief that a positive attitude and a never say die philosophy would carry him farther than a sense of injustice and a heart filled with anger. He began to dream big after watching a program on the Road to Moscow Olympic Games, where he saw ordinary people achieve their dreams. Harris believes that to overcome the circumstances of an inner city, people cannot allow themselves to settle and must have the will to succeed, as exemplified in the quote by Will Smith: “I’ll die on this treadmill.” Harris embodies this mindset through his determination to be one of the original Jamaican bobsledders, even though he was scared of speed. His mentality of “if I die, I die, but I’m going” helped him achieve his goals.
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Summary of Description:
Devon Harris, the original 1988 Jamaican bobsled team member, advocates for a positive attitude in achieving success. In this episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, Harris discusses the importance of dreaming, education, and visualization. He emphasizes the need to “keep pushing” and never settle for less. Harris also talks about walking one’s path, dealing with fear, and instilling core values in children.
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Source Description
Olympian Devon Harris, an original member of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team, always believed that a positive, “Keep on Pushing” attitude would take him farther than anger or a focus on injustice. On this episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, Devon Harris explains precisely what he means by his mantra, “Keep on Pushing.” He talks about his life growing up in Kingston, the lessons he learned from his grandmother, why he is so passionate about education, and the power of dreams and visualization.
SHOW NOTES:
A positive attitude will carry you farther than a heart filled with rage at injustice [0:34]
Devon explains how he saw Olympians as ordinary people with extraordinary dreams [2:00]
Devon’s grandmother’s greatest ambition for him was that he would learn to read [4:23]
You can’t allow yourself to settle [5:30]
Devon explains what it means to have a “Keep on Pushing” attitude [6:59]
When Devon competes, he is a different person [8:02]
Devon advocates living a fulfilled life, a rounded life, but he is also absolutely driven [10:41]
Devon talks about how important his family is to him [14:27]
Dreaming is the starting point of all achievement [18:09]
Education gives you confidence, opens doors, and lets you see opportunities [19:27]
Devon explains what it means to walk your path [21:29]
Why do you have to create a new story that you become a character in [22:37]
Devon talks about how he deals with fear [25:03]
Devon had used visualization before he knew what visualization was [28:02]
You can’t quit on the goal, but you sometimes have to quit on the strategy [31:09]
Devon describes the core values he tries to instill in his kids [32:59]
QUOTES:
“You can’t allow yourself to settle…Stepping out of the environment you find yourself in to get that thing across the street that looks so much better, to get a much better life, it’s difficult because you feel so out of place. You feel almost not-so-worthy. And you have to convince yourself that you deserve this.” [5:45]
“Walk your path.” [21:32]
“I have no idea how I’m going to do it. But I have to.” [22:59]
FOLLOW:
WEBSITE: https://devonharris.com/
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/keeppushing/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/keeponpushing88
