Eric Greitens is a NY Times Best-Selling Author, Athlete, Navy SEAL, Rhodes Scholar, former Governor, and philanthropist. He has devoted his life to serving others, has made it his goal to provide for his community, and has stepped up time and time again to defend American values. Whether at home or abroad, Eric Greitens is making headlines.
You may know him from one of his many best-selling titles, such as ‘Resilience: Hard-won Wisdom for Living a Better Life’, ‘Strength and Compassion’, or ‘The Heart and the Fist’, but he’s much more than just an author. He has been named as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine and as one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune Magazine. Greitens was also a champion boxer: a two-time Oxford Blue and Gold Medalist at the BUSA National Boxing Championships. He was the 56th Governor of Missouri. We sat down with Eric to discuss his journey and to learn more about his success.
You have written many books, and we know you’re working on more. Which one is your favorite, and why?
Eric: “That’s a great question, and it’s an easy one for me to answer. ‘Strength & Compassion’ is a work that meant a lot to me from the beginning and one that has continued to impact me at various stages in my life. I did humanitarian work in places such as Rwanda, Cambodia, Albania, Mexico, India, Bosnia, and Bolivia. During my time abroad, I started studying how we could best help children in war-torn areas – with my camera and notepad, I began to capture as much as I could. A common theme emerged, which I believe is evident in the essays and photographs of ‘Strength & Compassion’, that even in times of great hardship and in the face of tremendous evils, people with strength and compassion can live with courage. The work is both brutal and beautiful, but you can emerge from it wiser and more compassionate.”
What are some things that people fail to understand or might not know about the process of joining the Navy SEALs or BUD/S?
Eric: “My time at BUD/S was the best time you never want to have again – if you’ve been through it, you know what I mean – there are moments when you’re laughing with your friends in the cold, dark ocean at midnight and there are moments of pain and suffering standing on the beach covered in sand. People often ask me: ‘Did you know who would make it through training?’ Not everyone is cut out to be a NAVY SEAL, but one of the common traits of those who made it through was the ability to laugh – they had a good sense of humor.”
What are some of the things that you do to stay in shape, both mentally and physically, even when the world is moving so quickly around us?
Eric: “I think it’s important to remember that you’re in control of your story. If you want to be better, do it. If you want to be healthier, you can make that happen. Want to build mental strength? It’s there for you. I really enjoy reading and writing down my thoughts to stay sharp mentally, and I love pushing myself physically. Boxing, in the gym, on the track, in the cold plunge; you’ll always find me there with a smile on my face.”
Do you have anything that you’re currently writing or working on that you’d like to share with us?
Eric: “Yes, I’m working on a new book and I look forward to sharing it with you and your readers – it’s geared towards helping people to take back their souls in a culture that is trying to take your soul away. I think your audience and fellow Gurus will love it!”
We know that you’ve served in the military, but is it true that you and your Team were attacked while deployed?
Eric: “Yes, that’s correct. While I was on a six-month tour in Iraq, two suicide bombers detonated trucks carrying chlorine gas outside the Fallujah base where we were deployed. Thankfully, everyone survived. We were very fortunate to make a safe and speedy recovery! Despite all of that, it was a tremendous honor to serve the United States of America.”
You have had many adventures in life, and you’ve accomplished so much, but if you had to pick your greatest accomplishment, what would it be and why?
Eric: “My sons. They are my greatest blessing, greatest treasure. I love them tremendously, and am very proud of both of them.”
You use the word ‘resilience’ a lot. What does it mean to you, and how do you become resilient?
Eric: “I wrote a book titled ‘Resilience: Hard-won Wisdom for Living a Better Life.'”
Resilience is about how people turn pain into wisdom. How do we turn suffering into strength? How can people turn tragedy into joy?
“When people hear the word ‘resilience’, they often find themselves thinking of ‘bouncing back’ or ‘recovering’. They think that resilient individuals are the same before and after hardship – this way of thinking fails to take into account the value that hardship and struggle can offer us.
We cannot bounce back to the same place, because we will never be the same person we once were. We can, however, push through the pain and come out the other side wiser and stronger than before.
What happens to us becomes part of us, part of our story. Resilient people do not bounce back from hardship, but rather, they grow from it – they take it and turn it into something that is healthy.
Resilience begins with and comes from you.
The center of everything that happens to us comes from us. We must first look at ourselves and understand what we have done to contribute to our situations.
No one can give you your ‘why’, your ‘how’…you have to, you get to, create that for yourself.
Being resilient starts with a choice.
Do not wallow in your pain, but instead, attack it, face it head-on, and start your journey of resilience.”
In conclusion, Gurus Magazine was very excited to sit down with Eric Greitens and to feature him in our publication. We’re going to be following along as he continues showing the world how a real Guru gets it done.
For more information, to join the mailing list, or to invite Eric to your show, please visit: https://www.ericgreitens.com
