638 Train Your Mind to Win with MMA Champion Mike Chandler

"SOMEBODY HAS TO BE THE BEST. WHY SHOULDN'T IT BE YOU?" - MIKE CHANDLER Have you ever looked at the best in the world and wondered if you could be that? I have. I think a lot of us do when we're kids. We are amazed and inspired by the very best examples we find. But often we grow up and discover all kinds of reasons for why we can't be as good as the best. We fail at things. We struggle. We get knocked down, disappointed, hurt. I got to connect with someone this week who has experienced all of that. Many times. But he still decided he could be the best in the world at what he does. And he became that. Mike Chandler is a Bellator Lightweight Champion fighter. He was an All-American wrestler in college. He's overcome extraordinary opponents to win titles again and again. But he's also faced losses. Failures. Setbacks. At one point, after winning the world championship, he didn't win another fight for 688 days straight. So when we had a minute to sit down to record a podcast about the mindset of champions, I had to know what his self-talk routine is like. It really impressed me. Mike told me that self-image is actually one of the most important things he has cultivated. He has to believe he can be the best in the world, or it's not going to happen. I loved his insights on why it's so important to talk to yourself instead of listening to yourself, and so many more nuggets. Whatever you're aspiring to, I know you'll find his wisdom very helpful in Episode 638. Some questions I ask: What lesson did you learn in order to win the world championship? (8:23) Who taught you that you could become anything you want? (11:05) What do all world-class fighters have in common? (14:47) What happens when you believe you deserve great things? (18:03) What's your greatest gift in your sport and what do you need to work on the most? (19:10) In this episode you will learn: Why settling for your mediocre circumstances is unacceptable (9:20) What loss can teach us about what our potential is (11:15) Why your self-image is so important to your success (14:55) Mike's pre-fight self-talk and rituals (21:10) Plus much more... Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy! Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  This is episode number 638 with world champion MMA fighter, Michael Chandler.

• 0:07Lewis Howes?

  Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, a former pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week, we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin.

• 0:33Lewis Howes?

  George Bernard Shaw said, "Some men see things as they are and say, 'Why?' I dream of things that never were and say, 'Why not?'" I love this short interview that we have with Michael today because he really talks about something that I think so many of us can relate to, which is, "Why should I be able to achieve what I want? Why should I be able to get that job, the career? Why should I be able to have that dream relationship? Why should I be one of the best at what I want to do? Why should I be able to achieve something so great and something so ridiculous sounding? Why me? And am I good enough to make it happen?

• 1:18Lewis Howes?

  Do I have the gifts? Do I have the tools? Do I have the skillset? Am I smart enough? Am I fast enough? Am I big enough, strong enough? Whatever it may be, am I talented enough? Why should I be able to be world-class at anything I want to do? Why should I be able to make the money I want to make? Why should I? And we're going to talk about that because Michael had that question his entire childhood. Growing up, he wasn't sure he was destined for great things. He didn't think he could be a world-class champion athlete. He didn't know that these things were possible. He thought that he was destined to live an average, mediocre style living based on his upbringing.

• 2:01Lewis Howes?

  And it took a shift in the way he thought. It took a certain moment where he realized, when he started to look at things differently, when he's... Started to believe in himself differently and see that his gifts were able to perform great things in the world, that he was able to be world class and he did deserve to win and achieve what he wanted. That's when things started to shift. And for those that don't know, Michael Chandler is an American mixed martial artist fighter in the lightweight division. He's currently under contract with the Bellator MMA where he is a former two-time Bellator lightweight champion and world champion. And he was a walk-on at the University of Missouri for wrestling,

• 2:39Lewis Howes?

  ended up making his mark by being a four-time NCAA qualifier, collected 100 career wins, and also earned Division One NCAA All-American honors. From being a walk-on to being an All-American. And immediately after his wrestling career was over, he began training MMA and throughout his professional career, he won his first victory, then won 12 consecutive wins. After that, again, becoming the lightweight tournament champion for season four with Bellator. And the title fight was nominated by many as the fight of the year. So again, Michael grew up thinking that his life was going to be average because that was his surroundings, that was his

• 3:23Lewis Howes?

  belief system. Then things shifted and his entire life has changed with a little shift in his belief. And we're going to dive into some of these things, specifically how to shift your mindset from mediocre to champion level. Also, why your self-image is so important. And so many think that you shouldn't have an ego or a self-image and we're going to talk about exactly what that means. Also, his pre-fight mental routine and also in between rounds, exactly what he thinks about before he's going back out there to fight against someone that wants to destroy him. Also, how to come back mentally after multiple, multiple losses in a row. When you think that

• 4:08Lewis Howes?

  maybe I'm not good enough anymore, how do you come back and get back to the top? That and so much more. This is a powerful episode. Again, make sure to share it out with your friends. If you want to support your friends and elevate your friends' mindset. And beliefs and positivity and their growth towards achieving what they want in their lives. Then send them this episode. It's going to really support them. Again, LewisHowes.com/638. Take a screenshot of this, tag me at Lewis Howes on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook and tag Mike Chandler MMA as well. Before we dive in, Michael Stahl Smith left us a review, who is the fan of the week over on iTunes and says, "I've been on the School of Greatness train for well over a year and a half now, "and it has helped me change my life in so many ways.

• 4:53Lewis Howes?

  "Not until I had to face some low moments of my own did I truly realize the lessons "I'd been learning and the powerful mindset I'd been creating, thanks in part to this podcast. "And since then, the School of Greatness podcast has only magnified in its impact on my life. "Thank you, Lewis, for continuing to bring on such diverse group of guests. "It can be easy to listen to and read the same content every day that we're the most comfortable with, "but you pushing the boundaries is making all of your listeners better people." So, Michael Stahl Smith, thank you so much for leaving your review. You are the fan of the week. And if you guys haven't left a review yet, go ahead over there right now. You can do it on your phone. You can do it on the computer

• 5:37Lewis Howes?

  "and leave us a review at the School of Greatness. "All right, guys, this is all about elevating your mind, helping you get to the next level in your life, "overcoming obstacles that come your way. So, without further ado, let me introduce to you the one and only, Michael Chandler.

• 5:55Lewis Howes?

  "Michael Chandler's in the house. Good to see you, man. How you doing, brother? "We made this happen last minute. We were just DMing each other and you're in town. "And we gotta leave in 30 minutes. So, tell me about, uh, you're a fighter, MMA fighter. "How'd you get into that, first off?

• 6:12Speaker 00

  "I actually, I wrestled in high school, college, um, and then actually two guys that are doing very well in MMA. "Tyron Woodley was the UFC welterweight champion, Ben Askren, who's undefeated, just retired, "but he was a champion in multiple organizations. "Both of those guys were like my big brothers who used to beat up on me and then, uh, "they started fighting and I figured I'd give it a chance. I fought my first fight "three months after I graduated in 2009 and-

• 6:35Lewis Howes?

  "College?

• 6:35Speaker 00

  "In college and haven't looked back since.

• 6:37Lewis Howes?

  "Where'd you go to school?

• 6:38Speaker 00

  "Mizzou. Yeah, wrestled at Mizzou.

• 6:40Lewis Howes?

  "It's like a legendary wrestling school too, right?

• 6:43Speaker 00

  "Yeah, doing well. I mean, uh, we're always in the top 10 now in these last- Almost decade.

• 6:47Lewis Howes?

  It's like Iowa, Mizzou, right? Ohio State. There's got a guy at Ohio State that's like the world champion.

• 6:51Speaker 00

  Yeah, Kyle Snyder. Penn State's been.

• 6:53Lewis Howes?

  I met that guy. He's a.

• 6:54Speaker 00

  Kyle Snyder?

• 6:55Lewis Howes?

  So strong, man.

• 6:56Speaker 00

  Yeah, I'm there. He's a.

• 6:57Lewis Howes?

  He's a machine.

• 6:58Speaker 00

  Yeah, and the sport of wrestling is really starting to evolve where, I mean, guys are coming at, coming into college at young ages and just, and, and doing really, really well, you know? I mean, guys are starting. That's why I just opened up my gym. We were talking earlier, like, I want to build a wrestling club where kids can start wrestling at five and really be poured into and get high, high level coaching. So by the time they get into high school, they're already well advanced. By the time they get into college, they're 100% prepared and ready for that high level competition. Cause I didn't really get that opportunity really. I didn't see my first college wrestling match till I was about to go into college, you know? And, and you just want to start kids younger, the ones that, the ones that really have the hunger, really have the drive.

• 7:35Lewis Howes?

  You get the technique down early. Cause if you just go on with the athleticism, you're not gonna be able to develop at the highest level. Cause I might be stronger than some people, but you could probably pin me, even though I'm 100 pounds more than you're something, right? It's like, cause you have the technique and all the angles and everything.

• 7:49Speaker 00

  Yeah, and that, and that's the thing about wrestling. It's technique, it's leverage, it's positioning. I mean, it doesn't matter if you win the position by a quarter of an inch or a quarter of a mile.

• 7:57Lewis Howes?

  You win it.

• 7:57Speaker 00

  You win it, you know? Um, and then each, each wrestling match isn't, it's a series of positions that you have to win, you know? Win, win the majority of the positions, wrestle out of those positions.

• 8:07Lewis Howes?

  You win the match.

• 8:08Speaker 00

  You win the match, so.

• 8:09Lewis Howes?

  And so what made you, when did you first realize I wanted to go, you wanted to be a professional?

• 8:13Speaker 00

  I think, uh, I just got done and my, my buddy Tyler Woodley was like, you know, you should, you should really give this a shot. And I, I went up to, I actually went up to Canada with Ben Askren and, and trained with him, um, and another guy and, you know, got my butt kicked and I was like, but I was like, I wasn't, I wasn't half bad. Yeah, I was, I was like decently athletic and putting, putting the combinations together and, and started having a little bit of success and then had my first fight, like I said, and won by TKO in the first round and then.

• 8:38Lewis Howes?

  Really? You were, and you got the bug.

• 8:39Speaker 00

  And then second, and then third, and then fourth, and then ended up becoming world champion like 16 months into my career, ranked in the top three in the world, and then went all the way up and then lost three fights in a row, and then came back, and then now I've won six of my last, six out of my last seven. It's just like. Crazy emotional roller coaster and managing those emotions and coming back from losses and then continuing to try to believe in yourself after you've lost. And trying to stick to the process and stick through the course, you know, and. It's a, it's been a roller coaster ride, but it's, it's an enjoyable career, making, making a good life for myself.

• 9:10Lewis Howes?

  That's good, man. What was the world championship in?

• 9:13Speaker 00

  Um, 155 Bellator lightweight. So.

• 9:16Lewis Howes?

  It's like UFC, Bellator, what's another, is that the main two?

• 9:19Speaker 00

  Yeah, those are the main two, same sport, same rules, different organizations.

• 9:23Lewis Howes?

  Same cage?

• 9:24Speaker 00

  Same, same cage. I mean, the UFC fights in an octagon shaped cage. Bellator fights in a.

• 9:29Lewis Howes?

  Boxing ring?

• 9:29Speaker 00

  Circular shaped cage. So they're still cages. Um.

• 9:33Lewis Howes?

  The same rules of?

• 9:34Speaker 00

  Same rules. Yes. The unified rules of mixed martial arts. Same thing as like, if there was two different football leagues, they still play under the same.

• 9:41Lewis Howes?

  Same rules. Yeah. Maybe there's one or two different rules. Like the Canadian league's got a couple of different rules or whatever.

• 9:47Speaker 00

  But ours are, ours are, ours are governed by boxing commissions. So it's not even about the organization.

• 9:52Lewis Howes?

  That's the same.

• 9:52Speaker 00

  The commission that governs each. So it's the same rules.

• 9:56Lewis Howes?

  So why go to Bellator, not UFC?

• 9:59Speaker 00

  It's, it's all, it's, it's just like being under contract. I, years ago, I saw a better path. When I was younger and wanting to get my career started, I thought Bellator was a great opportunity. They, back then they used to do tournaments where it would fight. An eight man tournament, three fights in.

• 10:13Lewis Howes?

  Like blood sport?

• 10:14Speaker 00

  Yeah. Three fights in three months. So I fought like March, April and May of 2010, you know, or 2011 it was. And then if you did that, you won a hundred thousand dollars and you won, and you got an opportunity to fight for the world title. So I won the tournament, got to fight, got to fight for the world title. So I saw.

• 10:32Lewis Howes?

  Won the world title?

• 10:33Speaker 00

  Yeah. So I saw that path and I said, that's an easier path or a better path to get great exposure and fight a really top, top ranked guy.

• 10:39Lewis Howes?

  Then just hoping that the league will say, we're going to match you with a world, a world title fight.

• 10:44Speaker 00

  Yeah. Which takes years. Yeah. Which takes years.

• 10:46Lewis Howes?

  And you've got to have the right hype and.

• 10:48Speaker 00

  Oh, Strikeforce. Strikeforce was, was a different organization back then. And you just, you get thrown into the mix and it's like, you gotta build and build and build and build. Whereas this was like. Three fights, three months, get the world title shot.

• 10:58Lewis Howes?

  You win and you keep going. That's it. So you're in control of your destiny as opposed to hoping someone else likes you.

• 11:05Speaker 00

  Yeah, pretty much. And even more these days, it's so much of an entertainment sport now. Now it's like the fans speak and the promoters speak of like who's the most entertaining guy? Who's got the best trash talk? Who's who looks the coolest or the funniest or the most intriguing? Or who's gonna sell pay-per-views? Who's gonna get eyeballs and butts in seats, you know?

• 11:23Lewis Howes?

  But you don't have to worry about that in your league in Bellator.

• 11:26Speaker 00

  You do. I mean, you're still, you're still, you know, you want to build-

• 11:29Lewis Howes?

  You need to build your brand.

• 11:30Speaker 00

  You want to continue to build the brand, man. I mean, you're a master at like, you always think about the brand. You always think about making that big impact, you know? And that's what it's always been for me, which is always the tough part because, you know, UFC is the bigger organization, bigger platform, but Bellator takes really good care of myself. And we have a son now that we just adopted six months ago. So now I'm starting to think like a father and not just like a, not just like an athlete, you know? So I've always thought about building my brand, always thought about building my following, building my platform, because with that platform comes impact. And with the impact, you just move people and you do what you were called to do. What like what I really feel like I was put on this earth to do. And that's to motivate people through the gifts that I've been given, you know?

• 12:10Lewis Howes?

  What's your gifts?

• 12:12Speaker 00

  Man, I just, I mean, well, the gifts athletically, I mean, to be able to do what I do as an athlete, as a guy who fights in a cage for a living and a lot of people watch, you know? But even just to be pumped up, inspired, excited about life. I mean, really waking up every morning, realizing that I've been, I've been given some really great gifts and to not give myself, or not to give the best of myself every single day as a sacrifice of those gifts, you know? And I think people, that resonates with people. I think people, in my sport, it's embarrassing. I mean, I've been knocked out in front of a million people, you know, on TV. Like, it's embarrassing and people see you down in the dumps and they see you pick yourself back up and dust yourself off and come back from ranked 100 in the world back to like the top 10 again, you know?

• 12:56Speaker 00

  And it's those kind of triumphant, those kind of triumphant kind of comebacks that really get people motivated and move people, you know? And someday- Someday, I'm to the point now where I'm 32, just turned 32. I know I got many years left to fighting, not many, but probably five years of fighting left. And there's gonna come a time where I'm gonna be in the back in some arena somewhere, I'm gonna take my gloves off for the last time, I'm gonna be in some arena, showering off, and I gotta look at myself in the mirror when I'm about ready to go to my last press conference and say, "Michael, did you give everything that you possibly could with the gifts that you were given?" And I just hope when that time comes that I can answer truthfully and without regret, you know? So it's like, every single day is, what can I do today to get a little bit better? What can I do today, not just physically, but mentally, you know?

• 13:39Speaker 00

  What can I do in this podcast right here that we're talking about, your books, like, to be able to just, in 2018, there's so much more available at our fingertips than there was a generation before us, to be able to stay built up, build ourselves up, and just listen to stories of people, listen to what they bring, your gifts, the next guy's gifts, the next guy's gifts, and then just kinda take it all, and just learn through it all, and learn all about it, and become a better person, better man.

• 14:07Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. What's the lesson you learned when you were a world champion and you won that title? Was there something you did differently from two years previous, or three years previous? Or was it just applying the same things over and over until that opportunity came?

• 14:21Speaker 00

  I think it was just applying. I mean, I've always lived my life by the principle that if I work hard and I surround myself with the best people possible, that good things are gonna happen, you know? And I've always done that. I always, I was the guy who walked onto the Mizzou wrestling team. I was the, you know, the worst guy on the team. I was the only guy who wasn't really a state champion. Coach didn't talk to me for the first year, you know? You just feel like an outcast, and you're like, "Does he even notice me? Should I just go ahead and pack my bags?" But I just kept working and kept working, you know? And then eventually I won the starting spot, started beating all these state champions, and then became a four-time starter and an All-American. But, so it showed me that if I worked hard, great things would happen. And my parents showed me that. My dad was a carpenter, my mom was a secretary, and worked at a restaurant. They both

• 15:02Speaker 00

  worked two and three jobs to make sure myself and my brothers had every opportunity to do something great. But what I wasn't taught was that, "Michael, you deserve great things. You deserve to be a champion. You don't deserve to just be mediocre." I think so many, so many people in life, through no fault of their own, have a bar set for themselves, a glass ceiling set for themselves, that they don't even know is there. Until they they they just keep hitting it and hitting it and hit it and hopefully they have a breakthrough like I did. I finally realized, man, why I do everything right. I I do the right things. I work hard. I'm the first guy in the practice room. I tell everybody I want to be a national champion. I tell everybody I want to be a world champion. But when it comes down to it, I somehow find a way to lose.

• 15:46Speaker 00

  Because I don't truly believe that I was put on this earth to be that big of a winner, you know?

• 15:52Lewis Howes?

  Because you were taught that, right?

• 15:53Speaker 00

  Yeah, I think I was just taught, I I grew up in in in a very mediocre setting, not mediocre, but just.

• 15:59Lewis Howes?

  Limited mindset.

• 16:00Speaker 00

  Yeah, yeah, just limited mindset, not that outside world, you know, the the LAs and the Hollywoods and the New Yorks and the the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and like the, you know, the money, my money isn't isn't necessarily a great thing. And like, you know, all this like this this small, limited mindset of that. Now I just have that abundancy mindset where I, there is no limit to what I what I can am capable of. And it's and it really is through the extreme, through the, taking extreme ownership of literally every single day, seeking out people to admire, like listening to the words that you speak, listening to the the other podcasts or the other sermon or the other pastor, the other motivational speaker and realizing that if I can see that,

• 16:43Speaker 00

  then I can become some of that. Maybe I won't get, you know, maybe I won't be the greatest motivational speaker of all time or the greatest athlete of all time, but I can shoot for it and end up somewhere a lot further along than I would have normally been, you know? And I think.

• 16:55Lewis Howes?

  Who who taught you that you could be anything you want, that you could become a world champion?

• 17:00Speaker 00

  I mean, I think it was.

• 17:00Lewis Howes?

  When did you believe it for the first time?

• 17:02Speaker 00

  I finally did, honestly, even though I even though I had won the world title, I won it all through just hard work and like stick to it-ness and like an indomitable spirit. But it actually took three losses in a row. I lost three losses in a row and. And and lost or three fights in a row, 688 days I went without winning a fight.

• 17:21Lewis Howes?

  After the world championship?

• 17:22Speaker 00

  After that world championship, after the world championship, I I won two more fights. And then I lost 600 and 688 days, I lost three.

• 17:29Lewis Howes?

  Two years almost?

• 17:30Speaker 00

  Two years almost. And that's a long time. I mean, you think like, you think about your your career, like, if you had a game, you lost a game, you're down in the dumps, but then next week,

• 17:37Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 17:38Speaker 00

  you could you can redeem yourself. In in fighting, it's tough because sometimes a six months goes by, eight months goes by. And that's a lot of days, that's a hundred and eighty days of, hey, remember that time you got knocked out on national?

• 17:48Lewis Howes?

  Maybe I'm not good enough, maybe I'm.

• 17:50Speaker 00

  Yeah. And and I think we we focus so much on trying to be perfect when really we just need to be successful, you know? Like, every single practice now became another opportunity to be perfect or be a loser. And each day I kept reminding myself through every punch that got landed or every takedown that I couldn't get, or every practice where I wasn't exactly perfect, that I was a loser. Hey, Michael, you're not as good as you thought you were, you know, it it just, it it really keeps continuing to build upon itself until you realize you need to stop being perfect and just try to be successful in that. Even if you failed, that failure was an event. It's not who you are. It's not a person, you know? And I think that has really resonated with me. That has really built, kind of built this, it's not bulletproof, you know, but this this armor that we have around us and that armor

• 18:36Speaker 00

  has chinks in it. We all have our own insecurities, our own fears, our our own limited beliefs, our own limited mindsets. And I have thousands of them, but the more I can just pile positivity on it and more more armor, adding more our armor and even more, you know, you know, seeing those those commercials with the flex seal where he like,

• 18:52Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, of course.

• 18:52Speaker 00

  cuts the boat and have you like, we we are imperfect humans with these fears and these doubts and these these cracks in in what you see, even though I look like the most confident, those things still come up and you just gotta throw a little patch on there, throw a little patch. And you do that by one chapter in a book or one video or one one minute or five minutes of visualization and seeing yourself winning, seeing yourself being wildly successful and being okay with that. Because there was a time when I would close my eyes and I would think about myself being rich and famous and wealthy and making a ton of impact and people looking at me like a huge leader and that would make me feel weird because I don't want those people to think that I'm better than them. I don't, you know? So we have this like cognitive dissonance of of.

• 19:36Speaker 00

  I think our true belief in ourself not lining up with the reality, you know, of what's going on. So I would always somehow find a way to dummy myself back down to less than I actually am now.

• 19:50Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, I hear you. To not feel like you're better than everyone else.

• 19:53Speaker 00

  Yeah, and that's tough because I was always taught that. I mean, and I came from a background where it's like, oh, those are those kind of people and these are these kind of people and, you know, and you never want to make people feel insecure around you, like the old quote, you know, the Nelson Mandela quote, you know. So.

• 20:11Lewis Howes?

  Well, I think it's not about making people insecure, it's showing them what's possible for their own lives. By you setting the example, say, hey, if I can do this, then you can do this too. And it's being a symbol of inspiration. That's what really moves people. Not when we say, hey, I'm better than you. Look what I've done. But look at how I've created, the hard work I've taken, and here's a process you can take as well for your own dream.

• 20:38Lewis Howes?

  What would you say is the thing that all world class or all world championship fighters have in common? About the way they think or the way they train? What are the things they have in common?

• 20:48Speaker 00

  I think it's the, I mean, the most, your most prized possession, aside from like, from my most prized possession, aside from my faith and my wife and my son, is my self-image. And I never used to think about a self-image because I never inwardly reflected. I never thought about me. I was always thinking about, okay, this practice, what can I do in this practice? What can I do in this sector of my life? What can I do for this person? The way that I look at myself and when I look into the mirror, instead of just seeing this guy who, you know, has failed a thousand times or grew, you know, had a kind of a mediocre mindset, I look at myself like a champion. I look at myself like someone who can really do some really ridiculously great things. And I also...

• 21:33Speaker 00

  Take time to pat myself on the back when I do have successes and I do have victories. You know, I think we all get caught up in this, in this somewhat no man's land of, well, I won that match, or I won that fight, or I got that business deal, or I got that book deal, but I was supposed to do that because that was my goal for myself. Now on to the next one, you know, and you ever, you ever hear of Sean Acher?

• 21:54Lewis Howes?

  The happiness guy?

• 21:56Speaker 00

  Yes, the positive psychology and he talks about, talks about success is, is not a prerequisite to happiness because once we set that bar, now we're not going to be happy because now we just set the bar a little bit higher, you know? So if we can be happy with ourself, if we can be inwardly happy with who we are and look at ourselves like something, something way more, way more than we actually are, you know, kind of fake it till you make it type of scenario. It's, there's some sort of truth to that and as long as you continue to be a hard, a hardworking, good person, you know?

• 22:27Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 22:28Speaker 00

  Positive self-image.

• 22:29Lewis Howes?

  In sports psychology, growing up, it was for me, it was like the alter ego. And I would imagine my alter ego in the mirror, or when I'd step on the field, I stepped into Jerry Rice, or whatever the alter ego was at that time for me, and I just put myself in that embodiment of who I wanted to be.

• 22:45Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 22:46Lewis Howes?

  Whether it was another person or the greatest version of myself, I just said, this is what I'm going to become and I'm going to act as if I am that today. I'm going to play like that, I'm going to practice like that, I'm going to compete like that. It sounds like that's similar to what you're doing. It's just like looking at yourself in the mirror, just imagining your greatest self.

• 23:02Speaker 00

  Yeah, and even, and even just looking at those people like they aren't any better than you, looking at Jerry Rice, like he literally put, he put his pads on, he put his cleats on the same way you did, you know? Instead of just putting it out like this, he's some alien or some, some rock star, superstar, he's just a normal guy with a heartbeat and a soul and insecurities and fears. And I think the, and it comes with so much maturity. I mean, I, I think like this because I've had so many years to think about and mull it over and fail and then triumph and then fail and triumph and, you know? And just looking at it and almost kind of just making it not such a big deal. I used to put so much pressure on myself and make this sport so much bigger than it actually is, when really, we're all just trying to wing it, we're all just trying to

• 23:46Speaker 00

  figure it out, you know, work hard, be a good person, surround yourself with the right people and good things will happen. But ultimately, most of all, just continue to believe that you deserve great things. Not that you're better than anybody else. But you do deserve probably more than you think you do.

• 24:01Lewis Howes?

  What happens when we start to believe that?

• 24:03Speaker 00

  Man, you, things just become easier, I think, you know, things become easier because you're, you're constantly not putting limits on yourself. And then you start to see little successes and then you pat yourself on the back for having that success. Because now you are, you are having the self-awareness to, to say, A plus B equals C, it's black and white. If I continue to believe in myself, this practice, good things happen. This business, this business deal went through because I had the confidence to, to see it through, you know? And things just like, life just opens up and it becomes so much more colorful and so much more vibrant. Because now, instead of looking at yourself with that kind of small-mindedness, putting that ceiling right above yourself, you just see, you see it nothing but

• 24:47Speaker 00

  blue sky and the sky's the limit, you know? And it really is crazy and there's, it's never a, it's a constant battle. Like I said, I mean, I might, you might try to put this bulletproof armor on yourself, but you're a human being. And you have, you have your fears and your doubts and your insecurities, they're always gonna be there. It's constant, it's going to be there.

• 25:04Lewis Howes?

  What's, would, well, sorry, go ahead.

• 25:06Speaker 00

  No, but you just gotta have to, have to get used to it.

• 25:08Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, yeah. What would you say is your greatest gift in your sport? And the thing that you need to work on the most?

• 25:14Speaker 00

  My greatest gift is I, I mean, I think I really am, my wife would hate to hear me say it, but I really am not afraid for bad things to happen to me inside the cage. I feel like God put, God pushed me, put, led me into this sport. So I can't be fearful of what might happen. I could get knocked out, I could have brain trauma, I could have a broken leg, whatever, I mean, some, bad things can happen. It's a crazy violent sport. But with that risk comes the huge reward, the huge impact that I can make, you know? So I think my greatest gift is the fact that I'm not afraid to work circles around anybody in the entire world. I'm not afraid to just get way outside of my comfort zone and with complete disregard to bad things that may happen to me. And I think still to this day, my biggest, my biggest weakness is trying to be perfect.

• 25:59Speaker 00

  You know, I mean, I think. I think I, I, I think I work hard, so I, I, I overanalyze the little bitty, the little bitty shortcomings. You know, I could win, a, a round is five minutes, so maybe I'm sparring, me and you are sparring, and I win four minutes and fifty-three seconds of that round, but you beat me for seven seconds. All of a sudden, I feel like I, all I focus on is the three seconds that I lost, when really, there was four hundred and fifty, or, four minutes and fifty-three seconds that I was just dominating. And it goes back to that, try not to be perfect, just try to be successful. This is such a marathon, we, we try to act like it's a sprint, but it's such a marathon. And here I am, almost ten years into the sport, the best I've ever been, with a career that I'm proud of. And it doesn't matter that I've had those losses, and I've had those shortcomings, and I had those people write me off,

• 26:43Speaker 00

  and those people, you know, say mean things, and try to tear me down, and say I wasn't as good as I thought I was. Now, they have to eat crow, because I'm continuing to build, and continuing to do, to do great things in the sport, you know?

• 26:54Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. Walk me through, final couple of questions, walk me through, uh, what you say to yourself on a fight day? Or either in the morning, or leading up to the fight, couple hours before, when you're in the locker room, getting on to the mat. What do you say to yourself, leading up to it, and then in between each round, what do you say to yourself?

• 27:12Speaker 00

  I think, um, that's actually, I'm glad you asked that, because honestly, the biggest thing that I changed too, once I started to have kind of a mindset, mindset shift, is I really started talking to myself, instead of listening to myself. Talk to yourself, because the more you're talking to yourself, the less you can hear yourself. If I, if you just sit there, and I'm about to step into a cage in front of millions of people, standing across the cage with a man who wants to rip my face off, you know? I mean, if you just sit there in silence, you start to listen.

• 27:38Lewis Howes?

  Listen to yourself, you are doubting.

• 27:39Speaker 00

  You start to hear, you start to hear things that aren't even, they're not even rational. I mean, they're not, you know, there's no way that you're gonna, I, in my mind, I was like, there's no way I'm gonna lose to this guy. But if I sit there in silence, I'll sit there, and even this last fight, just in this last fight, I was sitting there, I was waiting to warm up, they're like, oh, let's wait a second, we got a little bit of time. And I was just sitting there silently, I'm like, oh, I'm like, Evan, get up, let's go hit some, I wanted, needed to hit some pads, because I wanted to stop the silence, like, stop the voices, you know? So I find myself, if I talk to myself, Michael, you deserve to be a champion. Michael, you're the hardest worker in the entire world, you're the best light winner in the entire world. You were, you were made in the image of an almighty God who deserves to go out there and do amazing things in front of millions of people, and have people inspired, and motivated, and pumped up, to see you triumph, you know, like...

• 28:21Speaker 00

  As I'm talking for 10 seconds straight, there is no negativity that can pop into my mind. Cause you're human, that's what happens, you know? And then between rounds, really, I'm just, I really just want to center myself. I'm going to grab a couple of nice, big, deep breaths, because I just got done fighting for five minutes. And I want to listen to my coaches, have them inject like

• 28:39Lewis Howes?

  Feedback.

• 28:39Speaker 00

  Small little techniques. And then there's about 10 seconds where you're standing there, you're looking at each other. The ref's about to say, okay, round two, fight. And then in that time, I give myself a couple of little nuggets too, you know?

• 28:49Lewis Howes?

  Like what? I deserve to be here.

• 28:51Speaker 00

  Continue, yeah. Oh yeah, kind of just like, yeah, same thing. You deserve to be a champion. This guy has no idea what's up. You know, give him the old week, like, you ready to do this thing, you know? Make it, you know, and just be present in the moment and just be, be in the cage and be excited to be competing. You know, there's so, what I realized too is there's so many, there's, I'm, I'm in a small pool of .000001% of the population that, and so many people out there wish they could have the opportunity that I have. You know, so for me to, to not take advantage of these opportunities and for me to take this, this life and this gift that I, for granted is just, it's robbery, you know, it's robbery from, from the gifts that I've been given.

• 29:31Lewis Howes?

  I think we got a few minutes left. Yeah, a couple of minutes.

• 29:34Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 29:35Lewis Howes?

  It's called the three truths.

• 29:37Speaker 00

  Oh boy.

• 29:37Lewis Howes?

  I think you've heard this maybe. Uh, so if this was your last day many years from now, and you could only share three truths with the world. And you had to take everything else that you've created with you on your last day on this earth. But three things remain that you could share with the world, what would be your three truths?

• 29:57Speaker 00

  Three things, yes.

• 29:58Lewis Howes?

  Three lessons or truths?

• 29:59Speaker 00

  I mean, I think, I think we've covered a couple of them, but, but to like bring, bring it back. I mean, at the end of the day, somebody has to be the best. Like, why shouldn't it be you? If you work hard, if you can truly say that you work hard and you try to be a good person and a man or woman of character, of good reputation, of, of someone who really is trying. Why shouldn't you deserve to be the best? Why shouldn't you see that goal, visualize it, and then take it? Because somebody else is going to if you don't. And so many times in life, people, you know, get things that they don't necessarily deserve. But if you deserve it, why shouldn't you take it? Don't let your own limited mindset rob you of that opportunity.

• 30:39Speaker 00

  I'd say, the other thing I have really meditated on over the last couple of years is Zig Ziglar said it best. He said, "Failure is an event, not a person." Every single person that you look up to, your favorite person in the entire world, is a failure. Has been, at one point or another, a failure, right? But that was an event that happened to them, and because of that, it made them a better person, you know? So failure is an event, not a person. Every single person that we've looked up to has gone from failure to the next failure to finally triumph, you know? And I think that's something that rings true to me because I had those failures and I failed so many times. But that doesn't mean I'm a failure. I'm actually a champion who has had some failures in his past.

• 31:21Speaker 00

  And the last one, I think, there's just, there's no, there's no, there's nothing more important in this entire world than your self-image. And it's yours and yours alone. She can tell me I'm great, he can tell me I'm great, everybody around me can tell I'm great. But when it's just you and yourself, and you are there by yourself, you have to truly believe that you were put on this earth for awesome things, for great triumphs, for awesome opportunities, to take those opportunities and just do amazing things. And there is no limit to what you can do. I mean, I think we constantly see the negative, or we constantly hear the negative, we constantly are making excuses of why we can't achieve things.

• 32:06Speaker 00

  But those are all just, you know, like they say, fear is a liar. It really is. Every single thing that you are fearful of is so many times just a fallacy, you know? And every single thing that you've ever wanted to achieve, and the greatest version of yourself is right out there, right out there waiting for you on the outside of your comfort zone. We all get in these little, in this little bubble, this little box that we put ourselves in. But that's not where real growth is. That's not where the rubber meets the road. The rubber meets the road outside of your comfort zone. To be able to go out there and do great things and just challenge yourself and just surround yourself with the best people you possibly can. And through that, continuing to look at yourself like a champion in life, not just, not in sports, not in business, not in ever, just a champion in life.

• 32:50Speaker 00

  To really be put on a platform to just inspire these people.

• 32:53Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, that's great, man. Where can we connect with you online?

• 32:57Speaker 00

  I'm very active on social media, it's @MikeChandlerMMA. My Instagram is my, my main source. So I like to do like videos and tons of kind of inspirational stuff, workout stuff, MMA stuff, wrestling stuff, all kinds of stuff.

• 33:10Lewis Howes?

  Mike Chandler MMA.

• 33:11Speaker 00

  Mike Chandler.

• 33:11Lewis Howes?

  Twitter, Instagram.

• 33:12Speaker 00

  Same thing. @MikeChandlerMMA. I have a Facebook fan page.

• 33:16Lewis Howes?

  And where can we watch you fight?

• 33:17Speaker 00

  I fight on the Paramount Network and CMT currently, so.

• 33:21Lewis Howes?

  That's the Bellator?

• 33:22Speaker 00

  Bellator, yeah.

• 33:23Lewis Howes?

  That's where Bellator is viewed? Gotcha. When's the next fight?

• 33:26Speaker 00

  I don't have anything scheduled. I just fought a couple of weeks ago, so I'm healing up and hanging out, getting my gym, getting my gym going. Trying to get all those classes up and running and get all the programs going so we can hopefully inspire some people, change some lives.

• 33:38Lewis Howes?

  Awesome, man. Well, I want to acknowledge you for shifting your belief and your mindset. Because it sounds like growing up, you didn't have that championship mentality and then you learned how to develop it. And that, that's fascinating for me because it's something we can all learn. And if you were able to develop it, coming from humble beginnings where you didn't think it was possible, so you know what, it is possible. And that self-image, which I think is really key for people, is developing that self-image. And being an example of what's possible for other people. So I acknowledge you for, for everything, man, for all that you've done, for getting to the top of your sport. Losing and sticking it out to continue to rise back up. Final question, what's your definition of greatness?

• 34:21Speaker 00

  Impact. Just impacting people. I mean, I think we can all be great athletically, business, wealth, fame, all that kind of stuff. But how many people did you, how many hearts did you touch? You know, how many people said because of that man and that circumstance, because of that happening, it made my day better. It made me want to believe in myself more. It made me want to do great things because I saw him, whether he won, whether he lost. I admire that. And I think that's greatness. That's, that's, that's greatness to me.

• 34:48Lewis Howes?

  My man. Thank you, brother. Appreciate it, man.

• 34:55Lewis Howes?

  There you have it my friends. If you have enjoyed this, the mindset of a world-class champion and how to really believe in yourself and create a more positive self-image. Every single day when we create this self-image, it's hard to be stopped. It's hard to be knocked over because we realize that failure is not about us. It's just an event that happened and it doesn't affect our self-image. So make sure to work on that, practice that. When you get up in the morning, really talk to yourself in a positive way. Look yourself in the mirror in a positive way. It's more than just positive self-talk. It's positive self-image. And when you see the difference, I can say things to myself constantly, but if I don't

• 35:39Lewis Howes?

  believe in them and if I don't see myself as those things through hard work, consistency, dedication, following through on the things I say I'm gonna do and delivering results, then it's hard to believe in that self-image. So again, if you enjoyed this, make sure to share with a friend. Help your friends by spreading positivity. And the link for this is lewishouse.com/638. Connect with me on Instagram. Take a screenshot of this, tag me over there. I try to reply to as many people as possible. Connect with Michael Chandler MMA as well over on Instagram and let him know what you thought about this. Very powerful stuff guys and I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if you did and we're always having the conversation over on social media as

• 36:24Lewis Howes?

  well. Again, don't ask yourself, "Why?" Ask yourself, "Why not me? Why not now? What can I do to improve my life, to improve my skillset, to improve my mindset, to improve my relationships, health, finances, to get to that next level?" We're all in this together and we're all looking to grow and impact and find meaning and fulfillment. And we can't do that when we're talking negatively about ourselves. We can't do something great when you don't see yourself in a positive light and you don't believe that you are supposed to be here. You're meant to be here, whether you think it was an accident. Because your parents had an accident and you were here.

• 37:06Lewis Howes?

  Whether you think that you weren't supposed to stay alive after there was almost a near-death accident that happened. Whether you think you weren't supposed to make it through a certain situation. Whether you're not sure why you're here. There's a reason you're here and you must believe in it. You must believe in the greater vision for your life. Whether you think it was an accident, it's planned. Whether you had everything in the world or you had nothing in the world. You're here for a reason and you're listening to this right now. You continue to listen to this right now because you know you want more in your life. You've got to continue to follow through. Simple steps leads to big results. Simple steps every single day will lead to big, powerful results. I love you guys. I hope you enjoyed this.

• 37:51Lewis Howes?

  Make sure to share with a friend and you know what time it is. It's time to go out there and do something great.