900 Aim for Wonder Over Success

“I didn’t ask for success, I asked for wonder.” - Abraham Joshua HeschelWe talk a lot about building businesses, physical health, and a champion’s mindset on The School of Greatness. What we don’t talk about as often is the part of greatness that is harder to define and explain: spirituality. But that’s not because it’s not important. I had never heard of today’s guest until a friend told me I had to get him on the show. And once I learned about him, I agreed. Rob Bell is an author, pastor, and incredible human being who has not only built one of the fastest growing churches in America, but become a voice for anyone who is seeking to understand faith and spirituality in today’s world. He has authored several books on these subjects, done shows with Oprah, and toured the world at concert venues giving stand-up performances about spirituality, religion, and faith. In this 5 Minute Friday episode, I wanted to share a clip from the very first episode I recorded with Rob on the podcast. He talks about the difference between wonder and success, and why we should be aiming for the first. If you enjoyed this episode, check out the video, show notes and more at http://www.lewishowes.com/900 and follow at instagram.com/lewishowes 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.

• 0:00Lewis Howes?

  This is Five Minute Friday.

• 0:10Lewis Howes?

  Rob Bell, who Time Magazine named Rob on the list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Now, Rob has got an incredible story that he's going to be sharing here in a moment. But he is an author, a New York Times bestselling author, and a pastor. And he was the founder of one of the fastest growing churches in America, which was called Mars Hill Bible Church.

• 0:34Rob Bell?

  But what's interesting is how rarely as human beings we experience something terrifying that's good. That creates almost like a, it's a, it's not a fear, but it's like a humbling reverence. You know that feeling when you're like, whoa. It humbles you, but in a really transcendent, inspiring, empowering sort of way. And honestly, in the modern world, you can live in a, you can live in an air-conditioned, heated, micro-waved, neon, encapsulated world, cut off from wonder and awe. And I'm sure you've seen this, people, they climb the ladder, they won, they have a big salary, a nice car.

• 1:13Rob Bell?

  And yet, that electric sense that I am but one small instrument, isn't there. It's like you conquered, but in the process, you lost something that's actually the thing you wanted. And so I, perhaps what you are seeing is simply, even if it's crazy, even if it's like, you hear that religious person talking, you're like, okay, that is just nuts. Still, perhaps what they're appealing to is somewhere in here is this sense. The great Abraham Joshua Heschel, who marched with Martin Luther King, he said, "I didn't ask for success, I asked for wonder."

• 1:53Rob Bell?

  And I think that's what a lot of people are like, I did the success thing, but I'd love some wonder.

• 1:58Lewis Howes?

  Do you think that's what everyone wants?

• 2:00Rob Bell?

  At the end of the day, um, the Japanese have this word akegai. It's that which gets you up in the morning. And they have this, this sort of cultural sense. You gotta have an akegai. You gotta have something to get you up in the morning. I always say, success is what can I get? And craft, working a craft is, can you believe I get to do this? Cause I know just from meeting you, you have a sense of like, I can't believe I get to do this.

• 2:26Lewis Howes?

  It's amazing.

• 2:27Rob Bell?

  Yeah. And you're essentially trying to share that with others. I know the success thing is attractive. But here's the thing I actually want to give you is I want to give you this gift where you could wake up in the morning and go, can you believe I get to do this?

• 2:38Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, right?

• 2:38Rob Bell?

  Yeah.

• 2:39Lewis Howes?

  That's cool. So what would you say is your mission now?

• 2:42Rob Bell?

  Um,

• 2:43Lewis Howes?

  In this state of your life?

• 2:43Rob Bell?

  You know, I wrote on your wall over there. I, I want to wake people up to the miracle that is your life. Um, that's at the heart of spirituality.

• 2:54Rob Bell?

  Jesus used this great Hebrew word teshuvah, which means to return. You have a path. You have a true path that you, that is the gift of God to you. You have a destiny. You have something you're here to do. And oftentimes we wander off the path.

• 3:10Lewis Howes?

  Hmm.

• 3:10Rob Bell?

  Um, return, come on home.

• 3:13Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 3:14Rob Bell?

  Um, and, and that's not like a beat yourself up shame thing. That's a joy thing. Like, I think a lot of people, they got, they got the right internship. They got the right job. They're living in a good zip code.

• 3:25Lewis Howes?

  Yep.

• 3:25Rob Bell?

  And yet at some deep level, they wandered off into the deep weeds. Um,

• 3:31Lewis Howes?

  Hmm.

• 3:32Rob Bell?

  And that's why you see people take pay cuts. That's why you see people go work for an NGO. That's, you know what I mean? Is they realize that's why they leave the monster thing and startup thing in their garage is, it's this ancient idea of teshuvah, return, like there's something I'm supposed to be doing. And I was handed a playbook, which always says bigger is better. And yet, something within me says, no wonder is better. Joy is better. Sacrifice is better.

• 4:00Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, I like service is better.

• 4:02Rob Bell?

  Yeah, living beyond yourself. That's better.