How to Pursue Your Passion and Reach Your Full Potential Finding your passion in the world can be the difference between struggling to get out of bed in the morning and being excited to get the day started.

By Lewis Howes Edited by Dan Bova

This story originally appeared on Lewis Howes

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Success has a very tricky definition. You can have the ideal job, make a decent salary, have that sports car you always wanted, and still not really be successful.

To truly be happy, you need to be doing things that fill you up. Finding your passion in the world can be the difference between struggling to get out of bed in the morning and being excited to get the day started.

Sometimes you need to stop and ask if you're really chasing the life you want or chasing something someone else wants of you. This is a lesson that was hard learned by my latest guest, Rich Roll. Roll has been on my show twice before, and it was a pleasure having him back. He battled an alcohol addiction that nearly ruined his life from the age of 17 to 31, when he finally went to a treatment center. Most people only spend 28 days there -- he ended up spending 100.

When he got out, he changed his life. He pursued a career most people would consider ideal and made a great living. The problem was, it wasn't the life he wanted and it took a toll on him physically.

After having a brush with death in his late 30s, he began living his life for him. Since then, he's become a successful athlete, motivational speaker, podcast host and all around incredible human being.

You can hear all about his incredible journey and his plans for the future, on Episode 619.

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Lewis Howes

New York Times Bestselling Author, Entrepreneur, Coach

Lewis Howes is a New York Times bestselling author of The School of Greatness and The Mask of Masculinity. He is a lifestyle entrepreneur, high performance business coach and keynote speaker. A former professional football player and two-sport All-American, he is a current USA Men’s National Handball Team athlete. He hosts a top 100 iTunes ranked Apple podcast, The School of Greatness. Howes was recognized by the White House and President Obama as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the country under 30. Details magazine called him one of “5 Internet Guru’s that can Make You Rich.”  Howes has been featured on Ellen, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The New York Times, People, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Men’s Health and other major media outlets.

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