Episode 152: Turning the tables on Hal
At just 37 years of age, Hal Elrod’s life has been punctuated by extreme highs and extreme lows.
- In 1999, aged 20, he was breaking records as a sales rep, but nearly died in a car accident when a pick-up truck smashed head-on into his Ford Mustang. He arrived at hospital clinically dead, spent 6 days in a coma, suffered 11 fractured bones and a permanent brain injury. He had to learn to walk all over again.
- In 2006, aged 27, Hal’s first book, Taking Life Head On: How to Love the Life You Have While You Create the Life of Your Dreams reached #7 on the Amazon bestseller list – and his publisher fled the country with all of his royalties.
- That same year, he was beginning to enjoy the fruits of a successful coaching and speaking business, but the joy was short-lived. In 2007, the U.S. economy crashed. He lost clients and accrued debts of $425,000 unable to pay his mortgage.
- In 2008, a friend suggested running to help manage his depression. He hated running, but forced himself to do it. He started getting up earlier, which resulted in him creating the routine that became the Miracle Morning. Initially, it spread by word of mouth, then Hal wrote a book on it. It became a #1 bestseller and one of the highest-rated books ever on Amazon.
Hal had achieved the vision he set for himself lying in his hospital bed 9 years earlier. Instead of asking “Why me?” he has chosen to embrace failure and adversity as opportunities to learn and grow, and by doing so inspire and empower others to do the same.
In 2016, Hal was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. In this episode of his podcast series he speaks frankly about the challenges, what he’s learned on his journey to date and the lessons we can all take away from it. Hal being Hal, you can count on him to accentuate the positives and avoid dwelling on the negatives.
Hal includes a critical message for people with a propensity to push themselves hard, who strive to be high achievers – including entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, like me. We have no idea of the damage we are doing to our cells and how our bodies will one day rebel when we say “Just one more hour….”. Don’t gamble with your health. As Hal is finding out, when it goes down the toilet, all our plans, goals, dreams and desires go down with it.
Learn – take heed – and lead. At the very least it will inspire you. It may even save your life.
Listen here.
‘Worst case scenario I have cancer. Lot’s of people beat cancer.” – Hal Elrod