Overview

Sit at the table with five incredible individuals who have accomplished the impossible and learn the insights and hard-won secrets to their success.

Since the beginning of time, humans have been driven by the desire to persevere and achieve tremendous feats of all varieties, from athletic to humanitarian to the conquering of unimaginable personal battles. But life is not an upward trajectory. Along with the drive to succeed that is inherent in our nature, we also have the innate tendency to lose sight of our goals during the weeks, months, and years of trial, error, and hard work we must slog through to get to the finish line. And then, even after we’ve crossed the finish line, we’re often left with the hollow feeling of “what’s next?”

So how does one find, keep, and apply the grit it takes to fulfill your highest dreams? And where do you go after your dreams come true?

In our new series, Achieve Your Potential, all of these questions will be answered as you are treated to five incredible stories of human perseverance and accomplishment. Hosted by neuroscientist and science communicator Crystal Dilworth, this series contains interviews with extraordinary individuals who have defied the odds and who exemplify human achievement.

But these people did not start out any different from the rest of us. Coming from diverse backgrounds and with unique personal life stories, each of them made a series of decisions somewhere along the way that led them down a path toward building and changing their lives. In the process of doing so, they found themselves impacting other people’s lives as well.

This is your opportunity to sit at the table with these elite individuals who, through perseverance, have uncovered the secrets to becoming their best selves. Now you can benefit from their wisdom as they share everything they know about inventing and reinventing one’s life so that you, too, can achieve everything you dream of.

Course Structure

01: Ivy McGregor: Be an Answer

How can you turn negatives in your life into positives? Executive director/mentor Ivy McGregor discusses how to change others’ lives and, in the process, impact your own as well. Pulling from her life experiences and using the visual of a simple sign, McGregor explains that nurturing an authentic connection to others is the key to a fulfilling life. You will never look at the “greater than” sign the same way again.

Duration: 42 min

02: Kevin Jorgeson: Scale New Heights

In 2015, Kevin Jorgeson climbed the Dawn Wall on El Capitan in 19 days—at the time considered to be the hardest successful rock climb in history. But it was in the years of training leading up to the big climb that he learned the importance of making decisions that create future memories you want. Learn as Kevin explains the two types of fun and how they can intersect pleasure and pain to transform you.

Duration: 42 min

03: Shiza Shahid: Find Your Seat at the Table

In Shiza Shahid’s opinion, the most essential part of achievement is to use your privilege to make the world a little better—and this entrepreneur, social activist, and educator lives out her own advice every day. Shiza talks about her journey, starting with her parents working their hardest to give her the best education available. Hear Shiza’s wisdom and learn how to plant trees under the shade of which you will never sit.

Duration: 29 min

04: Ryan Shazier: Come Back from Catastrophe

What would you do if you were told that there was a 20% chance you could ever walk again? Listen to Ryan Shazier, former NFL Pro Bowl Linebacker, as he shares exactly how he dealt with that scenario at the peak of his athletic career and came out stronger on the other side. Ryan stresses the importance of positivity, having a solid support team, and living strong through the ebbs and flows of progress.

Duration: 38 min

05: Diana Nyad: Never Give Up

Join Diana Nyad—author, motivational speaker, and long-distance swimmer—as she recounts her attempts and finally success at the age of 64 in achieving her lifelong dream of becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida. A natural storyteller, Nyad not only shares harrowing anecdotes from her experience but also unlocks the secrets she learned along the way to harness the determination and discipline it takes to accomplish something of this magnitude.

Duration: 49 min