Terry Crews has an incredible story. He grew up in an abusive household in a not so nice neighborhood where he found his sanctuary to be in the weight room which would then aid his performance on the football field for years to come, including the NFL.

After having been cut from the team, he worked as a security guard in LA where he would then land his first gig as an actor and propel him into fame.

Here are the 10 lessons we can learn from his road to success:

1. Do you as best as you can

That’s all you really can do even when nothing is going your way. It’s what you always have control over no matter what. There can never be regrets if you know you put in 100% and there was nothing more you could give. Terry Crews is a perfect example of this. He says how in every audition he’s focused on fully expressing his capabilities fully and doing it to the max. In interviews, he portrays such a full range of expression, intensity, and full presence that is unmatched by many.

2. Be too ignorant to quit

There is a certain naivety that comes with belief in oneself. When you believe that you are capable of doing something even though the world may tell you otherwise, then you are in a great position for achievement. There is nothing that can stop you because most of the time that challenges that face us are made up in our mind and bigger than they are in real life. Never give up in anything that you believe in and the best thing to believe in is yourself.

“If you believe in yourself and feel confident in yourself, you can do anything. I really believe that.” – Karlie Koss

3. Even when you think it’s over, it’s not over

Terry Crews gave it his everything, even in practice. The man basically put his heart and soul into his craft and left it all out on the field. Even with that, he was cut from the team. He goes into detail on how disappointed he was and he was already heading home, when something had happened to one of the players and he was called back on the team. If he had not shown his skill and drive through the massive action he took, his coaches would have let him go home.

4. Constantly improve

If you’ve seen this guy’s physique then you can see that the man has not given up on his goals. Most dream of having that ripped physique we all see on our Instagram feeds, few go ahead and achieve it, and even fewer keep it. What’s the difference between the three? The last person decided to keep improving and not get comfortable. Perhaps one of the most powerful question you can ask yourself is how you can make your today better than your yesterday.

5. Commitment

Make one choice that no matter what, you will finish what you started. That there is no way you are “going home” without a fight. Terry Crews was one of the last round picks and when he went to practice he knew that he wasn’t going home. That type of commitment makes it a must to achieve your goals rather than a “should” or “could”. When something is a “must” it gets done.

6. Gratitude is where your energy comes from

Being thankful is one of the most powerful exercises you can do. All the most successful people practice gratitude as a daily habit. It’s one of the most empowering habits you can take on because when done consistently, it will change your mental framework from a state of lack into that of abundance.

7. The first step to self-discipline is getting rid of self-pity

Self-discipline requires you to acknowledge the fact that you are responsible for the change in your life and that there is nothing to be sorry for. Then you must take the first steps to push your body and mind to achieve what it is you desire. He gives an example of NFL players and emphasizes his realization that they’re not self-disciplined but rather have been disciplined by their coaches. Once they stop football, their lives become a mess because they longer have that order and structure laid out for them.

8. Start where you are

You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great. Take the first steps no matter where that may be and start your way up. Growth is exponential, meaning that the start will always be the hardest but your progress will compound as the lessons you learn along the way build on each other and before you know it, you’ll be sprinting through results.

9. You can’t expect not to have consequences for your actions

Every action has a reaction. It’s the law of the universe. For every effect there is a cause so don’t be surprised when what you reap is directly proportionate to what you sowed a while back. On the flip side, if you work hard, it always pays off. There has never been a single time when someone has poured all their effort and spewed their heart and soul into a vision only to not receive any sort of reaction from the world. When you take massive action, the world has no choice but to pay attention.

“If you believe in yourself and feel confident in yourself, you can do anything. I really believe that.” – Sean Covey

10. Soak up any motivation you can find, like gravy

Constantly be trying to motivate and push yourself any way that you can. The biggest motivation is seeing someone who’s incredibly successful like Terry Crews and realizing you can achieve the same thing. Inspired action like that can take you a long way. It can increase your productivity and make you push harder when others pull to the curb to fight another day.

What lessons have you learned from Terry Crews career? Leave your thoughts below!