"Focus on the Work Instead of the Image": A Conversation with Tony Gaskins

Tony Gaskins is a husband of 11 years, father of two boys, author, celebrity life coach, and intercontinental speaker whose inspirational message of self-love helps individuals heal from their pain, set high standards for themselves, and create an actionable plan to achieve their goals. His sole mission is to help everyone he works with experience a life transformation.

1440: You accomplished a lot at a very young age. How did your age hinder or help you? What wisdom would you share with young people who are ready to step out and make a footprint in the world?

Tony Gaskins: My age has helped me because I'm a millennial and my generation is very focused on laughing, partying, and having a good time. Being a thinker has separated me from the crowd and given my generation and others someone to gain a different perspective from. I wouldn't know the limitations my age has put on me because I've focused mostly on the blessings I've attracted.

1440: What does it mean to "live a well-balanced life"? And how do you get there?

Tony Gaskins: To me a well-balanced life means you have a healthy dose of self-love, a zest for life, and ambition in your dreams. A great first step towards achieving the balanced-life status is self-investment. You have to be intentional about investing in yourself through retreats, books, and one-on-one coaching. I believe the dream can be a reality, and it's attainable by all.

1440: You've said, "A real relationship is like a river: the deeper it gets, the less noise it makes." Can you expand on that thought?

Tony Gaskins: That statement means that the deeper love gets, the less it becomes about show and putting on a front for social media. The love becomes more real, pure, healthy, and whole. Your relationship is a sacred covenant with a bond that can't be broken by the day-to-day trials life presents. The tough times smooth and refine you like a rock on the riverbed. It should be our goal to focus on the work instead of the image. If we do the work on love, our portrayal will be picture-perfect without having to put on a front and fake smiles for the world.

1440: Who are your mentors and motivators? Who do you look up to in the field of personal development? Why?

Tony Gaskins: My mentor is Jesus Christ. I've never had a business or career mentor in real life. I've read the Holy Bible since I was a child, and I try to emulate the grace and perfection that Jesus Christ lived with. I played basketball growing up and we would say, "I want to be like Mike," referring to Michael Jordan. As an adult I began to say, "I don't want to be like Mike. I want to be like Christ." That's who I look up to.

1440: You pride yourself on being married for over a decade. Why is being a family man so important to your work? How does this inform what you teach and preach to other men?

Tony Gaskins: To me, a man's greatest accomplishment is purely loving his spouse and children. That is the ultimate testament of true manhood. That is true success. I am most proud of those accomplishments because those are the most important actions in the world. My belief in those values is the core of my message to other men. True success in life and the business world is a by-product of success in your own home.

 

 

Join Tony at his program, Self-Love Retreat, August 14 – 16, 2020.