American Ninja Warrior co-host Akbar Gbajabiamila spends most of his days in front of an obstacle course. Now he relates this challenge of maneuvering hurdles, fences, walls and ditches as a metaphor for life — and navigating the stock market.
"For the last seven years ... it has truly been a classroom for me, being able to see these ninjas overcome the physical obstacles on the course but also knowing, too, those personal obstacles they've had to overcome. We see that in the marketplace," said Gbajabiamila on CNBC's "Halftime Report" on Wednesday.
His advice? Patience. "Being able to ride for the long haul," he said.
Gbajabiamila, a southern California native who played five years in the NFL as a linebacker and defensive end with the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins before retiring in 2008, says that helping people to overcome obstacles is what inspired him to write his book, "Everyone Can Be a Ninja."
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The first step to achieving greatness, he says, is believing in yourself. "It's easy to see greatness in others; its hard to see it in ourselves. Too many of us never see it at all, but it's what we see in ourselves that so often determines what we do. We see what we want in others, but when we look at ourselves, we see frailty, limits and insecurities," he writes in his book.
Translating his former days playing in the NFL to being a disciplined trader in the stock market, Gbajabiamila says one of the most important things is to "leave your ego at the door."
He refers to the famous quote from Sun Tzu in the "Art of War," which Gbajabiamila says his defensive line coach always loosely quoted: "He'd say, 'If you know thyself, you shall never fear a thousand battles.' Knowing thyself is knowing both sides. That allows you to make the proper steps forward."
Watch Akbar Gbajabiamila on American Ninja Warrior Junior season 2 beginning Saturday, February 22.
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Disclosure: NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in Acorns.
