The Biggest Flex of All Time | with Eileen Gu
The Story
Normally, we highlight a kamaʻāina story, someone from Hawai‘i building, leading, grinding, creating.
But this week, while scrolling, I came across an interview that hit me hard.
It was Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu.
For context, she’s not just any athlete:
Most decorated freeskier – holds the record with 6 Olympic medals in 6 events
Scored 1580 on her SAT – enrolled at Stanford, studying quantum physics and international relations
One of the highest-paid female athletes in the world – earning over $23M in endorsements in 2025
And all this…by 22 years old.
Recently, an Olympic reporter asked freestyle skier Eileen Gu a fascinating question:
“Do you think before you speak? Because you answer questions so quickly and so comprehensively… can you take us into your brain?”
It could have felt like a jab.
Instead, her answer was a masterclass.
She said she spends a lot of time in her head. She journals. She breaks down her thought processes. She applies an analytical lens to her own thinking.
Then she dropped this:
“You can control what you think. You can control how you think, and therefore you can control who you are.”
She added:
“As a young person, with neuroplasticity on my side, I can literally become who I want to be. How cool is that? How empowering is that?”
And then the line that stopped me:
“And so the fact is, I get to become every day the person that me at age 8 would revere. I would be obsessed with me. Are you kidding? I would love me. And I think that is the biggest flex of all time, that you can have the younger you be proud of you today.”
That’s not arrogance.
That’s intentionality.
If our keiki want to live and thrive in Hawai‘i, they face real challenges.
High cost of living.
Limited land.
Competitive industries.
Geographic isolation.
You cannot drift your way into a sustainable life here.
You have to design it.
And that starts with the mind.
The insight
The Skill No One Talks About
We teach math.
We teach writing.
We teach science.
But do we teach students how to analyze their own thoughts?
Do we teach them how to:
Remove limiting beliefs – What’s holding me back from becoming a better version of myself?
Reframe failure – From “this must mean I’m not good enough” to “this is great feedback to help me on my next attempt”.
Study their own strengths – What am I good at? What am I passionate about? What can be an economic driver for my future?
Design their thinking on purpose – Because thoughts influence actions → actions builds identity → and identity shapes destiny.
Eileen described her brain like a workshop.
She modifies it. Adjusts it. Improves it.
That’s metacognition, the process of “thinking about thinking”. It’s about being aware of your own awareness so you can determine the best strategies for learning, problem-solving, and when to apply them.
And in the AI age, it may be the most valuable skill of all.
Because if machines can execute, the human advantage becomes:
Self-awareness.
Judgment.
Adaptability.
Intentional growth.
If you can study your own thoughts, you can change them.
If you can change your thoughts, you can influence your actions.
If you can influence your actions consistently, you shape your identity.
That is the real flex.
And it’s a skill.
Which means it can be taught.
the application
If we want our keiki to:
Start a business
Enter the trades
Become a filmmaker
Work in healthcare
Build in tech
Lead in their community
It is critical for them to become students of their own thinking.
Not just “What job do I want?”
But:
How do I respond to pressure?
Where do I naturally excel?
What environments bring out my best?
How do I upgrade my internal dialogue?
The future of Hawai‘i belongs to the introspective.
At RiseHI, we’re not just showing students careers…
We’re asking them to reflect.
To pause after hearing a story and ask:
What did I notice?
What resonated?
What strengths do I see in myself?
What would my 8-year-old self dream about becoming?
That reflective muscle is what allows someone to build a life here, not just survive here.
The Takeaways
Here’s the thought I’ll leave you with:
The goal isn’t fame.
It isn’t followers.
It isn’t quick money.
It’s becoming someone your younger self would admire.
That takes introspection.
That takes tinkering.
That takes intention.
And if we can teach Hawai‘i’s keiki how to mold their minds…
They won’t just build careers.
They’ll build futures, right here in Hawai‘i.
The Invitation
If designing your life starts with designing your thinking…
Then we have to teach it.
That’s why we created Make IT Happen.
Designed specifically for Hawai‘i schools, this curriculum helps students become:
Self-directed learners
Critical thinkers
Resilient problem-solvers
Young people who take action
Through powerful kamaʻāina video case studies and guided reflection, students learn to:
Visualize their future.
Overcome fears.
Think creatively.
Take action.
Persevere.
This isn’t just career exposure.
It’s equipping our keiki with the tools to build a life here in Hawai‘i — intentionally.
Mahalo for reading this week’s Mana‘o Bomb.
Next week, we’ll drop another idea from Hawai‘i. A story that sparks growth, resilience, and purpose.
Keep rising. Keep learning.