A Q&A with High Performance Mentor and Author, Prince Daniels Jr.
Prince Daniels Jr. is a former NFL running back turned thought leader, high performance mentor and author who lives by the mantra: “Nothing is impossible unless you truly believe it is.” His personal story is one of determination, resilience and a true-to-life testimony that anything is possible. As a walk-on for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Prince worked his way from 7th to 1st string running back on the depth chart, broke NCAA records and was drafted to the NFL. Early in his career, he suffered a career ending injury while with the Baltimore Ravens. While Prince credits his early adoption of mindfulness and meditation for helping him with the success he had experienced, the untimely ending to his career challenged his mental health as he struggled with his identity outside of football. Shortly after his career was over, he chose to live and work at a monastery where he dove deeper into his meditation practice. Using the practice of meditation that he learned from his now more than 10 year relationship with the monastery, he cultivated and used this tool for recovery from his depression and loss of identity. Prince found his calling in helping athletes identify their vision and purpose in the “game beyond the game,” life. Daniels’ book, Mindfulness for the Ultimate Athlete: Mastering the Balance Between Power and Peace is sought after by many athletes, catching the attention of HOF Calvin Johnson Jr. who wrote the foreword for the book. From an athlete who realized his dreams of playing in the NFL, reinventing himself, and going on to live a thriving and purpose-driven life, Daniels’ message is nothing short of inspirational.
It is our honour to speak with High Performance Mentor and Author, Prince Daniels Jr. on the topic of elite athletes, mental health and wellness through an Unsinkable Q & A. During the 2021 Summer Olympics, Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka and Tom Daley's vulnerability and courage sparked global conversation around mental health. Why do you think we are now having these conversations in a way that hasn't happened before, and what is your advice to elite athletes? How does this advice apply to the everyday athlete?
I think these conversations are occurring because we are becoming more conscious as human beings; individually & collectively. Becoming conscious and aware of how we are defining health. We are growing into our inner greatness instead of our outer good. And more importantly, athletes are looking to find balance within themselves. These athletes have had disruptions in their normal thought patterns because of the pandemic and have had time to realize and gain moments of clarity to sit down and contemplate about what is important. And the one thing COVID has given us is perspective and time to reflect on what's really important. And for many athletes, it's prioritizing their mental health and emotional wellbeing as a way to become their ultimate selves, their best versions. My advice to elite athletes would be to let your breath become your best friend. Become more conscious of who you are and not so much focus on what you do. Don't be afraid to get counseling or therapy, but also learn to practice meditation to create an anchor in your life so that when there are moments of feeling lost or out of alignment, you have a way to get back to yourself, pause and find balance. That's exactly what Simone did. She took a pause, found her anchor, and eventually came back to competition. At the end of the day, we are all human beings and at the very core of our inner being, we want and need the same thing. We may not always be competing at the highest level, but we are always competing with ourselves to reach a higher level.
On our journey to a purpose driven life, what is your favourite life lesson?
My favorite life lesson quote is "Meditate." That resonates with me because just like nike’s slogan “just do it.” It’s simple, lol. “Meditate.” When we can all find that we all have greatness inside of us, we will tap into it. Thats when we realize that we are more powerful than we know and understand. Many of us are limited by our self-talk, or by negative mind chatter, such as regrets, and feelings of inferiority. Here are some suggestions about how to “change the channel” of our thoughts and what is the best way to change our thoughts? Best way to change your thoughts is to become aware of them. Take the time to contemplate on your thoughts without having an opinion about them. It's essential to be conscious of your thoughts. You can do that by being observant of the content you absorb, the books you read, the music you listen to, your television viewing, etc. Being mindful of what information you're feeding yourself mentally, physically , and spiritually. Although we might not realize it, these things affect how we communicate with ourselves and others. To change that is just like turning anything off. You can turn off the TV, the lights, the radio - you can turn off debilitating thoughts. You have to tackle these thoughts head-on. Think about if you were to tell someone something negative. How did you make them feel? You have to see yourself as a person. Once you start seeing yourself as a person, then the things that you say to yourself, you begin to become more conscious of it. Since you're treating yourself as a person you care about, you will not say anything negative anymore because now you see that this person needs nurturing, love, and support. If they can't get it from someone else outside of them, then they need to get it from themselves, inside of them.
How can this advice relate to the young people in our life?
The advice that I would give to a young person would be: be ok with change, things change every day. Atoms change, molecules change, life, the wind and so fourth. So must you. Become the change within, before you make the change outside in the world. Oh yeah and… Practice meditation, consistently everyday, helps you understand you. 3 strategies that I use to optimize my mind for peak performance before high pressure, high stress situations #1: Visualize & meditate. Focus on your goal. That leaves no room for pressure or doubt. My mindset is that if I stay focused and work toward my goals, they have to happen. I envisioned what the outcome looks like, and I wholeheartedly believe in that. And I move accordingly. One of my favorite quotes is, “Nothing is impossible unless you truly believe it is. #2: Breathe. Control your breath; don’t let it control you. Exercise how to breathe calmly and adequately. Breathing exercises help you relax because they can make your body feel like it does when you are already relaxed. Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body because it sends a message to your brain that you are calm and relaxed. #3: Don’t allow any situation to be bigger than you. Some of the thoughts and energy that you put into an issue have emotions attached to them. Have a good understanding of your feelings. Whatever happens to me, I do not let it dictate my mood. I focus on the things I can control and let the results speak for itself.
What are some strategies and tools people can pull from their toolbox in their pursuit of a purpose driven life?
It's like talking to another person, but you're talking to yourself. You have to give yourself an ultimatum. Some of the strategies that I used for myself were, for example, telling myself if I don't meditate every morning, I will not be the best version of myself or I would not reach the highest me or my highest self. I made it a habit by convincing myself that I had to achieve spiritual growth, who I wanted to be, and how I wanted to live my life. I committed myself to the unknown, not knowing all the benefits, but believing in the process that if I adopt this practice, it will enhance the things I already know and take me beyond what I ever imagined. You stop bad habits by being conscious of those habits - awareness. When you are aware of what you don't want, you immediately become mindful of what you want. When you have bad habits, you have to get by yourself, sequestering yourself from others not to be influenced by external things. You make your mind up about what you want to do and get comfortable with telling yourself no if you have to.
Lastly, what do you think it means to be Unsinkable?
Resilience. Nothing can drown me or stop me.
Thank you Prince for taking the time to share your Unsinkable story and message with us.
Are You Feeling Inspired by Prince’s Story? Connect with him here:
Website | www.princedanielsjr.com
Game Beyond the Game | https://gbg.princedanielsjr.com/
LinkedIn | Prince Daniels Jr.
Instagram | @princeadjr
YouTube | Prince Daniels Jr.
Clubhouse | @princeadjr
Unsinkable Storytelling Author: Prince Daniels Jr