Former NFL Player Redefines Himself as a Motivational Speaker and Inspires Millions

Trent Shelton, Former NFL Football Player Turns Motivational Speaker

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When life doesn’t go the way you planned, it can be easy to get discouraged or doubt your self-worth. And Trent Shelton—a former NFL football player, now known for his inspiring quotes and messages—can relate to that statement personally. Shelton hit rock bottom when his dreams of playing pro football didn't pan out after he was cut from several teams. But then, in the midst of defeat, he rose from the ashes of his former dream and redefined himself as a motivational speaker.

Now, with more than 15 million followers on social media, Shelton shares the lessons he’s learned from his own failures in order to inspire others. The motivational speaker is widely known for a variety of uplifting signature quotes and phrases—like “It all starts with you,” “Protect your Peace,” and “Don’t die with your dreams.” And Shelton has even written and published two books that share his inspirational wisdom, called The Greatest You and Straight Up.

In an interview, Shelton shares that his main goal is “to make sure that people have some type of voice when they’re going through their silent battles to let them know that it’s okay.” Because he knows all too well where feelings of disappointment and shame can lead when we’re left to face them alone. Shelton himself admits that he “started to lose [himself]” and “turned to things [he] probably shouldn’t have…just to numb the pain” of his failure.

But that pain eventually led Shelton to find his true purpose when he started Rehab Time. “Rehab is simply this: putting the strength back into a weakness,” the former NFL player shares. “Whatever that is—whether it be physical, mental, spiritual, emotional—the things that you need to work on. It’s the work that you do every single day to go on that journey of trying to find out what you’re here for. And if you find that higher purpose, life becomes a lot more beautiful.”

Even though he didn’t achieve his dream of becoming a pro NFL football player, Shelton believes that he wouldn’t have had nearly as much of an impact as he does now if his dream had come true. It just goes to show that even though life doesn’t always end up looking like we thought it would, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t just as beautiful as we always hoped it would be. And Shelton’s example only proves that a little positivity can go a very long way.

“Success is not a straight path. It’s up and down,” Shelton explains. “We’ve got to change the definition of failure. Failure is only when you quit. Failure is really feedback.”