Motivational Speaker and Former NFL Player Trent Shelton Shows Us How to Protect Our Peace in a Noisy World
All Trent Shelton wanted to do was play in the NFL. He grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended Baylor University, where he was a star wide receiver. But when he didn't get picked in the draft, he experienced the highs and lows of being an undrafted free agent–getting assigned, then cut, called back, and then cut again from teams like the Seattle Seahawks and the Indianapolis Colts.
After stints in Arena Football and the United Football League didn't pan out, Shelton spiraled. What would he do now? Inspired by how athletes healed from physical injuries, he began to focus on his mental rehabilitation. In 2009, Shelton started sharing what he learned in his journey via short videos he called "RehabTime" and posting them online. His powerful, uplifting videos took off and gave him a new calling.
Today, Shelton is a compelling self-help mentor and best-selling author who reaches more than 16 million people weekly via his social media platforms. Ever humble, he describes himself as "just a guy that helps people know their worth."
His latest book is Protect Your Peace: Nine Apologetic Principles for Thriving in a Chaotic World. We talked with him about why protecting our peace isn't a catchy phrase but a lifeline in a world filled with noise and endless demands. Whether disconnecting to reconnect with yourself, demanding your worth, or simply waking up earlier for quiet reflection, his wisdom reminds us that true fulfillment is an inside job.
A CONVERSATION WITH TRENT SHELTON
You say protecting one’s peace involves protecting our energy, protecting our mind, and protecting our soul. Why is protecting our energy important?
A lot of times, we think we have an infinite amount of energy, which we don't. We give our energy away so freely. And what ends up happening is you don't have any energy for yourself. So, setting boundaries is key. I know setting boundaries has a stigma to it, but boundaries aren't walls to keep things out. They're bridges to let the right things in. That means I'm setting this boundary not to keep you out of my life, not to keep this out my life, but to let the right energy in, to let the right things in my life.
For example, if it's a relationship, a marriage, it might be a boundary where you say, “Hey, first thing in the morning, I need this time for me.” And that might seem like a cold thing to do, but what that really does is give yourself what you need so you can be a more complete and whole person and have the right attitude when you're around your spouse or your kids. If you don't have boundaries, people will walk all over you. You'll find yourself feeling empty, drained, and stressed out.
How does protecting our mind play into this?
We need to disconnect often from the outside world. I talk about nature a lot. Nature heals. Nature is, I believe, God's natural medicine for the soul. I tell people to get to places where you can't be reached, whether that's for 10 minutes a day or once a week. Find a place where you can disconnect from social media and the world so you can reconnect to your soul—because how can you know what you need if you're always living in a noisy environment?
Protecting your mind is really locking in on the things that matter and trusting the vision even if nobody understands it or gets it. When I first started speaking, a lot of people were like, 'That's crazy, I don't understand it. Why are you doing it? You're a football player.' But I trusted the vision even when external circumstances said it wasn't for me, and that helped me become who I am today.
And then you advise to protect one’s soul? How do we do that?
That's all about staying whole within yourself. I like to talk about the art of fulfillment. A lot of times, we think success is an external thing, [such as] accolades or numbers of followers. But the truth is, it's not. Those things are temporary. True success is fulfillment in doing what you love with who you love. The way we live a life of happiness is we do the things that really matter to us at the end of the day. You have internal happiness.
I believe we have complicated happiness. [We believe that] if you talk to somebody, everything must go right. The Starbucks line has to be short. Or nobody has to cut me off in traffic. All these things make it impossible to be happy. [We need to ] simplify happiness. My daughter Marlee taught me this. She wakes up and is just happy that the sun is shining. She’ll run into our room at six in the morning singing, “It’s morning time!” At first, I'm like, “Marlee, go back to sleep.” And I'm like, man, when did I get so old and stale that I can't be happy that I have another day? So internal happiness and simplifying happiness is all about just making it about happiness in yourself.
You’ve got a lot of actionable tips, but there’s also a deeper idea here about protecting ourselves like we matter.
A lot of people struggle with choosing themselves first because of guilt and worry — guilt about leaving someone behind or worry over what others might think. So, they abandon their boundaries, saying yes when they really want to say no. They end up feeling exhausted. What I’ve found is that when you truly prioritize yourself first, it not only benefits you but also those who depend on you to be your best—like your kids, spouse, or workplace. So, if you’re feeling guilty about saying no, remember it’s not a rejection of the other person; it’s a yes to your mental well-being and your energy.
There’s something called the 12:00 PM rule you do. How does that work?
It’s something I came up with when I realized that by noon, most people are already burned out. Statistics say about 77 percent of people feel worn down by midday. Meanwhile, for me, I’m only just getting started around 12 pm. The key? I spent the first part of my day—before noon—focused on myself. My phone is on “Do Not Disturb” unless there’s a family emergency or something that truly needs immediate attention. This dedicated, distraction-free time in the morning energizes me. When I finally show up for the world around noon, I’m at my best for everyone who needs me.
How can people who need to be on their phones first thing in the morning do this?
Say to yourself, okay, I need to wake up earlier, [even if it's] 10 minutes earlier, and give yourself time before the demands are there. I call it my “protect your peace” formula when I have a day where I have a lot of meetings. I give myself the space to be able to connect to my peace, my energy, and to be able to connect to my purpose. We can't control what the day brings, but we can control what we bring to the day. So, doing that allows me to put a little bit of armor on. When I go into stressful environments, I have a better mentality and mindset and a better calm within my life to show up for these things.
I tell people that before they pick up something or do something outside of themselves, they should try to give something to themselves. Even small pockets of intentional solitude can armor you for the stress of the day. And if you can avoid checking your phone, do it! Because as soon as you open social media or email, you’re confronted with an overload of information and opinions. That triggers comparison, anxiety, and often negativity. By grounding yourself—through prayer, meditation, or simple gratitude—you have a buffer against the day’s chaos.
I love the idea of “rooting” yourself first. Would you share an example?
I do what I call “confidence builders.” I’ll work out, create something – maybe a short video or a post—and then I’ll focus on gratitude. Before I even see what the world wants from me, I ground myself in appreciation. It can be as simple as looking around my home and being thankful for my kids, health, and another day to live. That shifts my mindset from “lacking” to “abundance.”
When people talk about “protect your peace,” they often mean escaping constant distractions. Why do you think we’re so overwhelmed?
In our society, we’ve been programmed to believe something is always missing—we need more money, more status, more stuff. Social media piles onto that feeling. But “protect your peace” is really an inside job. There are things we can’t control in the outside world, but you can control your mindset, your boundaries, your focus. We allow a lot of what we can’t control to dictate our emotions. That’s why intentionally building internal resilience is key.
You come up with great uplifting quotes and mantras. Do you have a personal favorite?
Something I remind myself of a lot is: Everything you’re going through will soon become everything you made it through. Adversity eventually turns into growth if you let it. So don’t give up. Keep going.
There have been many national disasters in our country recently, from fires to hurricanes. Many people are dealing with loss. How can they begin to protect their peace after experiencing so much trauma?
First, I know there’s no magic phrase that instantly fixes everything. Loss is real, and grief is real. But it’s also a chance at a new beginning. When I lost my mother, I was devastated. That grief will never fully go away, but I found a blessing in that adversity. It taught me how precious time is and how quickly our “forever” can end. We can’t choose what happens to us, but we can choose our perspective. So, in moments of deep loss, I say, “If you’re lost, congratulations, because you’re about to be found.” Look for the small silver lining, even if it’s the chance to rebuild stronger.
Do your kids ever quote you?
Absolutely. My daughters are five and eight. If they’re playing in their rooms or are having alone time and I walk by they’ll say, “Dad, we’re protecting our peace — please leave!” I have to laugh. But I’m so proud because it means they’re learning these concepts at a young age. As much as I want to inspire the world, my greatest success is seeing my own family embrace these values.
Trent Shelton’s latest book is Protect Your Peace: Nine Apologetic Principles for Thriving in a Chaotic World. You can hear more from Trent on his youtube channel @trentsheltonvideos and on Instagram @trentshelton. Check out www.trentshelton.com.
Celeste McCauley is a writer and editor who lives in Brooklyn, New York. She looks for everything inspirational in our everyday lives.
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