Work Ethic

• 01:04 Growing up in Jacksonville Florida, Brian developed a strong work ethic because he wasn’t the biggest guy in his neighborhood.
• 01:25 His parents taught him to fight in such a way that they have to pull you off and when you give your word that you’re going to do something that you do it.
• 03:07 He tries to find the nugget in whatever he’s going through because he grows through things.

Intentionality

• 03:44 Brian was very intentional about how he approached practice. He had specific things that he wanted to work on for each practice.
• 04:19 He was intentional about being a leader and leading properly so that he could ask somebody else to do something that he was not doing himself.

04:58 Inner Work and Mentors

Section Overview: In this section, Brian Dawkins talks about the importance of inner work and mentors in his life.

The Importance of Inner Work

• 05:04 Brian Dawkins shares that he had to do a lot of inner work to overcome his stuttering problem and become a better communicator.
• 06:07 He explains that he was intentional about helping himself communicate more clearly so that people could understand him better.

The Role of Mentors

• 05:29 Brian Dawkins credits Emmitt Thomas for seeing greatness in him when he didn’t see it in himself.
• 06:44 He explains that he had to believe in Emmitt’s vision for him before he could come up with a vision for himself.
• 07:20 Once he recognized what he could do, he no longer needed Emmitt’s vision for him and began to create something completely different.

07:51 Co-Creating with the Position

Section Overview: In this section, Brian Dawkins talks about how Jim Johnson helped him co-create with the position.

Awakening the Beast Within

• 08:11 Jim Johnson woke up someone who believed they could do anything on the football field.

Pushing Boundaries

• 08:31 Brian Dawkins was willing to try new things, push boundaries, and put his input into potentially doing things differently.
• 08:50 He wanted to be someone who wasn’t just good at one thing but played chess instead of checkers.

09:27 Unlocking the Beast Within

Coach Johnson’s Impact

• Coach Johnson helped Brian unlock his potential by unleashing him on the field.
• He learned to be more effective in blitzes and coverages under Coach Johnson’s guidance.

Becoming a Student of the Game

• Brian became a more in-depth student of the game by studying film differently.
• He learned specific techniques for pass rushing and blocking, which allowed him to have more in-depth conversations with coaches.

11:59 Foundational Pillars for Success

Humility

• Humility is necessary for success because it allows you to be coachable.
• Being coachable means being open to learning from others.

Hard Work

• Hard work is essential for success because it allows you to put in the effort required to achieve your goals.
• Giving maximum effort every day is crucial.

Being a Student of the Game

• Being a student of the game means consistently putting in ongoing work to learn and improve your skills.
• Mastery requires years of consistent effort.

12:29 Physical Training

High School Basketball Coach

• Brian high school basketball coach taught him mental toughness by pushing him physically beyond what he thought was possible. He learned to never quit and always give maximum effort.

Running Laps

• Brian’s football coach ran them more than the track team, which helped him build endurance.
• Brian pushed himself to pace everyone else during laps, which helped him develop a strong work ethic. His intense training regimen caused him to experience physical discomfort, such as chafing.

14:17 The Importance of Pushing Through Pain

Growth Through Challenge

• 14:38 Brian believes that there’s nothing he can’t do because his body will give out before her mind does.
• 14:55 He believes that pushing herself beyond his limits has allowed hun to bring out more of his potential than others who weren’t willing to push themselves.
• 15:15 The majority of Brian’s success has come from pushing through pain and challenges, which has pushed him to levels unknown for him at the time.

Becoming Friends with Pain

• 16:12 Brian compares growing pains to physical pain, saying that we’re supposed to grow through the things we go through.
• 16:33 We don’t grow in comfort; we have to increase the weight periodically in order to get stronger.
• 17:25 Instead of feeling sorry for herself when going through pain, Brian asks herself what she can gain from it and becomes partners with it.
• 18:00 Pain allows us to think from a different place in our brain, not just from an emotional place but also from an area that allows us to better process information presented.

Progression Towards Cerebral Thinking

• 18:35 Early on, the Brian acted more from an emotional place rather than a cerebral one.
• As she grew older and gained more experience, she became more cerebral in her thinking.

Using Love as Motivation

• 19:06 Brian used to use hate as motivation for working out and pushing himself. However, he realized that he didn’t want to let his teammates, coaches, or fans down. He started using love and appreciation as motivation instead of anger and hatred.

Taking Responsibility for His Life

• 21:10 Brian takes full responsibility for his life now.
• 21:28 He no longer pushes out to external factors but rather focuses on internal factors.
• 21:52 Praying, meditating, and journaling helped him empower himself from an internal place.

Consistency in Prayer and Meditation

• 22:50 Brian was consistent with praying, reading, meditating, and journaling every morning when he first started.
• 23:13 Counseling after his rookie year helped him come down off his emotions so that he could hear from a higher level.
• 23:48 Prayer is not just talking all the time; it’s also listening.

24:32 Morning Routine

• 24:32 Brian wakes up early in the morning to spend time with God and read his devotional.
• 24:53 He gives himself an hour to do all of that stuff so that he can then go do what he needs to do as a father.
• 25:13 Every hour on the hour, he has on his phone “give thanks” reminder. He stops in that moment to give thanks.
• 25:33 Throughout the day, he looks for opportunities just to be grateful and thankful whether that be looking at nature or finding evidence of reasons for him to be thankful.
• 25:52 At night, he reflects back over the day and finds gratitude things and jot those things down.

26:12 Personal Growth

• 26:12 Brian mentions that where he is now from his growth and understanding, he’s doing things from a different place which is empowering him so much to go out and want to do things like sharing these things with someone because he believes that this is going to bless someone powerfully.
• 26:32 It doesn’t matter long-term growth right compounding you mentioned you weren’t like this when you were 24 or 34. but we so often look for that quick win right like immediate success.
• 26:48 Brianemphasizes that one has to grow through stuff; they have to get through the grind of understanding who they are staying humble along the way so that when they get to the top, they’re able to now utilize that position to bless people.
• 27:07 Dawkins quotes John Wooden saying, “Your talent will get you there, but it’s your character that will keep you there.”

29:05 Vision

Section Overview: In this section, Brian talks about having a clear vision of what one is going after in life.

• 29:05 Brian mentions that his vision is so substantial now of the people that he wants to bless with the different ways that the Lord is putting them opportunities in front of him. He’s going to be using these things on a greater level.
• 29:24 he emphasizes that one has to put in work consistently over time as well and not look for shortcuts.
• 29:42 He mentions that after putting in all this work, his vision is much clearer now than before.

29:49 Importance of Being Strong in Every Area

Three-Part Beings

• 30:10 We are three-part beings that have to continue to build and pour into our physical, spiritual, and mental health.
• 30:27 Brian has a good understanding of physical health and spirituality but is also learning about neuroscience and psychology to improve their mental health.

Importance of Being Strong in All Areas

• 30:46 Being strong in all areas allows us to be what we were created to be and bless others greatly.
• 31:09 Sean and Brian asks themselves if what they’re doing will bless other people greatly or just themselves. They believe they are supposed to speak to those who have an ear to listen and a heart to understand.

32:11 Inner Growth Out of Service

Self-Limiting Beliefs

• 32:26 Many people put self-limiting beliefs on themselves, which limits their potential.
• 32:42 Brian uses the analogy of a U-Haul with governors that limit its speed even though it has the potential for more. Our limiting beliefs do the same thing.

Inner Growth Out of Service

• 33:28 Limiting beliefs limit those who we’re supposed to reach with our giftings.
• 33:52 When we become better people by constantly going after things that make us better, we will go out and get those things we were supposed to get from a monetary standpoint. Inner growth out of service keeps growing and going.

34:49 The Seed of Greatness

Greatness is Within Everyone

• 34:49 Brian tells his children that greatness is within every person.
• 35:16 He explains that the version of himself being expressed now was in him since high school.
• 35:32 Using the analogy of a seed and a tree, he explains that just like a tree is already in a seed, greatness is already within us.

Look Inside for Greatness

• 35:54 Brian encourages people not to look ahead for great things in life but rather look inside themselves because that’s where they are.
• 36:14 He says that knocking down limiting beliefs will allow more fruit waiting to be given to the world to manifest itself.

36:34 Inspiring Others

Recognizing His Gift

• 36:34 Dawkins has always been an emotional player and began recognizing some of it at Clemson.
• 37:14 As he got into the NFL, restrictions came off on what he could do to show excitement. This allowed him to truly understand his gift.
• 37:32 Looking at original writings of “inspire,” which means “to breathe into,” helped him understand his vocal pattern can breathe life into others.

Servant Leadership

• 37:58 Brian believes humility is the power position and that it’s strength under control.
• 38:21 He used servant leadership on the field and led by example. His teammates responded to him when he spoke because they knew it was go time.
• 38:41 Energy is transferable, and the speaker loved passing back and forth energy with fans during games.
• 39:21 Brian says he couldn’t have achieved what he did without loving football.
• He explains that his willingness to do whatever it took came from his love for the sport.

40:15 Love for the Game

Love for Physicality

• 40:15 Brian loves his teammates and the physical part of football.
• 40:24 He enjoys feeling sore after a game and believes that it is a sign that he played well.
• 40:44 Brian loves demanding workouts and pushing himself to his limits.

Importance of Self-Talk

• 41:07 He emphasizes the importance of self-talk in mental success.
• 41:40 He uses quotes from Wolverine as part of his self-talk routine.
• 42:04 The most important voice in your life is your own, so it’s crucial to be mindful of what you say to yourself.
• 42:52 Brian shares a scripture that helps him overcome fear and operate from a place of power, love, and self-discipline.

Conclusion

• 44:47 Self-talk is essential for mental success. It’s important to speak positively about oneself, challenge oneself, be thankful, and use fighting words when necessary.

45:23 Personal Growth and Connection with the Lord

Section Overview: In this section, Brian talks about his personal growth and connection with the Lord. He shares how he meditates and prays to understand what God wants him to do. He also discusses how he has studied psychology and neuroscience to improve himself.

Growing as a Person

• 45:23 Brian spends time in quiet meditation to grow as a person.
• 46:05 He hears a voice telling him that he is supposed to be doing more when he settles for long. This voice gets louder until it leads him to new opportunities.

Connecting with the Lord

• 48:26 Dawkins is most proud of his continual willingness to increase his vertical relationship with the Lord.
• 48:49 He asks God how he should do things differently instead of relying on his own ideas.
• 49:06 Brian believes that working on oneself through allowing God’s work is more important than monetary gain.

Studying Psychology and Neuroscience

• 47:17 Brian has studied psychology from a mental health standpoint.
• 47:34 He has also studied neuroscience which helped him understand how he was programming himself by forming new neural pathways.

49:34 Importance of Working on Oneself

Section Overview: In this section, Brian emphasizes the importance of working on oneself. He talks about how one can grow by being accountable, seeking feedback, and learning from others.

• 50:01 The greatest work one can do in life is working on oneself by allowing God’s work through them.
• 50:40 Accountability is important in working on oneself, and the speaker has individuals in his life who speak truth to him.

Seeking Feedback

• 51:01 The speaker seeks feedback from others, even if it may be uncomfortable.
• 51:22 He believes that seeking feedback helps one grow and improve.

Learning from Others

• 51:43 The speaker learns from others by having conversations with them.
• 52:04 He believes that these conversations can bring to light what needs to change.

Pursuing Success

• It’s important to have truth tellers in your life who can help you grow to the next level.
• Long-form conversations with people you admire can help you grow and learn.

51:20 Sitting Down with Jesus

• Brian would love to sit down with Jesus and hear perspectives that are not in the Bible.
• He wants to hear Jesus’ analogies for parables in today’s society.
• Although he has a perspective on how he should see things, he would like to hear directly from Jesus on certain matters.