Candace Parker

In his book, The Light in the Heart, author Roy T. Bennett said, “When things do not go your way, remember that every challenge, every adversity contains within it the seeds of opportunity and growth.”

This quote resonates best with our current reality — a global pandemic. We’ve been through a lot of challenges over the last year — from losing lives to losing jobs. Behind these challenges, though, are huge chances for growth.

On The School of Greatness, we invite exceptional individuals with inspiring stories to lead us on the path to greatness. Many of these individuals have gone through immense challenges — challenges which would cripple a lot of people from success. However, the key to success lies within their winning mindsets. 

Is it possible to have a consistent mindset of winning even during life’s difficulties? The answer is a resounding, but not an easy, yes. It takes time, determination, and effort to get to that point. You cannot think like a champion if you cannot act like one. It is impossible to have that confidence, that intention, without actions to back it up.

If you think about it, though, having winning habits and a winning mindset is all worth it when you keep your eyes on the prize. This goes beyond the shiny trophies and medals. It promises purpose, courage, and abundance. When you feel like giving up, think of following your dreams, passions and eventually achieving your greatest goals in life.

Today, I am honored to have a truly inspirational guest who is in touch with the importance of creating winning habits and mentality. This mindset transformed her to become one of the best female athletes America has ever seen. If you’re ready to be moved by someone’s dedication and commitment to excellence and greatness, keep reading about the incredible Candace Parker.

Who Is Candace Parker?

Candace Parker is a two time Olympic gold medalist and a decorated WNBA superstar. She has won a WNBA championship, two WNBA “Most Valuable Player” awards, a WNBA “Finals MVP” award, a WNBA “All Star Game” award, and the WNBA “Rookie of the Year” award. Candace Parker is truly one of a kind, and her skill is undeniable. 

She also has a podcast called Ledlow & Parker, where she and popular sports anchor Kristine Ledlow use their respected voices and in-the-know perspectives to discuss the sport of basketball. They also like to mix it up, inviting famous personalities, such as Kobe Bryant, Jimmy Butler, and Snoop Dog, onto their show.

Candace also takes pride in being a mother to her 11-year-old daughter, Lailaa. Her daughter is her biggest source of inspiration — every time she thinks of her, she’s inspired to become the best person that she could be to herself and to others.

Today, Candace serves as a role model for athletes in more than just sports. She stands up for human rights and what people believe in. She uses sports’ fame as her platform to have a voice in politics and other relevant social issues. Candace is the true definition of a winner as a mother and black woman, and it is with great pride that I introduce her as a guest in today’s show. Now, without further ado, let’s get into it!

How to Have a Winner’s Mentality

As a decorated athlete, Candace Parker is extremely familiar with the power of winning habits and positive mindsets. However, reaching her level of success today wasn’t an easy feat. Using her personal experience, Candace shared how she was able to have a winning mentality despite all the difficulties she shared 

“I was lucky to grow up in a very loving family where there was hardly any adversity, but I think that made me lack tenacity. After tearing my ACL and hearing that I [wouldn’t] be able to play the sports I loved in my life the most, I had to decide and make a promise to myself to overcome adversity and obstacles in my life. I think that’s when I developed tenacity, and it’s what keeps my winner mentality” – Candace Parker

Tenacity stands hand-in-hand with one’s dream and passion. Even though Candace tore her ACL and was told she would probably never play basketball again, she pushed through the pain and achieved the impossible. 

Passion is what drives great athletes, such as Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, and Dominique Dawes, to always choose to get up instead of quit when things are tough. It is the primary reason why they are equipped to face greater challenges. But how can someone stay motivated, disciplined, or excited when they keep on losing? For Candace, the answer was focus.

“There was a moment in my life when I [hadn’t] won any recognition for eight straight years. And you might ask, ‘How does she keep herself motivated? How does she keep her eyes on the prize?’ It’s all about focus. I focus on the joy that I feel after every win. That feeling is addicting; it’s enough to make me wake up with so much motivation every single day. ” – Candace Parker

We need tenacity and focus to achieve a winning mindset; however, we’re often met with self-doubt, insecurity, and criticism when we attempt to reach our goals. The same thing happened to Candace, and she shared valuable wisdom about how we can handle these negative emotions.

“Everybody has doubts. Everybody has a fear of their what-ifs, but when you are truly in the moment, your fears don’t matter. I learned that I play better when I am just in the moment and [when] I prepare, do the best I can, and then I live with it. I had a conversation with my brother where he told me that I should never hesitate. I should just take shots, regardless of what the previous play is. It might be possible that you’re gonna make more mistakes than the other people on the team, but you just have to be confident in your decisions.” – Candace Parker

As Candace said, you can’t escape criticism. You can escape the pressure of other people. However, you can choose to not let it affect you. Instead of hesitating before making a decision, make that decision with confidence and pride. People might criticize you, but as long as you are confident of your decision and are sure of its success, you don’t have to worry about what they have to say. 

Something that also helps Candace in moments of stress or self-doubt is the ability to remain calm: 

“Also, calm[ness] … [is] a superpower. I always struggled because I feel as though in women’s sports and women in general [with] business [or] politics, if you lose your composure, you’re considered crazy, irrational, [or] out of control. But it [doesn’t]. [The important thing is] trying to get under control — having composure.” – Candace Parker

The journey to having a winning mentality and winning habits is never an easy road. It takes strength and a thirst for success to keep one’s self mentally strong. For Candace, it is about enjoying the moment, the process, and living with the results. It is about being calm in moments of stress and not letting the opinions of others affect her. 

One last tip that Candace shared to achieve this winning mindset was to surround yourself with mindset coaches who can give their insights and encourage you in the midst of hardship.

“My coaches before taught me how to have discipline. And I think that many of us can benefit from having them. Sometimes, people don’t do what they need to do. They need other people to tell them. I also developed my own mantra from listening to inspiring people, like the great Pat Summit, who was successful in leaving a legacy of her own.” – Candace Parker 

I couldn’t agree more on the importance of having a coach. I’m a big believer in coaches — for sports, for business, and for relationships. Coaches have always been able to push me a little harder than I could push myself. 

If you find yourself in a position where you are struggling with self-doubts, insecurities, and you’re questioning your ability to succeed, I encourage you to take a deep breath and have confidence that there is a reason for you being here. You are your biggest competition, but with the right training, you too can have the mental strength and winning habits that will give you success.