I’ve hardly spoken about this publicly, but I figured it’s worth sharing.
To this day, I’ve never had one alcoholic drink in my life. I’ve never smoked anything. I’ve never done a drug. I’m not a big party guy. I’ve always been more focused on the process – on feeling each emotion that comes with both failure and success, fully and authentically.
I never wanted to mask the bad moments or artificially amplify the good ones. I wanted to experience life with a clear mind and an honest heart. I’m proud of that. I’ve never allowed anyone to influence me otherwise, and quite frankly, I couldn’t care less about the opinions of people who thought it was weird, uncool, or boring. The truth is simple – I saw zero positive benefits from it.
Over the years, I’ve seen professional athletes make stupid decisions (suspensions, fines, blown opportunities) all because of what they consumed or the situations they put themselves in. I knew early on those weren’t decisions I ever wanted to make.
One of my greatest strengths has been learning from the mistakes of others. If someone’s already shown me where a bad road leads, why in the world would I choose to walk down it myself?
Another reason I’ve stayed away from it all is because I believe in separating yourself to elevate yourself. By keeping a clear head, I’ve been able to genuinely process my emotions and grow through them – not numb them with something fake.
A few weeks ago, I had a great conversation about this with my buddy Darren Reilly during an interview. We dove deep into the sports media industry, but we also talked about mindset – how discipline, clarity, and conviction play just as big a role as skill.
This isn’t about judgment. It’s about awareness. About realizing that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do… is say no.
Social Media: @billythebatboy
Billy Pinckney
(862) 377-8737
