Dakota Meyer: Military, Mindset & Mission 

There are many ways to describe Dakota Meyer.

He’s a Marine Corps veteran and a Medal of Honor recipient – the first living Marine to have received the medal since 1973, and the youngest.  

He’s an entrepreneur – the owner of Dash Strategies, Dash Hydrate, and Own the Dash. 

He’s a New York Times bestselling author – the wordsmith behind Into The Fire, The Way Forward, and most recently, Why to What. 

He’s also a father, a first responder, and a voice of inspiration not only for veterans, but anyone striving for meaning, direction, and a larger sense of purpose in life.

Back to the Real World 

While Meyer’s list of accomplishments is long, the Marine Corps veteran is known best for his time in the military. He’s also been open about his experience returning to civilian life and the emotional and psychological challenges veterans like himself face after leaving the military. According to him, much of the struggle stems from mindset and expectation management. 

“When we transition out of the military and become veterans, it’s still about living by the same oath we swore to uphold in the service,” Meyer says. “Our communities need good people to go out and make a difference. But many veterans struggle because they believe their best years are behind them; they feel like they don’t matter anymore.”

He acknowledges that many veterans fall into the trap of “purpose hunting” – feeling lost without the structured environment of the military. However, he emphasizes that purpose is not something that disappears after service — it just takes a different form.

“The military gave us [veterans] a built-in community,” he continues. “When we get out, we have to find that community again by figuring out what matters to us and surrounding ourselves with people who share those values. Purpose isn’t lost after service; it’s just transformed.

“My purpose today and the mission that I set out on today is no different than the one that I had when I wore the uniform. I’m just in a different uniform,” he continues, explaining that for veterans transitioning to civilian life, it’s important to “find people that make you better. You are who you surround yourself with.”

Leading the Way

Meyer’s time as a Marine taught him how to fight for his community and find his purpose, but it also taught him how to lead, both on and off the battlefield. That leadership, he explains, isn’t about titles or education — it’s about belief and resilience.

“There’s a difference between education and knowledge. Leaders aren’t always the most educated; they are the most knowledgeable. And knowledge comes from failures, struggles, and wisdom gained through experience,” he says. 

Meyer describes leadership as the ability to instill belief in others, even in the face of adversity.

“In the military, I had to convince young people — who were getting paid the least, living in the worst conditions, and watching their friends get killed — to believe in a cause they couldn’t see. If I can do that, I can get people to believe in the causes around us today.”

When asked what the most critical traits are for a leader to have, Meyer lists authenticity and empathy. 

“People believe in me because they trust me. I don’t try to be something I’m not. People appreciate realness. You can’t fake it anymore — people have too much emotional intelligence. People know I am who I say I am. And I genuinely care about others and want them to succeed,” Meyer says of how he doesn’t use marketing tricks or social media gimmicks to build his presence and find his audience. He just is who he is. 

The Myth of Balance 

If you’ve read this far, you can probably infer that Dakota Meyer lives a rather packed life as a father, speaker, entrepreneur, and author. How does he balance it all, you ask? According to him, he doesn’t. 

“Balance is a Trojan horse for mediocrity. It’s the acceptance of being average. I’m just all in – I don’t balance at all,” he says, dismissing the idea of balancing all the important things in his life.

“Everybody wants the view, but nobody wants to climb,” says Dakota Meyer.

Instead of balance, Meyer focuses on making sure he’s at his best. “I live by the concept that I always come first,” he says. “If I’m great, then everybody else is great.” For those who struggle to put themselves first, Meyer’s mantra is worth trying out. 

“It’s not with the intention of ‘I’m worth more than you,’” Meyer says of his thought process on prioritizing his well-being first and foremost. “I do it with the intention that I’m going to be the best that I can be because I owe that to [those around me] every day. I can Wgive stronger and help more. I call it intentional living.” 

Intentional living, he continues, involves doing things with a purpose and not just “going through the motions.” 

“Everybody wants the view, but nobody wants to climb,” he says of how he ignores balance and instead focuses on including things and people in his life that make him better. 

“Everything that you do in life directly correlates to how much you believe in why you’re doing it. If you truly believe in being healthier, you’ll find a way to do it. The decisions you make, where you spend your time – everything is always anchored into how much you believe in what you’re doing.” 

Meyer draws from his real-life experience after transitioning to civilian life. “I remember that there was a time when I truly didn’t believe I’d ever be able to run a mile again without stopping. I’ve got four herniated discs in my lower back. I got up to 260 pounds. It was insane. I was so unhealthy,” he recalls. 

“I look back and I had put all of these incredible mountains and obstacles in front of [myself] that weren’t reality, but I never went and pressure tested them because of what I believed. What you believe is what you will achieve,” he says. 

Overcoming Your Mountains

Reflecting on his experiences, Meyer identifies three key lessons that have shaped his outlook:

The Power of Choice

“Everything in your life is a choice. There’s no problem that can’t be fixed with choices. It’s about what you choose to focus on. How you see things is a choice – all bad and all good – it’s just what you choose to seek after and focus on and live with,” Meyer says. 

To kickstart changing your mindset, he advises to eliminate the word ‘Why’ from your vocabulary. 

“So many of us go through life and we get caught in this ‘Why did this happen to me? Why am I going through this?’ And while I understand that’s a good emotional cycle you can get into of comforting emotions, there’s nothing objective in it,” he explains. 

Instead, he suggests using the word ‘What.’ “What can I do about it? What’s in my control? What’s happening to me – really taking back control of your life.” Meyer believes so strongly in the power of this mindset became the focus of his most recent book, Why to What.

The Power of Belief

Second to the power of choice, Meyer highlights the importance of belief. 

“The Medal of Honor isn’t about heroism — it’s about the potential in every human being. If you believe in a cause bigger than yourself and love others enough to fight for them, you are capable of incredible things.”

Love Over Hate

Lastly, Meyer emphasizes the importance of love. 

“Love will always go further and be more powerful than hate on any day of the week. Hate gives you instant gratification, but it will always fizzle out. Being against something will always fizzle out and die before being for something.” 

There are a million things you could take away from Dakota Meyer, but in this end, his message is clear: purpose is not lost after military service — it evolves. Leadership isn’t about knowledge or power — it’s about belief and authenticity. And success isn’t about balance — it’s about being fully committed to what matters. His words serve as a powerful reminder that with the right mindset and community, we all have the ability to create meaningful impact in our lives and beyond.

For more from Dakota Meyer, click here. 

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