David Meltzer

I have sat down with some of the greatest minds in leadership and David Simas, CEO of the Obama Foundation, is certainly among that group. During our discussion, he shared some of the most valuable insights he’s gained from his life and political career (including his role in Barack Obama’s administration as the White House Director of Political Affairs), and what struck me most was his understanding of servant leadership.

Below are five of the biggest lessons that I took away from that conversation:

We represent more than ourselves

Thinking that we are only a representative for ourselves is a naive approach when in reality, we represent many different communities. In order to best represent ourselves and each of those entities, we need to begin by respecting ourselves. To serve as a positive representative, we must consistently and persistently behave in a way that shows respect for ourselves, our family, and our community.

Remember that citizenship is about more than legal paperwork

Democracies work best when the people participate and are engaged. We need to be focused on adding value beyond activities that are expected, like paying taxes and serving jury duty. We cannot become entitled and must remember that we owe a responsibility to our communities to leave them better than we find them.

Understand the nexus of liberty and union

The ability to have liberty and personal freedom is a key part of the human experience, but so is a sense of belonging. We can create change and make an impact as an individual, but the truth will always be that we have the most power when we are part of a group that is aligned and united by a common purpose.

Know the basic tools for community organizing

Bringing a group of people together takes a combination of approaches. We must be able to take an asset inventory, determining the resources we can apply to solve a given problem. We must also use power mapping, to understand the decision-making process, as well as issue mapping, understanding an issue’s personal importance to help ourselves (and others) become inspired. Finally, the use of narrative storytelling allows us to bring people together for the same cause.

Don’t forget to pay it forward

Mentoring, coaching, and empowering the next generation is what will help us to scale our impact most effectively. Sharing the lessons learned from our greatest successes and greatest failures will help prepare our youth for the challenges that they’ll face in their lives. Don’t limit the positivity you create, spread it wherever possible.

Our perspective is our reality, which makes taking a positive perspective whenever possible an essential part of living a happy and fulfilling life. Here are three steps that anyone can take to help them take control over any negativity and strengthen their mindset in the process:

Focus on our conscious mind first

What we think, what we say, and what we do are all controlled by our conscious mind. We have about 10,000 new data inputs a day and with our conscious mind, we should be trying to control those 10,000 new inputs. Place our intentions upon thinking the right things, saying the right things, and taking the right actions, each and every day.  

Next, look for patterns in our subconscious

In order to make a change, we must first be aware that a change is needed, so taking stock of the ideas that we experience the most frequently is key. When we do something consistently and persistently, we build momentum. This idea holds true for positive and negative subconscious beliefs. When we find ourselves experiencing a negative thought repeatedly, we must consciously tell ourselves to “cancel” that thought.

Finally, understand that being vulnerable makes us invulnerable

Being honest with ourselves and others is another crucial element for taking control of our mindset, especially when a change is needed. We all make mistakes every day, so focusing on getting back to center after making a mistake should be a priority. Once we are back to our center and baseline, we are prepared to take action that pushes us toward our ultimate goals. This approach helps us to keep simple mistakes from throwing us too far off our trajectory for the future.

There is nothing holding us back except our approach to life: our mindset, heart set, and handset. It is up to us to clear the interference between ourselves and our true potential. Below are five strategies to help us clear that interference as we pursue our potential each and every day.

Remember that the power of gratitude is immense

Our amount of gratitude is what controls our outlook on life, so we must continually find ways to practice gratitude. Saying “thank you” every morning and every night, for example, is one of the best and easiest ways to change our life for the better. Maintaining this grateful perspective is what gives us a better past, a happier present, and an even brighter future.

Have faith that the universe is in our favor

One of the best ways to strengthen our resolve is the belief that we’re being promoted and protected when something happens, rather than being punished. We can look at stoplights as an annoyance, or as the universe protecting us and keeping us safe from harm. Being optimistic and having faith in the idea that the universe is in our favor empowers us to keep going, even in difficult circumstances.

Know that we are vehicles of appreciation

We live in a value-add universe, rather than a scarce one, so we should place our attention and intention on adding value wherever possible. It is up to us to appreciate what we have, learn from it, and then share it or give it away. Finally, in order to continue the process of appreciation, we must remember to ask for more.

Put our faith in what we want

If we want to live happy and fulfilling lives, we can’t focus on what’s missing from our life. We have to be thankful and appreciative for what we do have, rather than spending our time and energy on what we perceive to be missing or lost. We must also have the strength to illuminate what we don’t do well, as well as have the humility to ask for help in order to achieve the growth we desire in those areas.

Our relationship with “no” is vital

As entrepreneurs, hearing “no” is a common occurrence. Our relationship with that phrase is ultimately what will determine our success over time. The optimal approach is to imagine we are a certain (unknown) number of “no”s away from getting a yes, so that we become more excited each time we hear a “no”. This will not only lead us to be more resilient in the face of doubt, but it will also instill a desire to keep going, knowing that we are even closer to hearing a “yes”.

At least once per month during my Free Weekly Friday Training sessions, I like to share my takeaway of the week, as well as allow others to share their most valuable lesson for the week, empowering everyone to learn these lessons and apply them in their own lives.

Below are five of my favorite lessons from last week’s session, to help guide you toward your true potential.

Understanding our brand leads to opportunities
There is only one unique brand in the world and it’s you. The better we get at understanding our essence (and ourselves), the more opportunities we will be afforded that are aligned with our brand. Authenticity is what resonates most with others, so we should work to stay true to ourselves, no matter the obstacles that come our way.

Content and community are king
There are so many ways that technology helps us to capture, modify, amplify, and perpetuate ourselves and our message, making it easier than ever before to be a “content creator”. We can create videos, products, a course, a podcast, events, and all types of content to bring together a community around our essence and build from there, making sure that we are proving much more value than we ask for in return. A community can create an extraordinary amount of change if we stay consistent and persistent in building it while providing value.

Master the mathematical equation for luck (Attention + Intention = Coincidence)
What we give attention and intention to is what creates coincidences in our life. There are five areas that we must focus our intention on: what we do, speak, think, believe, and feel. We should also place our attention on being present in the moment and applying the practice of “Do It Now” wherever possible, as that will help to accelerate our success.

We cannot give up when we experience pain
We must remember that pain is an indicator that there is a lesson to be learned, not a sign that we should give up. Looking at the challenges that we experience as promotion and protection, rather than punishment, is the more favorable perspective to take. We must trust the universe, but we also need to take action, ask for help, and help others in order to get what we want.

Get the term “busy” out of our vocabulary
A big pet peeve comes from people using being busy (or their perception that you are busy) as an excuse. We can be “busy” doing absolutely nothing, so instead focus on being productive, accessible, and gracious with our time. When it comes down to it, at any time we are either available or unavailable, and we need to be honest and accountable about it to others, rather than leaning on terms like “busy”.

Mindset doesn’t change overnight

The strongest mindsets are built over time and that strength comes from consistent action. We must take accountability for the challenges we experience, look to learn from them, and leave no room for excuses. When we can apply that mindset to every aspect of our life, personally and professionally, that growth will pay dividends over time. 

Invest and create a community

Make sure that we’re paying it forward by doing what we can for our supporters. Find ways to connect and provide them additional value, especially in ways that are meaningful for them. When we can share our skills, knowledge, and desire in order to help others become the best version of themselves, we are scaling goodness.

Leverage your platform for good

As our profile grows, so does our ability to create a positive impact on other people. It is important that we remain grateful for the opportunities we’ve received along the way, and continually seek out opportunities to give our time, effort, and emotional, and even financial support. Use your situational knowledge to find ways to “open doors” for others and encourage them to do the same. 

Some of our best lessons come from our greatest challenges, which is something that best-selling author and speaker Damon West is living proof of. In 2019, he wrote a wonderful book with my friend Jon Gordon, The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change, which shares how he overcame overwhelming obstacles.

A former college football quarterback who ended up using his leadership skills as the ringleader for a burglary ring after falling into drug addiction, his story of redemption provides five excellent insights for us all to apply to our lives.

We can’t let our environment change who we are

We have a choice in how we react to the situations that we are put in, making it important to choose to be a change agent. Taking accountability for our growth, rather than choosing to be a victim of our environment, is what leads to the results we desire.

Take stock in our belief systems (and how they are helping or hurting us)

We must remember that the results of our actions take time to see, so regularly taking inventory of the beliefs that we hold and evaluating their worth is an essential part of making progress. The longer we hold onto bad belief systems (such as limiting beliefs), the harder they are for us to get rid of.

The difference between religion and spirituality

While many believe that spirituality and religion are the same, they can exist separately from each other. Our spirituality is what empowers us to make a personal connection with our higher source, something that can occur outside the institution of religion. From there, it is up to us to ensure we serve the right god with our actions.

Look at everyone in our life as a teacher

We have the ability to learn lessons from all people that are in our lives if we are paying attention. They can teach us how to do things the right way or the wrong way, helping us to avoid paying the “dummy tax” in the process. We must be receptive to the messages we receive, especially from the people who go out of their way to invest in us.

Focus on what we can control

Believing we are in control of everything in our existence is a fallacy. There are really only five aspects of life we can control: what we think, feel, say, do, and believe. By examining the times we feel uncomfortable or at “dis-ease”, we can look at which of these areas may be the cause, and then make any adjustment necessary.

One of my favorite parts of the week is the Friday Training sessions, and last week’s topic involved some of the most valuable lessons that myself and my business associates have recently learned. Here are six of the top insights from the training, to help you on your journey as you pursue your potential.

#1-Remembering Our Lessons is Essential

Life is about lessons and these lessons will keep coming to us until we learn them. What makes our lessons more valuable is creating a system that helps us to access what we’ve learned. By writing down or capturing the lessons which resonate most with us, we empower ourselves to remember and recollect them, so that we do not have to re-learn them later.

#2-Focus on Our Discoverability

One of the best litmus tests for a brand is how discoverable it is, meaning whether the right people are coming across it during their regular communications. Who do we want to discover us? Those most closely aligned with us. We don’t want people who aren’t aligned with our message to discover us, as they tend to create more resistance for us. Discoverability is important to pay attention to because it is a confirmation of our ability to capture, modify, amplify, and perpetuate content that represents our brand.

#3-Don’t Take Ourselves So Seriously

We never want to take ourselves so seriously that we lose sight of what’s important. Life and practicing forgiveness are so much easier when we don’t feed the needs of our ego, like the need to be offended. We cannot let our pride get in the way of our personal and professional growth.

#4-Be Intentional About the Words We Use

We can’t feel bad enough to make others feel good, so we must try to take a positive approach with our communication. For example, rather than apologizing for being late to a meeting, we can choose to thank others for their patience and understanding. The energy and acknowledgment that comes with that type of communication are much more beneficial and will lead to even more authentic relationships.

#5-Our Ego’s Tendency is To Resist

When we are uneasy or at “dis-ease”, our ego tends to fight or resist the situation and in the process, we can unknowingly create even more resistance for ourselves. Rather than feeding into our fears or fighting against our perception, we must practice the Stop, Drop, and Roll technique. We stop feeding into the negativity, drop down to our center or baseline, and then roll by taking some action that is in pursuit of our higher self.

#6-Consistency and Persistence Are Keys To Our Success

Having daily practices and being consistent about them are what help us to build the greatest amount of momentum in our lives. As the saying goes, “Keep showing up and good things will happen.” Quitting ensures that our momentum toward our goal is gone, forcing us to start back at the beginning.

All of my life, I thought that money could buy happiness and solve any problem, but I was wrong. Since I’ve learned that lesson, these five ideas have been crucial to helping me make a lot of money, help a lot of people, and have a lot of fun.

#1 – Our Frequency is Our Neighborhood

Our frequency, the “vibration” we put out into the world, is what attracts people to us. This makes it key for us to not only put out the right vibe but surround ourselves with the right people and the right ideas. The right people include those who can help to provide us with options, opportunities, and touches of favor. The right ideas are those that bring us value and empower us to consistently and persistently pursue our potential.

#2 – Feed Those That Feed Us

One of the biggest mistakes we can make is prioritizing the people who do not prioritize us. In simpler terms, we need to feed the people that feed us. For those that do not add value to our lives, the ones that “bleed us”, we need to either let them fall away or we can choose to fire them from our lives.

#3 – Elevate Others to Elevate Ourselves

There is little that helps to accelerate growth more than mentorship. Mentors can guide us along our journey and help us to avoid making the same mistakes and missteps that they did. Not only must we seek out people with situational knowledge to ask for advice, but we must also do our best to empower others with the skills, knowledge, and desire that we possess. Those willing to give guidance and advice without expectation of anything in return will receive the greatest benefits.

#4 – Look For Open Minds, Open Hearts, and Open Hands

Seeking out the people that are most aligned with us is what will yield the best results, rather than looking for a specific archetype. It is infinitely easier to connect with someone who has an open mind than convincing someone who has a closed mind, so we must spend our energy and attention on people who think like we do. Practice identifying whether someone has an open mind at the current time, understanding that even open-minded people can have moments of closed-mindedness (and vice versa).

#5 – Live in the World of “More Than Enough”

We must realize that like money, faith is a currency. One of the most important places to invest our faith is in the belief in abundance. When we believe in a world of “just enough” or “not enough”, that perception will be our reality. Taking an abundant approach to life and business is an essential component of achieving true wealth.

What it means to have an “internal thermostat” and how you can adjust yours

Why is it that people fail when the pressure is on? Ed Mylett uses his experience playing college baseball to talk about how your thoughts and beliefs about yourself will govern your results. When you understand how the limitations you place upon yourself are impacting your pursuit of your potential, you are able to overcome them.

How to identify the true skills you possess and use them to find bliss in life

For many, happiness can be found in helping other people. Every person has skills they can utilize to improve the lives of others, but it takes keen insights to apply those skills and create a positive influence on the world. Dedicate yourself to not only discovering your strengths but leveraging them in order to make life better for yourself and others. 

Why Ed believes that you are only one decision away from changing the trajectory of your future

Your mindset is one of the biggest keys when it comes to overcoming adversity. Ed shares his father’s alcoholism story as a shining example of how to create change in your life by taking things one day at a time. You can discover how to apply the “power of one more” in your own life by learning to shift your perspective. 

The best way to get the attention of a potential mentor

Mentors can have some of the greatest impacts on our lives, but creating that initial connection can be intimidating. Utilizing the Law of Reciprocity can help anyone to gain the attention of their desired mentor, and begin to establish a relationship. Having a sincere exchange of value is the key.

The single best strategy for building more self-confidence

There is one main cause for a lack of confidence… an inability to keep promises that you make. When you are able to consistently keep the promises you make, especially those that you make to yourself, you are guaranteed to have a more positive self-identity. And by associating yourself with the right people and ideas, that confidence will continue to grow!

All of my life, I thought that money could buy happiness and solve any problem, but I was wrong. Since I’ve learned that lesson, these five ideas have been crucial to helping me make a lot of money, help a lot of people, and have a lot of fun.

#1 – Our Frequency is Our Neighborhood
Our frequency, the “vibration” we put out into the world, is what attracts people to us. This makes it key for us to not only put out the right vibe but surround ourselves with the right people and the right ideas. The right people include those who can help to provide us with options, opportunities, and touches of favor. The right ideas are those that bring us value and empower us to consistently and persistently pursue our potential.

#2 – Feed Those That Feed Us
One of the biggest mistakes we can make is prioritizing the people who do not prioritize us. In simpler terms, we need to feed the people that feed us. For those that do not add value to our lives, the ones that “bleed us”, we need to either let them fall away or we can choose to fire them from our lives.

#3 – Elevate Others to Elevate Ourselves
There is little that helps to accelerate growth more than mentorship. Mentors can guide us along our journey and help us to avoid making the same mistakes and missteps that they did. Not only must we seek out people with situational knowledge to ask for advice, but we must also do our best to empower others with the skills, knowledge, and desire that we possess. Those willing to give guidance and advice without expectation of anything in return will receive the greatest benefits.

#4 – Look For Open Minds, Open Hearts, and Open Hands
Seeking out the people that are most aligned with us is what will yield the best results, rather than looking for a specific archetype. It is infinitely easier to connect with someone who has an open mind than convincing someone who has a closed mind, so we must spend our energy and attention on people who think like we do. Practice identifying whether someone has an open mind at the current time, understanding that even open-minded people can have moments of closed-mindedness (and vice versa).

#5 – Live in the World of “More Than Enough”
We must realize that like money, faith is a currency. One of the most important places to invest our faith is in the belief in abundance. When we believe in a world of “just enough” or not enough”, that perception will be our reality. Taking an abundant approach to life and business is an essential component of achieving true wealth.