#1787 - Dakota Meyer

Joe Rogan (0:04)

The Joe Rogan Experience.

Dakota, what's happening, brother? Good to see you. You wrote a book, man.

Dakota Meyer (0:16)

I did, I did, with Robert O'Neill.

Joe Rogan (0:18)

The Way Forward.

Dakota Meyer (0:20)

Yeah.

Joe Rogan (0:20)

Master Life's Toughest Battles and Create Your Lasting Legacy. What drove you to this?

Dakota Meyer (0:27)

You know, like, I think that there was like a point in my life to where I kind of just, you know, kind of put it all together, like wanting to help people. You know, like, The Way Forward. There's always a way forward. You know, my life's been such a shit show, so many ways.

And obviously Rob's has, too. That was one thing we could relate on is like, you know, we both came from two different places, did two different things, but like, there's always a way forward, you know, focusing on what matters.

Joe Rogan (0:52)

Was there a time in your life where you didn't think there was a way forward? Were you...?

Dakota Meyer (0:56)

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I wrote about that in my first book about, you know, a time that I just didn't know if there was a way forward. But, you know, what I learned was, is like, you know, when you don't see a way forward, it's because your purpose is yourself and it's not other things, right? People that are lost, or I felt like when I'm lost is when I'm too busy focusing on things for me and my purpose is me, and it's not like the things that are around me, the things that matter.

Joe Rogan (1:24)

Like in what way? What do you mean?

Dakota Meyer (1:26)

You know, like my kids, like my friends, my circle, right? Like doing something bigger than me, like focusing on something that's bigger than just, you know, trying to survive. Like, okay, well, I'm gonna go pay my bills. Well, that's not really a great purpose, right? But finding something bigger that you can believe in, like, you know, being a firefighter or being a good dad or, you know, just trying to have goals of fitness or start a company or all those things, right?

Joe Rogan (1:56)

So did you feel like at one point in time where you were only thinking about yourself and you didn't see there was any point to it all?

Dakota Meyer (2:06)

Yeah, yeah, I mean, I got out of the Marine Corps. And, you know, I got out and it was all about me, right? It's like, oh, you know, I served this country. This country owes me now.

You know, because, look, when you're in the military, you're, the whole time you're told you're a hero. You know what I mean? Like, oh, everybody's just, you're just greater people, you know, or all these things. You sacrifice for this country. This country owes you. And I hate that word, owes, right? Like, owes. The only thing we owe is the bank.

But, you know, that was where I was at. And I was walking around blaming all my problems on, you know, well, you know, I'm drinking all the time. I wasn't an alcoholic, but just drinking all the time, trying to, you know, overcome the pain of, you know, the stuff that I'd seen, the things that didn't make sense. And then, you know, when you would try to question me or hold me accountable, I'd be like, well, you didn't go through what I went through, right? And so how are you going to argue it?

You know, and I was surrounded by that. I was the victim. I made myself the victim of life. And, you know, at that point was where I got the lowest, right? Like I just couldn't, you know, because at some point, like people are going to, they're going to try to help you. Like that's the great thing about the world, is people are going to help you. People want to help, but they can only help you so far, like they're not going to drown with you, especially when you're not choosing to get better.

And that was where I was at, you know, like just drinking all the time, you know, being, I was an asshole, like, I mean, I'm still an asshole, but just a different way.

You know, I was an asshole and just, you know, blaming the world for my problems when really I was the problem. You know, I just didn't have anything bigger than me. And I would surround myself by people who would, who wanted to coddle me, right? Like, oh, Dakota, you know, what you've gone through, you know, you deserve, you know, it's okay. This is normal for what you've gone through. And it's like, no, no, no. Like, that's what America is about is the comeback story, right? Like, everybody's going to go through their problems. Everybody's going to have their lumps. But America, they want the comeback story, you know?