There’s a question I’m asked often by people from all walks of life—leaders, students, parents, veterans, and CEOs:

“Dave, how do I get free?”

They’re not talking about escaping prison. They’re talking about a deeper kind of captivity: the weight of expectation, fear, shame, uncertainty, regret, and other people’s agendas.
They want to know how to break free from the internal chains that keep them stuck.
And I tell them the same thing every time:

Freedom isn’t something you find. It’s something you choose.

It’s not out there, it’s already in you. But to access it, you need to activate three things: clarity, courage, and conviction.

Let me show you how I got free—and how you can too.

A Crash That Set Me Free

On January 15, 2009, I was a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549, the plane that crash-landed in the Hudson River. You’ve probably heard it called the “Miracle on the Hudson.” And while that day nearly cost us our lives, it gave me something priceless: a new lens on life.

In the moments after impact, while I stood waist-deep in freezing water at the back of a sinking aircraft, something inside me broke open.

It wasn’t panic—it was purpose.

I knew exactly what I had to do: help others.

That moment wasn’t just about survival. It was about release—letting go of everything that didn’t matter so I could focus on the one thing that did.

Getting free starts with stripping away what no longer serves you.

The Illusion of Freedom

Here’s the truth: most people think they’re free, but they’re really not.

They’re trapped by:

• Other people’s expectations
• Their own inner critic
• Fear of failure or judgment
• Guilt from the past or anxiety about the future
• The lie that “I’ll be happy when…”
• Time constraints put on by other people

I’ve lived that lie. For decades, I chased success in corporate America. On the outside, I had everything: the titles, the perks, the resume.

But on the inside? I was still a prisoner to the need for validation. I was successful, but I wasn’t free.

Freedom isn’t about what you have, it’s about who you are when everything else is stripped away.

Step One: Get Clear

The first step to getting free is clarity.

You need to get radically honest about where you are and what is keeping you stuck.

Ask yourself:

• What am I really chasing?
• What fear is driving my decisions?
• What am I tolerating that’s robbing my peace?

Clarity is about cutting through the noise. It’s what I call emotional decluttering, removing the thoughts, habits, and beliefs that no longer fit who you’re becoming.

Tony Robbins taught me to use NET time (No Extra Time) to grow mentally and emotionally. While walking, driving, waiting, I feed my mind with truth and perspective. That’s how I reclaimed my time and started stacking clarity.

Clarity reveals truth. And truth sets you free.

Step Two: Choose Courage Over Comfort

Freedom doesn’t come without resistance.

Once you get clear, fear will whisper:
“What if it doesn’t work?”
“What if I fail?”
“What will people think?”

That’s normal. It’s your comfort zone begging you to stay safe. But safety and freedom rarely coexist.

To get free, you must choose courage over comfort.

Courage isn’t the absence of fear, despite fear.

When I left my corporate career to become a full-time speaker and servant leader, I was terrified. I had no roadmap. No steady paycheck. But I had something more substantial—conviction.

That leap didn’t happen because I felt ready. It happened because I felt called.

If you wait until you feel ready, you’ll wait forever.

And the courage over comfort was shown to the world when I went BACK into the Hudson River to swim 3.1 miles with the Navy SEALs. 

Step Three: Build a Conviction-Based Identity

If clarity is about your mind and courage is about your heart, conviction is about your soul.

Conviction means living by principles, not pressure.

It means aligning your life with your most profound truth, not the world’s opinions.

I’ve learned that conviction gives you a reason to keep going when motivation fades. It’s what helps you stand tall when life knocks you down.

When I coach leaders and high performers, I ask one simple question:

“What are you building that fear can’t tear down?”

Because when your identity is built on purpose, not performance, you’re unshakable.

That’s the difference between hustling for freedom and embodying it.

The Freedom Formula

If you want to simplify everything I’ve said into a formula, here it is:

Clarity + Courage + Conviction = Freedom

Not someday. Not after the next promotion or milestone.

Right now.

Live Free to Lead Free

There’s one more truth I want to share:

You don’t get free just for you. You get free so others can too.

When you lead with freedom, your presence gives people permission to do the same.

• When you let go of perfection, others breathe easier.
• When you own your story, others stop hiding theirs.
• When you choose purpose over pressure, others rise with you.

Your freedom becomes a mirror for those around you.

This is why I started my mentor dinners, why I speak around the world, why I publish a magazine, Moments Matter,  why I went back into the Hudson River with Navy SEALs and Special Ops the past four years.

Not to prove anything, but to embody the truth that moments matter.

And that freedom can begin at any moment you choose.

Final Thought: You Already Have the Key

The world will sell you every version of freedom—financial, geographic, social.

But the most powerful freedom lives inside your mind and heart.

And the best part?

You already have the key.

You just have to decide to use it.

So today, I challenge you:

• Get clear on what’s holding you back.
• Find the courage to let go.
• Stand in the conviction of who you really are.

That’s how you get free.

And once you’re free, there’s no limit to who you can become—or who you can lead.

That’s called living the Limitless Life because

When you own your day, you are LIMITLESS.