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Universally Personal.

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Welcome back to Universally Personal. Today we are sitting down with the powerhouse of a leader who is rewriting what it means to build a better world. Jamie Schaff is a true catalyst for change. She raises the funds, assembles the teams, and leads massive projects to build schools, homes, and clean water systems, just to name a few. But she doesn't just build structures. She is the cornerstone for entire communities, laying foundations that allow people to truly thrive. In this episode, Jamie offers incredible wisdom on why you should never restrict your vision to other people's limitations. She breaks down why every single person and every single job on a project matters, and she shares the powerful story behind why she lives with a sense of urgency. Get ready to expand your mindset and be completely inspired by the unstoppable Jamie Sheff.

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I could be very focused on one thing. I try to engage with some of the other stuff that's happening, but in the end, I I'm always thinking about time and uh getting to the point A to point B and how are we gonna get there? What's the efficient way to do it? Yeah, and but I think it's a good way in my head to live for me because of the work that I do, because we're project-based. I need to know what the project is, who's who are the players, how are we gonna get the money, how are we gonna get it from point A to point B. From point A to point B. Everybody has value and everybody has um something that they add. You know, it's funny. People say, How do you do this work? Like it seems so overwhelming, and like an ordinary quote unquote person can't do this on on the regular. You know, I don't have every skill in the book, but you know, other people do um have different skills and abilities that I don't have, and so having them at the table. Yeah. I mean, I think that's the perfect example of how that one person, that one job, how it affects an entire system. So, I mean, when you think about life, you know, like everybody has value and everybody has um something that they add to life and community. If we don't have that one person, I wouldn't have a clue what that man is doing. I would not be good at whatever he's doing, but he's fantastic at it. And we need him to do that to have a whole system work. So everybody has value. That one person, that one job, how it affects an entire system. Well, you know, like everybody has value and everybody has um something that they add to life and community. And, you know, IT, forget about it. I know nothing about IT communications within like a team setting like that. I have zero interest. I'm all about how do we get the money. Like that's my focus. Um, but you need all these other individuals that are have those skills that you know you have to be appreciative and accepting and and understanding of you know how a team works. You do need to have all these individuals to to have success. Well, you know, like everybody has value and everybody has um something that they add to life and community. And so I'm like, but you don't have to do what I do. You just have to find what's what what makes you happy, what you're passionate about, and it doesn't have to be this grand big thing. You know, kindness can be anything. It can be a smile, it could be opening a door, it could be, you know, paying for somebody's meal. It could most people just want to have somebody approach them with kindness. Those little things make people's day, and that's what life is, is is just getting us through through it.

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Jamie not only recognizes the immense value within every single individual, she is also deeply devoted to living up to her own highest potential. Let's hear what Jamie has to say about protecting your vision by not accepting other people's limitations.

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Okay, that's their limitation. University, personal. I had somebody tell me, you should really narrow your focus for your foundation. You know, just do one or two things and do it well. And I was like, okay, that's their limitation. They can do one or two things very well. I can do five to ten things very well. And I'm not bragging, but I'm just saying I'm not gonna limit myself from their limitations. I'm gonna see what I can do. And if I'm not doing five to ten things well, then I need to pull back and reevaluate other people's limitations. I have not had any issues completing the projects for JD Chef at all. And we take on so many projects a year. Do they all go the way that I want? No, but they are completed, they are successful, and why would I limit myself from their limitations? You can't limit yourself to other people's limitations, to other people's limitations, limitations. I'm gonna see what I can do, and if I'm not doing five to ten things well, then I need to pull back and reevaluate. And why would I just limit my I would be bored. I need variety. I want to help more than just provide shelter. I look at our foundation as the basic needs of a human being, which is shelter and water and education and uh sanitation and food access. Like we our pillars are generated through the basic needs of a human being. And so why would I take away from that when I can provide an opportunity to support not just housing, but also, you know, health and well-being and physical health, mental health, you know, food access, clean water. We all need that as human beings. You can't limit yourself to other people's limitations, other people's limitations, people's limitations.

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You can't limit yourself to other people's limitations, other people's limitations.

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You have to figure out how you want your life to look. And if it's not looking the way you want it, you have to work hard, you have to try to make it the way that you want it to be. Yeah. And sometimes you need to experience it because I mean, you can't limit yourself to other people's limitations. I feel like people are limiting themselves uh in what they can do, and I think it's partly the environment we live in. There seems to be an order of going to college, getting married, getting a job, having kids, and then um that's life. And I feel like people feel like they need to follow this way of life when in actuality your life is what you make of it. Your life is what you make of it. You have to figure out how you want your life to look. You have to figure out how you want your life to look. And if it's not looking the way you want it, you have to work hard, you have to try to make it the way that you want it to be. You can't limit yourself to other people's limitations.

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Thanks, Jamie, for that vital reminder that we are never bound by someone else's limitations. Ironically, the only limitation Jamie actually uses to guide her own life is our limited time on earth. Jamie speaks beautifully about living with a real sense of urgency and intention.

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I definitely have a sense of urgency with life.

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Universally personal.

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I just look at life very differently, and I have for quite a while, probably the last 10 years, of just seeing that it's not about me and there's a reason why I'm here, and things have happened to me in my life, and I understand everything that has happened. And you know, whether it's good or bad, you have to take those experiences and you have to understand why those happen because it's usually an education piece for future life. And so I don't look at things in a negative way if something bad happens because I'm like, what am I learning from this and how can I make my life better? And understand that there's lessons and all those, all the experiences, good or bad. What am I learning from this and how can I make my life better? Yeah, and I think people live as if they're gonna live forever. And I live in desperation. Because I know I more than half of my life is gone. I know this, I'm not gonna live to 100. So, you know, more of it's past than I have in the future, and so time is limited, I'm on a clock, we all are. So why not make the most of the days that we have and live them the way that we want? Time is limited, I'm on a clock, we all are. So why not make the most of the days that we have? You know, you just you live life, good things happen, bad things happen, and you just have to, you know, enjoy those good things and try to learn from the quote unquote bad things and understand that there's lessons in all those, all the experiences good or bad. There's lessons in all those, all the experiences good or bad. Everything is not good at all. But what am I learning from this and how can I make my life better? The biggest thing I always tell, especially kids, is we have choices. We have choices in life, and you your life doesn't have to look the way that it is if you don't like it. Your life doesn't have to look the way that it is if you don't like it. You know, pivot, change. It might be hard, you know, change is is challenging and it can be scary, but go for it and see what happens. And you might have success and you might fail. And if, you know, if it doesn't work out, it's okay, but at least you tried and you saw that that didn't work and it didn't work for you. But you might find success and you might realize that um, you know, life is really what you make of it. What am I learning from this and how can I make my life better? Time is limited, I'm on a clock, we all are. So why not make the most of the days that we have? Yeah, I definitely have a sense of urgency with life.

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It is such an honor to have Jamie with us today. If her insights resonated with you, please hit the follow button right now so you never miss an episode. Want even more wisdom? Our premium subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content from Jamie and many other incredible guests. Just click the subscribe button to learn more. Until next time, be fit, stay sharp, and listen closely.