O'talkin' with Dave

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever picked out the GOOD STUFF from a collection of trail mix, songs, or food items on a buffet?  Yeah, me too... When I was growing up, my mom used to buy cans of mixed nuts. Dad would go through and pick out all the cashews. My sister would pick out the peanuts. Then Mom and my other sister would make their selections. By the time that can got to me, all I got was the B...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been looking for something and realized it was right in front of you all along?  Yeah, me too... Have you ever driven the same road a thousand times, then one day spotted a little restaurant and thought, “How long has that been there?”  Probably years... Or you’ve known somebody forever, and one ordinary Tuesday they say something that makes you realize how wise they...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had to wait on news - test result, job offer, decision by someone?  Yeah, me too.. I’ve heard some beautiful words in my life. Love. Home. Yes. Congratulations. Approved. Healthy. Free. But I’m beginning to think one of the most beautiful words in the English language is one we rarely put on a coffee mug. Benign!!! Join Dave for some news about news that we all have...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had someone give you a word, look, or comment that encouraged you out of nowhere?  Yeah, me too... Random acts of encouragement. Because kindness says: “I care about you.” Encouragement says: “I believe in you.” And sometimes that is exactly what somebody needs to hear. Join Dave for some ENCOURAGING words about: WE ARE SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO NEED ENCOURAGEMENT THE...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been around someone who can take a nice conversation to a new level of depression?  Yeah, me too... We all know one. You tell them you got a promotion. They say: “Congratulations. Of course, now you're probably going to be working a lot more.” You tell them you're going on vacation. “Oh, nice. Airports are a nightmare right now.”  You tell them your daughte...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had someone tell you that you shouldn't, they wouldn't, or you CAN'T do something?  Yeah, me too... Shouldn’t. Wouldn’t. Can’t. They Are Not the Same. There are four words that have always gotten my attention: “You can’t do that.” Really? Can’t? That is a pretty definitive word. Join Dave for some conversation about POSSIBILITIES: THE SHELLFISH TEST CA...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been in a situation where you weren't sure if you needed more, less, or none at all?  Yeah, me too... There are three words that control an enormous amount of our lives: STOP. GO. QUIT. We hear them from the time we're children. Stop touching that. Go clean your room. Quit hitting your brother. Then we grow up, and somehow the instructions get harder. Join...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had a decision that needed to be made and you struggled longer that you should have or maybe delayed it?  Yeah, me too... At some point in life, every one of us hears an invisible voice say: “Alright. Enough talking. Put on your Big Boy Pants.” Join Dave for some Grown Up talk about: LIFE EVENTUALLY REMOVES THE TRAINING WHEELS WE DON'T REALLY HATE DECISIONS. WE...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever TOLD or BEEN TOLD what you SHOULD do?  Yeah, me too... There is a word we use constantly that sounds helpful, caring, intelligent, even loving, but sometimes it’s none of those things. The word is: Should. “You should leave him.” “You should forgive her.” “You should take that job.” “You should sell the house.” “You should call your kids more.” “You should exercise.”...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been in a situation when you didn't say something that needed to be said and later you said to yourself, "I wish I had said"...or..."I should have said"... Yeah, me too... When most people hear the word trigger, they think of something negative. "I was triggered." "They triggered me." "They know how to push my buttons...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had a moment, a morning, or longer that you just can't get your hands or head around some HEAVINESS that hit you?  Yeah, me too... There are moments in life that don’t feel dramatic enough to explain...but they still hurt.  A strange silence in the house, a hard conversation that replays in your head all day, a morning where everything seems difficult before you...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had a major life event happen and it looked like the end of something?  Yeah, me too... Over the past year, have received a ton of emails, text messages, and private conversations about one subject more than any other. "Dave...when are you going to talk about your divorce?" Some people have simply been curious. Others have quietly shared that they're g...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been frustrated to the point you didn't know what to do next?  Yeah, me too... There comes a moment in every life when reality taps us on the shoulder and says: "Well...here you are." Not where you planned to be. Not where you expected to be. Not where you hoped to be. Just...here... Join Dave for some topical conversation about: Ten Everyday Examples...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever known anyone that focuses more on what's missing than what they have?  Yeah, me too... We live in a world that constantly reminds us of what we don't have...More money. More success. More recognition. More followers. More square footage. More everything!!! Join Dave form some PLENTIFUL conversation about: What Does "Plenty" Mean? The Human Brain&a...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever thought you were being taught something, but then realized the LESSON you learned was much more important?  Yeah, me too... When I was a little boy, I thought I was learning how to farm...turns out, I was learning how to live. Join Dave from some nostalgic reflection about: Sometimes You Have to Give the Seed a Chance The Meanest Mule Isn't Always the Worst Work...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been in a meeting or on a conference call and thought, "what a complete waste of time..."  Yeah, me too... Somewhere, right now, a conference call is taking place that should not exist. Twenty-three people have stopped what they were doing. Three are paying attention. Seven are checking email. Five are wondering why they're there. Four are on mute walk...

Send us Fan Mail Do you know anyone who is a KNOW-IT-ALL?  Yeah, me to... There are people in this world who know everything, at least according to them. You know these people. You can’t tell a story without them interrupting halfway through to explain how they had it worse, did it better, fixed it faster, or knew about it before it was popular. Join Dave for some INFORMATIVE talk about: The Human...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever found yourself WORRYING about something that turned out to be nothing?  Yeah, me too... Worry is the interest payment on a debt that usually never comes due. Worry is the imagination hijacking the present and dragging it into a future that may never happen. It is rehearsing tragedy before the curtain even opens. It is borrowing pain from tomorrow and demanding paymen...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever noticed that something you do or witness as part of your normal life strikes you as FUNNY?  Yeah, me too... Some of the funniest things in life aren’t stand-up comedy, punchlines, memes, or viral videos of raccoons stealing tacos. They happen every single day and because they happen every day, we stop noticing them. Join Dave for some UNOBVIOSLY FUNNY talk about: Ten...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had a person in your life that seemed to get away with everything...no apparent Karma at all?  Yeah, me too... There’s an old saying: “Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty, and the pig likes it.” The frustrating part is that sometimes the pig is your coworker, a family member, or a loudmouth online. It might be the manipulator at work, the control freak at hom...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever looked around while in public and noticed that most people have their faces buried in their phones?  Yeah, me too... The phone was supposed to make life easier. Instead, many of us now carry around a glowing emotional support rectangle that follows us everywhere like an electronic ankle monitor we volunteered to wear. Join Dave for a Wake-Up call about: Why We’re Add...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wished you could give advice to your younger self to make things easier?  Yeah, me too... Your 30s feel like you’re finally getting traction and at the exact same time, like the ground is moving under your feet. You’re building a life while living it, raising kids while still figuring yourself out, making money while learning what money actually means, and choosing p...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever known someone who was either full of LOVE or full of HATE?  Yeah, me too... They are both pretty tough to take at time... There’s a hard truth about human nature that most people never realize: We usually find what we’re looking for... If you want to love someone, you focus on what’s beautiful and quietly excuse what isn’t. If you want to hate someone, you focus on w...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had someone hear or talk about a musical style that you like and make a negative comment about it?  Yeah, me too... You ever notice, music is the only thing where people will judge your entire character based on what you listen to in your truck? Not your morals, not your work ethic...No, but by your playlist. I love yacht rock, classic rock, funk, blues, metal, hardc...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever known someone to claim something they did or said was a MISTAKE, when you know it was really a DECISION?  Yeah, me too... Everybody makes mistakes. That’s not the issue. The issue is what we call things after they happen. Because sometimes, what we label a “mistake” wasn’t an accident. It was a decision. John Dave for some INTENTIONAL talk about: Mistake vs Decision ...