Todd Talk

What if the life you want to live isn't as far out of reach as you think? A couple of weeks ago, we talked about building the life you want and recognizing how negative self-talk can stand in the way of getting there. Today, we're taking that conversation a step further! In this episode, I'm sharing five practical steps you can start taking today to help shape the life you want to live. We'll expl...

What do a row of rubber ducks on a cubicle and the concept of integrity have in common? More than you might think! In this episode of Todd Talk, we start with a funny story about a coworker's collection of ducks and a few intrusive thoughts that might cross our minds when we see something unusual. But what begins as a lighthearted conversation takes us somewhere a little deeper. We all have though...

You Get to Choose the Type of Life You Live You get to choose the type of life you live. It sounds simple, doesn't it? But there's a lot more to that statement than meets the eye. We don't get to choose everything. We can't choose our parents, the circumstances we're born into, or every challenge that finds its way to our doorstep. But we do get to influence the direction our lives take through th...

A buttoned pocket can keep a rock, your keys, or other objects from getting inside. But put those same pants in a washing machine, and that button won't keep the water out. Sometimes, our boundaries work the same way. We can set boundaries with people, protect our peace in certain situations, and choose what we allow into our lives. But when we're constantly surrounded by negativity, criticism, or...

Observe, Don’t Absorb We experience other people’s words, emotions, struggles, frustrations, and expectations every day. Sometimes we allow those things to become ours before we even realize it. In this episode of Todd Talk, we explore the idea of “Observe, Don’t Absorb.” It’s about learning to pause and observe what is happening around us before immediately taking it into ourselves. We can listen...

When Unacceptable Comes Knocking There are some things in life that shouldn't require a second thought. We should know they're wrong. We should know they're unacceptable. And when we see them happening, we should have the courage to do something about it. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what it means to teach our kids to do the right thing simply because it's the right thing to do. Not beca...

Change can be uncomfortable. Sometimes, when something changes, our first thought is that we’re losing something we love. But what if change doesn’t always mean the end? In this episode of Todd Talk, I’m talking about something I’ve been reminding myself of lately: different doesn’t automatically mean gone. Family traditions change as families grow. The way we work changes as we learn better ways...

Twenty-five years later, most of us can still remember exactly where we were on September 11th, 2001. In this quick episode of Todd Talk, I share some of my own memories from that day and reflect on what changed in the days that followed. But more importantly, I talk about September 12th. Because on September 12th, we seemed to remember what really mattered. We were kinder. We looked out for one a...

It’s Okay to Be Mad Nobody wants an angry kid. We want our children to be happy, cooperative, and able to handle disappointment without falling apart. But what if, in our effort to help them, we sometimes send the wrong message about anger? In this episode of Todd Talk, we’re talking about why it’s okay to be mad—it’s just not okay to stay mad. Anger is a feeling, just like happiness, sadness, fea...

Don’t Judge the Person by What They Can’t Do How often do we look at something someone can’t do and allow that one thing to shape our opinion of who they are? In this episode of Todd Talk, we explore the danger of making a value judgment based on a single weakness, especially when that weakness happens to be something we’re good at ourselves. In the fire service, this can show up in something as s...

What if one of the most important things you could learn is how to celebrate being you? We live in a world that often puts comparison above compassion. Social media gives us carefully selected glimpses into other people's lives, and somehow we use those glimpses to decide whether our own lives, appearances, accomplishments, and experiences are good enough. We compare our hair, our homes, our cars,...

Become Your Own Ally We all need people in our corner—people who encourage us, believe in us, celebrate our victories, and stand beside us when things get difficult. But what happens when the people we love can't be there? Or when they don't understand what we're trying to accomplish? One of the most important things we can learn is how to become our own ally. That doesn't mean we have to do every...

Sometimes, being a better communicator means saying less. I've always been a talker. But over the years, I've learned that being comfortable talking doesn't necessarily mean you're good at communicating. Sometimes the most important part of a conversation is what we don't say. In this episode of Todd Talk, I talk about some of the communication lessons I've learned—sometimes the hard way. We don't...

There are seasons in life when pain is unavoidable. We all experience loss, disappointment, difficult decisions, and moments that test our strength. But somewhere along the way, many of us begin to believe that suffering is something we owe—to our families, our careers, our friends, or the people who came before us. In this episode of Todd Talk, we're challenging that belief. We'll explore the dif...

Some days just seem determined to test your patience. In this episode of Todd Talk, Todd shares the story of a morning that went spectacularly off the rails—from a cow and a steer turning the barn into an obstacle course to a lawn tractor that literally fell apart in his hands. At some point, all he could do was sit back and laugh. That chaotic morning led to a simple but powerful reminder: someti...

Regret has a strange way of shaping our lives. Sometimes it pushes us to take chances so we don't miss out on what could have been. Other times, it convinces us to stand perfectly still, afraid that making the wrong decision will leave us with even more regret than doing nothing at all. In this episode of Todd Talk, Todd explores how regret can quietly influence our choices, our relationships, and...

There are certain phrases we hear so often that we stop questioning them. One of the most common is, "We've always done it this way." While experience and tradition have tremendous value, they can also keep us from seeing better opportunities that are right in front of us. In this episode of Todd Talk, Todd shares a simple lesson he learned while making hay. A small change in how the bales were pi...

Episode Description What would you do if you stopped worrying about what everyone else might think? This week's episode was inspired by an unexpected moment watching The Bee Movie with my daughter. A simple opening line sparked a much bigger question: How many dreams, goals, and moments of joy do we leave behind because we've given someone else's opinion more authority than it deserves? Too often,...

Be Where Your Feet Are How much of your life have you spent worrying about tomorrow instead of experiencing today? As Todd prepares for vacation, he finds himself wrestling with the endless list of responsibilities waiting on the other side. But a simple piece of advice from a friend changes his perspective: Be where your feet are. In this episode of Todd Talk, Todd reflects on our tendency to liv...

It's Okay to Feel Two Things at Once Have you ever been genuinely happy for someone… while quietly grieving what their good news meant for your own life? In this episode of Todd Talk, Todd shares a personal story about his cousin's decision to move and the surprising realization that followed. What began as feelings of frustration eventually revealed a powerful truth: we don't have to choose just...

Have you ever found yourself blaming someone else for a problem—or blaming yourself? In this episode of Todd Talk, Todd explores a simple but powerful idea: you are not the problem, and they are not the problem either. The problem is the problem. Too often, when conflict arises, we look for someone to fix, someone to change, or someone to blame. But what if the real solution begins when we stop se...

We all run. Sometimes we're running away from burnout, stress, disappointment, fear, or circumstances we no longer want in our lives. Other times, we're running toward purpose, fulfillment, growth, and the future we hope to create. The actions may look the same from the outside, but the motivation behind them couldn't be more different. In this episode of Todd Talk, Todd explores the powerful dist...

We all carry things we were never meant to keep. Anger. Frustration. Resentment. Regret. Loss. These emotions are real, and it's important to acknowledge them. But somewhere along the way, many of us stop experiencing them and start carrying them as if they belong to us. We allow temporary feelings to become permanent fixtures in our lives, consuming our attention and pulling us away from the thin...

We’ve all been hurt by people. We’ve all had moments where anger, disappointment, or resentment tried to settle into our lives and make itself comfortable. But holding onto grudges comes at a cost. In this episode, Todd talks about the powerful idea that “holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die,” and explores how resentment quietly drains our time, energy, pa...

A simple trip to Target turned into an unexpectedly meaningful lesson when my daughter told me I was a “good shopping buddy.” Why? Because I didn’t rush her. I let her browse, explore, and enjoy the experience. That small comment made me realize how often we hurry through ordinary moments without recognizing their value. In this episode, Todd reflects on the importance of slowing down, embracing t...