The Simple Talk with Wayne McCullough

Episode 16: Betsy Price: Every Heard Follows a Lead Steer. Faith, Fiscal Responsibility and Fighting for What is Right

For Tracy Walder, the easy path has never been an option. Raised in a family with generationsof military service, she understood from a young age the importance of giving back. In college,she studied history and took opportunities to gain experience as they came, but couldn't quitefind the right fit for her skills. One day, she saw a recruiter for the CIA on her college campus.She handed in her resume and by the time she graduated, she had a job offer on the table. Thatdaring decision, made while she was still a student, ultimately shaped much of her professionalcareer.She spent the next several years working with the CIA's Counterterrorism Center before movingon to the FBI, where she was a special agent focusing on Chinese Counterintelligenceoperations The hours were long and the work challenging. At some points along the way, sheexperienced adversity and harassment, but Walder persevered. On this week's episode of TheSimple Talk, host Wayne McCullough speaks with Walder about the ups and downs and thenuggets of wisdom she's learned along the way. The path might not be easy, but withconfidence and humility, you can put your knowledge and skills to work in service of a betterfuture.This Week's Takeaways:-Be proactive about finding opportunities-Have confidence in yourself-Don't leave situations without a reason-Push the boundaries of your comfort zone-Use your knowledge to give back to othersQuotes:“I believe fully that how men and women are treated really starts at the top.” -Tracy Walder“I was bullied.The amount of bullying that I faced was astronomical. … I spent a lot of my lifehating myself and not being very confident. So, I think at 16, I would have told myself to havemore confidence.” -Tracy Walder“Working out has always been my therapy. I think, from being at the FBI, I would just go oncrazy long runs by myself with no one else.” -Tracy Walder“The thing I always tell (my daughter) -- because this is what I always told myself -- is be brave.Be brave, be brave, be brave. That's always my message to her.” -Tracy WalderContact:You can find out more about Tracy Walder online at https://www.tracywalder.com/. You can alsofollow her on Twitter @tracy_walder and Instagram @TheUnexpectedSpy. Be sure to check outher new book, The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking DownSome of the World's Most Notorious Terrorists, available online, in stores, and as an audiobook.Mentioned This Week:-Girl Security, a nonprofit dedicated to closing the gender gap in national security throughtraining and mentoring support for girls: https://www.girlsecurity.org/

Summary:Sometimes it takes a spiritual awakening to find the right path forward. This week, MichaelMolthan shares his story of addiction and recovery, from hitting rock bottom to pushing throughto the other side. In years past, Molthan was known as one of the preeminent luxury homebuilders in the country. But more than 25 years into his career, an addiction to drugs and alcoholled him on a downward spiral. He lost his marriage and relationships with family and friends.After 27 arrests and four years in prison, Molthan started to read a Bible he'd gotten from afellow inmate. That began his journey to recovery and to serving others first and foremost as aguiding principle in his life. Through service and a dedication to being present in the moment,Molthan found a way to freedom, both inside and out. He continues that work today, helping at arecovery facility and sharing what he's learned in weekly social media talks to connect withothers looking for a light to shine the way.This Week's Takeaways:-Learn the difference between shame and guilt-Be open to a spiritual awakening-Serve others with an open heart-Cherish the relationships you have with family-Welcome opportunities to learn and growQuotes:“When I look at my mugshots … the common denominator in every one of those mugshots wasspiritual bankruptcy. There was no God.” -Michael Molthan“I had this spiritual awakening like no other and I became free.” -Michael Molthan“I did not want to think about the future. I did not want to think about the past. I wanted to live inthe now because I was realizing the safest place is right here, right now, because that's whereGod's at.” -Michael Molthan“In order for God to set me free, I had to set everyone around me free. I had to set the peoplearound me free that were holding me hostage. The word forgiveness means so much to metoday.” -Michael Molthan“Guilt is an opportunity to do a moral inventory on my immoral behavior ... to look at what role Iplay in it and what I need to do to change the behavior and make it right.” -Michael MolthanContact:You can find out more about Michael Molthan and his work online athttps://www.m2therock.com/. There, you'll also find links to his weekly talks on Facebook andYouTube about addiction, alcoholism, unmanageable habits, and recovery. If you are looking forrecovery resources on drug and alcohol addiction, process addictions, trauma, and more youcan find information at https://www.healingspringsranch.com/.Mentioned This Week:-Detours: The Unpredictable Path to Your Destiny by Tony Evans-”In the Know” with Brian Glenn

Summary:There's a lesson that many people don't learn until it's too late: Keep your life straight. Thisweek on the Simple Talk podcast, the Honorable Allen B. Clark talks about the importance ofhaving thoughtful priorities and keeping all aspects of your life moving forward along a goodpath. Clark is a West Point graduate who volunteered for a tour in Vietnam as a militaryintelligence officer. Just weeks before his tour was set to be over, he sustained serious injuriesin a mortar attack. He ultimately lost both of his legs.Along with his physical injuries, Clark struggled emotionally with the new trajectory his life hadtaken. He'd planned on being a career officer and found himself having to envision a differentfuture. He went into business and then politics, working in state office and later, as apresidential nominee to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “The Lord didn't promise us arose garden,” Clark says. You will encounter challenges and trials along the way. But bymaintaining a strong spiritual connection and keeping your life, family, and faith straight, hesays, you can reach your full potential.This Week's Takeaways:-Forgive yourself for past mistakes-Never give up on your goals-Strive for heart knowledge, not just head knowledge-Don't let ego dominate your actions-Practice good daily habits for a structured lifeQuotes:“To keep my life straight, I need to forgive all others all the time, no matter whether I want to ornot. I don't need to harbor the resentment.” -Allen B. Clark“The Lord didn't promise us a rose garden. … And the world is not a rose garden, by anystretch. You're going to be beset and besieged — what I call tactical spiritual warfare on youindividually — to get at you, to tear you down, to bring stress into your life, to bring conflict intoyour life. So, you've got to keep yourself straight so the demon spirits tactically cannot get atyou.” -Allen B. Clark“If you don't have your spiritual connection, nothing else matters.” -Allen B. Clark“Love your family first and foremost outside of the Lord. Be loyal to them, take care of them,love them.” -Allen B. Clark“Pay attention to friends. Take care of them, just like you want them to take care of you.Develop and encourage friendships.” - Allen B. Clark“It's really painful if you have everything, and you don't have anything.” -Wayne McCulloughContact:You can find out more about the Honorable Allen B. Clark's work through Combat Faith athttp://www.combatfaith.com/. He's also written three books, which are all available on Amazon:-Valor in Vietnam: Chronicles of Honor, Courage, and Sacrifice, 1963-1977-Soldiers' Blood and Bloodied Money: Wars and the Ruling Elites-Wounded Soldier, Healing Warrior: A Personal Story of a Vietnam Veteran Who Lost His LegsBut Found His Soul

Summary:Your thoughts lead your actions. If your inner voice is stuck on a negative loop — like a brokentape — it's hard to change your mental habits for the better. This week, author, coach, andpsychologist Dr. Julie Bell talks about the importance of mindset and how it can guide yourjourney in the right direction, or make you stray from the path. She shares stories from her ownlife about the challenges she's overcome and what she learned to do differently along the way.One way we can work to improve our inner coach is to focus on how we got to where we are,rather than just the outcome itself. It's important to acknowledge successes, of course, but it'seven more critical to celebrate what got us there. That gives us room to learn from our mistakesand really work to change our habits. It also takes the power back from the idea of perfection.There's no such thing as perfect, Bell says. Whenever you reach a milestone, you realize youcan aim higher. But if you're on the right path already, future goals will be attainable if you put inthe work and keep your thoughts ahead of your actions.This Week's Takeaways:-Walk with the Lord, hand-in-hand-Focus on what you can do, instead of what you can't-Train your inner voice to guide you-Own your average-Practice with a purposeQuotes:“Once you choose your focus or your direction, then your voice in your head has to coach youthere. I think, too often, that voice in our head is playing for the other team. So, it's putting us onthe sidelines rather than really bringing out our best.” -Dr. Julie Bell“We have to own our average. Whatever it is that you're doing, you have an average. You havethis achievement side of you that could be your goal and then you have your below average. Alot of times people see if you haven't achieved your goal, it's failure. But really, anytime that youare executing above average, you're in that success field. And that's what you have to be ableto see. If you can see it, you gain confidence. When you have confidence, you have moresuccess. It grows that way.” -Dr. Julie Bell“I think, too often, we celebrate the success — the outcome — and not what got us there. Wehave to reinforce playing the game. We need to recognize the outcome and celebrate how wegot there.” -Dr. Julie Bell“As soon as you start getting closer to your goal, you realize there's another level. So, perfectdoesn't exist.” -Dr. Julie Bell“I think the most important thing in a coaching relationship is a relationship. And so, you've gotto find somebody that you connect with, that can be honest with you, that can be that thinkingpartner, that can help you make decisions.” -Dr. Julie BellContact:You can follow Dr. Julie Bell's work online at themindofachampion.com. The Mind of aChampion is also active on LinkedIn and Instagram. For more in-depth information, check outThe Mind of a Champion's Virtual Mindset and Mindset on Demand offerings on their website.The next Champions Club is scheduled for March 30-31 in Dallas, Texas.Check out her book, Performance Intelligence at Work: The 5 Essentials to Achieving the Mindof a Champion, wherever you buy your books. Dr. Bell also has a Christian version of the book,called Renewed, available for download as a 21-day journal on her website.

Summary:Relationships are at the core of every interaction. Whether you're an entrepreneur, anemployee, or a parent, learning how to build strong relationships that last and evolve over timeis key. This week on the Simple Talk, host Wayne McCullough speaks with guest DavidScoggins, a business and life coach and fellow podcaster who shares ideas for creating a morefulfilling work-life balance and achieving stability on the job and at home.It takes work to build a solid foundation and maintain it over time, Scoggins says. Each of thefive Fs -- faith, family, friends, fitness, and finances -- require dedication and perseverance, sopeople should be prepared to spend time and energy on these key components. But that hardwork will be rewarded with a strong support network and base for other aspects of life, as well. Itcomes down to taking ownership of your decisions and actions and holding yourselfaccountable for how you walk through life and how you relate to those walking alongside you.This Week's Takeaways:-Give people space to change over time-Ask others how you can help them-Don't shy away from hard work-Take ownership of your decisions and actions-Focus on building good relationshipsQuotes:“I think part of my ultimate mission here is to bring a faith perspective into the personaldevelopment and bring the personal development perspective into the church, and I don't thinkthat's an easy thing.” -David Scoggins“That's really been a joy, being able to see … how people who've really, really been hurt byeach other and been hurt by the way they approach their relationships, how they can heal andhow they can grow together and how they can flourish and persist.” -David Scoggins“If we were in a sports team or if we were playing a musical instrument, even if you were playingas an amateur, you were not getting paid for it, you would practice and you would practice on aregular basis. But then you show up for marriage and you've not practiced anything, You showup for a relationship and you've not practiced anything other than whatever you practiced inprevious relationships. We don't get even one class on how to do relationships right.” -DavidScoggins“Whatever is in your life that you don't like, whether it's your marriage or your financial situationor your body or it's how you feel, an emotion you have or a thought you have, it didn't comefrom nowhere.” -David Scoggins“The more we can understand where things come from, the more power we have to work withthem.” -David ScogginsContact:You can get in touch with David Scoggins via email at david@scogginsgroup.com. You can alsofind him on LinkedIn by searching for his name. Also, check out the TMP Coaching Podcast withDavid Scoggins wherever you get your podcasts.Mentions:Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. BurnsThe work of Tony Robbins (www.tonyrobbins.com)The work of Dallas Willard (www.dwillard.org)Living the Sermon on the Mount: A Practical Hope for Grace and Deliverance by Glen StassenAugustine's The City of GodThe Ready, Set, Love online relationship program (readysetlove.com)

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} Summary:You have more than you know. There is rarely so much scarcity as we tend to focus on and bychanging the way we approach each day, we can change the way we live our lives. This week,Simple Talk host Wayne McCullough speaks with Dr. Rob Carman, pastor and leader of aworldwide ministry, who shares this message of hope and faith. Too often, we can findourselves living in the past and dwelling on life's difficulties. But there is always a future withGod, Dr. Carman says, and it's a greater future than we can possibly imagine.In order to follow that path, it's important to tap into the power within. Humans are holisticbeings; they are made up of a body, a soul, and a spirit, and it's important to nourish and findthe potential of each to amplify that power. Sometimes, it comes down to taking a hard look atour habits, as they are what shape the way we walk through each day. If we approach our dayswith positivity and a purposeful outlook, that will, in turn, affect what we experience. Everythingis connected and it's up to us to discover what we truly have.This Week's Takeaways:-Work with an idea of purpose-Cast off old, unhealthy habits-Remember that everything affects something else-Remove the shame from difficulty and depression-Have moments of quiet and stillness in your lifeQuotes:“Life is never behind you; it is always in front of you. I don't live out of a memory; I live out of animagination.” -Dr. Rob Carman“God said in the book of Ephesians that he would do above and beyond what you can ask orimagine, according to the power that's at work in you. Well, you've got to amplify, you've got tojump start that power. That's the power of faith, hope, and the Holy Spirit. And unless you gearthat thing up and be determined, you begin to live off your laurels and you don't want to live inyour past. If you live your past, you're going to go backwards. You're going to die. The definitionof old age has nothing to do with a numerical amount or when you were born. The definition ofold age simply says in Webster's 1828 dictionary — nobody would argue with Noah Webster —that old is belonging to the past and then he gave the second definition is stale. We don't wantto be stale. We don't want to belong to the past. There's always a future with God and it'salways bigger than what you've had before.” -Dr. Rob Carman“I tell people, you can retire from a company, a job, an occupation, but you never retire fromwork. Work is one of the greatest things that God gave an individual. … Work is the tool thatGod gave a human being to get out of them everything he put in them. Without work, everytalent, every skill, every ability lies dormant.” -Dr. Rob Carman“Psychiatrists have said if you can change the first five minutes when you wake up and the lastfive minutes when you go to bed, you can change your day. I say if you can change a day, youcan change a life because all a life is is an accumulation of days.” -Dr. Rob Carman“Everything leaves to enter and the way you leave determines the way you enter. You left yourwomb to come into this world. You leave home to go to school. You leave school to have acareer. You leave singleness to get married. You leave a house to get into your car. You leave acar to go into work. The way you leave determines the way you enter. So, anytime you leaveanything, leave right and you'll enter right.” -Dr. Rob CarmanContact:You can follow Dr. Rob Carman's work on his website, robcarman.com, where you can alsosign up for his weekly devotionals, as recommended by Wayne McCullough. On his website,you can also check out his latest projects, which include broadcasting his ministry to Iran,Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Turkey. You can also find his published work on theYouVersion Bible App.Mentions:The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent PealeThe Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom by Corrie Ten Boom withJohn and Elizabeth SherrillTramp for the Lord by Corrie Ten Boom2 Chairs: The Secret that Changes Everything by Bob Beaudine“The Mind: Mental and Emotional Health” recorded by Dr. Rob Carman###

Episode 9: Ghost World: High School Reunions, Grace, Redemption and the Way of the Buffalo.

Summary:There is always hope. Even in a person's darkest moments, there is a path forward. Finding itcan be difficult, but it's made easier when you have a community to turn to for support. Thisweek, host Wayne McCullough speaks with Jessica Trudeau, executive director of theMomentous Institute, about finding that path through difficult times. Trudeau had a challengingchildhood and it took many years for her to both sit with and move forward from thoseexperiences, she says. Now, she's dedicated to helping others learn to grow from adversity.The Momentous Institute, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary next year, works to helpchildren reach their full potential through fostering social emotional health. Providing childrenand their families with mental and social help resources gives them the chance to becomeagents of change within their own lives and communities. After all, Trudeau says, people canbreak unhealthy generational cycles if they can begin by healing themselves.This Week's Takeaways:-Acknowledge mistakes and work to repair them-Practice forgiveness of both self and others-Seek help and support if you are feeling alone-Learn to sit with discomfort-Find a way to release trauma after honoring itQuotes:“At one point, someone told me, for stained glass, it's the fractures that let the light in and allowit to be beautiful. I believe that about human beings.” -Jessica Trudeau“The moments of really deep suffering in my life, I've grown from. My mother always says, youcan learn in the darkness and you can learn in the light.” -Jessica Trudeau“It's easy to think there's not a path out. There is always a path out. The easiest way to accessthat path is to surround yourself with community. We cannot do this life alone. We were notmeant to do this life alone. I believe we were created and hardwired to be in community. Whenyou feel like (you) just can't keep going on, find the person who will be safe for you and reachout and ask for support.” -Jessica Trudeau“You have to be able to sit with discomfort. The goal is not to numb pain. If you numb pain, younumb joy. And sitting in pain will not kill you. You will get to the other side. But there's no wayaround it. There's no path to recovery in this lifetime that does not involve walking through thepain you're experiencing.” -Jessica Trudeau“We have an opportunity to understand that everyone has their own life path to walk. And it's notour job to save anyone. It's our job to learn the lessons we're supposed to learn in this lifetimeand to witness and offer light and hope to others, but to let them walk their path.” -JessicaTrudeauContact:You can find out more about the Momentous Institute at momentousinstitute.org. The institute'sChanging the Odds 2019 conference is scheduled for Oct. 24-25 in Dallas. The theme of theconference is Hidden Factors.

Summary:Every week on Simple Talk, host Wayne McCullough talks with his guests about faith, family,friends, fitness, and finances. This week, guest Larry Redell takes a deep dive into the world ofpersonal finances and investments. He's the co-owner of St. James Investment Company whichhas been managing equity portfolios for individuals and institutions for two decades. He shareshis thoughts on how to be a smart investor and how to start early to build security for yourfuture.Discipline is more important than mindset, Redell says. You can go into investing with the rightframe of mind, but if you can't establish and sustain good practices, even the best of intentionscan go astray. After all, no one can predict the future. It's impossible to know what peaks orvalleys lay ahead, so it's critical to prepare ahead and be ready for those fluctuations when theycome. Being prepared and disciplined, even a first-time investor can build something great.This Week's Takeaways:-Discipline is more important than mindset-Partnerships grow through shared values and varied skills-There's a difference between speculating and investing-There are times to be bold and times to be cautious-Build an antifragile portfolioQuotes:“What money should give people, I would suggest, if things are healthy, it gives you a lot offlexibility, it gives you a lot of freedom, you know you're going to be able to take care of thoseyou love and those you care about.” -Larry Redell“If you get yourself in debt … that exponential trap can keep you really mired in a bad situation.It can cause a lot of strife and can affect the other areas of your life really adversely.” -LarryRedell“If you can be an investor and put away a little money, if you can compound that money and livebelow your means, to me, you don't need to hit home runs. You hit singles. That's the basis ofour strategy.” -Larry Redell“It's not as hard as everybody thinks. The average person could start with $10,000 and dosomething.” -Wayne McCullough“You don't sit there and try to predict the future. What you try to do is build an antifragile portfolioand economy because you don't know where this black swan is going to come from. You don'tknow what unintended consequences might unwind.” -Larry RedellMentions:On this week's episode, host Wayne McCullough and guest Larry Redell mentioned thefollowing books and films:Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street by Michael LewisThe Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing by Benjamin GrahamThe Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor by Howard MarksThe Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim TalebAntifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder by Nassim TalebThe Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael LewisThe Big Short (2015)The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas Stanley andWilliam DankoContact:You can follow St. James Investment Company on their website, stjic.com. There, you can alsofind their regular newsletter on value investing.

Summary:Every week on Simple Talk, host Wayne McCullough talks with his guests about faith, family,friends, fitness, and finances. This week, guest Larry Redell takes a deep dive into the world ofpersonal finances and investments. He's the co-owner of St. James Investment Company whichhas been managing equity portfolios for individuals and institutions for two decades. He shareshis thoughts on how to be a smart investor and how to start early to build security for yourfuture.Discipline is more important than mindset, Redell says. You can go into investing with the rightframe of mind, but if you can't establish and sustain good practices, even the best of intentionscan go astray. After all, no one can predict the future. It's impossible to know what peaks orvalleys lay ahead, so it's critical to prepare ahead and be ready for those fluctuations when theycome. Being prepared and disciplined, even a first-time investor can build something great.This Week's Takeaways:-Discipline is more important than mindset-Partnerships grow through shared values and varied skills-There's a difference between speculating and investing-There are times to be bold and times to be cautious-Build an antifragile portfolioQuotes:“What money should give people, I would suggest, if things are healthy, it gives you a lot offlexibility, it gives you a lot of freedom, you know you're going to be able to take care of thoseyou love and those you care about.” -Larry Redell“If you get yourself in debt … that exponential trap can keep you really mired in a bad situation.It can cause a lot of strife and can affect the other areas of your life really adversely.” -LarryRedell“If you can be an investor and put away a little money, if you can compound that money and livebelow your means, to me, you don't need to hit home runs. You hit singles. That's the basis ofour strategy.” -Larry Redell“It's not as hard as everybody thinks. The average person could start with $10,000 and dosomething.” -Wayne McCullough“You don't sit there and try to predict the future. What you try to do is build an antifragile portfolioand economy because you don't know where this black swan is going to come from. You don'tknow what unintended consequences might unwind.” -Larry RedellMentions:On this week's episode, host Wayne McCullough and guest Larry Redell mentioned thefollowing books and films:Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street by Michael LewisThe Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing by Benjamin GrahamThe Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor by Howard MarksThe Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim TalebAntifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder by Nassim TalebThe Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael LewisThe Big Short (2015)The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas Stanley andWilliam DankoContact:You can follow St. James Investment Company on their website, stjic.com. There, you can alsofind their regular newsletter on value investing.

It's possible to live a life of authenticity through a vertical and centered relationship with God.This week, Simple Talk podcast host Wayne McCullough shares ideas about how to verticallyintegrate faith in your life to live in gratitude. One of the most important steps toward doing thatis removing comparison from your life. After all, he says, if you're in a state of comparison, howcan you be in a state of gratitude?If you can find a way to get centered and spend the time you need to sit with God and your ownthoughts, you can start making decisions that reflect that relationship you want to have. It comesdown to reality, your perception, and seeking contentment through distractions. More thananything, it's important to remember that life is a gift and to live graciously is one way to giveback.What You'll Learn:-Center God in your life-Practice good stewardship of family, faith, friends, fitness, and finances-Remember that competitiveness is OK, but comparison kills gratitude-Stress test situations that are worrying you-Seek authenticityQuotes:“We need to walk with Christ or God inside of us as opposed to alongside of us.” -WayneMcCullough“We live in a world where we're in a constant state of comparison, we're in a constant state ofwhat perception should be. And all those situations just create failure.” -Wayne McCullough“Comparison is the death of joy.” -Wayne McCullough“Life is so precious. Just being able to breathe, just breathing, taking a deep breath, you've gotto be gracious for that.” -Wayne McCullough“Own your responsibilities, own your mistakes, but own the things that you have done great anddon't even look at others.” -Wayne McCulloughMentions:This week, host Wayne McCullough mentioned the book “2 Chairs: The Secret that ChangesEverything” by Bob Bodine.

People change throughout their lives and embracing change in yourself and others can give youthe space to find the path you're meant to be on. On this episode of The Simple Talk podcast,host Wayne McCullough speaks with Noel Bouché, of pureHOPE, which seeks to build a worldfree of sexual exploitation and brokenness. Bouché shares stories of challenges and successesin his own life and tells his own truth of change.Throughout a person's life, they will often find themselves at a crossroads. Sometimes thechoices they face are difficult or dangerous; other times they are more clear-cut. Fear, guilt, andshame can be powerful drivers, so it's important to try to find identity, relationships, andcommunity that will uplift you in your times of change and need and confront difficultconversations honestly to move forward in learning and growth.This Week's Takeaways-Embrace transitional periods in life-Understand that growth means change-Seek out community and provide it for others-Help yourself to help others-Focus on relationship-buildingQuotes“What happens in our life is things get interwoven and what can happen is, we don't see ithappening, but they can become idols. When our identity is wrapped around something, someway that's detracting us ultimately from who we really are and who've been designed to be andit can be limiting.” -Noel Bouche“If we can just rest in those periods, those transitions, where the oceans are choppy and wedon't have certainty, what's going to happen is we're going to grow. Because anytime wetransition, it literally means to step across. Naturally, our perspective is going to be shifted andthat is a good thing because we can get stuck in ruts. And more than that, healthy things growand growing things change.” -Noel Bouche“Fear is not just the absence of courage, fear is about self-preservation. When a stimuluscomes, what fear is, is me trying to protect myself and that's why we put up barriers, that's whywe wear masks, that's why we hide. And the Bible says the antidote to that is not courage; it'slove because love is self-giving.” -Noel Bouche“A crisis is just danger meeting opportunity. It's a crossroads.” -Noel Bouche“The beauty of climbing the mountain is not at the top when you look out at everything, it is inclimbing the mountain, which is the hardest part. You don't tell the story when you climb Everestabout standing up there for 25 seconds, you tell the story of climbing and how tough it was, butthat's where you grow, that's where you get stronger, that's where the story is.” -WayneMcCulloughReferencesYou can find out more about pureHOPE at purehope.net or on social media @findpurehope.

While people often feel comfortable talking about physical pain, they may shy away from topics like emotional pain and mental illness. This week's guest is family man and mediator Mike McCullough. He speaks openly about his struggle with depression and anxiety and shares his story in the hopes of reaching others who may be facing similar hardships.It's important to have friends and feel comfortable turning to them for support, McCullough says. There are times when depression can make it hard to feel motivated, so it's critical to get up and move around or take time outside to kick start your system. But above all, McCullough says it's faith that put him on a better path to accepting the pain he'd felt in his life and building up the tools he needed to move forward.This Week's Takeaways-Bring together the spiritual, emotional, and physical-Understand it can be helpful to sit with pain or hurt and learn from it-Restart your system by getting outside, doing exercise, and moving-Have a support system for when times get tough-Persevere with acceptanceQuotes“We can focus on the emotional, the physical, but we also have to focus on the spiritual because, you know, we are a spirit. We have a soul and we live in a body. So, we've got to have all three line up.” -Mike McCullough“That weakness is literally your superpower. It is a gift from God.” -Wayne McCullough“Friends (are) hugely important in our lives for a variety of reasons, but particularly when you're going through physical or emotional pain, you've got to have people around you.” -Mike McCullough“You can't regret the past. It is what it is, and you've just got to learn from it.” -Mike McCullough“I want people, if they're listening to this podcast, to know, one, there's hope, and two, to experience God in some way in their life.” -Mike McCulloughReferencesThis week, the McCullough brothers mentioned Dallas, Texas-based Dr. George Burris, the New Hope class at Park Cities Baptist Church, and the following:-You Gotta Keep Dancin' by Tim Hansel, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/96162.You_Gotta_Keep_Dancin_-Lisa Ann McCall, founder of The McCall Method, https://mccallmethod.com/-Brennan Manning, https://brennanmanning.com/-Richard J. Foster, https://renovare.org/people/richard-foster/bioYou can contact today's guest, Mike McCullough at [INSERT] and our host, Wayne McCullough, at [INSERT].

On this week's episode of the Simple Talk, host Wayne McCullough discusses the docu-drama film he co-produced, called The Heart of Man. It delves into the troubles of an oversexualized world and shares people's stories of pain and journeys to faith. McCullough took on the project after learning about the epidemic of sex trafficking in the United States. He says it opened his eyes to a different world and one he felt he had the resources to help shed light on. Throughout this week's episode, McCullough returns to the intersection of struggle and faith. He asks us to take a moment to consider a question posed by renowned composer and non-profit leader Tony Anderson: “What if my brokenness was a bridge to God and not a barrier?”This Week's Takeaways-Brokenness is a path to God, not a barrier-It can be important to talk about uncomfortable topics-Sexual abuse and sex trafficking happen across this country-Faith and family are the foundation of a good life-Worry less and have fun for longevity and healthQuotes“I think you really have to believe in providence — whatever that looks like to you — providence being that certain things make their way into your life and you have to let those things happen. And then sometimes, you have to take those things on when it doesn't seem right.” -Wayne McCullough“There's too much shame out there in the world.” -Wayne McCullough“There's a whole world that exists outside of my little bubble.” -Wayne McCullough“We can kick down brothel doors and arrest people but until we address that there's a demand, we can never control the supply.” -Wayne McCullough“Get uncomfortable. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” -Wayne McCulloughReferences This week, Wayne recommended checking out the film he co-produced, which is called The Heart of Man. You can find out more at https://heartofmanmovie.com. He also mentioned the Dallas, Texas-based non-profit pureHOPE. You can learn more at their website, http://purehope.net/. He also discussed the documentary, Rape for Profit, about sex trafficking in the United States. More info at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2179660/.

In this inaugural episode of the Simple Talk podcast, Dallas, Texas-based host Wayne McCullough shares the genesis story of this project, which is near and dear to his heart. As a husband, father, uncle, friend, and businessman, McCullough is no stranger to splitting his time among the many responsibilities in life. But along the way, he found he wasn't always balancing them right. After hearing a talk during a dads' day at his kids' elementary school a decade ago, he was inspired to start the Simple Talk meet-up sessions that ultimately led to this podcast.This podcast is for everyone, but the idea started with a group of men who were looking to better their own lives. Through regular meetings at participants' homes, the group sought to bring together the most important avenues in life: faith, family, friends, finances, and fitness. Now, McCullough hopes to share some of those thoughts and ideas on this podcast to help you create your best life. Tune in as he talks with guests and shares readings from his own learning here on Simple Talk.This Week's Takeaways-Ask yourself what you're actively doing to create a better life-Discover the narrative of your life and who set it-Start to change how you may look at the world-Identify the strength in your weaknesses-Get involved in the world and start doing, not just beingQuotes“We're going to improve your life and a lot of that is going to be focusing on the big five in your life, which is faith, family, friends, finances, and fitness. And what that's always meant to me is those big five things, if we align them, your life is so much better.” -Wayne McCullough“What we're trying to do is create transparency in a community. … A life of authenticity is so much better received than a life of what we would consider fake.” -Wayne McCullough“There's a difference between success and being fulfilled. There's a difference between success and significance. What I'd like to encourage people to do is you want to end up with a life of significance.” -Wayne McCullough“What we try to get people to see is that your brokenness is really a bridge to greatness.” -Wayne McCullough“We need to go from humans being to humans doing.” -Wayne McCulloughReferences This week, Wayne mentioned retired Navy SEAL and current podcaster and author Jocko Willink. He suggests trying to adopt at least one of Willink's recommendations for leading a more productive life including waking up early, preparing your gym clothes the night before, making tomorrow's to-do list before you go to bed, using short naps throughout the day to rejuvenate yourself, and ignoring your office's free food (especially during the holidays). You can find out more about Willink and listen to his show online at jockopodcast.com.