What If Asking For Help Is Strength with Keith Cole

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He didn’t break in Vietnam. He broke years later in a quiet office, with stress piled so high that one more “push through it” simply wasn’t possible. We talk with Keith Cole, a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran who carried combat wounds, the trauma of notifying next of kin, and the weight of becoming a guardian for his younger siblings, then spent decades building a high-pressure career as a CPA. The result was a familiar modern story with uncommon honesty: burnout, sleepless nights, and a moment where alcohol looked like the only escape.

Keith shares what changed when he stopped treating surrender like a dirty word and started seeing it as a path back to life. We get into his faith-based recovery plan and the APRAISER practice he outlines in his book Burnout God’s Recovery Plan: action, prayer, reading scripture, inscribing gratitude journaling, seeing through visualization, exercise, and rest. It’s simple, disciplined, and grounded in the idea that healing isn’t fueled by sheer willpower alone.

We also talk about why community support matters, especially for trauma, chronic stress, and burnout recovery. Keith explains why “going it alone” isn’t strength, how he’s using the program in church groups, and how listeners can find his book and connect through recoverybyfaith.com. If you’ve been running on fumes, this conversation offers a steady next step. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

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