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  • David Burnell: Thy Will Be Done - Grief, Healing, and Learning to Let Go

    David Burnell: Thy Will Be Done - Grief, Healing, and Learning to Let Go
    2026/08/11
    In this episode, I want to talk about something that has become deeply personal to me. This past month, my little sister passed away at only fifty-nine after a vicious battle with cancer. Losing someone you love brings a kind of grief that cannot be fixed by working harder, staying busy, or simply willing yourself through it. Family and friends are left carrying an absence that cannot be filled and memories that suddenly become more precious than ever.For those of us who are accustomed to solving problems, protecting others, or taking action when something goes wrong, grief teaches a difficult lesson: some things cannot be fixed. They must be carried, felt, and eventually placed in hands stronger than our own. My hope in sharing this story is that anyone grieving someone they love might find a measure of peace in knowing that healing does not require forgetting, and moving forward does not mean leaving them behind. We carry their love with us, we honor the life they lived, and through faith in Jesus Christ, I believe separation is not the end.Sometimes the strongest thing we can do is stop trying to control what cannot be changed, allow ourselves to grieve, and trust God with the person we love and with the broken pieces left behind.Thy will be done.Thy Will Be Done - This is the last chapter from my Book “Built By Fire”There comes a point when understanding is no longer enough. You can examine the past, recognize patterns, trace consequences, and begin to see how one season of life led into another. You can identify the decisions that changed you, the people who shaped you, the mistakes you would correct if given another opportunity, and the moments you would never change at all. Reflection can bring clarity, but it cannot resolve everything. Some losses cannot be reversed. Some wounds do not disappear. Some relationships cannot be restored by regret alone. Some people cannot be brought home no matter how badly you want another outcome.Eventually, the deeper question is no longer simply what happened or why. It becomes what you are willing to release.For most of my life, I believed that if I prepared enough, worked hard enough, remained disciplined, and accepted responsibility, I could find a way through almost anything. That belief had not come from theory. It had been tested repeatedly. In military service, Search and Rescue, dive recovery, tactical training, protective work, business, and humanitarian missions, preparation and decisive action mattered. When someone was missing beneath the ice, there was no benefit in standing on shore discussing uncertainty forever. When a team entered a dangerous environment, someone had to assess the threat, make a decision, and move. When frightened soldiers were surrounded by an angry crowd in Haiti, someone had to keep fear from turning into gunfire. When doctors and nurses were focused on the suffering in front of them, someone had to watch what was happening around them. In those environments, action mattered. Discipline mattered. Effort mattered. Sometimes they saved lives.The problem came when I began to believe that the same tools could solve everything.Service had taught me to carry responsibility until the problem was solved. If something was wrong, I worked harder. If a plan failed, I developed another one. If an obstacle appeared, I tried to overcome it. If I was hurt, I pushed through it. If something was unfinished, I returned to it. That mindset had helped me survive difficult circumstances and had allowed me to be useful to others, but it also created an illusion that took me years to recognize. Not everything can be fixed by doing more.There are people you cannot save. There are injuries determination cannot erase. There are decisions made by others that you cannot control. There are relationships that require more than one person’s effort to repair. There are moments with your children and family that cannot be recovered simply because you finally understand how important they were. There are missions that end without the answer you prayed for.I could not bring back those we lost. I could not find the kidnapped boy in Haiti. I could not undo every absence or reclaim every moment when the mission had received more of me than the people waiting at home. I could not command the nerves in my injured foot to restore themselves simply because I wanted them to. I could not repair everything through force of will. Yet for years, part of me kept trying.That was one of the most difficult things for me to recognize about myself. When something hurt, I often responded by moving. Another mission. Another business. Another project. Another responsibility. Another opportunity to be useful. Activity created purpose, and purpose helped quiet things I did not yet know how to face.There is nothing wrong with action when action is needed. There is nothing wrong with hard work, discipline, persistence, or service. They are among the qualities I value most. But...
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    21 分
  • David Burnell: D-Day: The Longest Day

    David Burnell: D-Day: The Longest Day
    2026/06/06
    There are certain dates in history that echo through the generations. Dates that become far more than moments on a calendar. They become symbols. They become reminders. They become markers that separate what was from what might have been. June 6, 1944, is one of those dates. It is remembered simply as D-Day, but behind those six characters lies one of the most extraordinary demonstrations of courage, sacrifice, and determination the world has ever witnessed.As I reflect on this anniversary, I often find myself thinking less about the military operation itself and more about the men who carried it out. They were young—many barely out of high school. Some had never traveled far from home. They were farmers from Iowa, fishermen from New England, factory workers from Detroit, students from small towns scattered across America, Canada, Britain, and beyond. Most had never experienced combat. Yet on the morning of June 6, they climbed into landing craft and aircraft, knowing that many of them would not survive the day.The world they inherited was engulfed in war. For years, Nazi Germany had spread tyranny across Europe. Entire nations had fallen under occupation. Millions lived without freedom. Families had been torn apart. Innocent people suffered under oppression, persecution, and violence. The leaders of the Allied nations understood that if Europe was to be liberated, someone would have to cross the English Channel and challenge one of the most heavily defended coastlines in history. Someone would have to confront the machine guns, artillery, mines, and fortified bunkers that stretched across the beaches of Normandy. Someone would have to stand between tyranny and freedom.Before dawn, thousands of Allied paratroopers descended from the skies over France. Many landed far from their intended drop zones. Some found themselves alone, separated from their units and surrounded by enemy forces. In the darkness and confusion, they pressed forward anyway. They seized bridges, disrupted communications, and created chaos behind German lines. Their mission was critical to the success of the invasion, and many paid for it with their lives. Yet despite the confusion and danger, they carried on because they understood that what they were doing mattered.As the first light of dawn broke over the Normandy coast, thousands of landing craft approached the beaches. Utah. Omaha. Gold. Juno. Sword. Those names would soon become etched into history forever. Packed tightly into those boats were young men carrying rifles, ammunition, fear, and hope. They knew what awaited them. They had seen reconnaissance photographs. They had listened to briefings. They knew the beaches were covered by machine guns and artillery. They knew many of their friends would die. Yet they kept moving toward the shore.I often wonder what went through their minds during those final moments before the ramps dropped. Perhaps they thought of their families back home. Perhaps they thought about a mother praying for them, a father who taught them to be strong, a sweetheart waiting for their return, or a future they hoped to build when the war was over. Perhaps they prayed. Perhaps they were too overwhelmed by fear to think clearly at all. Whatever they felt, they stepped forward when the moment came.The fighting at Omaha Beach became one of the most brutal battles of the entire invasion. As the ramps lowered, many soldiers were met immediately with devastating enemy fire. Carefully planned formations dissolved into chaos. Officers were killed. Units became separated. Men found themselves pinned down on open beaches with nowhere to hide. The invasion itself seemed in danger of failing. Yet in those moments, something remarkable happened. Ordinary men stepped forward and became leaders. Small groups formed under intense fire. Soldiers crawled across the sand, climbed steep bluffs, attacked machine gun nests, and opened pathways for those behind them. The success of D-Day did not come because everything went according to plan. It came because countless individuals refused to surrender.That lesson has stayed with me throughout my own life. Whether in military service, search-and-rescue operations, humanitarian missions, business, or simply facing the challenges of everyday life, success rarely comes when conditions are perfect. More often than not, success comes because people refuse to quit. It comes because ordinary individuals continue moving forward despite fear, uncertainty, and hardship. The men of D-Day demonstrated that truth in its purest form.By the end of June 6, more than 156,000 Allied troops had landed in Normandy. Thousands were dead, wounded, or missing. The cost was staggering. Yet a foothold had been established. The defenses had been breached. The liberation of Europe had begun. From those beaches would come the liberation of France, the eventual collapse of Nazi Germany, and the restoration of freedom to millions of people who had lived under...
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    9 分
  • Defense for Women: Introduction

    Defense for Women: Introduction
    2026/06/02
    Before It Happens is the introduction to the Defense for Women series on the David Burnell Podcast. In this foundational episode, David explains why personal safety begins long before a physical attack, how predators think, why awareness matters, and the core principles that will guide the entire series. Learn why violence is not a fight, why prevention is the ultimate goal, and how recognizing danger early can help you stay safe before it happens.Full Episode:Welcome to the David Burnell Podcast and the Defense for Women series.Before we begin talking about awareness, predators, intuition, boundaries, personal safety, and self-defense, I think it’s important that you understand who I am, why I’m creating this series, and where these lessons come from.For more than forty years, I’ve worked in professions where understanding danger wasn’t optional—it was essential. My background includes service in the United States Air Force, where I worked in communications, intelligence support, combat communications, and close air support, as well as missions supporting Special Operations. Following my military service, I spent decades working in security consulting, protective services, executive protection, search-and-rescue operations, dive rescue and recovery, disaster response, humanitarian missions, violence prevention, and self-defense training.Over the years, I’ve trained military personnel, law enforcement officers, rescue professionals, security teams, protective service specialists, and civilians. I’ve worked in disaster zones following earthquakes and tsunamis. I’ve deployed on humanitarian missions in places like Haiti, Japan, and Burma. I’ve participated in rescue and recovery operations where lives depended on preparation, awareness, and decision-making under pressure. I’ve taught awareness, preparedness, personal protection, and violence prevention to thousands of people, and I’ve spent much of my adult life studying how emergencies unfold, how people respond under stress, how criminals select victims, and how ordinary people can dramatically improve their chances of staying safe.What I learned through all of those experiences surprised me.The most important lessons about survival rarely come from fighting. They come from avoidance. They come from awareness. They come from recognizing danger before danger recognizes you.Throughout my career, I’ve watched people spend enormous amounts of time learning how to react to violence while spending very little time learning how to avoid it. Yet when you study real-world incidents, you discover something interesting. The people who consistently stay safe are often not the strongest. They are not the fastest. They are not necessarily the most skilled fighters.They are the people who recognize danger early. They notice what others miss. They trust their instincts. They understand boundaries. They understand risk. And they act before a situation becomes a crisis.That’s why I created Defense for Women.I believe every woman deserves practical, realistic information about personal safety. Not fear. Not paranoia. Not sensational stories designed to scare people. Practical knowledge that can help you recognize danger sooner, make better decisions under pressure, and avoid becoming a victim in the first place.The title of this episode—and in many ways the title of this entire series—is Before It Happens.That phrase represents a fundamental shift in how we think about self-defense. Most people think self-defense begins when someone grabs you. Most people think self-defense begins when an attack starts. Most people think self-defense begins when violence becomes unavoidable.I disagree.Real self-defense begins long before that.It begins with awareness. It begins with preparation. It begins with understanding how violence actually unfolds. And it begins with recognizing danger while you still have options.One of the most important lessons I’ve learned throughout my life is that violence rarely happens the way people imagine it. Most people picture violence as a fight. They imagine two people facing each other, exchanging words, escalating into a confrontation, and eventually becoming physical.Real violence is usually very different.Real violence is often sudden. It is often unfair. It is often unexpected. And it is usually designed to overwhelm a victim before they have time to respond. The person who initiates violence often has the advantage because they choose the time, the place, the method, and the target.That is why one of the core principles you’ll hear throughout this series is simple:Violence is not a fight—it’s an event.When you begin looking at violence as an event instead of a fight, everything changes. You stop focusing exclusively on what happens during an attack and start paying attention to everything that happens before it. You begin paying attention to awareness. You begin paying attention to behavior. You begin ...
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    9 分
  • Defense for Women: Where It Happens

    Defense for Women: Where It Happens
    2026/06/02
    Most women think violence occurs in dark alleys and dangerous neighborhoods. The reality is very different. In this episode, David Burnell explains why predators often target transitional spaces such as parking lots, gas stations, apartment complexes, and other everyday locations where attention drops and vulnerability increases. Learn how awareness can help you recognize opportunity before a predator does and why winning early is one of the most effective forms of self-defense. Full Episode:Welcome back to the David Burnell Podcast and another episode of Defense for Women.Today I want to talk about one of the biggest misconceptions people have about violence. Most people believe danger exists somewhere else. They picture dark alleys, abandoned buildings, dangerous neighborhoods, or places they would never intentionally visit. They imagine that violence announces itself through obvious warning signs and that danger is easy to recognize. Unfortunately, reality works very differently. Violence can happen anywhere, at any time, and often in places we move through every single day without giving them a second thought.One of the concepts I teach in personal security is something called transitional spaces. A transitional space is any place where people move from one environment to another. It might be the walk from a store to your car. It might be the parking lot outside your workplace. It could be a gas station, a hotel lobby, an apartment complex, a stairwell, an elevator, or even the short walk from your vehicle to your front door. These are locations where people naturally shift their focus from their surroundings to the next thing they need to do. And because attention shifts, awareness often drops.Predators understand this. In fact, they depend on it.Most criminals are not looking for the strongest person in the area. They are not looking for the toughest target. They are looking for opportunity. They are looking for a distraction. They are looking for isolation. They are looking for someone who is focused on something other than them. They know that people become vulnerable during transitions because the mind is occupied with tasks rather than awareness.Think about how often you leave a store and immediately begin thinking about something else. Maybe you’re looking for your keys. Maybe you’re checking your phone. Maybe you’re loading groceries into your vehicle. Maybe you’re managing children, answering a text message, or mentally reviewing your day. Your body is moving through the environment, but your attention is somewhere else entirely.That’s exactly what predators look for.One of the most common locations for criminal activity is not some remote back alley. It’s a parking lot. Parking lots combine several factors that criminals find attractive. People are often distracted. Distances between individuals can be significant. Escape routes are plentiful. Visibility may be limited by vehicles, structures, or lighting conditions. Most importantly, people often lower their guard because they view parking lots as nothing more than a means of getting from one place to another.A predator standing in a parking lot sees something entirely different. They see people whose attention is fixed on their phones. They see individuals searching through purses and pockets for keys. They see people carrying bags that limit movement. They see people walking alone. They see people who never look up and never scan their surroundings.Bad guys want it easy.That phrase is one of the most important lessons in personal safety because it explains so much of criminal behavior. Bad guys want it easy. They don’t want witnesses. They don’t want resistance. They don’t want attention. They don’t want uncertainty. They want an opportunity that requires the least effort and poses the least risk.Transitional spaces often provide exactly that.The same principle applies to gas stations. Most people don’t think of a gas station as a place where they need to be alert. It’s a routine stop. You pull in, fill the tank, maybe grab a drink or a snack, and leave. But while you’re standing there, your movement is restricted. Your attention is divided. You may be looking at the pump, your phone, your wallet, or your children. Once again, your focus shifts away from the environment around you.Predators understand these patterns because they observe human behavior. They know when people are paying attention and when they are not. They know when awareness is high and when awareness is low. They know that most people operate on autopilot during routine activities.The same vulnerabilities exist in apartment complexes, hotel corridors, parking garages, elevators, office buildings, and shopping centers. What all these locations have in common is that people are moving from one place to another. They are transitioning. Their minds are focused on the destination rather than the journey. And that brief window of reduced awareness ...
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    9 分
  • Defense for Women: The Dangerous Need to Be Nice

    Defense for Women: The Dangerous Need to Be Nice
    2026/06/01

    Most women are taught to be polite. Predators know it.

    In this episode of Defense for Women, David Burnell examines how criminals and predators exploit one of the strongest social pressures many women experience—the need to be nice. From unwanted conversations to dangerous encounters, many women ignore their instincts because they fear appearing rude, overreacting, or hurting someone’s feelings.

    Drawing on decades of experience in military service, rescue operations, security, and self-defense training, David explains why politeness should never come before personal safety. You’ll learn how predators manipulate social norms, why discomfort is often a warning sign, and how confidence and boundaries can help stop dangerous situations before they escalate.

    Your safety is more important than someone else’s feelings.

    Defense for Women is part of the David Burnell Podcast, providing practical awareness, prevention, and personal safety education designed to help women avoid becoming victims before violence ever begins.



    Get full access to David Burnell at davidburnell.substack.com/subscribe
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    9 分
  • David Burnell: What Freedom Means to Me

    David Burnell: What Freedom Means to Me
    2026/05/31

    This morning, I was asked to share a few thoughts in church about what freedom means to me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend, so I put some of those thoughts in writing instead.

    My thoughts on freedom

    When I think about freedom, I don’t think first about politics or even Government. I think about people. I think about the young men and women who raised their right hands and stepped forward when their country called. I think about friends who never came home, and others who came home carrying wounds you can’t see. I think about the families who endured long separations and quiet sacrifices so that others could live in peace. Freedom has always had a face for me. It has names. It has stories.

    Over the years, my military service, rescue work, and humanitarian missions have taken me to places where freedom was fragile, where people lived with fear, uncertainty, and few choices about their own future. Those experiences changed me. They taught me that one of the greatest blessings we enjoy as Americans is not simply liberty itself, but the gift of agency—the ability to choose our path, speak our minds, worship according to our beliefs, build a life for our families, and pursue our God-given potential. The more I traveled, the more grateful I became for the freedoms we often take for granted.

    I love this country—not because it is perfect, but because of the principles upon which it was founded and the opportunities it has given generations of ordinary people to do extraordinary things. I have spent much of my life serving alongside people willing to stand between danger and the innocent, and that service taught me that freedom is not an entitlement. It is a sacred trust. Every generation inherits it, protects it, and passes it forward.

    Today, when I reflect on freedom, my heart is filled with gratitude. Gratitude for those who came before us. Gratitude for those who continue to serve. Gratitude for the blessings of living in the United States of America. And gratitude to God for the gift of agency itself—the ability to choose faith over fear, service over selfishness, and hope over despair. To me, that is what freedom truly means.

    God bless you and your loved ones, and may God bless America and all other freedom-loving nations and people.

    Please subscribe, follow, and share.

    Thank you for listening.

    — David Burnell



    Get full access to David Burnell at davidburnell.substack.com/subscribe
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    2 分
  • Defense for Women: Boundaries Are a Weapon

    Defense for Women: Boundaries Are a Weapon
    2026/05/30
    Most women are taught to be polite. Predators know it.In this episode of Defense for Women, David Burnell explores one of the most overlooked yet powerful self-defense tools available to every woman: boundaries. Long before violence occurs, predators often test potential victims by pushing limits, invading personal space, ignoring discomfort, and exploiting the desire to be polite.Drawing on decades of experience in military service, rescue operations, security, and self-defense training, David explains why confident boundaries pose a risk to predators and why healthy people respect them. You’ll learn how boundaries serve as an early warning system, how predators use social pressure to manipulate victims, and why “No” is often the most powerful word in personal safety.This episode will help you recognize dangerous behavior sooner, trust your instincts more confidently, and understand why protecting yourself never requires permission.Awareness helps you recognize danger. Intuition helps you identify danger. Distance helps you avoid danger. But boundaries help prevent danger from getting close enough to matter.Defense for Women is part of the David Burnell Podcast, providing practical safety, awareness, and personal security education designed to help women avoid becoming victims before violence ever begins. FULL EPISODE NARRATIVEWelcome back to the David Burnell Podcast and another episode of Defense for Women.Today I want to talk about something that may be one of the most powerful self-defense tools you possess, yet it is rarely taught in self-defense classes and almost never discussed in conversations about personal safety. I want to talk about boundaries.When most people hear the word boundaries, they think about relationships. They think about dealing with difficult family members, demanding coworkers, or unhealthy friendships. They think of boundaries as something emotional or social. But boundaries are much more than that. Boundaries are a security tool. In fact, strong boundaries can prevent dangerous situations from ever developing in the first place.One of the biggest misconceptions women have about personal safety is believing that self-defense begins when an attack starts. The reality is that the most effective self-defense often happens long before anyone lays a hand on you. It happens when you recognize danger early. It happens when you trust your instincts. It happens when you maintain awareness. And it happens when you establish boundaries.Predators understand human behavior far better than most people realize. They spend their lives observing people. They watch how people react. They study body language. They look for vulnerability. They pay attention to hesitation, uncertainty, distraction, and compliance. Most predators are not looking for the toughest target. They are looking for the easiest target. They are looking for the person who will allow them to get closer, the person who will continue the conversation, the person who will ignore discomfort, the person who will doubt their own instincts, and the person who will prioritize politeness over safety.That last point is especially important.Many women have been conditioned from childhood to be nice. Be polite. Be accommodating. Be helpful. Don’t offend anyone. Don’t embarrass anyone. Don’t make a scene. While those qualities can be admirable in healthy social situations, predators often exploit them. A predator understands that many women would rather endure discomfort than risk appearing rude. They know many women will continue conversations they don’t want because they don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. They know many women will tolerate behavior that feels inappropriate because they are worried about overreacting. They know that many women have been taught to question their instincts before questioning someone else’s behavior. And that creates opportunity.One of the most important lessons I can share with you is this: your safety is more important than someone else’s feelings.Think about that for a moment. Your safety is more important than someone else’s feelings. You do not owe strangers your time. You do not owe strangers your attention. You do not owe strangers access to your personal space. You do not owe anyone an explanation for protecting yourself.Many dangerous situations begin with a simple violation of boundaries. Someone stands too close. Someone continues a conversation after you’ve indicated you’re not interested. Someone asks personal questions that seem inappropriate. Someone pressures you to move to another location. Someone refuses to accept no for an answer. These actions may seem small, but they often serve as warning signs.Healthy people generally respect boundaries. Predators frequently test them.Think back to our previous episode about the Interview Phase. Predators often use small interactions to gather information. They aren’t necessarily interested in the answer to the ...
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    10 分
  • Audiobook: The Climb

    Audiobook: The Climb
    2026/05/27

    There are moments in life that change everything.

    Not because they are loud or dramatic…But because they quietly alter how you walk forward from that point on.

    The Climb is David Burnell’s personal experience ascending the Middle Teton—a climb undertaken just months after a devastating gunshot wound that permanently changed how he moved, how he endured, and how he understood himself.

    At first, the mountain is simply a challenge.

    But step by step, as the trail steepens and the group begins to separate, something deeper unfolds.

    The strong move ahead.

    The slower ones begin to fall behind.

    And the climb becomes something else entirely.

    As pain sets in and his pace slows, David finds himself walking beside those who are struggling—young men who are questioning whether they can continue at all.

    What begins as a limitation becomes a placement.

    What feels like weakness becomes purpose.

    And what seemed like a climb to the summit becomes a journey into something far more meaningful.

    Through real moments of exhaustion, stillness, and quiet decision, The Climb reveals powerful truths about life:

    * Progress is not measured by speed

    * Strength is found in what can be sustained

    * The most important ground is not ahead of you—but beside you

    * And no one is meant to walk their hardest moments alone

    This is not just a story about a mountain.

    It is a personal account of pain, purpose, faith, and perspective, drawn directly from David Burnell’s lived experience.

    It is about valleys that shape us.Vistas that remind us.And the quiet, sacred work of staying with others when it would be easier to move ahead.

    Written in a calm, reflective voice, The Climb offers a deeply personal and authentic perspective on struggle, endurance, and the kind of strength that is rarely seen—but always felt.

    It is for those who feel like they’ve fallen behind.

    For those who are still climbing, even when no one sees it.

    And for those who choose to stay beside them.

    One step. One choice. One purpose.Until we reach Him.



    Get full access to David Burnell at davidburnell.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 時間 38 分