Burnout rarely arrives all at once. For Keith Cole, it accumulated through grief, combat, responsibility, suppressed trauma, long workdays, and the belief that strength meant pushing through without asking for help.
In this episode, Erick talks with Keith - a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran, former CPA, and author of Burnout: God's Recovery Plan - about what happens when endurance becomes exhaustion and why simply managing stress is not the same as healing.
Keith shares the losses and experiences that shaped his life, including the death of his father while he was in high school, being wounded three times in Vietnam, serving families of fallen Marines, losing his mother, and becoming guardian to his younger siblings at age 23.
Years later, while running a successful CPA practice, the pressure finally reached a breaking point. That moment became the beginning of a faith-centered recovery journey built around honesty, structure, rest, and the willingness to receive help.
Loss and rebellion: Keith expected to enter ministry, but the death of his father at age 52 changed his direction. Angry with God, he moved away from the church and enlisted in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam era.
Combat and accumulated trauma: Serving as an M60 machine gunner, Keith was wounded three times. After returning stateside, he served on Instructor-Inspector duty, where part of his responsibility included notifying next of kin and supporting honor details for fallen Marines - work he describes as, in many ways, harder than combat.
Responsibility without recovery: While still serving, Keith lost his mother and received an early discharge to become legal guardian to his 15- and 13-year-old siblings. He later worked through college, became a CPA, built his own practice, and continued carrying stress without talking about it or seeking support.
The breaking point: Late one night in his office, Keith reached for a bottle of scotch and realized it was no longer giving him relief. He cried out to God, spent time in prayer, and began confronting what years of pushing through had cost him.
Writing as a path toward healing: Because writing directly about his own experiences was painful, Keith created a fictional Marine named Kevin Casey and told his story through that character. The process helped him see that the same lessons might also help others facing burnout and stress, whether they had served in combat or not.
| Managing Stress | Healing |
| Keith compares managing stress to sweeping the front porch every day: it may look better for a while, but the source of the mess has not changed. | Healing means becoming honest about the root causes, allowing faith and trusted people into the process, and building a healthier structure for how you live and work. |
Keith describes a faith-centered daily rhythm he uses to prevent overload and stay grounded. In the conversation, he walks through the following elements of PRAISER:
P - Prayer - Talk with God throughout the day and seek guidance rather than carrying everything alone.
R - Reading Scripture - Use Scripture as a source of direction, perspective, and truth.
A - Affirmations - Reinforce the direction and beliefs that support the life you are trying to build.
I - Inscribing - Write in a gratitude journal and put important thoughts on paper.
S - Seeing - Use visualization to keep meaningful goals and desired outcomes in view.
E - Exercise - Make physical movement part of the recovery process; Keith and his wife consistently train together.
R - Rest - Protect periods of true rest - even short, quiet 15-minute blocks during the day with no phone, television, or task list.
Keith also emphasizes planning his daily actions through prayer and limiting the number of priorities he carries into a day, rather than trying to accomplish everything at once.
"The strength worked until it didn't."
"There's no shame in talking about it."
"There's no shame in getting somebody's assistance."
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28
Keith A. Cole is the author of Burnout: God's Recovery Plan, a speaker, Marine Corps combat veteran, and Christian who is passionate about helping people find lasting recovery from burnout through biblical truth.
Drawing from his own journey through trauma, exhaustion, and restoration, Keith encourages individuals to move beyond simply managing stress and instead discover God's design for healing, purpose, and peace.
His message emphasizes that burnout is often rooted in deeper issues of identity, unresolved wounds, and misplaced priorities—and that true recovery begins by surrendering those burdens to God.
Keith lives in Maryland and shares practical, faith-based encouragement through his writing and speaking.
Burnout does not mean you are weak, unfaithful, or incapable. Sometimes it means you have been carrying too much for too long without enough recovery, support, or honesty. You do not have to wait until everything collapses to make a change. Healing can begin with one honest conversation, one protected period of rest, and one decision to stop carrying the load alone.