When Words Take Your Power
Theresa Hubbard and Walker Bird
"I’m gonna live before I’m gone."
It’s easy to dismiss a comment or label — until it hits something tender inside. In this conversation, Walker shares what happened when someone called him a “thrill seeker” and the reactive words that tumbled out. Theresa and Walker explore the difference between reacting from an old wound and responding from an intentional place of clarity.
They discuss what it means to protect your dreams, how labels like “reckless” or “thrill seeker” can feel like judgment, and why integrity sometimes means pausing before we speak.
We explore:
→ Why certain comments feel like they take something from us
→ The difference between little-boy dreams and adult plans
→ Practical ways to stand in your truth without defensiveness
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Episode Chapters
00:00 Free mini-course on healthy relationships
00:41 When a comment feels like judgment
02:22 “I’m gonna live before I’m gone”
05:40 Little-boy dreams vs adult plans
11:15 Reckless or resilient
13:29 Standing your ground with intention
18:02 Choosing curiosity over defensiveness
24:26 Setting boundaries without justifying
32:19 Integrity and self-reflection
38:45 The Tom Cruise example
43:54 Playing the moment back again
47:31 Integrity with ourselves
Topics we explore in this episode include:
reactive communication, reclaiming personal power, integrity in relationships, handling judgment, authority and inner child dynamics, healthy boundaries, choosing curiosity, emotional self-awareness, responding vs reacting, standing in your truth