The Courage To Live
The Courage to Live podcast is hosted by retired Police Captain Josh Bitsko and his wife Jenna, and it explores resilience, leadership, and the real stories behind critical incidents and everyday challenges. Each episode blends lessons from Josh’s career in law enforcement including his response to the 1 October mass shooting in Las Vegas with honest conversations about trauma, growth, and the courage it takes to face both professional and personal battles. The show covers everything from leadership and decision making under stress to mental health, family, and the daily choices that help us live with purpose.
Episodes
142 episodes
Ep. 142: Courage Casts - Being on Time Matters
In this short episode, Josh talks about the importance of being punctual and why it reflects more than just time management. Drawing from lessons he learned growing up and carried throughout his career, he explains how being on time connects to...
Ep. 141: Courage Casts - Is It Okay to Be Afraid?
Josh breaks down the role fear plays in policing and other high-risk professions. He explains why fear is a natural response in dangerous situations and why the goal isn’t to eliminate it, but to keep it from interfering with decision-making an...
Ep. 140: The Courage to Live - Fitness and Consistency
In this episode, Josh and Jenna talk through their different fitness journeys and what they’ve learned along the way. From building confidence and handling physical demands on the job to staying disciplined when motivation isn’t there, they sha...
Ep. 139: Courage Casts - Rethinking Self Care
In this episode, Josh challenges the idea that self-care has to be time-consuming or complicated. Instead of focusing on big, planned activities, he talks about the value of small, consistent moments that help you recharge. From short breaks to...
Ep. 138: The Courage to Live- Let Them Fail
In this episode, Josh and Jenna break down one of the hardest parts of leadership: allowing your people to fail. Drawing from real training scenarios and on-the-job experience, they explore how stepping in too quickly can limit growth, create d...
Ep. 137: Courage Casts - Do a Little More
In this episode, Josh breaks down a simple but often overlooked truth: most people do the bare minimum. If you want to stand out as an employee, you don’t need a complicated strategy, you just need to give a little more effort than those around...
Ep. 136: The Courage to Live - Trust Your First Instinct
In this episode, Josh and Jenna explore a common human tendency: talking yourself out of what you know is happening in front of you. Using real examples from training and field experience, they break down how hesitation and overthinking can del...
Ep. 135: Courage Casts - What You Consume Shapes You
In this episode, Josh talks about how constant content consumption, especially through social media, can create echo chambers that impact your mindset and behavior. He shares a practical approach to breaking that cycle by being intentional abou...
Ep. 134: Courage Casts - The Fruit Takes Time
In this episode, Josh talks about the pressure to see fast results and why it often works against long-term growth. Whether it’s fitness, learning a skill, or professional development, real progress takes time. Using the idea that fruit is the ...
Ep. 133: The Courage to Live - Lessons From The Michigan Synagogue Shooting
Josh and Jenna break down the recent synagogue attack in Michigan and use it to highlight real-world lessons for businesses, schools, and places of worship. From armed security and physical safeguards to communication and planning, this episode...
Ep. 132: Courage Casts - Discipline Without Perfection
In this episode, Josh breaks down the reality of discipline and why it doesn’t mean showing up perfectly every day. Life happens. Schedules shift. Energy changes. But discipline isn’t about being 100% all the time, it’s about staying consistent...
Ep. 131: Courage Casts - The Risk of Opening Up
In this episode, Josh talks about the reality of vulnerability, especially for men, and why it’s often harder than it sounds. When opening up is met with judgment, silence, or shame, it can shut people down and reinforce the belief that emotion...
Ep. 130: The Courage to Live - The Cost of a Frictionless Lifestyle
In this episode, Josh and Jenna talk about how technology is changing the way we connect, communicate, and handle discomfort. From doom scrolling and remote work to canceled plans and hard conversations over text, they explore how convenience c...
)%20(10).png)
Ep. 129: Courage Casts - Loyalty
Loyalty is often talked about, but rarely defined the right way. In this episode, Josh breaks down what true loyalty looks like in leadership, business, and relationships, not blind agreement, but trust, accountability, and the willingness to s...
Ep. 128: Courage Casts - Is Life a Test?
What if life isn’t testing you, but teaching you? In this episode, Josh challenges the mindset of constant pressure and replaces it with a more productive approach: treating challenges as experiments. Drawing from real experiences in policing a...
Ep. 127: The Courage to Live - The Courage to be Perfect
In this episode, Josh and Jenna talk about how perfectionism shows up in leadership, work, marriage, and parenting, and why it often creates fear, burnout, and hesitation instead of excellence. They explore how the pressure to never make ...
)%20(9).png)
Ep. 126: Courage Casts - The Price of Love
After experiencing deep personal loss, a simple idea changed how I see grief: it’s not just pain, it’s proof of how much we loved. In this episode, I share stories of loss, the moments that stay with us, and how reframing grief can shift us fro...
Ep. 125: Courage Casts - The Problem With Easy Dopamine
In this short episode of the Courage to Live Podcast, Josh talks about the hidden cost of “easy dopamine.” From endless scrolling on social media to quick distractions that feel good in the moment, many of the things that give us insta...
Ep. 124: The Courage to Live - The Media, Public Perception, and Policing
In this episode of the Courage to Live Podcast, Josh and Jenna discuss how media coverage and social media narratives shape public perception of law enforcement and the impact that has on both officers and the communities they serve. D...
Ep. 123: Courage Casts - Rewiring the Overthinking Mind
In this episode of the Courage to Live Podcast, Josh talks about overthinking, something many high performers struggle with. Late at night, it’s easy for the mind to race through everything that could go wrong, the mistakes from yester...
Ep. 122: Courage Casts - Comfort Kills
In this short episode of the Courage to Live Podcast, Josh talks about how comfort can hold us back from growth. Avoiding difficult conversations, hard workouts, or honest self-reflection might feel like protecting your peace, bu...
Ep. 121: The Courage to Live - Learning to Grieve Suicide
In this episode, Josh and Jenna talk openly about suicide through the lens of Josh’s personal story: the anniversary of his brother Jason taking his own life. They walk through what those dates bring up, why suicide grief can feel different tha...
Ep. 120: Courage Casts - Wearing Stress as a Badge of Courage
In this Courage Cast, Josh takes a hard look at a mindset many first responders and leaders know well: wearing stress like a badge of honor. Drawing from his time in law enforcement leadership, he explores how constant busyness can become a sta...
Ep. 119: The Courage to Live - PTSD in First Responders: What to Watch For
Josh and Jenna break down what PTSD can look like, especially in the first responder world where trauma often builds over time. They talk through common signs like hypervigilance, sleep disruption, numbness, and isolation, along with the role c...
Ep. 118: Courage Casts - Fitness as a Force Multiplier
In this episode, Josh talks about the role fitness plays in mental health and resilience. While it is never a substitute for therapy or professional support, consistent movement can be a powerful release valve for stress that builds in bo...