“I watched my fellow Marines gear up—most of these guys were just kids really, eighteen or nineteen years old. The sound of equipment checks and weapons being cleared echoed across our position. My own gear—forty pounds of body armor, ammo, and equipment—had become such a part of me I barely noticed it anymore. ‘Ammo check,’ I called out, watching them respond in sequence. These guys were solid. I’d made damn sure of that through training. But being solid in Helmand Province isn’t always enough. One wrong step, one moment of complacency, and … well, we all knew the stakes. Standing there, watching over them, the same thought hit me that always did before we moved out: if something happens today, better me than them.” People ask Cpl. Todd Nicely all the time what they’re supposed to learn from his story. Like there’s some magic answer that makes everything make sense. The truth is, it’s pretty simple: your choices change lives. Not just your own, but those of everyone around you. It took Todd a long time to figure that out. He had to learn it during a rocky and rowdy upbringing in Small Town USA, lying in a canal in Afghanistan missing all four limbs, sitting in a hospital bed wondering if life was worth living, facing a grueling physical recovery, and eventually staring down the barrel of his own gun only to come out on the other side—again. Each choice led somewhere, good or bad. The hardest lesson? Strength isn’t about how much you can handle alone. Real strength is knowing when to ask for help. In Your Choices Change Lives , Todd shares his story of grit, perseverance, leadership, sacrifice, and service, providing a lifeline to vets who may be struggling and reminding readers—military and beyond—the power our actions hold.