Todd Muller: One step away from being Prime Minister - then it all fell apart

That was my claim to fame.

But I always wanted to be able to connect with people through talking, through representing them.

I studied a lot of politics, often US history, and I'd always wanted to be a politician.

And my wife regales friends and family of the story that just after I had met her and clearly overwhelmed by her beauty, the first thing I said is, you know, I'm going to be a politician one day.

I want to be an MP, which is not the world's recommended pickup line, but there we go.

It worked out apparently.

Yeah.

So yeah, to your point, it's been something that was my life, right? And so suddenly I've had to...

rebuild what my life and meaning and purpose is.

And that's hard work.

Yeah.

Do you feel like your best work is still ahead of you?

Well, it's interesting.

I'm not drawn to using the words best like I would have been.

there is work to be done ahead of me.

And if I stay focused on what's now important around family and faith and fitness, you know, and staying connected with my local community where there's opportunities to assist, I think, you know, I can add some value and more importantly, genuinely reach some peace about who I am now and not be filled with regret or blame, uh, or even at times self-loathing in the past as to, you know, what I could have been, should have been, but now no longer can be.

And that piece Todd that you speak of, have you not found it yet?

Uh, I am pretty close.

Um, You know, the thing with, in my experience, the thing with peace is...

It's not something for me that is a constant.

I still have days and moments where the noise and pressure in the head walks back in the door.

I'm still on medication, but I'm doing a lot of things to make my life incredibly joyful.

But You know, I'm not at peace in as much as all my day is always at peace.

But I'm in a far, far better place than I was, you know, even six months ago and certainly two years ago.

So, I mean, it was John Mitchell, eh? He was the guy who always talked about the journey.