Soaring to New Heights: Bucket Lists, Happiness, & Your Next Best Chapter of Life

How are you today?

Welcome to Grit, Grace, and Inspiration.

I am so excited to have you joining me today, as always.

This is episode number 174.

I'm still pretty much fired up from episode 173, my interview with Margie Haddad.

I think it's just Margie's general adventurous spirit paired with her living out her dreams by crossing off an item on her bucket list.

And that was riding a camel across the Sahara Desert at sunrise.

You just can't get any more bucket list worthy than that.

And that fired up energy that I've got has played a big role in today's topic.

Because today I want to talk about the thrilling world of bucket lists.

Now, I'm going to use the term bucket lists, but what I really mean are your dreams, your hopes, your desires, your wishes.

That's what I'm talking about when I say the term bucket list.

Because the reason why I'm talking about this is because it's one thing to make a bucket list.

It's one thing to have hopes and dreams.

It's a whole other thing to make those come true.

Now, what some people miss is that people think it's just one or the other.

It's the idea of dreaming the dream, wishing the wish, making the bucket list, or it's actually fulfilling that, doing whatever it is that you have on that list of yours.

Well, they're actually missing the whole part of it in between.

Because no bucket list item is complete just with the snap of a finger.

No, it takes time, it takes planning.

And I believe that that journey, the journey of making your dreams come true, is where the secret sauce is.

Because when you can start living in that type of world where you're constantly on a mission to make your dreams become reality, that's where happiness is found.

That's where we find fulfillment and joy and pleasure.

That is the secret place that everybody seems to be missing.

As we explore this topic together, I want to invite you to take that next step, to cross off that next item on your bucket list.

I don't want today's episode to just be something you listen to and you forget about.

No, I want this to be the spark that ignites the flame inside of you that says, you know what?

I think he's right.

I think Kevin's on to something.

I think I should start moving towards crossing off an item on my own bucket list.

Well, here's the thing I want to tell you is that I would love to get to play a role in helping you do just that.

And that is why today, inside of today's episode, I am making a big announcement.

I'm stepping outside of my comfort zone because I'm announcing my newest signature coaching program called Next Level You.

90 days to your next best chapter.

This 90-day coaching program is there to help you not just cross off that item on your list, but it's designed to help you get there, to help you really look at the things that you want in life, what you want your next chapter to be.

And it helps you to write that next chapter, helps you to cross off that next item on the list.

So, with that in mind, with this sense of adventure already set, let's take off and let's explore today's episode together.

When talking about bucket lists, it's no doubt that whether we actually write it down or not, we all have that list of things that we want to do.

Things that we feel like we should have done, that we wished we had done.

And many times we have timetables set in our head by which point in our life we feel like they should be done.

I think most notably for that is the idea of getting married, the idea of starting a family, the idea of having a career, your dream career.

And of course, all of those are tied in with a timetable that we set long, long ago.

Well, if you're anything like me, you can basically throw the timetable of life out the window because nothing generally goes as planned.

But that's okay, because that's just life.

What's important though is that we don't give up on our hopes and our dreams.

Just because they don't happen when we thought they would, that doesn't mean that they aren't ever going to happen.

And you know what?

Sometimes life is like a fine bottle of wine.

The longer it sits, the better it becomes.

But the thing is, is you have to be ready to really chase after it.

As I said earlier, it's one thing to make the list.

It's one thing to have the dream.

But are you brave enough?

Are you bold enough to take the next step?

Are you ready to put yourself out there?

Are you ready to invest your time, your energy, maybe even your money, your resources to make it come true?

Only you can answer that.

But the question is, what if you don't?

What if you don't put in the hard work?

What if you don't take a chance?

What if you never choose to dance?

Then what happens?

Nothing.

And nothing is the one thing that is holding all of us back.

Because when we live in a world of nothing, well, nothing happens.

Nothing bad, but nothing good either.

And I'm here to tell you that that is no place to be living.

You constantly should be propelling yourself forward towards the hopes and the dreams that you have set for yourself.

That's what living is all about.

With my program Next Level You, that's exactly what it's there to do, is to help guide you towards that next best chapter in your life.

I want to be there to help you turn your life's challenges into opportunities.

I want to be there to help you to ignite the dreams that maybe you've kind of put aside, that you've forgotten about, that you pretend that you don't have anymore.

But secretly, when nobody's watching, when you're sure nobody's listening, you find yourself thinking, you find yourself wondering.

What if?

Well, let's turn that what if into now.

Take the step, choose to dance, and dance like you've never danced before.

Here's the deal.

We all want to be happy.

We all want to have the life of our dreams.

But happiness, it's not just something that lands in our lap.

The life of our dreams, it's not just there when we wake up tomorrow morning, having done nothing the day before to make it happen.

We are the architects of our own joy.

You are the architect of your future.

And the way that you create it is by boldly chasing after your dreams, boldly deciding that you are worth it.

When you start chasing after the things that light you up, the things that set your heart ablaze, you're gonna find yourself energized, electrified, and connected to the world around you like you never have been before.

And that is what living is all about.

Now it's true.

You may very well know exactly what I'm talking about.

Know exactly what it is that you need to do, what you want to do, because you know what's been weighing heavy on your heart for a long time.

You've just been choosing to keep it closed away, to forget about it.

But maybe by what I'm saying today, my hope, my dream is that it will ignite that passion in you and that you'll go ahead and you'll do the difficult stuff.

You'll make the next step and you'll move forward and you'll pursue those dreams.

But if you think, wow, it would be nice to have some help.

It would be really cool to have a coach there to be with me to help me through this process.

Well, that's what next level you, 90 days to your next best chapter is all about.

That's what I created it to be.

I've created it to be a one-on-one coaching experience that literally guides you from where you are to where you want to be.

Think of it as the bridge you've been looking for.

Now, here's the point you might be at, but what if?

Because when we explore new things, when we chase after the unknown, we do have a risk involved.

Because going into the unknown is scary.

Because, well, we don't know what is on the other side.

We don't know if by us taking a chance, are we gonna fly or are we gonna fall flat on our face?

Sometimes that fear of failing, that fear of looking like a failure, well, a lot of times that can stand in our way and that can stop us.

But I guess that's maybe the reason why I decided to be a coach in the first place.

I guess that's the reason why I am so excited to get to announce the launch of next level you.

Because I want to be sure that you have somebody by your side, that you're not doing this alone, that yeah, you're doing the hard stuff, you're being courageous, you're being bold.

I can't help you do that.

You already are that.

I just help to bring it out of you.

I just help to remind you that you're not alone, that you can hold my hand as you take that leap.

And we can take that leap together.

So basically, what I'm saying is why don't we tackle your fears, your worries, your anxiety, the what-ifs together.

No sense in going into that dark hole alone.

Instead, go into it as part of next level you.

So here's the bottom line, and here's the challenge.

I honestly, I don't care if you join me inside of next level you or not.

It may not be for you.

You may not even care anything about it, and that's okay.

But what I do want to challenge you to do is to grab that bucket list and to choose one item off of it.

Stop getting overwhelmed by all the things you have written down.

Just choose one thing.

Whether it's at the top of the list or the bottom or somewhere in between, I don't care.

It doesn't really matter.

I just want you to choose one thing, the one that stands out the most.

And I want you to start chasing after it.

I want you to start making the effort to pursue your dreams.

Go to bed tonight and tell yourself, tomorrow morning, when I wake up, I've got a mission, I've got a goal.

I am in pursuit of my dreams.

Now, of course, if that next step sounds like it would be way better with somebody on your side, somebody who's got your back, somebody who can be there to help you come up with a plan, figure out what not just your next step is, but the step after that, and the step after that.

And to ultimately remind you that you matter, your happiness matters.

And your dreams, your goals, your bucket list, they deserve to have you chase because you deserve to be happy.

You deserve to discover what pure happiness is when we chase after our dreams and we make them come true.

Because some people tell us that we need to suck it up.

The real world is reality, and they make it sound like reality can't be good.

Well, you know what?

To that person, I just laugh in their face.

Because I think, why?

Why can't reality be great?

Why do our dreams have to be something that is only there as children?

Or it's something only there for when we go to sleep.

No, no, no.

I believe our dreams are truly the inspiration for what our heart truly desires.

And well, I think it's time that we all start making those dreams come true.

If you are interested in learning more about next level you, I'm going to encourage you to head on over to let'shangout.live.

So just type in that URL into your search bar that is literally just let'shangout.live, or please just check out today's show notes where I will leave that link.

And that will take you to my private Facebook group that has been going on with my 30-day challenge.

If you join the group, you'll get to hear all about next level you as I reveal it inside the group in detail next week.

So be sure to go to let'shangout.live.

And even if you are listening to this weeks, months, years down the line, it doesn't matter.

I'll be sure that that URL is still going to take you to where you need to be.

So head on over to let'shangout.live.

Link is inside of today's show notes.

And hey, I hope that if you think next level you is what you need to get you kicked into gear and to have you writing your next chapter of life, well, I would be honored to play a role in it.

Until next time, my name is Kevin Lowe, host of the podcast, as well as Transformational Life and Business Coach.

Get out there and take on the day.

Enjoy the day, because, hey, what other way is there to live than when we wake up every morning figuring out how are we going to make the most of this day by taking on the day, winning the day.

Of course, now made easy because you've got the grit, the grace, and the inspiration to do it.

Hey, real quick before you go, I have one last thought to leave you with.

I of course hope that you've enjoyed today's episode, but more importantly, I want to remind you that I never want you to listen to an episode of this podcast to hear something that I have to say or that my guest has to share and think, wow, I wish I could be like them.

I wish I could overcome my own challenges and do the great things that they are doing, but I just can't.

Well, friend, that's where you're wrong.

unknown: You're wrong.

SPEAKER_00: You are capable.

You are able.

And you darn sure are deserving of having all that you can imagine in this life.

There's nothing special about me or any guests I have on this podcast.

We are all just normal people trying to make it in this life.

And so I encourage you to take a look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself that you know what?

I can do it too.

Now, of course, if you would like help along that way, reach out to me.

Whether that's as a listener of this podcast, a friend, or if you'd like to work with me as a coach.

My contact information is inside of every episode's show notes, just like this one.

So go down, check out my contact information, and reach out to me today.

With that said, I encourage you to take on the day every day with grit, grace, and inspiration.