#345: Could Giving Back be the Ultimate Self-Improvement Hack? A Motivational Thanksgiving Revelation!

Yo, are you ready to flip the script on life? Because those bad days, they're just doors to better days.

And that's exactly what we do here at Grit, Grace, and Inspiration.

Your host, Kevin Lowe. He's been flipping the script on his own life, turning over 20 years of being completely blind into straight-up inspiration, motivation, and encouragement just for you.

So, kick back, relax, and let me introduce you to your host, Kevin Lowe.

Do you know the fastest way, the easiest way for you to feel good?

Well, it's for you to do good.

It's simple, it's easy, yet so profound.

Today, my friend, we are talking about the power of giving back.

Now, I'm going to tell you that giving back, it's more than just some feel-good mumbo-jumbo.

No, matter of fact, it's scientifically proven to be monumental to you, to your well-being.

I actually did a quick Google search to be sure that what I was talking about was indeed scientifically proven.

And matter of fact, it is. What I found is that science backs up the fact that being kind by giving back, it can slash your stress levels.

It can kick depression and anxiety to the curb, skyrocket your self-esteem.

Boost your overall life satisfaction, and even improve your physical health and longevity.

Basically, I'm saying this is like a natural antidepressant and health booster all wrapped into one.

And that is exactly why I'm considering this the ultimate life hack.

It's good for you. It's good for those around you. And it makes an impact on the world. It's a win-win situation.

But when we talk about the idea of giving back, my thought is that you probably think one of two things.

One, Kevin, I don't have the time to give back.

Or two, Kevin, I don't have the money to give back.

And for half a second, I'm going to go ahead and let you feel like that is true, that that is indeed stopping you from giving back.

But that's only for half a second, because I'm about to blow that out of the water.

I'm going to give you three ways, three strategies that you can start giving back that are not dependent upon how much money you have or how much time you have.

These are things that anyone and everyone are able to do, no matter your situation.

My first strategy is for you to share your own superpower.

Every one of us has something we're good at.

Maybe for you, you're a whiz using Excel, creating spreadsheets.

Maybe you're somebody who's amazing at cooking. You love being in the kitchen.

Or maybe it's as simple as you just being the best listener in your friend group.

You're the person that everybody wants to talk to.

So what I'm suggesting is whatever your superpower, I want you to use it to help others.

Maybe it's you teaching a free class at the public library, helping people set up their own budget using Excel.

Maybe it's you helping out the bake sale at the school where your kids go by you getting in the kitchen and doing the baking.

Or maybe it's you offering to tutor your friend's kids who are struggling in school, but maybe it's on a subject that you are really good at.

It's little things like that of you sharing your own superpowers with others.

My second strategy is for you, my friend, to listen like you mean it.

Because sometimes the greatest gift that we can give someone is literally just being there to listen to them.

When people are struggling, when people are hurting, they're not looking for you to have the answers.

They're just looking for someone to talk to. They just need a shoulder to lean on.

And it's not that difficult for you to be that person. And so I challenge you to truly listen to someone today, to put away your phone in the middle of a conversation and to be present in the moment.

You never know what that's going to mean to the person you're talking to.

Whether it's a stranger you meet at lunch, whether it's the person who you work with, but you never speak to, it's you offering up your undivided attention, something that is very hard to come by in today's world.

And my third strategy for how you can give back without needing money or lots of time is for you to do small acts of kindness.

This can look like you simply buying a cup of coffee for the person behind you in line.

Maybe it's you holding the door open for a few extra moments just to let that person struggling to get out of the rain to get in the door.

And you make that extra little effort. These little tiny acts of kindness, they can create a tsunami, an impact that can be felt throughout an entire community.

Small acts of kindness, giving back in just little ways, you never know how far they can go.

So, I ask you, which strategy do you think you could do?

Could you use your own talents, your own gifts to be a help to someone else?

Were you an awesome basketball star back in the day?

And maybe you could just start helping out the kid down the street who you see trying to shoot some hoops, but you could just go offer some tips, some strategies to help them out.

Or maybe it's you simply offering your shoulder for someone to lean on, offering in the ear for someone to talk to.

People just need people. It doesn't take much.

It doesn't take money. doesn't take much time. It all honestly boils down to just being kind to one another.

Now, for my listeners celebrating Thanksgiving, whether you're listening to this on Thanksgiving Day, Or if it's after, it doesn't really matter. But whenever it is, I ask you to maybe even think of this going to the next level.

Instead of you just focusing on one-off acts of kindness, how could you make a long-lasting impact?

Maybe this could look like you being a mentor to somebody.

Maybe instead of just helping the kid down the street with his basketball skills, you instead go volunteer at your local rec center to help coach the kids in basketball.

Or maybe it's you finally diving in and starting a nonprofit organization for a cause that's really important to you.

That, my friend, is taking things to the next level.

And I think the important thing to remember is that giving back isn't about depleting yourself.

Instead, it's about you giving back to the world, which I'm here to tell you that you already know this.

You know that as we grow older, we realize the greatest gift in life is giving gifts to others. It's not receiving.

So the more that you can give back, the more kindness you can share, the better impact it's going to have on you in your life.

And so with that, my friend, I hope to inspire you today to give back, to think of ways that you can spread kindness in the world. This life is tough.

The world today is tougher than ever. And the only way we're going to get through it is if we do it together.

So starting today, I hope, I pray that we can all start to find different ways for us to start giving back.

From my family's Thanksgiving dinner table to yours, happy Thanksgiving and cheers to giving back.

Music.