Create a Positive Feedback Loop: Inspirational Ideas to Live for Something Bigger

It's called Jody's Climb for Hope.

And through what I learned from Andy, we're gonna learn the power in doing for others, in living for something bigger than ourselves.

And how even just writing a name on a water bottle, how it can all fuel us to overcome any mountain that life may put in our path.

Today, my friend, is episode 365.

Today is the day that we have you overcoming those mountains, all thanks to the lessons learned from Andy Burger.

Hey, I'm your host, Kevin Malow, and you are listening to Great Grace and Inspiration.

After I finished sitting down and interviewing Andrew Berger, who I introduced to you in our previous episode, that would have been episode 364.

I couldn't get this theme out of my head.

This idea of living for something bigger than ourselves.

If you heard his story, you will know that throughout his life, he suffered unimaginable loss.

We went into it all in depth, but just as an overview, at a very young age, he lost his mother.

Later, he would lose his father.

And up until his sister turned 44, he had her.

He had Jody.

And then, tragically, due to cancer, he would lose Jody as well.

Now, luckily, Andy, he would find the love of his life and they would get married.

Now, unfortunately, what they didn't know was just a short time later, his wife would be diagnosed with MS.

And what I found so compelling, so amazing, so inspiring about Andy was that even through all of this, what did he think to do?

He thought of ways of giving back, of doing something bigger, creating something bigger than him, bigger than any of them, something that can help others, that can leave an impact on the world.

And that's when he created Jody's Climb for Hope.

What I hope you take away from his story is that our greatest hardships can also become our greatest source of inspiration and purpose.

Now, I know sometimes that can be easier said than done.

It depends on who you are.

It depends where you are at in this chapter of life.

Obviously, if you are hurting, if you are sad, let yourself be sad.

It's okay.

But at some point, maybe you feel like Andy and you feel like I need to do something.

What a way to keep the memory of his sister alive, then by attaching her name to a fund like Jody's Climb for Hope, an organization that has raised millions of dollars for medical research.

It's absolutely incredible.

Now, obviously, sometimes when we all think about this idea of living for something greater, doing something big like this, it all sounds great.

But then, of course, we get caught up in the everyday shuffle of life.

We get caught up in all the rough stuff, the hard things we're dealing with.

And so often it can foreshadow anything that we maybe we've dreamed about or we've planned.

But but what Andy taught us is that true resilience, it's not just about bouncing back, but rather it's about pushing forward.

The only way that any of us are gonna climb to the top of the mountain is one step at a time.

And when we conquer that mountain with a purpose, well, then my friend, it gives it a whole new meaning.

So whether it's you supporting a loved one, fighting for a cause you believe in, whatever it is, it's something bigger than you.

It's bigger than any of us.

When we have something bigger that we're fighting for, it gives us a whole new reason to wake up in the morning.

We have something that we're fighting for, that we're passionate about.

It's a purpose-driven life.

Just imagine, my friend, imagine getting to wake up in the morning with a fire burning in your soul.

It's like a fuel that you've been given overnight, so excited to get to do what you're doing that day.

Now, yeah, maybe you're still living your normal life, but you also now have this new passion, this new purpose for living.

And as I said, that's exactly what Andy did.

He created this organization that not only shares the memory of his sister, but it leaves an impact on the world.

Now, one story that Andy shared during our interview, which again, if you haven't heard his interview yet, please do yourself a favor and go back and check out episode 364.

It is definitely one that you want to hear.

But he told one particular story that really caught my attention.

He was coming down off of, I believe, Mount Whitney.

He was totally spit, exhausted, so tired.

And it's always, he explained on the way down where most accidents happen.

And being extremely exhausted and tired, that didn't make things any easier or safer.

And even at points when he felt like he had nothing else to give, he didn't give up.

He kept pushing forward.

Why?

Because he wrote his children's names on the two water bottles he carried.

And every time that he would pick one arm up to take a drink, he would see their name.

And that, my friend, is what gave him the inspiration, the purpose, the drive to get down from that mountain safe.

Was that he had those reminders written there on the water bottle of a reason why it was his purpose, his driving force of why he had to get back down that mountain safely so that he can get back to his children.

What this illustrates is that when you have something or someone worth fighting for, it can push you far beyond what you ever could imagine you could be capable of.

This idea of living for something bigger, it's not just a catchphrase.

It's not just a cool quote, it's not just something cute to put on a t-shirt.

No, it's more than that.

It's about this idea of taking ourselves out of the equation.

So many times we get so focused on us, how we feel, what we want, what we don't like, what made us upset today.

Instead, we switch the focus to a bigger picture.

My friend, I'm here to tell you that when you have something bigger you're fighting for, something bigger than any of us that you're living for, all the other little stuff that you deal with day to day, it just seems insignificant.

Because you have a bigger mission at hand, something bigger than any of the little things going on.

That, my friend, honestly, what a life to live.

A purpose-driven life.

Now, one thing that I want to make clear is yeah, Andy, he's climbing mountains, taking groups climbing mountains.

But it doesn't have to be such a grand gesture.

You don't have to create an entire nonprofit organization in the name of someone.

It doesn't have to be big like that at all.

Because this is just as important in the small everyday actions that you take.

It's found in the everyday acts of kindness, of you just being a good person, helping out those around you, saying hello to your neighbor, smiling, bringing their trash can up, grabbing the mail for them.

It's the little acts of kindness we do that can make an impact on the world.

And I think the biggest thing here is to realize that you matter.

You can make a difference in this world.

Each and every day that you wake up, my friend, is a new opportunity for you to leave your mark on the world, just one person at a time.

You don't have to be on TV.

You don't have to make the news.

All you have to do is just show up, giving it your best, being sure that you're showing up in service of others.

You want to help somebody else out.

And in turn, my friend, it creates this amazing feedback loop, this positive feedback loop, where the more you do for others, the more you fight for something bigger, the better you're gonna feel in return.

So the whole point in today's episode is to just get you thinking a little bit bigger.

Bigger than you or me or anything else.

Something big.

Andy created Jody's Climb for Hope, an organization, as I said, that's raised millions for medical research.

But what is it for you?

What are you living for?

What is it that gets you out of bed in the morning with a smile on your face and a determination to conquer whatever mountains are in your way because you have this purpose you're fighting for?

If you don't know what that is or you don't have it, well, my friend, I hope today's episode gives you the inspiration to find it, to figure out maybe exactly what that is.

And of course, I remind you, if you didn't listen to my interview with Andy Berger, please do yourself a favor and go back and listen to it.

His story about him, what he's gone through, and more importantly, what he's overcome is absolutely awe-inspiring.

I know it changed my life, and I can only hope that it can change your life as well.

So, with that, my friend, remember, we all serve a purpose in this life.

It's just up to us to fulfill it.

So get out there and enjoy the day, make a difference, live for something bigger.

And hey, if you know you're tackling a big mountain, don't forget to write a name on a water bottle to give you a reason to get down from that mountain.

Until next time, I'm your host, Kevin Lowe.

And this, of course, was another episode of Grit Grace and Inspiration.

If anything said today inspired you, made you think of someone, please share today's episode with them.

Share it on Facebook, Instagram, social media.

Tell your friends about it.

Maybe you know somebody or a group of people who need to hear today's message.

It would mean the world to me to have you share it with me.

And with that, I'm out of here.

You have an awesome day, and I will see you in our next episode.