What If Tomorrow Could Be Different… Because You Decided to Love Bigger? (A Life-Changing Mindset Shift)

I am your host, Kevin Lowe.

And in case you are new here, well, first and foremost, welcome to Great Grace and Inspiration.

This is the podcast for the moments life didn't prepare you for, and the mindset it takes to rise, anyways.

Now, I'm gonna dive into today's topic, but I gotta give you a little understanding of why this topic hits home maybe more than it did when I first created the outline for today's episode.

This idea is that I want you to wake up tomorrow morning and start deciding to love a little bigger.

Now, when I came up with this concept, I was thinking it had to relate with Valentine's Day.

Yes, you know, the holiday for all the couples in our lives.

If you are a couple, well, you know what I'm talking about.

If you're single, you also know what I'm talking about.

But I was thinking this had to do with that, with Valentine's Day.

But I didn't realize is what would happen in between before I would actually record today's episode.

And that was a moment that completely changed my mindset.

And I believe maybe is gonna change my life.

And that is last weekend on a random Saturday morning, a routine visit to the barbershop.

I believe in all my heart that I almost died.

If you receive my monthly newsletter, you already heard the story.

A lot of you responded.

And for every one of you who did respond to the newsletter that went out, I want to thank you in the most sincere way possible.

Your support means the world to me.

But in the newsletter, I shared the story.

And basically, just a really shortened version of that is the simple fact that I was at the barber shop just on a normal routine Saturday.

And all of a sudden, I had sat up in the chair and remember telling my barber that, man, I don't feel good.

And it was instant, instant that I said, I don't feel good.

At the same point, it was it was like my ears were completely clogged, and boom.

Without warning, I completely passed out.

When I woke up, it was almost 10 minutes later, before I came to.

And the barbershop had been filled with firemen and EMTs, everybody working on me.

They were putting in IVs, trying to get me stable.

Apparently, my blood pressure had completely just plummeted without warning.

And as I lied there in the chair, everything still just sounded like I was in this big fog.

And I can remember so clearly, though, thinking, let me rephrase that.

I wasn't thinking.

I was just knowing, I was going through it, that I was dying.

And I knew all I had to do was just go to sleep.

And I was so tired, and that's all I wanted to do.

And I kept saying, I just want to go to sleep.

And the firemen and EMTs, they kept telling me, no, no, just keep breathing, Kevin.

Keep breathing.

And in that moment, I can remember, I had these different little thoughts, I guess, that were going through my mind.

And the ones I remember was just being so at peace.

I wasn't scared.

And yet I was so grateful that that morning I got to see my sister one last time before I had left to go to the barbershop.

I truly believe that I was a breath away from dying that day.

And yet, for some reason, I kept breathing.

Long story short, they would eventually get me stable enough that they would get me transferred out of the chair at the barbershop and load me into an ambulance where they would take me to the hospital.

And at the hospital, I would stay there for roughly about 24 hours, basically under observation.

But it was really scary.

It was really close.

They had to give me some pretty strong medications to even get my blood pressure to come back up.

It was a moment that made you really understand how precious every breath we take is.

When I came home from the hospital, I remember just breaking down multiple times.

Something as simple as walking into my recording studio just to grab my laptop computer.

And yet, I broke down because I didn't think I would ever walk back into this room again.

So I share that story with you because I want you to understand that what I'm going to talk about today, it means everything.

The idea of us making an intentional decision to wake up every morning and love a little bigger.

So many times we all go through life wanting things to be different, hoping for something to change in our life.

And so many times we think, you know, I'll be happier when everything calms down.

Or maybe I'll work on being more patient when I don't have so much stress in my life.

Or how many times do we think, yeah, I'll start showing up for people when they start showing up for me?

And the problem with all of this is the simple fact that it's all relying on someone else, on something else, for us to be able to act how we should be acting.

Instead, today, I'm wanting us all to begin to look at things differently.

That what if we hold the key?

What if the power is in our hands, in your hands, by you deciding to show up to life differently?

What if that starts to impact everything else around you?

So, what I'm saying is maybe the reason things in your life maybe feel broken, like things aren't going so great, relationships, work, life in general.

What if it's maybe because you've had your love turned down a little too low?

Because let's face it, life it teaches us that bad things do happen.

We put our guard up, we blockade everything from entering because we don't want to get hurt again.

And so we start going through life, living with this shield up, blocking ourselves because we're trying to protect ourselves.

And in doing so, what harm are we actually causing to ourselves?

Because we're not meant to go through life alone.

We're not meant to go through life with our guard up.

We're meant to love bigger.

We're meant to experience love.

Love in all of its many ways.

So, what I'm asking you to do is to think to yourself, how can I begin to turn up the volume on my love?

Not all the way.

I'm not talking about perfection.

I'm just talking about turning up the dial a little bit.

If you've been loving at 40%, why not crank it up to 60% and see what that might do.

Now, what does loving bigger even look like?

What does loving bigger even mean?

Well, let me break it down for you.

Well, first and foremost, loving bigger does not mean getting softer.

It doesn't mean that I want you to become a doormat.

And it does not mean letting people disrespect you, run all over you.

That is not what loving bigger is.

Instead, loving bigger means that you start showing up to life with intention instead of living on autopilot.

You start prioritizing connection over control.

And you always lead with love rather than waiting to be loved first.

Basically, it's not love perfectly or not perfect love, but rather love on purpose.

Now, you might be thinking, yeah, well, this sounds kind of corny, and I don't really get it.

But I'm here to tell you it's not so corny.

If you're thinking that, it's because I'm just not doing a good job at selling it.

But basically, I just want you to think of it like this the world needs you to show up as your best in order for the world to show up as its best.

All of our energy that we radiate, it comes back to us.

And if you can start showing up better, bigger, loving bigger, I believe the world's gonna respond.

So at this point, let's talk about what loving bigger actually might look like in your life.

It can be something simple as you saying good morning like you mean it.

Not just part of your routine, not just on autopilot.

Again, we are living with intention.

Saying good morning like you mean it, saying I love you like you mean it.

It's you in the middle of the day actually taking the time to send the text message to the person that you've been thinking about.

It can also just look like you actually complimenting somebody out loud rather than silently.

Instead of you thinking to yourself as you pass your coworker in the hallway that, oh wow, she's looking good today.

Why not actually say it out loud?

Or maybe it looks like you being sure that when you're talking with somebody, you're actually truly engaged just in that conversation.

How many times do we have a conversation while also scrolling on our phone, while also paying attention to what's happening over there, or thinking about this?

Everything but what the person is saying who's right in front of us.

For you drivers out there in the audience, maybe it's you letting somebody in, you pausing for a moment to make somebody's day by simply letting them merge in front of you.

I know it doesn't take an amazing effort here.

It's little things like that that are what loving bigger really looks like.

And here is my biggest and final example of what loving bigger looks like is how many times do all of us see somebody and say the simple words of, hey, how are you?

And then we just go on about our day.

We don't more expect them to respond, and we certainly aren't there to actually listen because, quite honestly, who really cares?

Instead, what if you actually ask that simple question and anticipate a response?

You are waiting for them to actually tell you how they are.

And when you can tell that in their voice, they said they're fine, they're okay, but there was maybe a slight hesitation.

Why not ask them?

Really?

Are you you really doing okay?

Show that you care.

A few minutes out of your day can actually mean the world to somebody else.

Because none of us know what everybody else is going through.

You might think that you have it rough.

Well, what about the person next to you in the cubicle?

Have you found out what they're dealing with?

And a lot of times it's the people who we think have it all together who we're jealous of.

A lot of times they're the ones who have it the worst.

So maybe loving bigger, turning up that dial just simply means you taking a few extra moments out of your day to simply ask somebody, hey, how are you doing?

And let's talk about the downside of loving bigger, because it does come at a cost.

Of course it does.

And that is you having to maybe wake up a little bit earlier than you want to, because you want to be sure that you're able to see your loved one off before they leave for work.

Or maybe it's you spending an extra few dollars to pay for the person's coffee who's behind you in line.

That's all love.

Some of it takes time, some takes a little extra energy, maybe some takes a few extra bucks.

It's just a little bit here and there.

But when added up, my friend, it makes a big difference.

Now, by you deciding to love a little bigger, your life is going to change in three specific areas.

Most importantly, yourself.

When you start loving bigger, you are able to eliminate resentment.

You've been carrying around all this resentment, all this judgment.

You get to let all of that go, freeing yourself.

You also eliminate the need for people to act a certain way for you to be happy.

No, you take control of your own happiness.

All of this means you're going to get to live freer, lighter, because you're not clinched up all day.

You're not anticipating.

No, you are taking action.

So, my friend, if you could use some peace, some comfort, some tranquility in your life, it's as simple as you deciding that you're going to start loving a little bigger starting tomorrow morning.

Now, loving bigger, it's not just going to change your life.

I believe it will change the life of your entire family.

Now, when we start loving bigger, this is where it gets real.

Because our family, as much as we love them, there also can be the toughest crowd because they know your buttons to push.

They are the people who can hurt you without even trying.

So inside of your family, when we want to start talking about loving bigger, maybe it means you saying, I'm proud of you, more than you even think you need to.

Acknowledging that family member for what they do, for thanking them for even the littlest thing.

Maybe in the middle of an argument, you being the one to be the first to say, hey, you know what?

You're right.

I'm wrong.

And it's okay.

And I'm sorry.

And just to move on, and to not allow a little argument to escalate into a full-blown war.

And another idea is again, you choosing to listen to what they say.

Again, we live with them.

They're family.

We know what they're up to.

And maybe what they're into, what's important to them, isn't so important to you.

But they're your family.

They are there for you in the best and the worst.

And so if there's ever a time to give your full undivided attention, it's when you're talking to your family members.

Show them you love.

Love a little bigger by showing up for them.

And in return, I guarantee you, you're going to start seeing the same come back to you.

It's an echo, it's a ripple.

What goes out is going to return.

And the last thing I want to say about loving bigger and how it impacts your family is that sometimes we have to stop matching the energy and we have to start setting the energy.

Because quite honestly, it only takes one person to change the entire atmosphere in a room.

So if everybody is dull and boring and got bad attitudes, I want you to be the one who chooses to make a difference, who becomes the shining light, who is the source of positivity because you've decided that I'm loving bigger.

And then, of course, after yourself, your family, we enter the community, your neighborhood, your town, your city, your state, your country, the entire world.

The entire world can be changed, starting with you deciding tomorrow morning you're going to start loving a little bigger.

Now, this idea doesn't mean that I'm expecting you to be some saint.

It doesn't mean that you're going to be perfect.

No, you are just choosing to do something powerful.

So instead of you moving through life with your guard up, moving through life at high speed, not paying attention to those around you.

Instead, it's you actually seeing people rather than rushing past them.

Again, when you pass the person in the hallway, it's you literally looking them in the eye and saying good morning.

It's you encouraging others.

For you being sure that you are there to help build up the people around you at your workplace.

My friend, how much better could work be if you were the encourager, helping to spur people, to motivate them, to get them thinking better of themselves.

My friend, that ripple is going to come back to you.

And hey, it doesn't have to even just be about the idea of it coming back to you.

It's you making a difference where you work, where you live, where you do life.

I don't know about you, but I want to do life where it's positive, where it's uplifting.

And it all starts, I have to believe, by us all deciding to just love a little bigger.

If we love a little bigger, what can that do to our neighborhood?

If you see somebody who's in need who just left their garbage can out, rather than you calling the HOA and tattling because Sally number 33 left her garbage can out two days after garbage pickup?

What if you actually just went ahead and grabbed her garbage can and took it up to her front door where you know she keeps it?

What if instead of making a big deal out of somebody's dog that's always barking in the backyard and you get so annoyed with it?

And again, you're calling the HOA complaining.

Well, have you wondered what they may be going through?

Maybe they're working a full-time job and they're gone a lot.

They might have to travel an hour every morning, every evening to go to work and get home.

They don't have the time, the energy to walk the dog like it needs.

So, yeah, the dog is wound up.

What if you, who maybe you work from home and maybe you have the time.

But if you actually ask them, hey, I notice your dog a lot of times is in the backyard and I hear it barking, would it be of any help if if I walked your dog at the same time that I do mine?

It's just little things like this that can mean the world and that I believe can change the world.

Again, going back to the dial, the love dial.

I'm not talking about you saving the world.

I'm just talking about you turning up the dialogue a little bit.

Wherever you are at, turn it up another ten degrees or twenty degrees.

And see what that might do for you, for your family, for the world.

My friend.

Take it from me.

Who realizes just how precious every day is.

And understands just how important every person in our life is.

How every day is truly a gift.

Let us all do our part to make it as good as it can possibly be.

By just deciding to love a little bigger.

And in case you're still here, you're still listening, and you're loving this idea of loving bigger, well, I believe you're gonna love the song.

This song that you're about to hear, I created, and is what had inspired the initial idea for today's episode.

Not having any clue what was about to happen a few weeks after even writing this song, or coming up with the idea of this podcast.

Of course, I'm talking about the story of what happened to me at the barbershop.

This idea of loving a little bigger.

So, my friend, I'm your host, Kevin Lowe, and if you love the song that you're about to hear, you can find it streaming on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, literally everywhere music is found, under my artist channel called KLO Music.

So, here is Love a Little Bigger by KLO Music to help you finish off today's episode.

SPEAKER_01: What if tomorrow felt a little different?

Not cause the world suddenly changed overnight, because you woke up with a decision to lay your pride and your armor aside.

Yeah, we've been holding back, holding on.

Like love, something we might run out of.

But I learned the hard way.

When you love small, you don't just block pain, you block joy too.

So before the dig is loud, before you're pulled in every direction, take a breath and lay it down.

That weight you've been carrying for protection.

Love a little bigger, forgive a little faster.

Say what you've been meaning, like it really matters.

Break the silence, drop the pride, be the peace you want inside.

It's amazing how the whole world changes When you love a little bigger It's hard to sit home where the truth gets messy.

Well history talks before you even do.

Can turn into a cold war.

And silence feels like the safest move.

But what if you stop mentioning that moment And you set the tone instead?

Said I'm proud of you like you mean it.

And held them close before it's left unsaid.

Yeah, families don't heal from speeches, they heal through steady, small decisions.

One soft answer, one more chance, one moment of grace in the fridge to look a little bigger.

Forgive a little faster.

Stay what you've been meaning, like it really matters.

Break the silence, drop the pride, be the peace you own inside.

It's amazing how the whole world changes When you love a little bigger It might cause you being right, might cost you comfort for the night, but it gives you back what fear can't give.

A heart set free, a life you live.

So spend the text, make the call, hold the door.

Can't stand for a kind word in a hard world can be the miracle that saves somebody's day.

Love a little bigger, forgive a little faster.

Say what you've been meaning, like it really matters.

Don't wait until it's too late.

Don't let distance take your place.

It's amazing how the whole world changes.

When you love a little bigger For tomorrow morning Before the day gets loud Love a little bigger, you can't see the bigger.