Following the Chickens Led Tessa Stowe on a Path of Rediscovery

We did these things that you wouldn't do if you were healthy.

You know, I wouldn't recommend for a healthy person, let alone somebody who's got brain cancer and is supposedly dying.

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01: Like so many people think that my story is inspiring.

How I became blind at just 17 years of age.

They always want to know how I've done it and how I've kept smiling all along the way.

Well, I've just chosen to focus my attention on seeing the positive side to life.

And here on the podcast, that's what I want to do for you.

Because no matter what you may be going through in life, I hope to inspire you to focus on the positive.

And you know what?

I hope that I can also be a source of inspiration for you to just keep on smiling.

Hey, welcome to the podcast.

My name is Kevin Lowe, and you are listening to episode number 47 here on The Lowdown with Kevin Lowe.

Today, I'm super excited because we are starting something new here on the podcast.

And that is the Listen Blind Challenge.

So if you're new around here and you've not caught on to what makes this podcast different than others, it's because your host, me, Kevin Lowe, well, I'm completely blind.

And that's one of the reasons that I started a podcast in the first place.

Is because I love the idea that I can bring you something to listen to.

And the fact that even if you have perfect eyesight, you are actually getting to spend some time just like me.

Because as I'm talking to you, you can't see me.

When my guest comes on, you can't see them.

You can only see what your ears can hear.

And so it got me thinking, you know what?

Maybe we should start something here on the podcast to further enhance this.

Because I tell everybody, you know, being blind has really gifted me with the ability to see the world differently, to get to know people in a different way.

And I want to bring that to you.

Now, if you're listening and you're like me and you are blind also, well, just just excuse this little announcement.

This is just boring stuff.

But for you who is sighted, my hope is that you will take today's episode, which we are going to have one episode each month that I'm going to choose to be part of the listen blind challenge.

And what I want you to do is, I know a lot of people listen to podcasts while you're doing things, doing dishes, you're working, you're driving.

Well, this is going to require you to take some time out of your day to sit down, to find a comfortable spot to chill out at, put in your headphones, and close your eyes.

I want you to be fully immersed in today's episode with your eyes closed.

And what my hope is, is that at the end of the episode, you come away with this feeling as though you took away more from today's conversation than you have any other episode that I have produced.

Now, if that doesn't happen, well, I'm sorry, but I think you will really find that it totally changes the aspect of the entire conversation that I'm having today.

So, now I do have to give credit though, this whole concept was inspired by a clothing company called Two Blind Brothers.

Brian and Bradford Manning were diagnosed at a young age with an eye condition that has them going blind.

And they, though, started a clothing line that is all about being sure that clothes feel amazing.

And they now have this thing that they call their shop blind challenge, and that's where you can go to their website for two blind brothers, you select a couple of different categories, just if you're shopping for a man or a woman, and what size clothes that you want to shop for, and then they give you a couple of different price points, you select it, and then they do the shopping for you.

It's a neat way of letting you shop blind.

And so I thought, well, you know what?

If they can have their customer shopping blind, then certainly I can let my audience listen blind.

So I think at this point, as I get ready to introduce you to today's guest, Tessa Stowe, who I must say is absolutely amazing.

With your eyes closed, I want you to start to feel the vibrations in the air, the high vibrations of energy that are emitted from just listening to Tessa speak.

She has an amazing story, she has been on an incredible journey, and I am so excited to get to introduce her to you right now.

SPEAKER_00: Kevin, it started back in 2012 because in 2013, November 2013, is when my husband Mike died from brain cancer.

So, but it it started exactly one year before that, in November 2012, when we found out that he had brain cancer.

And in that moment of finding out, he he actually had a seizure, and I was told in November 2012, and I was told to prepare for his death because he wasn't going to make it.

And we were just having a cup of coffee on the balcony, you know, just and and then all you know, then within the next hour, there I am in the hospital being told my husband isn't going to make it.

And that just kind of changed, just like just changed our lives dramatically.

And so in theory, he was supposed to die.

I mean, they we when someone says they came to me and said you've got to prepare for his death, I thought, what what does that mean?

You know, like I was in such shock.

And they put him in the ICU and they put him on life support, and they said they'd take him off the next day and he wasn't expected to come through or anything.

But Kevin, what happened when he I'm laughing about this because it really was quite funny.

When they took him off life support the next when I at the next morning at about 7 a.m.

They told me to leave the room while they took him off life support, and then they invited me back in.

And Kevin, there he was sitting up in bed, and he said, Hello, darling, I'm back.

SPEAKER_01: You've got to be kidding me.

Like a movie.

SPEAKER_00: I know, I'm back, he said.

And so that started off a whole year where I mean we found out he had brain cancer, you know, the prognosis wasn't great, wasn't good, and well was terminal, really.

And so we just the next 12 months, we besides he had to have chemo and radiation and all that, but uh between that and after that, and Mike just squeezed so much life out of life, if you know what I meant.

And that 12 months, I think he lived a whole lifetime because he totally and utterly appreciated and was so grateful for everything.

I mean, the day that he got out of hospital after being told that he wasn't going to make it, or me being told, we went for a walk.

And I I'll never forget it, Kevin, because we went for this walk and he was like seeing the a tree, like he as if it was for the first time, because he never thought he'd see it again.

So he was seeing a tree, he was seeing people, he was seeing flowers, he was seeing insects.

I mean, everything for him.

He was so excited about all the things that I would have walked past and not taken any notice of.

He was so excited, and that excitement carried forward for the next 12 months until he died.

SPEAKER_01: Wow, wow, wow.

Now, well, I mean, first off, what a crazy, yeah, amazingly beautiful story.

Yes.

Now, now, how old was he?

SPEAKER_00: He was 69 when he had the seizure.

SPEAKER_01: Okay.

SPEAKER_00: So not, you know, so not that's 69, you know, it's not old.

And also he was 69, but he had the attitude of you know, like a 40, a 40 to 50 year old, because he just he just yeah, he was full of life.

So he just he was very young in spiritual, I say.

SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes.

Now so now during that 12 months, did they give you any type of timeline?

No, and no prayer for?

SPEAKER_00: No, not at all.

And in fact, I and I'm really, you know, I am so grateful they didn't give us a timeline because because we wouldn't have done all the things that we did.

And also I really didn't believe he was going to die.

I just I was in total denial because I just thought, you know, I thought he can do the radiation, he can do the chemo, we'll just live life, I'll give him green smoothies, I'll make sure he does all these healthy things, minimize the stress, and we can overcome this because I really believe that you can overcome these things.

I I totally and utterly believe it.

So no, they didn't give us a timeline.

So that was that was good.

But it as it turned out, we had his celebration service the exactly 12 months to the day of his having his seizure.

But you know, we did some we did some crazy, crazy things in that 12 months.

So I'm glad I didn't know the timeline because I think if I'd known the timeline, I would have just kept my husband at home and I would have wrapped them up in cotton wool balls, you know, just to keep him really safe.

Because I would have been so scared of this timeline.

But but I didn't.

We we did some crazy things.

I mean, we went on safari in Africa, we went out in the bush in the middle of nowhere with nothing around.

We caught a train from Budapest to Croatia, Zagreb, and Croatia on a train that I don't recommend anybody their right mind takes, but we took it.

Do you know what I mean?

We did these things that you wouldn't do if you were healthy.

You know, I wouldn't recommend for a healthy person, let alone somebody who's got brain cancer and is supposedly dying.

You know what I mean?

Like, but we had so much fun and so much laughter because we were just it was just like we all know we're gonna die, right?

We all know that, but we don't live like we're going to die.

But in those 12 months, we lived as if we were gonna die.

Both of us, actually.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah.

Wow, and and and that's where when when I say what what a beautiful gift is because many, many, many people don't ever get an opportunity to live like that.

No, no, and and so when you said that, and I just think how awesome is that?

Truly, truly, that whole whole storyline, it sounds like a movie.

SPEAKER_00: Yes, 100%.

Oh, and I could make a movie out of it.

Some of the some of the things that we did.

I mean, and it wasn't all fabulous and roses because he had the chemo and the radiation and he had these terrible drugs, and there were some things that happened, and you know, but but that we just dealt with it when it came up, basically, and then just got on with living life.

And it was just it was it was great.

So I say to people that 2013 was the happiest, one of the happiest years of my life, and it was also, you know, one of the saddest, most horrible years of my life.

Do you know what I mean?

Like it was just it was a I had both extremes basically in 2013.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I I totally, totally get it.

Totally get it.

Now, now and at that time you guys were living in New Zealand?

SPEAKER_00: No, no, we were living in in Brisbane, in Australia.

SPEAKER_01: Oh, wow, okay.

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00: No, because because I'm although I'm originally from New Zealand, I haven't lived there since well for forever since I was 22.

Because I left New Zealand when I was 22.

I went to live in England for three years, I then lived in the Middle East for three years, I then then I went to South Africa, and that's where I met my husband.

And I was there for four years, and then we moved to Australia.

SPEAKER_01: Oh my goodness.

Wow.

Wow, the the world has no boundaries.

SPEAKER_00: No, it doesn't.

And it's all about experiencing the world.

And I see that you I mean you love Kevin to experience new things and people and just and that's what life's about.

It's about just to grab that's something I've really learned, is life is about grabbing it, grabbing every opportunity to explore and do things and just and it you actually don't even have to travel.

You can actually just wear in your own backyard or front.

There's so many fabulous experiences that you can have right where you are.

But I suppose I've taken that onto a global level and I've just, you know, travel, travel, traveled really.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I love it.

I love it.

Now, now how long had you guys been married?

SPEAKER_00: We had been married for 27 years.

SPEAKER_01: Wow.

Yeah so now so so given that and 27 years together, the last year on this just amazing roller coaster of life.

Yes.

Tell me tell me though, what was life like after he passed away?

SPEAKER_00: It was absolutely terrible.

I was just totally and utterly devastated.

I I mean, I love my husband so much.

In fact, just a couple of years before he died, we actually had renewed our wedding vows in an Elvis Presley chapel in Vegas, which was so much fun.

So when he died, I was just totally devastated.

I just I was so depressed, I didn't want to get out of bed.

I mean, what for?

I had all sorts of health challenges.

I got shingles on my eye, I got bacitis on my shoulder, but they thought I had hepatitis at one stage, but uh thank goodness it wasn't.

I decided, Kevin, I I thought I'm gonna drown my sorrows in New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc, right?

So I thought if I just come five, at least I waited until five o'clock.

So at five o'clock, out would come the wine.

And I basically just drank until I fell asleep because I just thought that I just was drinking because I wanted to numb the pain.

I wanted to numb the pain, and I also didn't want to wake up.

I thought maybe if I, you know, go to sleep and I won't wake up.

But I just want to let everybody know that that tactic doesn't actually work very well.

SPEAKER_01: Thank you for clarifying.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I just want to clarify that.

And uh I was offered grief counselling at the beginning, and I said, no, no, I don't need grief counseling because you know I can do this, you know, I get through this, you know, right?

Well, after five months, exactly five months, it was exactly five months to the day of him dying, Mike dying.

I basically had a total and utter meltdown and totally, you know, lost it.

And basically, they then said to me, I think you need grief counselling.

So so I had grief counselling, and and that was absolutely fabulous.

And I highly recommend counselling that we all have events that happen to us, you know.

We all we all do.

I mean, you've had like you, Kevin, you've had you know your fair share of trauma.

And so when you go through these through and loss, you've had your loss as well, you know.

So when you go through this, I you know, I think counselling is great because you can't do it on your own.

But having said that, it needs to be the right person, right?

Because I think it really needs to be the right counsellor.

And I was so, so lucky because this grief counselor was just fabulous.

Like I would say to her, the most, you know, which now I can say they were ridiculous things, but at the time for me, they were my truth.

Like I would say, I said to her one day, I you know, it's just crying and crying, and I just said, Look, I can never ever be happy again.

I can never be happy again because that would be disloyal to Mike.

And I never forget it.

And she just sat there and said, Yes, yes, I can see that.

She didn't argue with me, didn't, you know, she just let me say it and she's just let me be with it, which was fabulous.

Because if she tried to say, Oh, don't be ridiculous, or you will be happy or whatever, that would have, you know, resistance would have come up, and then I would have shut down as well.

But where she just let me, she just said, Yeah, I can see that.

I can see that.

Yeah.

Like Kevin, I'm sure after your when you found out you were blind, you probably just thought that in some ways your life was over in some ways.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, oh 100%.

And that's what that's what I always I always hesitate to to use the comparison because I I'm still here on this earth.

My my family still has me.

I still have my family, but I I always like to say is that basically my life died on that operating room table and a new life began.

And and and me and my family, we had to mourn the loss of that person, of that life.

SPEAKER_02: That's right.

SPEAKER_01: So it is I can I can re relate fullheartedly to everything you are saying from my own personal story.

SPEAKER_00: And it's interesting what you said about mourning the loss, because I had to mourn the loss of my husband, but also I had to mourn the loss of of Tessa Stowe, because the Tessa Stowe that was Tessa Stowe that was with Mike no longer existed.

Tessa Stowe, the wife, no longer existed.

And I couldn't go back to Tessa Stowe who I was before I got married because that Tessa didn't exist anymore.

So I was left with this thing of who am I now?

Who who who is Tessa Stowe?

And that's really confronting because you really you've lost your identity.

SPEAKER_01: Yep.

Yeah, no, I I yeah, I totally, I totally understand it.

And because, you know, and I think that kind of goes to a bigger picture of of who each of us truly are, because a lot of times we identify ourselves not based on who we are, but on our outer outer circumstances of our of who's in our life or what's in our life.

We are uh whatever profession.

We are, you know, the son of or the the you know the wife of.

When in fact, but who are we really inside of us?

SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes.

And that's and when you go through uh tragedy or something significant happens, even something you know, 2020, 2021, you know, that's what you call significant.

It's these events really cause you to go within.

And it's like, as you said, it's like, who am I?

And why am I here?

So that that was a big one for me.

It's like, why am I here?

You know, why couldn't I have gone with my husband?

Why am I still here?

And it's been an amazing um journey.

You know, I eventually picked myself up.

It took me quite a while.

I mean, you know, I was pretty slow at it, you know, I was really down in the depths, but I picked myself up, and now I can actually sit here and barley and I can say, Kevin, I am really happy.

I love my life now.

It's you know, I really love my life.

It's just a every day I I wake up, I have this sense of gratitude every day, and I I get up and I just listen to the I love getting up early and I love listening to the you know the birds waking up because they all they all celebrate the early morning, don't they?

They love it when the sun comes up.

And I I I celebrate it with them and I'm just so grateful.

And I look at plants and I look at flowers and I look at insects.

I have a I have a frog here who's got a bit of a fetish for me, so loves to hang around around my place.

And he likes to he likes to leap onto my bedroom window and look at me in bed, this frog does so.

SPEAKER_01: Oh my goodness, that is so oh, that is so funny.

SPEAKER_02: Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: Wow.

So now take me through what how how did you finally get past it and get to a point where you could start living your life again?

SPEAKER_00: Right.

Well, what happened was my grief counselor tricked me.

I always say she tricked me.

So so what happened was I was I I kept going up and down, up and down because you just it's like being on a you know on a roller coaster or in a big waves, you know, it's see you go up and then you crash down and then up and down.

And then I was going through a really bad patch, and I was, I think I'd spent over a week in bed, besides getting up for the essentials.

So because I, you know, I mean, I just really thought, well, you know, what is the point?

And um I had a session with my grief counselor, I and I made it to that, and I just told her, she said, What have you been doing?

And I said, Oh, I've just been spending the last week or so in bed, you know.

So, so she said to me, Well, would you do me a little favor?

And I thought, I thought, well, I really liked her.

And I thought, because it was her and because she said the words little, I thought, well, okay.

So so I said, okay.

And she said to me, Well, when you wake up in the morning, put your clothes on and then go outside and Go across the road.

There was a park there.

She said, just go across the road.

And I said, Oh, okay.

I said, uh, yeah, that's little.

And I said, once I get across the road, what do I do?

And she said, Well, you can go back to bed if you like.

So I said, Oh, that's good.

Okay.

And she said, Well, you promise me you'll do that, you know, every day until we s till I see you the next time, which was about a week or so later.

And I said, Yeah, no, fine.

That's easy for do.

So the next morning, woke up, threw some clothes on, walked across the road, got across the road and thought, okay, I've done that.

Walked across the road again, back to my apartment and went back to bed again.

So this went on for a couple of days.

And then one day I got went across the road and I'm standing there and it was a beautiful, sunny day.

And I thought, wow, since I'm up and since it's such a beautiful day, why don't I just go for a bit of a walk?

And I started walking, and I and I suddenly felt like happy.

And I thought, oh, gee, you know, I've just had a what I called a happiness moment.

So I thought, wow.

And and then I started looking at, you know, like flowers and and the trees, and I heard the birds, and it started off like one little happiness moment led to another, led to another, led to another.

I just got that.

I thought, well, if I can just do one little thing, it might lead to something else or something else.

So that's why I say she tricked me, because she tricked me by just getting me to do the one little thing, which was get up and cross the road.

So I'm ever so grateful.

I'm so grateful that she that she did that for me.

I because really that just got me on a bit of a journey.

And then I became really curious because I've got a very curious mind.

I thought, wow, that one happiness moment led to another, led to another.

So I started investigating what makes you happy, and I became really passionate about happiness.

And and from the point of view of just doing little things, not the big things, just the all the little things that you can do that will make you feel happy.

And I started blogging about it, and I discovered, in fact, that happiness is a superpower.

I mean, it's a skill that you can acquire.

I mean, who would have thought, right?

But you can actually acquire it.

So I became quite passionate and I started blogging and writing about happiness as a superpower.

And you know, and the thing is, Kevin, when you start writing and blogging and doing videos about something like happiness as a superpower, because you are then seen as a person, you know, happiness person, that identity you've assumed now.

You need to be it as well, don't you?

SPEAKER_01: That's right.

SPEAKER_00: So I'm not I I'm not all the time, but I just I now have that and have embraced that identity, and I'm always looking for little things to make me happy.

Like my frog, you know, the one that spies on me in the bedroom.

You know, he makes me happy.

So um, do you know what I mean?

Like, even even I have I have lots of ants around here because there's quite a lot of insects and barley, but you know, I even appreciate the ants and I watch them.

They're so industrious, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01: Like Yeah.

And and I can't help but think of this comparison to the way that you talked about your husband after that happened, the the stroke happened, and you said that he started looking at everything on your walk differently.

SPEAKER_00: Yes, totally, totally.

And yes, so it was and Kevin, what happened too was I learned so much during that year, the way that he was living his life.

I learned so much.

And then after he died, I found I like I like my husband, I'll give you an example.

My husband was a really, really good cook, really good cook.

And he was he was fanatical.

So but he but he was such a tidy cook.

You know, if you let me in the kitchen cooking, I just have every pot, everything out all over the place.

It would look like uh, you know, been vomited or something.

It was just a mess.

So and he used to always say, You've got to clean up as you're going along, because if he was cooking, everything was always washed as you go and it was perfect.

And do you know what I mean?

Like it was like that.

I was the complete opposite.

Anyway, after he died and I was in the kitchen, I suddenly found myself being like him.

Do you know what I mean?

Like I washed up things as I'm going along.

Do you know what I mean?

Like everything was orderly and so and I thought, gosh, you know, how where did that come from?

unknown: Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: Wow, wow, wow, wow.

I'm curious today, which it which I know I'm I'm you know, skipped way ahead to to present time, but we'll we'll circle back around.

But I'm curious, do you still find that even in your life today that you feel like you have these little pieces of your husband still with you?

SPEAKER_00: Oh gosh, yes, all the time.

Since he died, I've had so many signs from him.

I mean, like so many.

People might say, oh, that's a coincidence, that's a coincidence.

But I've so many that I, you know, I started writing them down.

I've got a whole list of them.

And so that I had lots and lots of signs at you know, the first few years, lots of signs.

And every so often I'll get a sign from him as well, and I'll just I'll just smile.

But also I if I want to have a conversation with them, I do automatic writing.

So I just get my journal, but I journal every morning and I just write.

And often I'll get a um, I'll write something and I'll go, that's not something I'd say, and then I laugh because I know it's something he'd say.

Do you know what I mean?

Like so, so yes, because I totally believe that we are a spirit here in a body to experience living on earth, and then when when our body dies, our spirit is still alive.

We're still alive.

Because I always remember, Kevin, the exact moment that my husband his spirit left his body, that split second, I you you didn't have to take his pulse or anything.

I I because I just saw his spirit like leave his body, like a you know, one moment it was there, the next moment it wasn't.

So I feel like my husband is still very much around me and totally, but it's just that it's not physical anymore, if you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_01: Yep.

Yeah, no, I totally get it.

And and I think it goes back to this deeper belief, this understanding that that we as the physical people we are, we are actually we're so much more than that.

SPEAKER_00: Oh, totally more.

Much, much more.

We're so much more powerful.

SPEAKER_01: And and I think it kind of goes to this whole like deeper level of understanding of life and living truly is, and and we we feel like, you know, because the physical person is not here, that they are no longer living.

Yes, yes, you know, through their spirit and everything, I mean, it that's just not the case.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, totally.

I um Kevin, I'll tell you, I mean, I've got lots of funny stories about how he communicated with me, but or what things happened.

In fact, he I won't tell you, go into detail, but he did something at the funeral that really freaked out the funeral director.

But um, but one day I because I hadn't had a sign from Mike for quite a while, and I was going for a walk along the beachfront, and I hadn't had a sign from him.

So I said, look, so I I I I was very demanding.

I said, look, Mike, I was, you know, talking.

I said, Mike, I demand a sign from you.

I demand a sign.

And I was, you know, I was just like, you know, like really full on demanding.

So I went for my walk, and then after the walk, I went for a coffee.

Now, and I sat down having this coffee.

Now, when I have my coffee in the morning, I don't normally, I don't look at my emails, right?

On my phone, I don't.

But for some reason, this particular morning, I was prompted to look at my emails.

And in came this email from I was getting this daily dose or whatever, which I hardly ever looked at because it came daily, which is a bit overwhelming.

So I I um hadn't hadn't looked at it, but this email popped in and I and I opened it and it said, Well, you asked for a sign, here it is.

SPEAKER_01: What?

SPEAKER_00: Yep, that's what it said.

SPEAKER_01: And I just wow.

SPEAKER_00: I know.

I mean, how wow was that, huh?

SPEAKER_01: No, that's so crazy.

And and you know though, it it it's like what you said earlier is some people would call that a coincidence.

Whatever I don't, I don't, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_00: Yes, well, they can, but then if they if someone says to me that's a coincidence, I just go, oh, okay, but I've got like stacks of them.

Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I was gonna say, well, well, well, then that's a pretty powerful coincidence.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's right.

That's it.

That's it.

And it's so much fun.

So I I miss my husband.

I mean, I just loved him to bit, so I absolutely loved him.

I and I miss him, but he's still with me.

But you know, now I've got a different I've I've created a different life.

I'm a different Tessa Stowe is a completely different person.

I would say, Kevin, that Tessa, the Tessa Stowe of today is a much nicer person.

Do you know what I mean?

I'm a far nicer person, I'm far more present, I'm far more grateful, I appreciate, appreciate everything.

Doesn't mean to say I don't have my bad moments, which I do, but but I I bounce back a lot quicker.

I I just see the world so much, so much differently.

And my priorities are just totally different because I know that in an instant, in a nanosecond, in a split second, everything can change.

So I'm just grateful for what I you know, what I've got in this moment.

SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.

And I think that that that beautifully leads me into something that I want to talk to you about is is I imagine that's kind of what you call living in high vibration.

SPEAKER_00: Yes, precisely.

Yes, living in high vibration.

So it was a bit of an interesting journey, Kevin, because what happened was after Mike died and I went on my journey of grief, I sort of came out of it with being really focused on happiness as a superpower.

So I thought the way to live a happy, healthy, enchanted life was was through happiness, you know, be happy and because and just learn that.

But then I in 2020 I started going down some some rabbit holes, and that's when I I say I discovered the what I call the missing piece, because what I discovered was that you can do things to generate happiness, but uh the thing is that generates a high vibration, but then you also consume things, you know, you consume things through your eyes, your ears, your mouth, your nose, your skin, right?

Everything that you consume has got a vibration.

And if you're consuming low vibrations, like you're eating like really processed plastic food, for example, that's going to really suppress your vibration.

So it's all very well having happiness as a superpower, I mean, and which is great, and I think it's essential.

But if you're then counteracting that high vibration by, you know, putting low vibrational food into your mouth, or listening to really low vibrational music, or putting products on your skin that are toxic, then it's kind of counteracting what you're doing for happiness is a superpower.

So when I say living in high vibration, it's a combination of acquiring happiness as a superpower, but also making sure that you consume high vibrations through your eyes, your ears, your mouth, your nose, your skin.

That to me is living in high vibration.

It's it's a it's a combination.

Wow.

Yes, and I discovered that.

I discovered that in 2020, 2021 when I started going down some rabbit holes and I went, oh my goodness.

And I I'd never I'd never I'd never put it all together before.

SPEAKER_01: Wow, wow, wow, wow.

Yeah, no, that's amazing.

And and I totally agree.

Now, I I've never I've never thought of it as talking about like vibrations of all the you know, vibrations of life and stuff, but I just have always said that, you know, even like, you know, it's surrounding yourself with with like-minded, you know, like positive energy, you know.

Yes, oh, is that kind of is is that kind of what you equate like when you when we use the word like vibration almost to to the energy?

SPEAKER_00: Oh, definitely.

Energy, frequency.

So we've all got our own vibration and and frequency.

I mean, there's some people that I just love to be around, and some people their vibration is just like, oh my goodness, I need to get away from them fast.

And so so it's a people thing.

I mean, you just look at a plant, a fl a beautiful flower, that's that's got a beautiful, you know, vibration, and and you and that kind of just you can kind of comes into you.

But it's also, as I said, it's like with if you eat really dense plastic food, in other words, not natural, the further you go away from nature, that's really low vibration, low density.

That's gonna pull you physically down because your body, see, your body also relies on, it's like a it's got a vibration detector because it's always trying to detect what you know what's going on around you.

Because your body wants you to survive, right?

It wants you to hang around as long as possible, because otherwise, you know, your spirit has no body, right?

So, so the body does all these things to help you survive as long as possible.

And so what it does is it has this vibration detector.

So basically, if you say the detector is between one and one hundred and 50 is halfway, above 50 is high and below 50 is low.

So, so the body basically goes, okay, when it goes low, when it detects a low vibration, it goes, oh my goodness, the body must be in danger.

And then it goes into survival mode.

And when it's in survival mode, it it goes, gosh, I've got to focus on surviving.

So what it does is it switches off all your health systems, like your immunity, your growth and repair, your natural healing systems.

And your body does switches it all off so it can use all the energy for survival.

So, so when you go, when you're in low vibration, you see that has if you're there for too long, that has a huge impact on your health.

I mean, that's why, for example, after my husband died, I was I was definitely low vibration, right?

I was so depressed.

I stayed there for months, so that's why I had all these health issues.

So you're but your body thinks it's it's doing it to help you survive.

So that's why it's so important to live in high vibration so that you can live a happy, healthy, enchanted life.

And that you know, that then your body will let you live a happy, healthy, enchanted life when you're in high vibration.

When you're in low vibration, the body does what it does to protect you, to make you help you survive.

And you're not allowed it won't let you go and smell the roses.

Like, for example, Kevin, if you're being chased by a saber-toothed tiger, your body's not going to let you stop and smell the roses, is it?

SPEAKER_01: No, I hope not.

No.

Yes, no.

SPEAKER_00: So it just that's why I always say the your vibration determines determines everything and it determines the life that you that you're living, really.

It's all about vibration.

SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.

So now I'm curious for somebody who who their life right now is in low vibration, yeah.

How do they begin to transition to a life of high vibration?

SPEAKER_00: Right.

That's a great, great question.

Well, first off, tiny, tiny steps, right?

Remember that story, you know, with my my grief counselor tricking me.

Because if if you really, you know, the further your the lower your vibration is, the harder it is, right?

Because you don't have you don't have any energy.

It's really it's a struggle.

So start off with something small, but what I can recommend for your listeners is to download my living in high vibration roadmap.

And that's got the hope of having a superpower roadmap.

It's got a couple of videos which talk about consuming high vibrations through your eyes, your mouth, your nose, your skin as well.

So get that roadmap, and that's at lhvroadmap.com.

That's lhvroadmap.com.

But overall, do little things.

And a great one is you know, a good thing to do is simply to, you know, if you can be out in nature, just a couple of things.

Be out in nature.

Nature is uh is just wonderful.

Be present in nature, just you know, smell, just listen to the bird, listen, just listen, listen, listen, be totally present.

And and another thing, Kevin, which I found really helpful, is just putting your hand on your heart and and just breathing in love and gratitude.

I mean, there's all sorts of little things that you can do that will basically help take you out of it or raise your vibration, if you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I totally get it.

Oh my goodness, I love it.

And and for for anybody listening, don't try and remember the uh the website.

I will definitely uh leave a link to that in the show notes so that you can you can get this roadmap.

And and I just love it and and I totally get it as far as like nature goes.

SPEAKER_00: Oh, nature, amazing.

SPEAKER_01: I I've always I always have said that for me that the morning is is by far my most favorite part of the entire day.

And the part of that that I love the most is when I can wake up and be sitting there and hear the birds start to start to sing.

SPEAKER_00: They get so excited, don't they?

There's just there's just a couple of minutes, isn't it, when they'd like it's a crescendo.

SPEAKER_01: Yep.

It is.

It's just it's literally like this this this beautiful way of like just signaling that the world is is is alive, the world's waking up, the sun's risen, you know.

It's it's so amazing.

SPEAKER_00: It's and it's it's deafening.

It's just but it's so f it's fabulous.

I just I just love it too.

They have a detection mechanism, they know that it's coming, and they just, you know, it's like it's like, okay, we're gonna play this orchestral piece now, everybody.

SPEAKER_01: That's right.

Exactly, exactly.

I know, and there there's sometimes I'll listen to the birds and and I'll be like, man, that one's just downright trying to show off.

Like, you know, you'll get one who's really feeling it, you know?

Yeah.

Oh my goodness.

So now I'm curious though, when especially talking about nature and everything, it makes me think of of your surroundings.

So I'm curious what what brought you to now be living in Bali?

SPEAKER_00: Uh-huh.

Well, I followed the chickens.

SPEAKER_02: Oh.

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: So so what happened?

I was living in in, I was in Brisbane, and it was January of 2018.

And this voice in my head, I've got really good at listening to this voice in my head, or shall I say probably the voice in my heart, was saying to me, Tessa, you need to go away.

You need to go away and and go somewhere peaceful and and just think, you know, just think about stuff.

You just, but you need to go away.

So I thought, oh, where will I go?

Where will I go?

So I thought, ah, I'll go to Bali, because Bali is a very, don't know if you know much about Bali, but it's a very spiritual place.

And it's just a beautiful place to be.

So I decided to go to Bali and I thought, where will I stay?

And I thought, oh well, somebody told me about a place in this seaside town of uh Chanti Dasa.

So I I flew to Bali, checked into this place, and then the next the first morning, I got there at night time.

The next morning I got up and I came out and there was like a a path.

I came to a like a path, two paths.

One path basically went up to the road where all the cars were going along, right?

And the other path went off to the right.

And I noticed that there's all these chickens running around down this path.

So I thought, oh, I wonder where these chickens, you know, I'll follow these chickens, I wonder where they're going.

So I followed the chickens and then I ended up on somebody's driveway, and I thought, oh, that's someone's house, obviously, you know, it's their driveway.

And I thought, but the chickens were still going along, weren't they?

So I thought, well, I'll just keep following them because if it is someone's house, they can always throw me out, right?

So I so I I I went down this driveway, and sure enough, it was actually the you know, driveway for someone's house, but it also was the back entrance for a resort.

So I walked into this resort and went, wow.

And then I bumped into this guy, Bradley, who turned out to be the owner of this resort, and I introduced myself and he said, he just looked at me.

Um, this is a true story, Kevin.

Within a few minutes of me chatting to him, he said, Oh, Tessa, you might want to come and live here.

And I thought, what a strange thing to say.

And then he said, I'll show you an apartment that you could live in.

And I thought, this guy's a bit weird, you know.

I've I've um only just met him and he's saying I should come and live here, and he wants to show me an apartment.

But I I thought, well, I'll I know I'll be polite.

After all, I did walk down his driveway.

So I I he showed he showed me an apartment and I thought, oh, that's all very nice and thank you, but you know, no thank you.

So that was January.

Anyway, no, roll forward to November.

In November, I sent him a message and I said, Brad, now about that apartment.

And uh I moved in January 2019.

And I and I said to Brad when I moved there, I said, Brad, what on earth possessed you to say?

You'd only just met me for a few minutes.

Why on earth did you say to me you might want to come and live here?

He said, it just came to me to say that to you.

SPEAKER_01: Wow.

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

So that's how I ended up in Bali.

SPEAKER_01: I love it.

And I love, and I I absolutely love when I asked you that question, and you follow the chickens.

Because that's exactly what you did.

Wow.

If if that's not life advice right there to follow the chickens, yes, that's right.

Wow.

So now I I am curious how how has it been in Bali since 2020 and and and all of that chaos that came with with that year?

SPEAKER_00: Okay.

For me on a personal level, I've loved being here, but my heart breaks for what is happening to the Balinese and in Bali because it's about eighty five percent of the people here rely on tourism for their income.

So About 85% of the people here have lost their income.

So it's it's absolutely dire for them.

I mean, it's just heartbreaking.

And so I really feel for the you know the Balinese people because they're really beautiful people.

They're just such beautiful people.

So and they put their heart and soul into tourists and to building, you know, a fabulous tourist experience, and there are no tourists.

SPEAKER_01: Wow, that it is.

It's it's literally it's it's just devastating.

And and and I feel like, you know, I I don't think any of us really understood the freedom we have had as as world citizens to travel all over this world to hop on a plane till all of a sudden it was taken from us.

SPEAKER_00: That's right.

And that's the thing, that's that's it, Kevin.

Is that we never we we take so much for granted, don't we?

That that's we just until it's taken, like your eyesight was taken.

You you probably never really thought about your eyesight so much, really.

Whereas when it goes, it's just wow.

And it's just so I think 2020 and 2021, or you know, it's been absolutely devastating and it's been terrible for many people.

On the other hand, I always like to, you know, my philosophy is now there's total devastation, these things are terrible things that happen, but there's also within those terrible things, there's gifts, there's gems.

Do you know what I mean?

So I think 2020 and 2021, it's one of the gifts is that we are appreciating, as you said, being global citizens.

We are appreciating being able to go out when we feel like going out.

We are appreciating being around people.

We've just our level of appreciation and gratitude, I think, is skyrocketed for the things that we that we took for granted.

And I'm I hope that that feeling of of gratitude and appreciation stays.

When this is over and we're through this, I hope that, but I I hope that feeling of appreciation and gratitude you know lingers on with everybody.

SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, absolutely, because I'll tell you that that right there is the key, because so many times it's so easy for all of us to forget and to go on and then and then before you know it, everyone's right back to to where we were you know beforehand.

And and I feel like that's just kind of a general message for life, and and I feel like definitely kind of pulls together our whole conversation today is this thing of stopping and appreciating life and recognizing the beauty in everything that we have in our surroundings, the people that are in our lives, the places we live, you know, and and I think that's just so important for all of us to keep in mind.

SPEAKER_00: Oh, absolutely, absolutely.

And it's and it's when you have, you know, it's sad, it's sad, but we as humans, we need these these thumps or these knocks sometimes to really make us appreciate things, don't we?

We don't if we're just going along cruising along and everything's all fine, we don't appreciate it.

It's when a thump comes along in 2020 and 2021 has been a major thump for every person, I would say, in the whole wide world.

And it it just shakes you up, really.

SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Well, so I'm curious.

So where where does life take you from here?

Any ideas?

SPEAKER_00: Well, I've got to find some more chickens, I think.

I know I know, Kevin.

I must tell you, I moved from I from Chandidasa, I moved to Ubud, which is up in the hills, right?

And I was in a place for a few months and then my lease was up.

So then I had to go and find somewhere else.

And I four o'clock in the morning, I I was awake four o'clock in the morning, and I was scrolling through something on Facebook, and somebody posted a picture of a place, and I thought, oh, that looks nice.

And I sent, I said, is that place available?

And they said, Oh, yeah, contact this person, etc.

etc.

Anyway, so the next day I ended up going around to that place, and as soon as I got there, there was a driveway, and I hadn't even looked at the villa, right?

I hadn't looked at the villa, but guess what?

There was a driveway that looked exactly like the driveway that I'd followed with the chickens, and not only that, there were chickens on the driveway.

So before I even looked at the villa, I thought, yep, this place will be perfect.

SPEAKER_01: So my goodness.

SPEAKER_00: So and now I have chickens all I just go outside my dorm, there's chickens running around.

Great, I love them.

So I had no idea where my life is going to go as far as anything.

I just live life every day.

And I I because I think I think right now in the world you can't really plan anything, can you?

You just got to go with the flow, embrace the moment, embrace the joy.

Just um, you know, we're all gonna die one day.

Life is terminal.

Uh so I just I just embrace it.

I just squeeze as much out of it as I can.

But I I really, if you ask me where am I, where will I be in two, three years or five, I haven't got a clue really.

I love barley.

I really, really love barley.

But you know, you just don't know, do you?

SPEAKER_01: No, and and and you know what though, and I think that that is is what you learned with with the story of your husband, is to not focus on tomorrow, but focus on right now.

SPEAKER_00: Yep.

Yes.

SPEAKER_01: And and be sure that you're living the life that you want right now.

And um, and so I think that's awesome.

Now, now for anybody who is is really enjoying our conversation who who who want to to be sure they learn more about this living in high vibrations, where where can they find out more?

Uh in Oh, right.

SPEAKER_00: Yes, well, the best thing to do is go to lhvroadmap.com.

That's lhroadmap.com, because there they can download my roadmap with the videos, etc.

And that way we'll we'll have a way of keeping keeping in touch.

And every week I send out a video or an audio as well, and with something with you know, adding on to and explaining more about living in high vibration, all the different aspects.

Like there's one going out tomorrow about basically it's all about what to do when you're triggered.

Because, you know, when we're triggered by things that go on around us, that just typically just sucks our vibration and just you know flattens it.

So I'm doing that, that video will come out tomorrow.

So every week, if you get that roadmap from me, you'll also every week get a video from me as well.

SPEAKER_01: Wow.

Well, oh my goodness.

I want to thank you so much for for coming on my podcast, for for just sharing your your story that is so amazing and so inspiring.

And in in that, you know, even in the worst of times, there's you know, don't give up on life.

To keep going, to keep fighting, because even when you feel like there's there's nothing left, there is.

SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes, and you just don't, yes, like and it's beyond your imagination.

I could not have imagined my life.

I could not have imagined living here in Bali, I could not have imagined my life after the this life after Mike died.

I thought my life was over.

SPEAKER_01: Yep.

No, I I oh my goodness.

And Tessa, thank you so much.

You you have been such a pleasure to talk to.

And I don't know, you just have that vibration about you that's got me in high vibrations right now.

And I just love talking to you.

SPEAKER_00: So oh, that's great.

Oh, well, I've done talking to you, Kevin.

I really do, because I know you and I basically we've had different journeys, but then lots there in lots of ways they're just so similar.

SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, absolutely.

And uh for you who are who's listening and and been listening to my conversation with Tessa today, I just want you to remember that this life, it's worth living.

Don't give up on it.

And when you're feeling a little bit lost, just remember look for the chickens and go where they're going.

SPEAKER_00: That's great.

SPEAKER_01: Hey, this is Kevin.

So did you do it?

Did you make it through the entire episode and did it peak even not one time?

I hope so.

Whether or not you kept your eyes closed, I hope you enjoyed today's conversation with another amazing guest here on the podcast.

And if you did participate in today's listen blind challenge, I would love to know.

So please go on Instagram or Facebook.

Be sure to write a post tagging the podcast, which is just at the lowdown with Kevin Lowe, and use hashtag hashtag listenblind challenge.

Again, that's hashtag listenblind challenge.

Leave a post, let me know what you thought about it, and if you found it cool enough, inspiring enough, I hope you will share today's episode with a friend, and uh hopefully we can just spread all of these amazing vibrations that we've got going on in today's episode.

And that's the lowdown with Kevin Lowe.

I hope today's episode inspired you, motivated you, and excited you to get out and enjoy life, no matter what obstacles may be standing in the way.