Show Transcript

0:00:01 - (Kevin Lowe): I obviously have no idea how you woke up this morning. If you woke up excited and full of energy, or if you woke up with a moan and a groan, begrudgingly rolled out of bed and started your day, either which way, I want you to imagine a different scenario. I want you to imagine waking up tomorrow morning so excited, it feels like you've got fire running through your veins. Fire full of purpose, full of desire for what the day holds.

0:00:33 - (Kevin Lowe): You're excited about the challenges you face today because you know they're not roadblocks. They're just stepping stones that are getting you closer to where you want to be in life. And you wear your resiliency like a cape, because you know that when you get knocked down, you got resiliency on your side, that you bounce back just like a superhero. This, my friend, is not pretend. This is what is possible when you capture what today is all about.

0:01:07 - (Kevin Lowe): And that is one simple yet truly life changing word. A philosophy, a motto. And that is grit. So, my friend, if you're ready to get gritty, then this is the episode for you. Welcome to episode 314. Yo.

0:01:26 - (B): Are you ready to flip the script on life? Cause those bad days, theyre just doors to better days. And thats exactly what we do here at grit, grace, and inspiration. Your host, Kevin Lowe. Hes 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.

0:01:53 - (Kevin Lowe): In today's episode, you're about to hear the stories of three different people who, I believe, exhibit this idea of living with grit like no one else I could think of. By the end of today's episode, my hope is that you'll not only be inspired by their journeys, but you'll be empowered to harness your own grit to make a difference in your own life. We've got their stories. We've got some thought provoking questions, some things to have their stories meaning something to you.

0:02:26 - (Kevin Lowe): And that is the goal of today's episode. We are about to have you harnessing grit like you never even realized was inside of you. First on the list today, if we are talking about Grit, then we obviously have to speak to perseverance and resilience. If you go way back in the podcast library, back to episode 59. So we're talking about a couple of years ago. You're going to find an interview with a woman named Allie Ingersoll after a tragic accident left Ali paralyzed from the neck down.

0:03:07 - (Kevin Lowe): Yeah, she was living her best life in the Bahamas. And then she dove off of the dock just like she always did. But this time, the water was shallower than she realized, and her head, it hit the sand, and instantly she was paralyzed from the neck down. But here's what's powerful, is that Allie did not allow this incident to define her. She did not allow this life changing condition to stop her from thriving in life with nothing but pure resilience and perseverance.

0:03:43 - (Kevin Lowe): All Ingersoll has exhibited grit every day since then. It's been many years, and she's come a long way, even from the time since I interviewed her to today. The work that she's doing in advocating for people with disabilities who need special needs and accommodations is absolutely empowering. The thing I want you to realize is that Allie, by harnessing grit, by focusing on what she could control, what she could do, she's been able to be the biggest inspiration to me and to countless others.

0:04:26 - (Kevin Lowe): The thing that I want you to start to think about is what have you had happen in your own life that has knocked you down? And when you look back at that challenge, what if you approached it differently? What if you approached it like Allie approached her condition? She easily could have chosen to let life end at that day, to stop living, to stop thriving, to stop choosing to move forward. But she didn't because she has grit, and she chooses each and every day to live with grit, to push through the hard times, to make the most of this life.

0:05:08 - (Kevin Lowe): And I will bet to say that she lives out this life fuller than any of us could ever dream of doing. So my question to you is, what can you use from her story to help you in your own life? How can you look at challenges differently based on her example of what it means to live with perseverance and resilience? After talking about resilience paired with resilience, we come to passion paired with purpose.

0:05:43 - (Kevin Lowe): And there's no one better to illustrate what it looks like to be fueled by grit in pursuit of your passion, in your purpose than Fitz Kohler. This dynamite of a woman was featured back in episode 165. What really captivated me about my interview with Fitz is her ability to keep pushing through. Even when life dealt her a bad hand. She was in, you could say, the prime of her life, living life to the fullest. Had an amazing job as a race announcer.

0:06:23 - (Kevin Lowe): She had a wonderful family, wonderful life, and then she was diagnosed with breast cancer. And because of that, she would have to endure grueling chemotherapy treatment. But because Fitz is who she is, and because Fitz has grit baked into her being, she decided right then and there that this cancer would not keep her from living her life like she had been. So even while on chemotherapy, she continued to work.

0:06:57 - (Kevin Lowe): She continued to travel across the country to be there on race day, announcing the race, watching the runners take off when the gun was fired. Now, what people didn't know was, back at the hotel, she was sick. She spent the night asleep on the bathroom floor, sick from the effects of the chemotherapy. But come morning, she got dressed, she put herself together, and with nothing but pure grit, she got back out there.

0:07:25 - (Kevin Lowe): Because, you know, what's powerful is that she was driven by her passion, her purpose. And when she was out there on the starting line, she. She did not feel pain. She no longer felt sick. She was living out her passion, living out her purpose. Right then and there, it was a moment of healing for her. What I want you to understand is that her story, it's a beautiful understanding that when you're driven by a deep seated purpose, when you have a passion that you desire, you can overcome anything.

0:08:02 - (Kevin Lowe): It's all by tapping into your own internal grit. I encourage you to reflect on your own passion, your own purpose. What is it when times are tough that keeps you moving forward? What about if tomorrow happens and things go sideways? What is it that's going to keep you pushing forward? I encourage you to think about it. I encourage you to think about how you can harness that passion to move through the hard times in pursuit of something more.

0:08:36 - (Kevin Lowe): Because the hard times, I like to think of them as just a bump in the road. You just hit that bump and you keep going. But in order to do so, you have to have your eyes focused forward on a future bigger than yourself. Fitz Kohleregh, an amazing woman with an incredible story and one amazing example of what it means to harness the power of grit. Last on my list today, but certainly not least, is a man who is going to show you the unlimited possibilities that only exist because of pure grit.

0:09:16 - (Kevin Lowe): Back in episode 215, I introduced you to Dave Albin. In that interview with Dave, he shared his truly transformational story that honestly empowered anyone and everyone who listened, including myself. For years, Dave struggled with alcoholism until finally he turned everything around. He utilized AA. He knew that he needed help, and he followed their plan precisely. Now, what's powerful is that is not the end of his story.

0:09:53 - (Kevin Lowe): No, that's literally just the beginning, because after that, there was a series of events that happened over a period of time that have gotten Dave to where he is today. Those include such things as Tony Robbins walking on fire, and slowly but surely, Dave Albin would transform his life. The only way that Dave is where he is today, I believe, is because he leaned on grit to get him through the hard times.

0:10:27 - (Kevin Lowe): So here we are, three examples down, and I wonder, are you still not convinced, are you still not convinced of the power of grit? Well, my friend, well, then be sure that you go and listen to one, or better yet, all three of these interviews. For easy access, I've provided links inside of today's show notes to make it real easy for you to find them. And if you're still confused what show notes even are, well, it's the description for today's episode.

0:11:01 - (Kevin Lowe): Scroll down and you will find the description along with links to each of these interviews highly encourage you to listen to them, whether for the first time or a second time. There's lessons that you will learn each and every time you listen. I promise you that. My question that I want you to ask yourself, inspired by Dave Albin, is what are you willing to do to transform your life? Are you willing to admit that you need help?

0:11:34 - (Kevin Lowe): Are you willing to stop doing what you know is harming your life? And are you ready to walk on fire to see what's on the other side? You answer those questions, and I guarantee you it's gonna get you somewhere really big. Now, here's the important part that I want you to remember. None of these people that I mentioned today, or any different than me or you, there is nothing that makes them any more special, any more capable to tap into their grit than you.

0:12:10 - (Kevin Lowe): Because, my friend, if you haven't been told this, you are made for greatness. Matter of fact, I believe that you already have greatness inside of you. Sometimes, though, we just have to tap into a little bit of grit to help let that greatness shine through. And, of course, to end todays episode, I want to say that I hope today you learned a little bit more about grit than you thought. Maybe you realized its not just a cool buzzword, but its something that truly makes an impact in peoples lives, and it can certainly make an impact in your life.

0:12:48 - (Kevin Lowe): If there is anything that I can ever do for you, if you have a question more about grit, if you have a question about how you can harness grit to get through the hard times in your own life, just reach out to me. I am here to bring value to you, to help you however I can. There's a link inside of today's show notes where you can always book a time for me and you to talk totally free. No sales call.

0:13:16 - (Kevin Lowe): It's just me wanting to be a help to you. And with that, my friend, I encourage you to stay awesome and live inspired.