Show Transcript

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If you'll stick with me for the next few minutes, I'm going to share with you

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three strategies to have you tapping into what I'm considering the ultimate life hack.

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My friend, this is the gravy to your turkey, the cranberry sauce to your stuffing.

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And yes, of course, that is because today is Thanksgiving.

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So to those who are celebrating the holiday, Happy Thanksgiving.

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And to everyone, I welcome you to what is episode 345.

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Yo, are you ready to flip the script on life? Because those bad days,

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they're just doors to better days.

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

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Your host, Kevin Lowe. He's been flipping the script on his own life,

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turning over 20 years of being completely blind into straight-up inspiration,

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motivation, and encouragement just for you.

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

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

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Well, it's for you to do good.

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

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

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

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

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I actually did a quick Google search to be sure that what I was talking about

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was indeed scientifically proven.

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And matter of fact, it is. What I found is that science backs up the fact that

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being kind by giving back, it can slash your stress levels.

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

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

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

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

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It's good for you. It's good for those around you. And it makes an impact on

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the world. It's a win-win situation.

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But when we talk about the idea

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of giving back, my thought is that you probably think one of two things.

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

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

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And for half a second, I'm going to go ahead and let you feel like that is true,

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that that is indeed stopping you from giving back.

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

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I'm going to give you three ways, three strategies that you can start giving

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back that are not dependent upon how much money you have or how much time you have.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Maybe it's you teaching a free class at the public library, helping people set

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up their own budget using Excel.

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Maybe it's you helping out the bake sale at the school where your kids go by

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you getting in the kitchen and doing the baking.

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Or maybe it's you offering to tutor your friend's kids who are struggling in

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school, but maybe it's on a subject that you are really good at.

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

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

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Because sometimes the greatest gift that we can give someone is literally just

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being there to listen to them.

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

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

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And it's not that difficult for you to be that person. And so I challenge you

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to truly listen to someone today, to put away your phone in the middle of a

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conversation and to be present in the moment.

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

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Whether it's a stranger you meet at lunch, whether it's the person who you work

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with, but you never speak to, it's you offering up your undivided attention,

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something that is very hard to come by in today's world.

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And my third strategy for how you can give back without needing money or lots

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of time is for you to do small acts of kindness.

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

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Maybe it's you holding the door open for a few extra moments just to let that

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person struggling to get out of the rain to get in the door.

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And you make that extra little effort. These little tiny acts of kindness,

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they can create a tsunami, an impact that can be felt throughout an entire community.

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

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

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

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Were you an awesome basketball star back in the day?

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And maybe you could just start helping out the kid down the street who you see

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trying to shoot some hoops, but you could just go offer some tips,

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some strategies to help them out.

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Or maybe it's you simply offering your shoulder for someone to lean on,

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offering in the ear for someone to talk to.

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

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It doesn't take money. doesn't take much time. It all honestly boils down to

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just being kind to one another.

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Now, for my listeners celebrating Thanksgiving, whether you're listening to

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this on Thanksgiving Day,

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Or if it's after, it doesn't really matter. But whenever it is,

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I ask you to maybe even think of this going to the next level.

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

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

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Maybe instead of just helping the kid down the street with his basketball skills,

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you instead go volunteer at your local rec center to help coach the kids in basketball.

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Or maybe it's you finally diving in and starting a nonprofit organization for

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a cause that's really important to you.

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

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

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Instead, it's about you giving back to the world, which I'm here to tell you

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that you already know this.

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You know that as we grow older, we realize the greatest gift in life is giving

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gifts to others. It's not receiving.

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So the more that you can give back, the more kindness you can share,

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the better impact it's going to have on you in your life.

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And so with that, my friend, I hope to inspire you today to give back,

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to think of ways that you can spread kindness in the world. This life is tough.

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

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it is if we do it together.

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So starting today, I hope, I pray that we can all start to find different ways

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for us to start giving back.

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

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Music.