VIBRANT LIVING

Brett’s episode centers on the idea of living an abundant life—what he calls “Zoe,” a full, purpose-driven, and spiritually alive way of living rather than just going through the motions. He encourages listeners to intentionally create “joy gaps” by always having something to look forward to and to reignite their inner drive by pursuing what truly matters. A big theme is choosing growth over comfort, aligning your life with purpose, and speaking positively over yourself to fuel that energy. He reinforces the message with inspiring stories of resilience and courage, showing that extraordinary outcomes come from bold decisions and persistence. Overall, the episode is a motivational push to stop settling, step fully into life, and actively create a meaningful, fulfilling future. 

Terri Savelle Foy | 6 ways Successful Pople Plan Their Days

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/terri-savelle-foy-podcast-audio/id274538089?i=1000747715240

Brian Tracy | Winners Take the First Step

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-quote-of-the-day-show-daily-motivational-talks/id1163094296?i=1000758800891

Joel Osteen | Greater is Coming

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joel-osteen-podcast/id137254859?i=1000747777794

Daily Healthy Lifestyle:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1coeDFfQP3wt1DX-nRvIi4Q0W9IJSB8Mr/view?usp=drivesdk

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:03

Welcome to a conversation of hope with breath. This podcast is all about you. To remind you that you are a masterpiece. To inspire you to dream again. To equip you with simple, simple stuff, you can start using it. No matter your heart or finally believe that you're not going to be able to do it. It's grateful you're here. And promises to give us all each week. To help you create the life you were meant to live. So buckle up. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Welcome, welcome, welcome to a conversation of hope. I am so grateful you tuned in, and I promise to not disappoint. As today we are talking about true abundant living. Life isn't about existing, it is about truly living abundantly each and every day of your life. Why? You deserve it. Alright, y'all, right from the start, I want to remind you that you are enough. You have what it takes, and you, yes, you are a champion whose absolute best days are straight ahead. All right, I want to check in with you on how you are doing with your joy gaps. Remember, every time you schedule something that's exciting for you and you create a joy gap, studies show that having a fun planned event in your future creates joy in your life. It can be as simple as a special treat with lunch every day to a huge yearly trip. All of us need that something to look forward to. Maybe it's a weekly date night or a once-a-week phone call to someone that you love who doesn't live close by. Whatever events you create that create joy for you, please remember to keep your calendar filled with something to look forward to. Life is just better that way when you have something to look forward to, y'all. Now here's a funny story from our family that happened recently. I try to eat as healthy as possible and avoid a lot of refined sugar. But whenever cake is in the house, I just can't resist. For me, the more frosting, the better. For my lady, she loves cake more than the frosting. The other day, my daughter brought home a magnificent cake. We all had a piece and we put the rest in the fridge. The next day after work, I remember we still had that cake left over from the day before. Well, my daughter knows if I get to that cake the next day I will eat all of it. So she hid the cake. I went through the cabinets, through the drawers in search of that fabulous cake with glorious frosting. My daughter hid it well as I could not find it anywhere. Finally, when grabbing some laundry, I noticed an odd pile on top of the washer and dryer. Aha! Under the pile of clothes was what was left of our beautiful cake. I was so excited. I only had a little bit of the cake and then put it back under the clothes. This is how our family rolls, y'all. Pretty sad when my daughter has to hide the cake in the laundry area because she knows dad will eat it all. I love it. It was really good cake, y'all. Alright. It's time for our main topic of the week. As you know, my goal for each and every week is that every one of you has the best life that you could possibly have. I don't want you to just survive life every day, like a lot of people do. But I want you to thrive and truly look forward to each and every day. There is a word that describes that vibrant life, and I want to share it with you today, along with how to live out that abundant life. So let's get into it. It is good stuff, everyone. The Greek word Zoe is a rich and meaningful term that goes beyond the basic idea of life. Zoe means life in the fullest, in the most complete sense. In Greek, especially in biblical and philosophical context, there are different words for life. And Zoe is the most profound. Zoe means absolute life, spiritual life, and the essence of being alive. Let's take a look at it. In verses like John 10 10, I have come that you may have life. The word used for life in this scripture is Zoe. Not just existence, but a full, abundant, overflowing life. Doesn't that sound good, y'all? Who doesn't want to have a full, abundant, overflowing life? That's the only way it should be. Zoe means life at its highest level. Not just breathing, but thriving, purpose-filled, and spiritually alive. Wow, everybody. All right, let's look at it. Because here's the truth a lot of people are alive, but not many are truly living. And you know that's true. I've been there so many times. They wake up, they go through their routines, check boxes, survive the day, but something inside them is asleep. Zoe is the opposite of that. Zoe is awakening. Zoe is more than existing. You can have a pulse, but no passion. You can have activity, but no direction. You can have success but still feel empty. That's not Zoe. Zoe is when your life has meaning. It's when your heart is engaged. It's when you wake up knowing, I'm here for a reason. And the beautiful thing is, Zoe is not something reserved for just a select few. It's available to you right now. Living in Zoe starts with a decision. A decision to stop drifting, a decision to stop settling, a decision to stop saying, This is just how life is. No, it isn't. You were not created to live a watered down, half-hearted life. You were created for fullness. But fullness doesn't happen by accident. It happens by intention. So ask yourself, where have I been coasting? Where have I been playing small? Where have I been accepting less than what I know I'm capable of? Zoe begins the moment you say, I'm done existing. I'm ready to live. Zoe is alive energy. It's that fire inside you that says, I want more. I can grow. There's something greater straight ahead. But life has a way of dimming that fire. Disappointment, failure, routine, or fear. And slowly the flame fades. But here's the good news that fire is not gone. It's just waiting. You reignite it by pursuing what matters to you. Surrounding yourself with people who lift you up. Speaking life over yourself instead of doubt. Your words do matter. Instead of I'm tired, I'm stuck, nothing is changing. Start declaring, I am growing. I am moving forward. I am alive. Because Zoe responds to what you feed it. So many people are driven, but they're not fulfilled. They're chasing goals, but don't know why. They're climbing ladders, but don't like where they lead. Zoe is not about doing more. It's about doing what matters. Purpose gives life depth. When you're living in purpose, hard days feel meaningful. Effort feels worth it. Even struggles shape you instead of breaking you. So ask, what makes me come alive? What impact do I want to have? What kind of life do I want to build? Because when you align your life with purpose, you step into Zoe. Zoe's not found in comfort zones. Comfort is easy, but it's also limiting. Zoe lives on the edge of growth. It's in trying when you're unsure, showing up even when it's hard, taking the step even when you're afraid. Growth stretches you, but it also awakens you. Think about the times you felt most alive. Was it when everything was easy? Or when you pushed past something that once held you back? Zoe is found in those moments where you say, This is hard, but I'm doing it anyway. Here's one of the most powerful truths about Zoe. You don't just live it, you share it. When you encourage someone, when you lift someone up, when you bring hope into someone else's life, you multiply Zoe. There are people around you right now who need your words of hope, who need your belief, who need your light. Don't hold back. A life fully lived is a life fully given. There was a man years ago who had been doing everything quote unquote right. Stable job, routine life, predictable days. But inside he felt empty. One day he asked himself a simple question. When was the last time I felt truly alive? He couldn't remember when. That moment changed everything. He started small, took a chance on something new, reconnected with what he loved, began speaking differently about his life. It wasn't instant and it wasn't easy, but little by little, something came back his energy, his passion, and his joy. Zoe. His circumstances didn't magically change overnight, but he did. And when you change, everything begins to shift. So here's the challenge to all of us don't leave this as just a message that you heard. Make it a decision you live. Choose to wake up. Reignite that fire. Live with purpose. Embrace growth. Give life to others. Because at the end of the day, life is not measured by how long you existed, but how deeply you lived. And Zoe is available to you right now, in this moment. So step into it, breathe deeper, live bolder, love stronger, and don't just go through life. Come alive. So good, y'all. I needed to hear that as well. It's fabulous. Let's live that Zoe life, everybody. Now, whenever life gets a little rocky, you can recenter by thinking, am I living a Zoe life right now? Am I living to my fullest? Or am I just existing? All right, here we go. It's time to buckle up as we roll right into the laugh zone. We're heading straight there, everyone, so get ready. Brace yourselves. All right, our first joke comes from my incredible daughter. How do you make a tissue dance? You put a little boogie in it. I know you're going to enjoy both of them. This first one, honestly, it's just absolutely outstanding. Um I'll tell you what, you talk about a champion, you talk about a winner, you talk about somebody really pursuing their dreams. Um, this lady sums it all up. So here we go. Nebraska woman learns to row, then becomes first female to cross the Atlantic alone in a 3,000 mile race. Wow. The Ocean Dreams took hold of Terran Smith when she was living in landlocked Nebraska, craving open water adventures as a young adult in Omaha. Smith, who's now twenty five, read an article about an all female rowing team that set a world record in the Great Pacific race in twenty twenty two, rowing from Monterey, California to Hawaii in just thirty four days, and something stirred deeply within Smith. I just remember thinking it sounded like the most amazing thing in the entire world, said Terran, recapturing her thoughts about the rowing team's record. I wanted to do something big in my twenties. I wanted to spend the rest of my life knowing that I was capable of something like this. Smith started researching opportunities that might present an equally daunting challenge and soon discovered the world's toughest row, a three thousand mile rowing race from Canary Islands on the western edge of Africa to Antigua in the Caribbean Sea. Taryn was going to do the whole thing alone. Her grandparents both had sailing experience, but she had a lot to learn. She quit her job in human resources and trained for three years. Can you believe that everyone? That's awesome. She spent time in the United Kingdom and lived exclusively on her rowboat for several weeks at a time. She needed to become one with the water because that would soon be her only company. Terran seems to know no fears, said Shelley Smith, Terran's mother. She has always been a kid that thrives on adventure. She just really likes that challenge. And so on december fourteenth, Terran faced forty two other teams from twenty different countries on the starting line of a race across the Atlantic. The journey was expected to take two months. Can you believe that, everybody? The journey was expected to take two months, with Terran rowing ten to twelve hours a day for two months straight. Obstacles arose every day, but day twenty seven pushed her to the brink. She developed hives from sun exposure and hadn't slept soundly for two straight nights. She spent the morning sobbing, fighting the fatigue and exhaustion as her boat bounced up and down on the waves that kept growing bigger and bigger from impending storm. Absolutely huge waves, she said on Instagram. A huge wave just gushing over the deck and would literally knock her out of her shoes. It was scary. It was really, really scary, she said. I think this is the first day I felt properly terrified since being out here. And to make matters worse, a menacing Marlin stocked her boat and her oars for miles. Nevertheless, she persisted. By days in, she had overcome every last challenge the Atlantic could muster while still making considerable progress. It's been a really hard day, but I am really proud of the effort that I put in today because it's been a fast day and I covered a lot of ground and I kept rowing. And now it's more comfortable to row than it is to try to sleep, she said. I'm listening to Harry Potter in her headphones. She said, All is good. She partnered with girls on the run throughout her journey, raising money for the nonprofit that empowers girls in grades three through eight through running physical activity and confidence building programs. With each row, Taryn was unleashing a powerful example of what those girls can do with a goal in front of them and the grit to chase it. She arrived in Antigua on january twenty ninth, becoming the first female to finish the world's toughest row alone. She even beat her own expectations in the process, finishing the race in forty six days, three hours and thirty seven minutes. A few days before her optimistic predictions, Terran pulled into the harbor with a flare in her hand as an American flag billowed behind her on the boat. The girl from landlocked plains of the Midwest had just completed a bold three thousand mile crossing of the Atlantic, and her ocean dreams that begin with a magazine article had become a reality and a powerful reminder of the untapped potential that lies inside all of us. Everything is more within reach than we think, said Taryn. I hope people understand that you should take on the biggest challenges even if it means doing them alone. Even if it's scary, you can do it, and you probably won't be alone for very long. Man, isn't that amazing? Like truly, truly amazing, y'all. She did fabulous on that. That is just fantastic. Alright, next story up, everybody. Heroic neighbor uses sledgehammer to rescue eighty-five-year-old woman in a wheelchair from a house fire. A good neighbor in Illinois has been hailed as a hero for using a sledgehammer to batter down the door of a burning building to rescue a wheelchair bound woman inside. Reported by various media affiliates, the rescuer it occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd, after a house in Arlington Heights caught fire with two elderly residents trapped inside. A ninety-year-old man managed to escape only to try to go back for his eighty-five year old wife. Ooh, that's tough, y'all. Confined to a wheelchair, she was stuck inside. Neighbors said the man had to be restrained as the situation was too dangerous and the fire department had been called out already. That's when a neighbor, as yet unidentified, arrived with a sledgehammer and used it to gain entry into the home in time to rescue the woman. The neighbor later emerged with the woman in their arms, and all three were taken to the hospital before being discharged. We want to recognize and commend the quick thinking and decisive action taken by one of our Arlington Heights residents that helped save a life today, said the fire department officials. This situation serves as an important reminder that every second matters. The willingness of a community member to step in and help before first responders arrive can make all the difference in the world. And it did. We are proud to serve a community that looks out for one another, and we thank this resident for their actions and composure when it mattered most. That is so awesome, y'all. And we all talk about all the time. Um, golden rule living. The only way to live. And we knew in our group we would have been in there to help out. That's who we are. All right, everybody, let's go right into the top three podcasts of the week. Number one, six ways successful people plan their days by Terry Savell. She says, use the days of our life to live out our dreams. We don't have an eternity to realize our dreams, only the time that we are here. Don't just hope things get done. Decide when they will get done, she says. Terry used to be so stressed out and ridiculously busy, but she started planning out her life. She says, use only one planner. Use one trusted system, not numerous ones. So many people say they plan all their time and never get anything done, but most of the time when that happens, that's because they have plans made in all sorts of different places instead of just one focused planner. Plan each day the night before. Successful people don't wake up wondering what they're gonna do. They decide what they'll do the day before. And that way they have a game plan for success. Your brain rests better when it knows there is a plan. Write everything down. This is where real transformation begins. You need to see it in writing, everything that you do. List everything that is required of your day. You can't manage what you You don't measure. Write out your dreams and your goals. Write down those dreams that have been nagging at you, but you just have not had taken the time to write them down. See where your time is going. Use a time map to do this. A time map is a snapshot of your life hour by hour, day by day. When time mapping, if something new comes up, you'll be able to see if if or where you can fit it into the current schedule that you have. And you can download a time map for free on the link to our podcast. And as always, the link to the follow-up episode is in our show notes, y'all. Number two, Brian Tracy, winners take the first step. Think about how you want your life to look five years from now. If your life was perfect five years from now, how would it be different from today? Think about how you want your life to look in your business, your career, your income, your family, your relationships, and your health. If someone was going to do a story about every area of your life in five years, how would that story read? What would you want people to say about you? Whatever you see, you will be. Having a very clear picture of what you want your life to look like will dramatically accelerate the process of turning your dreams into reality. Now think about what you will do starting today to begin to create your perfect life. Think about what you what will be the first step and take that step today. You can do it. Think about what you need to do more of and what you need to do less of. When you take the first step, you get three benefits from it. First benefit is you get feedback, which enables you to self-correct. All of life is a process in experimenting and getting proper feedback. Secondly, you get ideas. There is something about acting that actually triggers creativity. It makes you smarter. Sitting there passively does not do anything for you or your dreams. The third result is taking action gives you confidence. Your self-confidence goes up. The more action that you take in the direction of your goals, and the more confidence you will have. You will have more energy and creativity. Once again, link to the full episode is in the show notes. Alright, last one for the week. Number three, greater is coming, Joel Osteen. We all face difficulties and challenging times. All of us do. When you're in a tough time, remind yourself, this is not how my story will end. The bad break, anxiety is not my destiny. Greater is coming, greater joy, greater relationships, greater finances, greater favor and influence. Keep this phrase in your spirit. Greater is coming. God did not bring you this far to leave you. The light afflictions are for a moment. The trouble is temporary, but the glory will last forever. Stay focused on the glory that is coming. When in tough times we can focus on how big our problem is, or we can focus on how big our God is. Always declare over yourself and your family greater is coming. Your attitude in the hard times will determine if you come out with greater or if you stay where you are. Suffering is not permanent. What you are going through can and will change. What God started in your life, He will finish. Don't settle in depression and think this is just your lot in life. Speak words of life and victory over your life today. God has already called you to live a victorious life. The forces that are trying to stop you are no match for the God who spoke victory over your life. God will suddenly heal, promote, and catapult you to even greater dreams that look too far gone are coming. Every setback is a setup for God to take you further. Encourage yourself during the hard times. God being for you is greater than the world being against you, y'all. Link to the full episode in the show notes. And now for our weekly challenge, are you and I living life to the fullest? Or are we just existing? Let's get that fire back and refocus on our dreams and goals and live out that Zoe life that you and your family so deserve. Let's close it out the way we started. You are enough. You in fact have what it takes. Your greatest days are in front of you, champion, and you are loved and appreciated. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being a part of our great community as we head to one million. Have an epic day, a magnificent week, and God bless.

SPEAKER_02 27:10

Thank you once again for listening to a conversation of hope with Brett. Brett wants to remind you that you are loved and appreciated. If you found value in this episode and know someone who could use a little bit of time, please like and follow me. Until next time, between you and your family an incredible reader. And ultimately, a great life.