Serving Others is the SECRET SAUCE

In this episode, Brett shares how serving others is one of the greatest sources of joy, purpose, and fulfillment, reminding us that even the smallest acts of kindness can have a lasting impact. He reflects on Father's Day, the importance of forgiveness and restoring relationships, and encourages listeners to live with a heart focused on helping others. Through inspiring stories—including a teen who overcame stage-four cancer and research showing how mindset influences healthy aging—he highlights the incredible power of hope, positive thinking, and encouragement. Brett also recommends practical resources for personal growth and challenges everyone to intentionally serve someone this week, believing that when we lift others up, we grow stronger ourselves. Throughout the episode, he reminds listeners that they are enough, they have what it takes, and their best days are still ahead. 

How to Find Yourself Again | 5 Steps to Rediscover Your True Self

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motivational-speech/id1642546815?i=1000773360607

Don’t Just Survive | Create a Life of Purpose and Fulfillment

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motivational-speech/id1642546815?i=1000769579997

Joel Osteen | You Will Defy the Odds

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joel-osteen-podcast/id137254859?i=1000765642203

Simple Daily Routine Download:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1njZbEbTg-NKLto1OptvAkglc6mxdXKo7/view?usp=drive_link

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

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 a game. To quit you with simple stuff, you can start using it. And promises to give us all each feed. Hopefully, we need the life in the mental life. So fuck a lot. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Welcome, welcome, welcome to a conversation of hope. I am so glad you tuned in today. This episode is packed with great information, funny jokes, and positive stories of the good going on in the world. Right from the start, I want to remind you, you are enough. You have what it takes. You're a champion whose absolute best days are straight ahead. All right, I'm writing this on Saturday, and tomorrow is Father's Day here in the States. I want to give a shout out to my Lady of Love, who without her, I would not be a father. Shout out as well to Brittany B, who is my beautiful daughter, and Brady, my amazing son. I love you both. I was blessed to have an amazing father. My dad was my hero. I love him. He was a role model of excellence for me in my life. I lost him several years ago, but even with him being gone, you always kind of still know what you know your your someone you love would have thought or said. So I still feel like he's with me. But I'm very grateful and thankful for the dad that I did get to have. Thank you, Dad. All right, as I was talking with friends today, and I was asking what they were doing for Father's Day. Most had some very special plans for the day. I was surprised though, as a couple of my friends said they just don't talk to their dad. If that is your situation, please, please, please, please consider forgiveness or saying you're sorry or do whatever you can to mend that relationship. If you're a dad who's stopped speaking to your kids for whatever reason, please consider doing whatever it takes to mend that relationship as well. Because remember, y'all, it one of the greatest regrets of anyone that's about to pass on or they're dying is just holding on to unforgiveness in a relationship. They wish they would have just made the relationship right and not missed out on years of fun and enjoyment with the person that they loved. You can never get time back. You only get one run in life. All right, y'all, as you know, I wish only thriving, vibrant relationships for you in your life. You deserve it. Two weeks ago, my wife and I had a chance to serve at church. We got the privilege of helping make 200 care bags for ladies that were in need. We even had the chance to handwrite out notes of encouragement to put in some of those bags. It was a really special night being able to help people that you'll never meet, making a difference in their lives for the positive. Today we're talking about how serving others is the secret sauce in life. Nothing feels better than bettering someone else's life. They say if you're depressed to get out and help others who are hurting, once your focus comes off you, you instantly start to feel better. All right, y'all. Let's get right on into it. When you take the focus off yourself and you place it on helping and serving others, your life becomes richer, happier, and more meaningful. We live in a world, y'all, that constantly tells us to focus on ourselves. We hear messages like, what do I want? What's in it for me? How can I get more? Yet despite having more conveniences and opportunities than ever before, many people still struggle with loneliness, anxiety, dissatisfaction, and a lack of purpose. Why? Because we were created for something bigger than ourselves. The truth is some of life's greatest joys are found not in what we get, but in what we give. Jesus says in Acts 20, 35, it's more blessed to give than to receive. At first glance, that seems backwards. Most people think receiving is what brings happiness. But if you've ever helped someone in need, encouraged a discouraged friend, volunteered your time, or made a positive difference in someone's life, you know exactly what Jesus meant. There is a unique joy that comes from serving others that money cannot buy. When you help someone smile, you smile. When you lift someone else's burden, your own burdens feel lighter. When you become a blessing, you become blessed. One of the greatest examples of this principle comes from people who dedicate their lives to helping others. Nurses, teachers, first responders, pastors, volunteers, parents, caregivers. Many of them work long hours and make tremendous sacrifices. Yet ask them why they do it, and many will tell you the same thing. It's rewarding. Why? Because serving fulfills something deep within the human spirit. We were designed to contribute. We were designed to love, and we were designed to make a difference. One of the most amazing things about serving others is that it changes your perspective. Have you ever noticed how your problems seem enormous when all you think about is yourself? But when you spend time helping someone else, your perspective changes. You realize everyone is fighting battles, everyone has struggles, everyone needs encouragement. Suddenly your focus shifts from why is this happening to me to how can I help someone else today? And that shift can transform your entire outlook on life. There is a story about a man who was going through one of the most difficult periods of his life. He felt discouraged, overwhelmed, and hopeless. One day, someone suggested he volunteer at a local shelter. At first he wasn't interested. He thought, I have enough problems of my own. But he did decide to try it. As he began serving meals, listening to people's stories, and helping those in need, something unexpected happened. His circumstances hadn't changed immediately. His challenges were still there, but his heart changed. He discovered purpose. He discovered gratitude. And he discovered joy. He found that helping others helped heal him. Many times the answer to our discouragement isn't found by looking inward, it's found by looking outward. When we become part of someone else's solution, we often find solutions for ourselves. Service is also one of the greatest antidotes to selfishness. Selfishness shrinks our world. Service expands it. Selfishness asks, How can I be served? But service asks, how can I serve? Selfishness isolates. Service connects. Selfishness drains and service energizes. Think about the people you admire most. They're usually not the people who took the most from life. They're the people who gave the most. People remember kindness. They remember generosity. People remember those who showed up when they needed help. At the end of life, no one wishes they had spent more time thinking about themselves. Instead, people cherish the lives they touched, the encouragement that they gave, the love that they shared, and the difference that they made. One of the most beautiful truths about serving others is that you don't need extraordinary resources. You don't have to be rich. You don't have to be famous. You don't have to have a title. You simply need a willing heart. You can serve through a smile. You can serve through a kind word. You can serve by listening. You can serve by encouraging others. You can serve by opening a door. You can serve by checking on a neighbor, or by mentoring a young person, or by volunteering in your community. Small acts of kindness often create big waves of impact. You may never know how much your encouragement means to someone who is struggling. You may never know how one conversation can change a life. You may never know how one act of kindness restores someone's hope. But every act matters, every person matters, and every opportunity matters. The Bible gives us a powerful example in Jesus. Even though he had all the power and authority, he spent his life serving others. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, comforted the brokenhearted, lifted the forgotten, and loved the unlovable. And perhaps the greatest lesson he taught us was that true greatness comes through serving. Jesus said the greatest among you shall be your servant. What a different definition of greatness. The world says greatness is about status. Jesus says greatness is about service. The world climbs higher. And Jesus says lift others higher. World says get all you can. Jesus says give all you can. And when you live this way, something remarkable happens. You stop chasing happiness and you start creating it. You stop waiting for purpose and you start living it. You stop asking life for more and you start becoming more. Researchers have found that helping others increases feelings of happiness, reduces stress, strengthens relationships, and even improves overall well-being. But long before science confirmed it, people who served others already knew it. Giving feels good, helping feels good, making a difference feels good. Because that's how we were designed. So today I want to challenge you and me. Don't wait for the perfect opportunity. Start where you are, look around. Who needs encouragement? Who needs a helping hand? Who needs someone to listen? Who needs hope? Make it your mission to brighten someone's day today. Send the text, make the call, write the note, open the door, volunteer your time, offer your help, speak words of life. Be the person who makes others feel valued. And as you do this, you'll discover one of life's greatest secrets. The more you give, the richer your life becomes. The more you serve, the greater your joy becomes. And the more you help others rise, the more your own spirit rises. Wow, y'all. Super good stuff. Loving it. Please know it really is true. When you serve and help others, it makes for a much better life for you. You don't serve to make yourself happy. You serve with a pure heart. But it is a great reward from God that when you help others, you will be more fulfilled, happy, and satisfied in your own life. All right, y'all buckle up as we head right into the laugh zone. Once again, if you're on a treadmill, you might want to step off. You don't want to trip and fall. And if you're driving down the road right now listening to this, you probably want to get two hands on the wheel. These are two really good ones. What do you call a cow with a sense of humor? Laughtose intolerant. Sturgeon. Laugh track's always great, as always. Well, here we go. It's story time. I lined out two great stories for y'all this week. Super inspirational, very good stuff. So we've got the first one up: given just eight months to live, teen graduates cancer free four years later because of the doctor's promise. At the age of 14, Dylan was diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer. Oh, wow. And doctors gave him just eight months to live. But he's alive today thanks to Dr. Mary Austin, who not only treated his disease, but transformed his thinking. That's where that's where it's at, y'all. Transformed his thinking through the friendship and a solemn promise. She urged him to persevere through the 52 weeks of chemotherapy so he could attend his high school graduation. Dr. Austin, who made time for lunch with Dylan, was there for the boy checking in during his darkest days when there was serious doubt that he would live long enough to get that diploma. I called her my second mom, said Dylan. She just hyped him up, Dylan's mom says. Dylan's parents believe the human connection played a big part in saving their son's life. Just the fact of her saying, Hey, I'll make it for your graduation changed everything, added Dylan's dad. He just decided, you know, I'm gonna keep fighting. Now four years later, he's cancer free, and this month he's donned a cap and gown for a graduation ceremony. And there was a big surprise waiting for him at the end. Even though Dr. Austin now works at Seattle Children's Hospital, 1,500 miles away from Missouri, she showed up just like she did every week for him. Wow, everybody. That is a such a great story. Talks about how Golden Rule, you know, people helping people. She went above and beyond as a doctor to really be there for him, speak words of life into him. Then it also talks about perspective and thinking and how powerful it is if you're going through something, just to have that positive outlook. It's really, really, really powerful. A lot of times your life will follow your thoughts. And so this next story, too, is pertinent to anyone and everyone. Just about mindset, wherever you're at in life, how big of a factor your thinking is to everything in your life. So steady finds many older adults will improve over time, depending on their mindset. A new study by scientists at Yale University suggests that older individuals can and do improve in all senses of that word over time. Analyzing the results of a large study of older Americans that ran for a decade, a key data point was that the individual's mindset toward aging plays a major part of their success. If they believed aging was a process of decline, they declined. If they believed aging was a process of refinement, then they improved. Lead author Dr. Becca, professor and social behavior scientist of Yale University, found that nearly half of adults aged 65 and older showed measurable improvements in cognitive function, physical function, or both over time. The improvements were not limited to a small group of exceptional individuals and notably were linked to a powerful but often overlooked factor. How people think about aging themselves. Many people equate aging with inevitable continuous loss of physical and cognitive abilities, said Dr. Levi. But what we found is that improvement in later life is not rare. It's common, and it should be included in our understanding of an aging process. The study researched over 11,000 participants over time, y'all. A vital sign, often determined, was in their thinking and what they believed to be true. Over a follow-up period of up to 12 years, 45% of the participants improved in at least one of the two domains, according to the study. 32% improved cognitively, and 28% improved physically. So all of this, y'all, what a great story! Talks about how powerful your thinking and your mindset is to every area of your life. So let's all guard our thoughts. Make sure we're thinking thoughts of victory and thoughts of winning because it's absolutely determined that it does affect every area of your life. All right, y'all. I am excited. I like you like to grow. I'm always listening to new podcasts. Even after I record this episode, I have two of them already lined up. Podcast, I'm excited to listen to this afternoon because I'm always trying to grow, get better, just learn something that'll make me a better father, husband, and just friend to as many people as I can. So, number one up, how to find yourself again. Five steps to rediscover your true self. Many people reach a point in their life where they look in the mirror and wonder what happened to the person I used to be. We become so busy surviving that we stop living with purpose and passion. The good news is that losing yourself does not mean that you're gone. It simply means you've drifted from who you truly are. The journey back begins with intentional steps. Step one, pause and get honest with yourself. Most people stay busy because busyness distracts them from the deeper questions. But growth begins when you create space to reflect. Ask yourself, what truly makes me happy? What energizes me? What drains me? Am I living for my own values or someone else's expectations? Honesty can be uncomfortable, but it is liberating. You can't find your true self if you're pretending to be someone you're not. Self-discovery starts when you stop performing and start reflecting. Many people spend years chasing success, approval, or status only to realize they never asked what they actually wanted. The truth is, self-awareness is the foundation of personal transformation. Step two would be reconnect with what you love. Think back to a time when you felt fully alive. What activities brought you joy? Maybe it was writing, exercising, creating art, building something, spending time or outdoors or serving in your community. As children, we were naturally gravitate towards the things that bring us joy. As adults, we often abandon those passions because life becomes busy. One of the fastest ways to reconnect with yourself is to reconnect with what you love. Simply start making room for the activities that light you up. Passion leaves clues. Link to the full show is in the show notes as always. Number two, don't just survive. Create a life of purpose and fulfillment. You are not created just to survive each day. You are created to thrive, grow, serve, and live with purpose. Real fulfillment comes when your life is connected to something bigger than yourself. It comes from knowing why you wake up every morning. It comes from using your gifts, your talents, experiences, and passions to make a positive difference in the world. Purpose answers questions like, why am I here? When you discover your purpose, even difficult days have meaning because you know what you are working towards. The truth is, life is happening right now. Purposeful people stop waiting for perfect conditions and begin taking action today. Your habits create your future. Your future is not determined by your intentions alone. It is determined by daily habits, small daily habits compounded over time. Equals success. Use your gifts to serve others. One of the most fulfilling ways to discover purpose is through service. When we focus on only ourselves, life often tends to be empty. When we use our gifts to help others, fulfillment follows. We've talked about that earlier today. Ask yourself, what am I naturally good at? What problems do I enjoy solving? How can I help people around me? What difference do I really want to make? Your purpose is often found where your gift meets the needs of others. Live intentionally. Purposeful living does not happen by accident. Become very intentional about your relationships, your health, your faith, your time, your goals, and your personal growth. Every day is an opportunity to move closer to the life that you want. Instead of asking, what do I have to do today? Ask, what do I want to become? Purposeful people focus not only on achieving goals, but on becoming the kind of person capable of achieving those goals. Don't just survive, create a life that matters. Good one, y'all. Link to the entire full episode is in the show notes. Last but not least, number three, you will defy the odds by Joel Osteen. Joel reminds us when the odds are against us, God is often setting the stage for something extraordinary. What looks impossible to us is not impossible to God. You were created to defy the odds because God is on your side. The odds don't determine your future. Too many people let statistics, circumstances, and negative voices define their future. But God is not limited by statistics. God specializes in situations where there appears to be no way forward. The odds may be against you, but God is greater than the odds. Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly chose people who seemingly were unlikely to succeed. David defeated Goliath as a shepherd boy. Elijah stood alone against hundreds of false prophets, and Moses led Israel out of slavery, and Lazarus was raised from the dead after four days. In every case the odds were stacked against them. God showed his power through impossible situations. The same God who worked miracles then is still working miracles today. Stop dwelling on what you cannot control and start focusing on God's promises. Just because you don't see a way doesn't mean God doesn't have a way. God is working behind the scenes even when you cannot see it. One touch of God's favor changes everything. Circumstances can suddenly shift, a door can open unexpectedly, the right person can appear, and a breakthrough can happen that you might not have ever planned. What seems impossible today can become reality tomorrow through God's favor and timing. The opinions of others do not determine your destiny. God's purpose for your life is greater than public opinion. The odds may be against you, but God is for you. And when God says it and he gets involved, the odds and statistics no longer matter. Because God will have the final say. Alright, y'all. Let's get ready for the challenge of the week. So our challenge of the week this week is the main focus is on serving others and talking about how serving others is the secret sauce. So let's look at some different ways that we can serve others this week. I pulled up ten simple ways because sometimes we're like, that's nice, Brad, but what do I do? Alright, I got you covered. Here we go. First off, number one, listen with your full attention. That's one I need to work on with my lady of love. And sometimes in my family, sometimes I'm distracted. But listen with your full attention. One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is your time and attention. Put away distractions and truly listen when someone is talking. Number two, encourage someone. A kind word can change a person's entire day. Send a text, make a call, or tell someone what you appreciate about them. And then number three, perform random acts of kindness. Pay for someone's coffee, leave a generous tip, hold a door open, or help carry someone's groceries. Small acts often have a big impact. How about volunteering your time? Serve at a church, a food bank, a shelter, a hospital, youth program, or community organization. Your presence can make a difference. Number five, pray for others. Take time to pray for friends, family members, coworkers, and even strangers who are struggling. Number six, visit someone who is lonely. Many people feel isolated. Visit an elderly neighbor, call a friend who lives alone, or spend time with someone who needs companionship. Share your skills. Teach, mentor, coach, or help someone learning something new. Your experience may be exactly what someone else needs. Help without being asked. Look for someone that has needs around you. Maybe mow a neighbor's lawn. Help someone move, run an errand, or assist with a project before they ask. Give generously. Whether it's money, food, clothing, or resources, giving to those in need can provide hope and relief during difficult times. Make people feel valued. Smile, learn people's names, thank them, compliment them sincerely, and let them know that they matter. Everyone wants to feel seen and appreciated. A simple thought to remember people may not remember everything you said, but they will remember how you made them feel. When we focus on serving others, we often discover greater joy, purpose, fulfillment in our own lives. Remember, Jesus said, Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant. Serving others doesn't always require grand gestures. Often the smallest acts of kindness become the biggest blessings. Yay! All right, y'all, I'm in it with you. I'm gonna work on some of them. So even if you do one or two or any of them, I think you'll feel better. Once again, I want to remind you that you are enough. You have in fact what it takes. You are a champion whose absolute best days are straight ahead. You are loved and appreciated. Let's all live out hope this week. Helping one person every day. Just look for someone you can help. Never ever ever ever stop dreaming and believing big. Always better, never backwards. And don't forget to speak words of life over you and the ones that you love, saying, I am getting better and better every day and every way. My family's getting better and better every day in every way. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. And I mean that from my heart for being a part of this great community as we roll to one million. It's absolutely a privilege to do this podcast for y'all. And thank you, thank you. All right, y'all. Have an epic day. Have an amazing week and God bless.

SPEAKER_01 29:46

Thank you once again for listening to a conversation of help with Brett. Brent wants to remind you that you are loved and appreciated. If you find value in the stuff of stuff, and don't find a little bit of time, but we'll next time. And ultimately, I'm going to make my own.