Connecting with Purpose

Brett's podcast focuses on the difference between simply communicating and truly connecting with people, drawing on John Maxwell's book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect. He explains that meaningful relationships are built by listening well, finding common ground, showing genuine care, and making others feel valued before trying to correct or influence them.

He also shares two uplifting stories about family sacrifice and gratitude, then recaps inspiring podcasts from Mel Robbins, Zig Ziglar, and Joel Osteen, emphasizing resilience, healthy self-worth, and choosing encouraging thoughts. As a practical challenge, Brett encourages listeners to try the 30-second chair stand test as a simple way to gauge strength and healthy aging. He closes by reminding everyone that they are enough, their best days are ahead, and they can make a difference by encouraging and serving others each day.

Mel Robbins | You’re Not Broken.  Why You People-Please, Feel Anxious & Never Feel Good Enough

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mel-robbins-podcast/id1646101002?i=1000768765779

Zig Ziglar | 20 Minutes That Will Change the Rest of Your Life

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-resilient-mind/id1562025210?i=1000776518717

Joel Osteen | Build Yourself Up

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joel-osteen-podcast/id137254859?i=1000776446992

Gary Brecka | Stop Losing Muscle After 50

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ultimate-human-with-gary-brecka/id1709740887?i=1000773852498

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

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to a conversation of hope with bread. 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 strategies. Strategies you can start using today. To begin your journey with the incredible life using. It's grateful you're here. And promises to give us all each week. To help you create the life you're meant to live. So buckle up. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

I am so glad you tuned in this week, and I'm excited to share with you information that will take every relationship in your life to the next level. But right from the jump, I want to remind you that you are enough. You, yes, you have what it takes. You're an absolute champion whose best days are straight ahead. All right, y'all. I had to add this story into the podcast this morning. Shannon and I are sitting out on the back patio the day that we're going to record this podcast, and we're just sitting outside enjoying the morning. It was a beautiful morning. And together we heard a bird we had not heard before. So right away, my wife gets out her bird app to see what kind of bird it was. Then she goes to another bird app that can make bird sounds by bird type. So she starts playing the bird sounds to get the birds all fired up. Pretty hilarious. Asked my lady. There was another time when we rode our bikes to a reservoir and we decided to chill on a bench together and just enjoy the views. Soon the birds came and she once again started her bird app with all the different bird sounds, and before you knew it, we were completely surrounded by birds. My Lady of Love enjoys mixing it up. As most of you already know, she is our executive producer and edits this podcast weekly. Here is a fun fact that proves how quirky My Lady is. If you listen to the podcast all the way to the very end, you will notice that she put a bizarre sound at the very end of the podcast. That's just who she is. Super quirky. Now she tells me that she's gonna mix it up with different sounds at the very, very end of the podcast. Only one Shanna Lee, and I've got her. Thank God. 37 years. Love my lady of love. All right, now let's get into today's content. I know you're really, really, really gonna enjoy this. If you learned a little, you realize communication can be tricky. You feel you have communicated something perfectly, but it is not followed up with any results. John Maxwell is an amazing person who has trained up over six million leaders and has published over 90 books. I recently came across one of his books that is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to effective communication. The book is called Everyone Communicates but Few Connect. I think you'll like, I think you like me will really enjoy going through this and all the great wisdom from his book. Remember to pick up a copy, as today will just be a snapshot of all the great information. But I think you're gonna love it. I know I got a ton out of it, y'all, and I really enjoyed learning, uh getting some wisdom from John Maxwell. He has so many good books I've probably read and have probably 20 to 30 of his books, and none of them have ever disappointed. So if you get a chance, look up John Maxwell. Get anything you want. He's phenomenal. All right, here we go. Have you ever walked away from a conversation wondering, did I really make a difference? Did I truly connect with that person? John Maxwell says there's a huge difference between communicating and connecting. Communication is simply exchanging information. Connection is when people leave feeling understood, valued, inspired, and better because they met you. Think about the people who have changed your life. Chances are it wasn't because they were the smartest people in the room. It wasn't because they used the big words or gave the perfect presentation. It's because they connected with you. And the wonderful news is this connection is not a gift you're born with. It's a skill that you and I can develop. Every day we have opportunities to connect with our spouse, our children, our friends, our coworkers, customers, and even complete strangers. Every conversation can either build a bridge or build a wall. John Maxwell teaches that if you want to increase your influence, you must first increase your ability to connect. After all, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. That's so powerful. I heard John say that years ago, always stuck with me. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. All right, here we go. Connection starts with others. One of the biggest mistakes people make is entering every conversation thinking about themselves. What should I say? How do I sound? Will they like me? But great connectors flip the script. They ask, how can I help this person? What does this person need? How can I add value? The greatest communicators aren't focused on impressing people, they're focused on serving people. When your goal shifts from being interested to being interested, everything changes. People feel it, people remember it, and people trust it. Always connect before you correct. One of Maxwell's greatest principles is that connection must come before correction. Whether you're a parent, coach, manager, pastor, teacher, or friend, people receive truth better when they know that they're loved. If someone feels attacked, they'll stop listening. If someone feels valued, they'll open their heart. Connection creates permission. Only after people know you care are they willing to hear what you have to say. Relationships always move at the speed of trust. Walk slowly through the crowds. John Maxwell often shares the lessons he learned from his father. He said his father always walked slowly through the crowds. Why? Because people matter more than schedules. That, y'all, is something I needed to hear. People matter more than schedules. I'm always so focused on, man, I gotta get this done, I got this done. So I'm always focused on daily schedules and routines, but you have to realize, I have to realize that people matter more than the schedules. If it throws you off a little bit, that's all right, because you're connecting. All right. His dad would stop, smile, shake hands, and ask questions. And he would listen. He made every person feel important. That's a beautiful challenge for all of us. In today's busy world, people are starving for attention. One sincere conversation can brighten someone's entire day and week and month. Literally, one conversation. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone isn't money. It's your presence. Find common ground. People naturally connect with people who understand them. We all come from different backgrounds, experiences, personalities, and beliefs. But we all share common human needs. We all want to be respected. We all want to belong. We all want to matter. Great communicators don't begin with differences, they begin with similarities. Instead of asking how are we different? Ask what do we have in common? Connection grows where common ground exists. Keep it simple. Sometimes we think complicated equals intelligent. It doesn't. The best communicators make difficult ideas easy to understand. Jesus often taught with simple stories. Maxwell uses simple illustrations. Great teachers don't try to impress people with vocabulary. They help people understand. If people can't repeat your message, they probably didn't receive your message. Ooh, that's powerful. Simplicity creates clarity. Clarity creates action. Connect one on one. Crowds are made up of individuals. Never forget that. Whether you're speaking to thousands or talking with one person over coffee, connection always happens one heart at a time. When someone feels like they're the only person in the room, you've mastered connection. Look people in the eyes, use their name, listen without interrupting, ask follow up questions, put your phone away. These simple habits are becoming increasingly rare, which makes them increasingly valuable. Energy is contagious. People remember how you made them feel. Your attitude speaks before your words do. If you bring enthusiasm, hope, joy, encouragement, people naturally lean towards you. Negativity repels. Positivity attracts. Connection isn't about perfect circumstances. It's about bringing positive energy into whatever circumstances exist. Become someone whose presence makes people feel lighter instead of heavier. Believe in people. One of the greatest gifts you can give another person is belief. Sometimes people borrow confidence from someone else's belief until they develop their own. Speak life, encourage potential, celebrate progress and success. Recognize effort. See what people can become before they see it themselves. Every great leader is a great believer in people. Listen more than you speak. Many people listen only long enough to prepare their next response. Connectors listen to understand. Listening communicates respect. Listening communicates love, and listening communicates value. Sometimes people don't need advice. They simply need someone who truly hears them. You can change a relationship simply by becoming a better listener. Man, I can use that too. That's great. Authenticity wins. People can spot fake. You don't need to pretend to have all the answers. Be genuine, be humble, share your victories, share your struggles, share your lessons. Authenticity creates trust. Perfection creates distance. Your imperfections often become the bridge that allows others to connect with you. Great communicators add value. John Maxwell constantly teaches one simple question. How can I add value to this person today? That's how he lives his life every day. Imagine beginning every meeting, every phone call, every family dinner, every customer interaction with that one question. Your relationships would transform, your influence would multiply. Your life would become larger because your focus became smaller, focused on serving one person at a time. Final challenge, y'all. The greatest opportunities in your life may not come from knowing more people. They may come from connecting more deeply with the people you already know. Every day, someone is waiting for your encouragement. Someone needs hope. Someone needs to be seen. Someone needs to know they matter. You have the power to give them that gift. As you leave today and as you're driving in your car or on the treadmill, whatever you might be doing, remember this. Don't just communicate, connect. Don't just talk, listen. Don't just impress, but serve. Don't just seek influence. Seek to add value. Because when people know you care, when they know they're seen and when they know they matter, that's when real influence begins. And that's exactly why everyone communicates, but few truly connect. Let's all be one of the few, y'all. I know that's who we are. I love that. I needed that. That was fantastic. So much to digest with all the new information on connecting versus just communicating. Let's you and I apply what we learned to bring our relationships to the next level. All right, everybody. Buckle up as we are now heading straight into the laugh zone. Once again, if you're on a treadmill, you might want to step off. Or if you're driving down the highway, you might want to have the 10 and 2, two hands on the wheel. Want to make sure no one gets hurt because these are pretty darn hilarious. Even as I was doing a pre-read on the uh podcast today, my wife was walking through the room as I read the first joke and she was laughing her head off on it. So it's it's good stuff, y'all. It's been tested. All right, here we go. What did the lunchbox say to the fridge? Don't hate me because I'm a little cooler. She has expensive taste. Pretty corny jokes, I get it, but pretty funny. Let's roll straight into story time. Two really cool, inspiring, fun, good news stories. That's why I always try to bring you just good news. There's so much going on in the world that can be negative at times. I always like to bring in the lights. And so two really good ones. I love it. Dad gave up his old Mustang to raise six kids. Decades later, his son got it back. It was a 1969 Mustang Mach 1. Daniel Allen would tell his boys the best car that he ever owned, and he traded it away to make room for his growing family. Every time Mr. Allen told the story, one of his six sons, wow, six kids, was listening intently. Shane Allen recently traded his own restored musting for one just like that, which his father had sacrificed for, and surprised the old motorhead on Father's Day. After returning from several tours of war in Vietnam, thank you for your service, Daniel Allen bought a white Mustang Mach 1 with a black hood and red stripes. It was a four speed manual transmission, and it colored his youth with a ton of joy. He took his future wife Diana out on their first date in the pony and even drove it right on board the ferry where he proposed to her. Yet as their first child soon made way for a second, a third, and so on, Daniel traded the Mach one away for something more practical. Shane Allen, the youngest of Daniel's sons, happened to grow up with a fondness for classic cars as well, and the two bonded over their shared interest. It became routine for the pair to attend Father's Day car shows together, where they look at Mustangs and reminisce about the one that got away. I knew the car he had dreamed about was that 1961 Mach 1, said Shane. My dad and I have talked about this car since I was a kid. As it would happen earlier this year, Shane spotted a white Mach 1 from 1969, just like his father had always described it. He jumped at the opportunity to fulfill his dad's dream of climbing back behind the same wheel. Now that sons were all grown up, trading his own restored Mustang GT away, there was a lot to do if Shane, as he envisioned it, wanted to surprise his dad with this mother of all Father's Day presence. The upholstery needed changing and the paint needed refinishing. It wasn't too much though, and soon, on their customary father son visit to a Father's Day car show, Daniel saw a white Mach one sitting in the lot. It had a name tag dangling from the rear view mirror marked Daniel, which the man thought was a coincidence. Jokingly, he said, Where are my keys? A moment later, recorded in a priceless family video, Shane handed him the keys and told him to fire it up. I shut the camera off, but I wish I'd continue filming, said Shane. When he got out of the car, he asked me how I made it happen. I told him I traded my Mustang GT for this Mach 1 and he broke down and hugged me. He told people that as a man he recognizes the incredible sacrifices Daniel had made to serve his family and was only too happy to have the opportunity to make some sort of repayment on that debt. That is absolutely fabulous. Oh my goodness. The love for his father was huge. And what a great dad. Six kids. And he had no issues with just giving up that car so he could do what's best for his family. Wow, life's an echo. He got back what he sent out. I love it. Hi, y'all. Another really cool, kind, caring, loving story. England fan who spent life savings on World Cup trip with his granddad gets the money gifted back. An England fan who used his life savings to Take his granddad to the World Cup has been left stunned after a company inspired by their story gifted him the entire $13,000 back. Jacob Alminger sacrificed the cash he had saved up for a house deposit to take Jeff Golaker, eighty years old, on the trip of a lifetime in the USA and Mexico. Twenty-one year old Jacob has been going to matches in his hometown of Hol by with his grandfather since he was a little boy, and he said he now wants to return the favor. We've had an amazing trip so far, said Jacob. We're still in Mexico at the minute and fly tomorrow to Miami for the quarterfinal. The Mexico game was a once in a generation game to watch. Jacob and Jeff have traveled to New York and Atlanta for the matches with Panama and Dr. Congo before witnessing the historic 3-2 win at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. They are now on their way to the quarterfinal against Norway, and during their time abroad, the pair say they had been stopped in the street by people recognizing them after their heartwarming story went viral through Jacob's social media channels. Among the viral readers was a US-based online crypto casino called Metawim, which contacted the devoted grandson and vowed to pay back the money if England beat Panama by more than two goals. An unsolicited social media promise made by a cryptocurrency casino is not one that any sensible person is likely to take to heart, said Jacob. When we won the match two to zero, they said they would still pay ten thousand dollars if we won against Dr. Congo by any score. I didn't quite believe it, Jacob said, to be honest, until I looked at my bank account and there it was. I was just in shock. So what a great grandson taking his grandfather to a once-in-a-lifetime trip just to have that experience would be amazing. And it definitely has his priorities right because money will come and go, but that time with your with your grandpa, that's uh priceless. All right, y'all. It's time now for the recaps of my top podcast episodes I've listened to this week. I like you, love to listen to podcasts, grow, learn anything I can do to get better. I want to do that. I want to live out my best life, and I do realize that my input will determine my output. And I want you as well to live out your absolute best life. That's why we're doing the podcast. All right, number one, first podcast. You're not broken. Why you people please feel anxious and never feel good enough, and how to heal by Mel Robbins, and she had a guest named Kelly on her podcast as well. You are not broken. If you have spent your life feeling like you are not enough, always trying to make everyone happy, constantly worried about disappointing people, or carrying a deep sense that something is wrong with you, Mel and Kelly explain that these behaviors often aren't personality flaws, they are survival strategies developed early in life. Kelly explains every child needs three essential gifts. Number one, to be nurtured, and that means to feel loved and emotionally safe, to be protected, to know someone is watching over them, and to be guided, to receive wisdom, encouragement, and healthy direction. When one or more of those needs isn't met, children naturally adapt. Those adaptations often become the adult patterns we struggle with. The good news is that these beliefs are learned and what is learned can be healed. Healing does not require blaming your parents. Mel encourages learning to nurture yourself with kindness instead of criticism. Protect yourself by establishing healthy boundaries. Guide yourself with wisdom instead of allowing fear to make every decision. Awareness changes everything. Once you recognize that you're people pleasing, perfectionism or anxiety isn't evidence that you're defective, but rather evidence that you're adapting, you stop fighting yourself. That shift creates enormous freedom. Healing also means surrounding yourself with emotionally healthy relationships where you are no longer have to earn love by performing or proving your worth. Real healing happens when you begin believing that your value isn't based on what you accomplish or how much everybody approves you. Ooh, good stuff, as always. Mel Robbins always has great stuff, great content. If you don't have her podcast, definitely do it. Link to that full episode is in the show notes as always. Number two, 20 minutes that will change the rest of your life by Zig Ziggler. Zig Ziggler was definitely one of the greatest influencers and mentors in my entire life. All right, here we go. Imagine if the quality of your life wasn't determined by what happened to you, but how you choose to think about what happened. Every great achievement begins with a resilient mind, a mind that refuses to quit, refuses to surrender to fear, and refuses to let temporary setbacks become permanent defeats. Zig reminds us that our mind is our greatest asset. That is so true, y'all. Every success, every failure, every dream fulfilled or abandoned begins with a thought. Long before you change your circumstances, you must change your thinking. The battle for your future is won or lost in your mind before it's ever seen in your life. Life will disappoint you. You'll face rejection, criticism, unexpected hardships, and moments when you wonder if you're good enough. But resilient people understood and understand something powerful. Setbacks are not stop signs. That's another that's a good one, y'all. Setbacks are not stop signs. They're stepping stones. They don't ask why this is happening to me, they ask, what can I learn from this? Zig says you become what you constantly feed your mind. Resilient people remind themselves I can learn, I can improve, I can overcome. This challenge is only temporary. My best days are straight ahead. What you repeatedly tell yourself becomes what you believe, and what you believe shapes the direction of your life. Just as muscles grow by resistance, character grows through challenges. No one enjoys difficult seasons, but those seasons often become the very experiences that prepare us for greater opportunities. The people we admire most are rarely those who avoided hardships. They are the ones who persevered through it. Your past does not define your future, y'all. That's so true. Whatever happened in your past, that doesn't define who you are or your future. Everyone has made mistakes. Everyone has experienced disappointment. Zig reminds us that today offers a fresh opportunity to choose a new direction. You cannot rewrite yesterday, but you can absolutely write a better tomorrow through the decisions that you make today. Alright, y'all. Once again, link to the full podcast episode is in the show notes. Anything as always you get from Zig as well is phenomenal. Alright, number three. Build yourself up by Joel Osteen. Build yourself up, centers on one life-changing truth. Stop looking to other people to tell you who you are. Let God define your worth and learn to encourage yourself every day. Joel explains many people live emotionally dependent on the opinions of others. They feel good when they are praised and discouraged when they are criticized or overlooked. If your confidence depends on other people, you're giving them control over your happiness. Their bad mood, rejection, or lack of encouragement can steal your peace. Instead, God wants you to become someone who is internally strong. Every morning, before you leave your house, remind yourself of who God says you are. I am blessed, I am forgiven, I am chosen, I am talented, I am valuable, I am loved by God, I am equipped for everything He has called me to do. God has already approved you all. You don't have to earn his love or prove your value to anyone. Too often we spend our lives chasing acceptance from parents, coworkers, friends, or social media. But the creator of the universe has already declared you are his masterpiece. Joel also says to become your own encourager. There will be days when nobody applauds you, thanks you, or notices your efforts. That's when you have to strengthen yourself. Don't wait for someone else to lift you up. Choose to speak words of life over yourself. Joel also reminds us confidence is not arrogance. Confidence is simply agreeing with what God says about you. It's walking in humility while believing God has placed gifts, dreams, and potential inside of you for a reason. When you build yourself up spiritually, emotionally, and mentally, criticism loses its power. Rejection doesn't stop your destiny anymore. You become steady because your identity is rooted in God's opinion rather than the changing opinions of people. I linked to full episode is in these show notes. Here we go. Challenge of the week. This week I was listening to a great podcast from Gary Brecka and Will Harlow. They both agreed a huge indicator of your longevity and the quality of life that you'll have as you age is the chair test. Set a normal sized chair out and see how many times you can stand up and sit down in 30 seconds. You can't use your arms to help you as your arms should be crossed over your heart. Anything over 20 is pretty darn good. Check it out and see how you're doing. Shannon and I had a blast doing this test. And once again, if you're under 20, that's all right. I included the podcast in the show notes. They give all these solutions and stuff you can do if you're a little bit behind the eight ball on that. But as for me with everything else, I'd want to know now if I needed to work on some stuff rather than later and have regrets. So take the chair test, see how you do. Once again, I want to close this out by reminding you yes, you are enough. You have what it takes. You're a champion whose absolute best days are straight ahead. You are loved and appreciated in this community. Always better, never backwards. Live out hope this week, helping one person every day. Speak life over yourself and your family, saying, I am getting better and better every day and every way. My family is getting better and better every day in every way. Never ever ever ever stop dreaming or believing big for you and your family. Thank you, thank you for being a part of our great community as we roll to one million. Have an epic day and a magnificent week. And God bless.

SPEAKER_00 34:23

Brent wants to remind you that you are loved and created. If you find value in this episode, then don't find it to be the little hopefully.