Episode Transcript
[00:00:12] Hello friends, and welcome to Imagine the Possibilities. I'm Skip Pogue and I'm glad you're here today. This is season two, Episode seven and it's titled the Power behind the Words.
[00:00:28] This podcast is kind of special to me because I've been thinking about doing it for a while and it's a little different than most everything I've done before this. But like I said, it's something I really want to do. So today's the day.
[00:00:44] Today I'm unpacking the heart behind the message I use to close every episode. You've probably heard me say it, but if you've ever wondered where it came from or why I say it, well, that's what you're going to find out today.
[00:01:00] Before we get into each piece of my closing, I want to share a little bit about its history.
[00:01:06] Back In December of 2009, I started ending all my social media posts with the phrase hope you have a super day.
[00:01:16] Now, I didn't choose that at random, and I didn't write it just as a feel good tagline when I first wrote those words. And even today, I mean every single one of them. Here's the thing. I have never added anything to my post or my messages unless I truly mean it. Every word, every sign off has always come with a desire to encourage you, whether you're reading something I've written or listening to me speak.
[00:01:49] Have always believed in leaving people with something positive, something real, something that might lift your spirits, challenge you to think. Or maybe it just makes your day a little bit easier.
[00:02:05] But that's what today's whole episode is about.
[00:02:10] Unpacking the meaning behind those words I close with.
[00:02:14] For me, they're not just a habit. They're a message, a mindset, embodying them every single day.
[00:02:25] So let's get to it. I wish you much success.
[00:02:30] If you've listened to season two, episode six of my podcast, then you already know how I view success.
[00:02:39] If you haven't listened to it, no worries. But you might want to go back sometime and give it a listen. It's called success. It's a journey, not a destination.
[00:02:51] In it, I talk about how success isn't always about money or titles or applause.
[00:02:58] It's more about alignment, living in a way that's true to our values, our purpose, and our relationships.
[00:03:06] Here are a few highlights from that episode.
[00:03:10] Success is personal.
[00:03:12] What feels like success to me may not look anything like success to you.
[00:03:19] And that's okay.
[00:03:22] Success can be quiet. It might look like peace of mind A healed relationship or the courage to start again.
[00:03:33] Success evolves.
[00:03:35] What I once chased isn't what I value now. And that shift is part of my growth.
[00:03:42] And it can be part of your growth, too.
[00:03:46] So when I say I wish you much success, I'm not talking about climbing ladders or cashing checks. I'm wishing you a life that's meaningful for you. A life that reflects your deepest hopes and highest calling.
[00:04:02] A life that you will truly believe is successful.
[00:04:08] Your future belongs to you.
[00:04:11] That's the next part of my sign off. And it's something I really believe in with all of my heart.
[00:04:19] Your future belongs to you. My future belongs to me.
[00:04:25] We have to accept the responsibility for it.
[00:04:29] It's not your past, not your failures, not people who tried to define you by your worst moment.
[00:04:37] Our future is ours. Your future is yours. And that's powerful.
[00:04:43] When you really stop and think about it, that is really a powerful thing. We own it.
[00:04:49] We don't always get to choose what happens to us, but we do get to choose how we respond.
[00:04:57] Our response to anything that happens to us determines whether we carry bitterness or build resilience moving forward.
[00:05:09] Whether we sit in regret or stand up and start again.
[00:05:15] Maybe I need to hear this. Or maybe you do too. And by that I mean I listen to the podcast. I know. I listen to what I'm saying, because I don't. It's not scripted.
[00:05:28] I write short segments. I don't know what you call them. They're post it notes. They just keep me on track. How's that? You don't have to be who you used to be.
[00:05:39] Don't keep reliving your past.
[00:05:43] Your past in your past. And chances are you can't change it.
[00:05:49] The next chapter of your life can be different than anything that happened in your past.
[00:05:57] And it starts when you believe that your future belongs to you.
[00:06:04] Stay humble. It's simple advice, but humbleness holds incredible power.
[00:06:12] Humility. Humbleness isn't about thinking less of yourself.
[00:06:18] It's simply about thinking of yourself less.
[00:06:23] It's a quiet confidence that doesn't need to be shouted. It's being strong enough to lift others up.
[00:06:30] And let me tell you from personal experience, humility will take you places that pride never could.
[00:06:38] It's easy to be humble when life humbles you. And we've all had those experiences. But real growth happens when we choose to be humble.
[00:06:49] When we lead with it, we serve with it and live by it.
[00:06:54] Humility keeps us grounded and reminds us that the blessings we've been Given are all meant to be shared.
[00:07:04] Be kind. Kindness is easy when everyone's being nice. But the real test is how you act when you're tired, frustrated or misunderstood.
[00:07:18] The thing about kindness is it takes courage to be kind. It's strength wrapped in gentleness.
[00:07:26] It's choosing grace when judging someone would be easier.
[00:07:31] My wife has a big heart. Or animals. Especially those animals that are mistreated or ignored.
[00:07:40] She sees what most people overlook. And that's what kindness really is.
[00:07:46] Seeing others not just with your eyes, but with your heart.
[00:07:53] So today, be kind.
[00:07:56] Not because the world deserves it, but because you're the kind of person who gives it anyway.
[00:08:02] Be kind.
[00:08:05] Love Deeply now this is a special moment for me because starting with this episode, I'm going to make a small what I think is a powerful change to the words I close with. For years I've said love deeply and I still believe in it. But the more I've lived, the more I've learned, the more I've realized what this world really needs.
[00:08:33] What we all need is a type of love that goes even further than love deeply.
[00:08:41] Love that doesn't come with strings attached.
[00:08:45] Love that doesn't fade when things get difficult.
[00:08:49] Love that holds steady when people fall short. Because we all fall short. Fall short. Sometimes we all do. There's no doubt in my mind. I know I do.
[00:09:00] So beginning today, I'm shifting my sign off to say love unconditionally.
[00:09:09] Unconditional love is special. It's not about two people agreeing to love each other or you agreeing to love someone. It's unconditional. It's not about perfection. It's about presence, showing up, staying committed, seeing someone's value when they might be struggling to see it themselves.
[00:09:29] It's not a love that people feel like they have to earn or that they can earn.
[00:09:37] What I want to give everybody is love that's based truly on no conditions. Unconditional love. It's so.
[00:09:48] I've been practicing it so it feels better with the world. The way it is today to say we love people unconditionally. We don't put any criteria on it. It's a wonderful thing.
[00:10:02] When I was thinking about that piece of it, love deeply versus unconditional love, I thought about my granddaughter. Now she's a high functioning autistic and her experiences in public spaces aren't always easy. She and I were talking about one day and she told me that feels like that she has to constantly try and blend in.
[00:10:27] Her words were to mask, to manage her expressions and reaction. Just to avoid judgment. And if people loved unconditionally, they wouldn't be judging her. It means creating space for everybody. With love, it's choosing compassion over judging or critiquing somebody.
[00:10:54] It's like standing beside somebody when they don't understand everything they're facing. We don't care. We're going to love everybody unconditionally. We're not putting limits on it, we're not putting conditions on it, we're not putting any requirements on it. Living unconditionally says we need more grace to do that, and we've all got it in us. So from now on, it's love unconditionally.
[00:11:26] Laugh often it's like finding light, a heavy world. The world's hard now. It's a hard place. There's so much spite, bickering, strife, whatever you want to call it. We can go online, watch the evening news.
[00:11:46] Everybody dislikes everybody, it seems, sometimes. And we've got to laugh about some things, at least for me, and I think for most people, laughing, laughter's healing. Sometimes when we're stressed or feeling the weight of the day and we see a cartoon or hear a joke or something and we start laughing, it's like all of a sudden we can breathe again. Now, it won't erase the pain we're having, but it does kind of give us a break from tends to, at least again, for me, it tends to remind me that I'm human, that joy still exists, that we don't have to take everything so seriously. It's like some of the best moments I've ever had weren't fancy or planned. Somebody just shared something, told a joke, and all of a sudden everybody's laughing.
[00:12:46] It's unexpected joy. It filled the room, lifts the soul.
[00:12:52] So find people who make you laugh. Look for the humor in the little things. Let Joy have a seat at the table.
[00:13:01] Laugh often because joy isn't just a luxury, it's part of our journey. So, like I said, try to find people you think are funny. Listen to people that make you happy. Things like that are important.
[00:13:18] I hope you have a super day and I pray that God blesses you in a super way.
[00:13:25] Part I've said so many times, it's actually become a part of me sometimes if something's real short and I'm going to respond to it, and my response, if I used my normal closing, my response would be longer than whatever the statement was or the message in the on social media. So I'll generally just say, I hope you have a super day and I pray that God blesses you in a super way.
[00:13:52] Those words I truly, truly mean. I hope everyone does have a super day goes back to all the other stuff I've already talked about.
[00:14:03] If people feel better, then their reactions to issues is better and therefore it's easier for you and I to have a good day. Have a super day.
[00:14:17] Now, in today's world, especially the world of social media, and I belong to all kinds of social media, I know that each one of us is in different places in our life. I also know that chances are a lot of us have different beliefs. I can assure you, based on my own experience and knowing quite a few people, that each of us have different experience levels. Now, I mean, when I say that, I mean it with respect for wherever you are on your journey. But for me, it's more than just a nice phrase. It's a prayer, a reminder that even ordinary days can be filled with extraordinary moments. I started saying super because I believe that for each of us, we deserve more than just getting by.
[00:15:20] I think that there's joy, purpose, love and strength ahead for you and for me.
[00:15:30] And I say God bless you because I truly hope you experience a touch of something greater than yourself today. Something that lifts you, fills you and reminds you that you're not walking through this life alone. So yes, from the bottom of my heart, I truly do hope you have a super day and I truly do pray that God blesses you in a super way.
[00:15:57] I hope that you've enjoyed listening to my closing broken down into parts that make the whole.
[00:16:07] I hope you find some type of encouragement from both the closing that normally is when you normally hear it or see it, but also from today that maybe with a better understanding, maybe it gives you a little bit better understanding of why I use that sign off. It's not for me. It's not just a sign off, it's a message that I truly believe and I want. There are things that I want for you to do, for you to feel and truly meant it as encouragement for you. Rest assured of that. So maybe through this whole thing you did get a little encouragement or maybe some clarity in something that you were thinking about, or maybe it just gave you a little peace. So in closing, I want to thank you for listening to this, for listening to my podcast. I appreciate it so much.
[00:17:07] I'm looking at doing some things shortly that I hope I can get followers and involve them a little bit more. Maybe have some zoom conversations and stuff like that with the followers of Imagine the possibilities life that's one of the things I'm working on and planning for, and I've already signed up for Zoom, so we'll see if we make that happen.
[00:17:30] And looking at a few other things to encourage, because that's. That's the biggest thing I want to do, is encourage everybody. Looking, maybe doing, trying to do some reels and stuff like that. Been kind of, I guess the word be messing around with it, trying to figure out how to do it and what I want to do.
[00:17:51] Anyway, until next time, stay humble, be kind, love unconditionally, and laugh often.
[00:18:02] Your future belongs to you.
[00:18:04] And as always, I wish you much success.
[00:18:08] I hope that you have a super day, and I pray that God blesses you in a super way.
[00:18:15] Thanks again for listening. God bless.
