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Episode 14: The Difference Between Existing and Living
After heartbreak, loss, trauma, or disappointment, many people continue going through the motions of life. They go to work. They pay the bills. They keep showing up. But deep down, they no longer feel fully alive.
They're existing—but they're not really living.
In this episode of The Climb Higher Podcast, Coach Michael explores the subtle but powerful difference between surviving and truly engaging with life again. Drawing from his own experience following a heart transplant, he shares why surviving a life-changing event doesn't automatically teach you how to live—and why so many people remain stuck in survival mode long after the crisis has passed.
You'll learn how heartbreak and disappointment can cause people to build lives centered around protection rather than participation, and why avoiding pain often means unintentionally avoiding joy as well. Through practical insights and encouraging challenges, this episode offers a roadmap for moving beyond merely getting through the day and rediscovering what it means to feel excited, hopeful, and engaged with life again.
In this episode you'll discover:
- The difference between surviving and truly living
- Why many people remain stuck in survival mode for years
- How psychological flexibility contributes to life satisfaction
- Why motivation often follows action—not the other way around
- How to begin participating in your future instead of protecting yourself from your past
Most importantly, you'll be challenged to ask a different question. Not, "How do I protect myself?" but, "How do I live?"
This week's challenge: Ask yourself, "What is one thing that would make me feel more alive?" Then take one small step toward it. Because life rarely changes through intention alone—it changes through participation.
About Climb Higher
Life doesn't always go according to plan—but your story isn't over.
Climb Higher is a weekly podcast hosted by Michael Temple, where relationships, resilience, personal growth, and emotional recovery take center stage. Through practical insights, powerful stories, and thought-provoking conversations, Michael helps listeners navigate life's toughest seasons while building a stronger future.
Whether you're healing from heartbreak, rebuilding after loss, strengthening your mindset, or simply looking for encouragement to keep moving forward, each episode is designed to challenge, inspire, and equip you for the journey ahead.
Follow Michael on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at Michael To The Max.
Ready to take the next step in your healing journey?
👉 Coaching, courses, and resources:
https://stan.store/michaeltothemax
