Mike Force Podcast – “PTC: Live More Often”

Host: Mike Glover
Date: March 8, 2026

Episode Overview

In this moving solo episode, Mike Glover dives deep into the fragility of life, the power of gratitude, and finding purpose through adversity. After receiving a poignant question from a friend about surviving his darkest times, Mike reflects on near-death experiences, spiritual faith, the drive to support his family, and the lessons he’s learned. Using powerful personal stories—including a tragic loss—he urges listeners to “Live More Often,” cultivating appreciation and urgency before life’s fleeting nature forces the lesson.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Question That Changed Everything

• [00:01] Mike shares he had a different plan for the episode, but a friend’s hard-hitting question—"When you were in the dark place and wanted it all to end, what was the one thing that kept you going?"—prompted deep self-reflection.

  • “I actually pulled my vehicle over, stopped to answer this question. I said nothing. At my lowest, I didn’t want to live because I felt like I lost everything.” (Mike, [00:02])

• At his lowest, Mike felt that “nothing” was keeping him going—except an eventual realization that as long as he was alive, he still had the chance to impact his children and fulfill promises.

• “My life’s not fulfilled until I’ve imparted my last words to my children. So they keep me going. They keep me in the fight. My spouse, my children, and the promises I’ve made to God.” (Mike, [00:03])

2. The Human Tendency Toward Complacency

• [00:04] Mike discusses how trauma and brush-with-death events (combat, accident, illness) heighten optimism and gratitude—temporarily.

  • Positivity fades as daily life returns, and we become complacent; gratitude diminishes with distance from hardship.

  • “When we’re in a dark place, it’s hard to be optimistic about your future...afterwards, oh, are we so optimistic? Positive. We have energy, endorphins, adrenaline. But when we’re in it, we’re complacent. We have little to no gratitude at all.” (Mike, [00:04])

3. The “Live More Often” Principle

• Mike references his Substack article, “Live More Often,” inspired after watching a documentary of a man with terminal cancer who said, “I’ve been so lucky to be sick this long.”

  • This perspective—feeling lucky to be so close to death—stems from recognizing how precious and fleeting life is.

  • “People that are living, weighing their mortality on their deathbed, in some cases get it because they’re closely connected with the thin line that exists between life and death.” (Mike, [00:08])

4. Story of Loss: The Accident and Its Aftermath

• [09:30] Mike describes in detail the Saturday morning he witnessed and responded to the fatal accident involving his team sergeant, Stephen Walker, and Walker’s wife.

  • Mike paints a vivid picture: driving his Jeep through rural North Carolina, meeting Walker at an intersection, then moments later becoming the first responder at a crash scene.

  • “I saw what appeared to be a motorcycle kind of come up in the air, which later I’d realize was Walker’s wife, Dawn...I became the first responder on the scene.” (Mike, [15:00])

• He shares the painful but transformative lesson: life can be lost instantly, and gratitude must be cultivated before tragedy, not after.

  • Holding Walker’s hand as his friend died rooted this lesson indelibly.

  • “As I was holding his hand, I’ll never forget the look when he looked at me and his eyes dilated and his life left him...But it’s also been a blessing because it’s a reminder to me, despite the difficulties that I’m going through...life is fleeting, it’s temporary.” (Mike, [21:30])

5. Faith and Mortality

• Mike draws on his Christian faith, quoting Lamentations 3:22-23:

  • “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.” (Mike, [11:30])

• He reminds listeners of the promise of eternal life and the importance of living with faith and perspective today.

6. Actionable Wisdom: Living With Gratitude and Purpose

• [29:00+] Urges practical steps:

  • Notice small blessings
  • Hug loved ones longer
  • Call friends; forgive quickly
  • Speak hard truths
  • Live as if the clock matters
  • “Start choosing gratitude more often. You start by noticing the small blessings that used to slip past you...” (Mike, [29:40])

• Confronting your mortality is not a curse, but an urgent call to live and love well.

  • “Every graveyard we pass, every obituary, every soldier whose boots never made it home, they are reminders not just of loss, but of urgency. Life is short, but it is also unbelievably rich if we have the perspective to see it.” (Mike, [31:00])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Being close to death didn’t rob him of gratitude. It gave it to him. And maybe the real challenge for the rest of us is learning how to live with that same clarity without having to stand at death’s doorstep first.” (Mike, [32:00])
• “As long as I’m alive, then things can get better in my life. They will improve. I’ll see this plan through as God intends, and I’ll continue to fight, never give up, never quit, and go into this week with gratitude as well.” (Mike, [33:00])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:01] Intro & friend’s question: “What kept you going?”
• [04:00] On complacency and gratitude after trauma
• [08:00] The “Live More Often” article and mindset
• [09:30–21:30] Story of the accident, loss of Walker
• [11:30] Lamentations and faith
• [29:00] Practical gratitude and lessons for listeners
• [31:00] Closing thoughts: Living with perspective

Tone & Language

Mike’s tone is candid, vulnerable, and sincere—equal parts soldier, father, and believer. He balances personal pain with lessons of hope and urgency, often addressing listeners directly and urging them to embrace gratitude now, not after a crisis.

Summary

This episode of the Mike Force Podcast is a heartfelt wake-up call to cherish life, nurture gratitude, and act with love and urgency. Drawing from firsthand loss and faith, Mike Glover reminds us: as long as we’re breathing, there’s purpose, there’s hope, and there’s always a reason to “Live More Often.”