Good morning and
welcome to Morning Serial.
Okay, good morning and
welcome to Wednesday.
Well, it's July 30th.
We're almost through July and today is
International Day of Friendship.
That's right.
That's the day to text your bestie a meme
or tag them in a
throwback pic or maybe just
remind them they're
still your emergency contact.
Or maybe, and just hear me out here, this
is crazy, but maybe
actually call someone.
Too much?
Okay.
Well, let's go ahead and move on from
those warm fuzzies to
some wise words with today's
quote from Lisa Kudrow who once said, "If
you can't be funny, be interesting.
If you can't be
interesting, just be quiet."
Now, that's some real talk
from the queen of quirky cool.
Now, in a world full of noise, sometimes
just showing up with
curiosity or just knowing
when to zip it, that in
itself could be a powerful thing.
Well, today's news, facts,
and birthdays are for July 30th.
We're going to start back in 1932.
That's when the first Olympic Games that
were in Los Angeles
opened, but here's what
it is.
It's the first Olympic Games that was the
debut of the now famous Olympic Village.
All right.
In 1975, former Teamsters President Jimmy
Hoffa, he disappeared
from a Detroit parking
lot on this day and
still no RSVP from him.
Too soon?
Well, finally, in 2003 on this day, the
last of the original
Volkswagen Beetles, they rolled
off their production line in Mexico.
Well, happy birthday to you.
Today is your birthday.
You share a birthday with,
well, basically everyone.
Here they are.
I'm going to run through them fast.
Are you ready?
Here's the goldkeeper, Hope Solo.
She's 43 today.
Academy Award winning actress, Hilary
Swank, she's 50 today.
Actress, comedian, Liza
Kudrow, she's 61 today.
Actor from The Matrix, Boy's in the Hood,
Lawrence Fishburne, he's 63 today.
Actor, bodybuilder, and former Governor
of California, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, he's 77
today.
Industrialist, and founder of Ford Motor
Company, the late Henry
Ford, he was born in 1863 on
this day.
And novelist and poet, the late Emily
Bronte, she was born
on this date in 1818.
Well, the number one song on this date
back in 1989 was Toy Soldiers by Martika.
Now this is a haunting pop ballad that I
just love the feel of it.
I loved it back then.
I still love it today.
However, I did not realize that this song
was written about a
friend's battle with addiction.
And that totally changes
how those lyrics land, right?
Left, right, left, we all fall down.
Well, it climbed to the top of the
Billboard Hot 100, marking
Martika's only number one hit.
And it has since become an underrated
classic of the late 80s.
And it's been sampled in
some great songs since.
Well, left, right, left, let's step into
our book review from Stephen R. Covey's
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
And we're in part three,
habit four, think win-win.
And today we dive into the sub-chapter,
which option is best.
And Covey lays out a practical framework
for choosing win-win as a principle, not
just a tactic, okay?
It's not about being nice.
It's about being courageous and
considerate of others.
Covey says, quote, win-win is a belief in
the third alternative.
It's not your way.
It's not my way.
It's a better way, a
higher way, end quote.
And that's a mindset that moves us out of
competition with others, right?
And it moves us into
collaboration with others.
So how do we get that?
Covey suggests that we stop asking who's
right and ask instead what's right.
It's about aligning deeply with our own
values while also understanding the needs
and concerns of others.
Okay?
The win-win mindset thrives in
relationships where there's mutual
respect, trust and an
abundance mentality.
The belief that there's
enough success to go around.
I know we keep repeating that and I just
love that because it's sometimes hard to
believe that's true.
But it actually changes the way you live
and you actually start
wrapping your mind around that.
But Covey doesn't sugarcoat this, okay?
He admits that win-win isn't always the
easiest or the quickest route.
It takes time, it takes emotional
maturity and it takes a willingness to
walk away when the situation doesn't
support mutual benefit.
That's not easy.
And that's where the win-win
or no deal option comes in.
Ultimately, Covey's point is this.
When we frame decisions through the lens
of shared victories, right?
We build trust in long-term results, not
just short-term wins.
And as Covey puts it, "You can't achieve
a win-win with techniques alone.
It takes character."
Okay, here's your takeaway.
In your next negotiation, whether it's
with a client or deciding what's for
dinner, pause and ask,
what does a win-win look like here?
That single question
might just change everything.
All right, well, that's a wrap for your
Wednesday dose of morning cereal.
Give a shout out to your
favorite friend today and remember,
Misocudro's wisdom.
It can't be funny or interesting.
I don't know, maybe
crank up some Martina, right?
Hey, thanks for hanging out with us and
as always, come back
tomorrow and have a fantastic day.
Don't forget to follow and subscribe to
the Morning Cereal podcast on the One
Life Live It channel.
You can find more episodes and videos by
visiting our YouTube
channel and the website at
seanenglish.com where you can also follow
our other podcast, the
Mr. and Mrs. English podcast
and the Life Happens podcast.
In these other podcasts, we'll dive
deeper into everyday issues,
self-improvement and well-being,
business and finance, and we
welcome special guests too.
So join us. It'll be a
good time, I promise.
Thanks again for listening. Have a
fantastic day and we'll see you tomorrow.