1 01:00:01,250 --> 01:00:02,000 Good morning. 2 01:00:03,958 --> 01:00:06,041 And welcome to morning cereal 3 01:00:11,750 --> 01:00:13,708 Okay, good morning and welcome to 4 01:00:13,708 --> 01:00:16,125 Thursday. It's the day that apparently 5 01:00:16,125 --> 01:00:17,625 that just wants us to 6 01:00:17,625 --> 01:00:20,333 forget our problems and dive face first 7 01:00:20,333 --> 01:00:22,291 into dessert. Now, I can 8 01:00:22,291 --> 01:00:23,666 get down with that. And 9 01:00:23,666 --> 01:00:26,083 that's right, today is National Coconut 10 01:00:26,083 --> 01:00:27,833 Cream Pie Day. It's also 11 01:00:27,833 --> 01:00:29,500 Give Someone a Cupcake Day 12 01:00:29,666 --> 01:00:32,583 and Have a Coke Day. So if your blood 13 01:00:32,583 --> 01:00:34,791 sugar isn't spiking just hearing that, 14 01:00:35,041 --> 01:00:35,625 you're doing it wrong. 15 01:00:36,375 --> 01:00:38,875 It's also No Socks Day, which means 16 01:00:38,875 --> 01:00:41,250 you're legally allowed to free the dogs, 17 01:00:41,541 --> 01:00:42,416 as my kids would say. 18 01:00:43,208 --> 01:00:45,416 But preferably while enjoying sweets on a 19 01:00:45,416 --> 01:00:46,541 porch somewhere, right? 20 01:00:47,083 --> 01:00:48,416 Oh, and it's Reward Yourself 21 01:00:48,458 --> 01:00:50,750 Day. So go ahead, eat the cupcake, eat 22 01:00:50,750 --> 01:00:53,291 the cake, eat the pie, barefoot with a 23 01:00:53,291 --> 01:00:54,333 Coke in one hand and 24 01:00:54,541 --> 01:00:57,708 zero regrets. You've earned it. Probably. 25 01:00:58,708 --> 01:01:00,208 All right, well, that sounds 26 01:01:00,208 --> 01:01:02,041 pretty good. But we all know, 27 01:01:02,166 --> 01:01:05,333 sometimes life just throws stuff at all 28 01:01:05,333 --> 01:01:07,458 of us. But that pit in your 29 01:01:07,458 --> 01:01:09,208 stomach, that racing heart 30 01:01:09,250 --> 01:01:11,791 kind of pressure, that's often self 31 01:01:11,791 --> 01:01:13,875 inflicted. And today's quote 32 01:01:13,875 --> 01:01:16,083 comes from coach Bill Cowar, 33 01:01:16,083 --> 01:01:18,708 who said, "Pressure is something you put 34 01:01:18,708 --> 01:01:21,166 on yourself." Bill is 35 01:01:21,166 --> 01:01:22,583 saying that we are in control 36 01:01:22,583 --> 01:01:25,041 of that voice, right? We can ease up, we 37 01:01:25,041 --> 01:01:26,583 can choose focus over 38 01:01:26,583 --> 01:01:28,708 frenzy, progress over pressure. 39 01:01:29,333 --> 01:01:31,750 So today, maybe loosen the grip a little. 40 01:01:32,333 --> 01:01:33,500 Let the pressure be a 41 01:01:33,500 --> 01:01:35,375 motivator, not a monster. 42 01:01:36,375 --> 01:01:38,583 All right, well, today's news facts and 43 01:01:38,583 --> 01:01:40,291 birthdays are for May 8. 44 01:01:40,708 --> 01:01:42,500 We're going to start back in 1886, 45 01:01:42,791 --> 01:01:44,750 because as you probably already guessed 46 01:01:44,750 --> 01:01:47,875 it, Coca-Cola was invented on this day, 47 01:01:48,250 --> 01:01:49,583 thus, Coca-Cola Day. 48 01:01:50,083 --> 01:01:52,875 Well, according to legend, Dr. John Styth 49 01:01:52,875 --> 01:01:55,916 Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist, he 50 01:01:55,916 --> 01:01:57,500 produced the syrup in a 51 01:01:57,541 --> 01:02:00,416 brass pot in his backyard. It was first 52 01:02:00,416 --> 01:02:02,083 intended as a patient 53 01:02:02,083 --> 01:02:04,291 medicine. And now everyone in the 54 01:02:04,291 --> 01:02:06,208 world knows Coca-Cola as one of the most 55 01:02:06,208 --> 01:02:07,458 recognizable brands. 56 01:02:08,333 --> 01:02:10,083 Then moving up to 1978, 57 01:02:10,500 --> 01:02:13,791 Reinhold Messner and Peter Habler climbed 58 01:02:13,791 --> 01:02:15,166 Mount Everest without 59 01:02:15,166 --> 01:02:18,083 oxygen. Now, prior to the Italian 60 01:02:18,083 --> 01:02:20,166 and the Australian Mountaineers ascent, 61 01:02:20,541 --> 01:02:21,666 it was thought to be 62 01:02:21,666 --> 01:02:23,333 impossible to conquer the world's 63 01:02:23,375 --> 01:02:26,041 highest mountain without supplemental 64 01:02:26,041 --> 01:02:28,583 oxygen. Okay, skipping up to 65 01:02:28,583 --> 01:02:30,541 1980, that's when the World 66 01:02:30,541 --> 01:02:33,666 Health Organization on this day announced 67 01:02:33,666 --> 01:02:35,375 that smallpox had been 68 01:02:35,375 --> 01:02:37,500 eradicated. Vaccines, 69 01:02:37,833 --> 01:02:39,666 science, that's a good thing, folks. Look 70 01:02:39,666 --> 01:02:40,666 at this picture. We 71 01:02:40,666 --> 01:02:41,583 don't have that anymore. 72 01:02:42,375 --> 01:02:46,416 Okay, off my soapbox. Lastly, in 1984, on 73 01:02:46,416 --> 01:02:47,583 this day, Moscow 74 01:02:47,583 --> 01:02:49,875 announced that the USSR would not 75 01:02:49,916 --> 01:02:52,500 take part in the 1984 Olympics in Los 76 01:02:52,500 --> 01:02:54,541 Angeles. Now, four years 77 01:02:54,541 --> 01:02:57,416 earlier in 1980, the United States 78 01:02:57,416 --> 01:02:59,708 had not sent any athletes to the Summer 79 01:02:59,708 --> 01:03:02,291 Olympics in Moscow. Well, 80 01:03:02,416 --> 01:03:04,250 happy birthday to you if today is 81 01:03:04,250 --> 01:03:06,041 your birthday. You share a birthday with 82 01:03:06,041 --> 01:03:08,375 singer Enrique Iglesias. 83 01:03:08,375 --> 01:03:10,875 He's 49 today. And coach Bill 84 01:03:10,875 --> 01:03:14,333 Cower, he's 68. And the number one song 85 01:03:14,333 --> 01:03:16,541 on this day in 2000 was 86 01:03:16,541 --> 01:03:19,333 "Maria Maria" by Santana featuring 87 01:03:19,750 --> 01:03:22,625 the product GNB. Now, "Maria Maria" 88 01:03:22,625 --> 01:03:25,500 dropped in 1999 and the song was a 89 01:03:25,500 --> 01:03:26,916 genre-melding move that 90 01:03:26,916 --> 01:03:29,083 fell totally on brand for a generation 91 01:03:29,083 --> 01:03:31,666 that was raised on MTV and 92 01:03:31,666 --> 01:03:33,666 Mashups. It was produced by 93 01:03:33,666 --> 01:03:36,166 Wyclef Jean and the track spent a 94 01:03:36,166 --> 01:03:38,041 whopping 10 weeks at number one on the 95 01:03:38,041 --> 01:03:39,541 Billboard Hot 100 in 2000. 96 01:03:40,250 --> 01:03:42,791 And it was riding the wave of Santana's 97 01:03:42,791 --> 01:03:44,291 supernatural comeback album, 98 01:03:44,291 --> 01:03:46,291 which also gave us the song 99 01:03:46,375 --> 01:03:49,291 Smooth with Rob Thomas. And let's be 100 01:03:49,291 --> 01:03:51,958 real, if you were driving around in a 101 01:03:51,958 --> 01:03:53,500 Honda Civic like me back 102 01:03:53,500 --> 01:03:57,333 in 2000 with a six-disc changer in Y2K, 103 01:03:57,791 --> 01:03:59,125 this track was definitely 104 01:03:59,125 --> 01:04:00,666 on one of those burned CDs. 105 01:04:01,750 --> 01:04:03,291 Well, you don't have to put the CD into 106 01:04:03,291 --> 01:04:04,583 the CD changer because 107 01:04:04,583 --> 01:04:05,625 right now we're going to hop 108 01:04:05,666 --> 01:04:08,375 straight in to our book review. And as 109 01:04:08,375 --> 01:04:09,500 you know, we're reading 110 01:04:09,500 --> 01:04:11,583 through Stephen R. Covey's classic, 111 01:04:11,583 --> 01:04:13,458 "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective 112 01:04:13,458 --> 01:04:15,083 People." And we're cracking 113 01:04:15,083 --> 01:04:16,666 open part two, chapter one, 114 01:04:16,958 --> 01:04:18,958 and the section called "Proactivity 115 01:04:18,958 --> 01:04:21,083 Defined." Sounds serious, but 116 01:04:21,083 --> 01:04:22,166 you know how Covey likes his 117 01:04:22,166 --> 01:04:24,000 definitions. But stay with me. It's going 118 01:04:24,000 --> 01:04:25,416 to get good here. Now, 119 01:04:25,708 --> 01:04:27,458 when most people hear the word 120 01:04:27,458 --> 01:04:29,500 proactive, they think of someone who sets 121 01:04:29,500 --> 01:04:31,333 goals or maybe responds to 122 01:04:31,333 --> 01:04:33,666 emails before lunch. But Covey's 123 01:04:33,666 --> 01:04:36,000 take goes a whole lot deeper. He says 124 01:04:36,000 --> 01:04:37,583 being proactive is more 125 01:04:37,583 --> 01:04:39,041 than just getting stuff done. 126 01:04:39,416 --> 01:04:41,208 It's about claiming ownership of your 127 01:04:41,208 --> 01:04:42,958 life moment by moment. 128 01:04:43,583 --> 01:04:45,125 Here's the quote that really hits, 129 01:04:45,500 --> 01:04:48,000 quote, "Between stimulus and response, 130 01:04:48,625 --> 01:04:50,625 man has the freedom to choose," end 131 01:04:50,625 --> 01:04:52,375 quote. So let's break that 132 01:04:52,375 --> 01:04:55,583 down. Something happens. Maybe your boss 133 01:04:55,583 --> 01:04:57,333 snaps at you, or your kid 134 01:04:57,333 --> 01:04:59,458 spills OJ on your laptop, or 135 01:04:59,666 --> 01:05:01,541 someone cuts you off in traffic. That 136 01:05:01,541 --> 01:05:03,666 never happens. That's the 137 01:05:03,666 --> 01:05:05,875 stimulus. Then there's your 138 01:05:05,916 --> 01:05:08,125 response. Now, most of us, if we're 139 01:05:08,125 --> 01:05:10,000 honest, we react instantly, 140 01:05:10,833 --> 01:05:12,166 emotionally, without thinking. 141 01:05:12,833 --> 01:05:15,125 But Covey says that's the biggest mistake 142 01:05:15,125 --> 01:05:16,875 we can make because in 143 01:05:16,875 --> 01:05:19,458 between what happens and what we 144 01:05:19,458 --> 01:05:23,291 do, there's a space, a brief pause. And 145 01:05:23,291 --> 01:05:24,916 in that space is our 146 01:05:24,916 --> 01:05:28,041 freedom, our power to choose how we 147 01:05:28,041 --> 01:05:30,958 will respond. He calls this ability 148 01:05:30,958 --> 01:05:34,416 self-awareness. And he says it's one of 149 01:05:34,416 --> 01:05:35,208 the traits that separates 150 01:05:35,416 --> 01:05:36,875 us from animals. We talked about that 151 01:05:36,875 --> 01:05:39,458 earlier this week, right? Dogs bark, cats 152 01:05:39,458 --> 01:05:40,875 scratch, humans. Well, 153 01:05:40,958 --> 01:05:43,500 we can pause. We can reflect. We can 154 01:05:43,500 --> 01:05:46,166 choose, hopefully. Okay, 155 01:05:46,166 --> 01:05:47,541 here's where we go even a little 156 01:05:47,541 --> 01:05:49,833 bit deeper. Covey says, quote, "Proactive 157 01:05:49,833 --> 01:05:50,833 people carry their own 158 01:05:50,833 --> 01:05:52,083 weather with them," end quote, 159 01:05:52,666 --> 01:05:54,291 which means if you're proactive, it 160 01:05:54,291 --> 01:05:56,166 doesn't matter if the world is raining 161 01:05:56,166 --> 01:05:58,166 stress or sunshine on you. 162 01:05:58,291 --> 01:06:00,666 You decide how you show up. You can be 163 01:06:00,666 --> 01:06:03,125 calm in chaos, focused in 164 01:06:03,125 --> 01:06:05,541 noise, and kind in the middle 165 01:06:05,541 --> 01:06:08,208 of someone else's meltdown. Or on the 166 01:06:08,208 --> 01:06:10,625 flip side, Covey describes reactive 167 01:06:10,625 --> 01:06:12,333 people, the ones who let 168 01:06:12,333 --> 01:06:14,458 their environment, moods, or other 169 01:06:14,458 --> 01:06:15,625 people's opinions dictate 170 01:06:15,625 --> 01:06:17,750 their day. They say things like, 171 01:06:18,416 --> 01:06:21,583 "I have to," or "That's just who I am." 172 01:06:21,791 --> 01:06:23,333 But proactive people 173 01:06:23,333 --> 01:06:24,750 speak a different language, 174 01:06:25,333 --> 01:06:28,625 like, "I choose," or "I prefer," or 175 01:06:28,625 --> 01:06:31,791 "Let's figure this out." They live by 176 01:06:31,791 --> 01:06:34,458 values, not by moods. 177 01:06:34,458 --> 01:06:36,791 They act based on principles, not 178 01:06:36,791 --> 01:06:39,416 impulses. And if you're wondering what 179 01:06:39,416 --> 01:06:40,916 this has to do with you, 180 01:06:40,916 --> 01:06:43,583 here's the kicker. This power to choose, 181 01:06:43,583 --> 01:06:45,458 it's not reserved for CEOs 182 01:06:45,458 --> 01:06:47,041 or monks on a mountaintop, 183 01:06:47,416 --> 01:06:50,416 it's yours already right now. It's in how 184 01:06:50,416 --> 01:06:51,666 you talk to your spouse 185 01:06:51,666 --> 01:06:53,166 before work. It's how you 186 01:06:53,208 --> 01:06:55,875 handle that frustrating email. It's how 187 01:06:55,875 --> 01:06:58,000 you show up today, especially 188 01:06:58,000 --> 01:06:59,916 on a random Thursday in May. 189 01:07:00,958 --> 01:07:03,416 Okay? So as you move through your day, 190 01:07:03,416 --> 01:07:05,000 remember this, life's going 191 01:07:05,000 --> 01:07:06,708 to throw things at you. Some 192 01:07:06,708 --> 01:07:09,291 good, some chaotic, some just plain 193 01:07:09,291 --> 01:07:12,208 weird, but you don't have to react on 194 01:07:12,208 --> 01:07:14,125 autopilot. Between what 195 01:07:14,125 --> 01:07:16,708 happens and what you do, there's a 196 01:07:16,708 --> 01:07:19,166 choice, and that's where your growth 197 01:07:19,166 --> 01:07:21,875 begins. Okay, that's it 198 01:07:21,916 --> 01:07:23,833 for today's bite of the seven habits. 199 01:07:24,708 --> 01:07:25,416 Tomorrow, we'll keep it 200 01:07:25,416 --> 01:07:27,791 going, but until then, carry your 201 01:07:27,791 --> 01:07:30,708 own weather, stay curious, and start your 202 01:07:30,708 --> 01:07:33,375 day with intention. Hey, thanks for 203 01:07:33,375 --> 01:07:34,166 joining us. We'll see 204 01:07:34,166 --> 01:07:35,000 you back here tomorrow, 205 01:07:35,000 --> 01:07:37,250 and have a fantastic day. 206 01:07:39,416 --> 01:07:41,166 Don't forget to follow and subscribe to 207 01:07:41,166 --> 01:07:41,791 the Morning Serial 208 01:07:41,791 --> 01:07:43,416 podcast on the One Life 209 01:07:43,583 --> 01:07:44,416 Live It channel. 210 01:07:44,958 --> 01:07:46,875 You can find more episodes and videos by 211 01:07:46,875 --> 01:07:48,541 visiting our YouTube channel and the 212 01:07:48,541 --> 01:07:50,166 website at Shawningless 213 01:07:50,500 --> 01:07:52,666 and at Shawningless.com, where you can 214 01:07:52,666 --> 01:07:54,000 also follow our other 215 01:07:54,000 --> 01:07:55,541 podcast, the Mr. and Mrs. 216 01:07:55,541 --> 01:07:56,708 Inglis podcast and the 217 01:07:56,708 --> 01:07:57,708 Life Happens podcast. 218 01:07:58,541 --> 01:08:00,208 In these other podcasts, we'll dive 219 01:08:00,208 --> 01:08:01,583 deeper into everyday issues, 220 01:08:01,875 --> 01:08:02,625 self-improvement and 221 01:08:02,625 --> 01:08:05,125 well-being, business and finance, and we 222 01:08:05,125 --> 01:08:06,375 welcome special guests too. 223 01:08:06,875 --> 01:08:07,625 So join us. 224 01:08:07,625 --> 01:08:08,958 It'll be a good time, I promise. 225 01:08:09,666 --> 01:08:10,541 Thanks again for listening. 226 01:08:10,750 --> 01:08:12,291 Have a fantastic day and 227 01:08:12,291 --> 01:08:12,916 we'll see you tomorrow.