1 01:00:01,250 --> 01:00:04,125 Good morning and 2 01:00:04,125 --> 01:00:06,000 welcome to Morning Serial. 3 01:00:12,000 --> 01:00:13,208 Okay, good morning 4 01:00:13,208 --> 01:00:14,666 and welcome to Thursday. 5 01:00:15,208 --> 01:00:16,916 Well, you've made it. You survived hump 6 01:00:16,916 --> 01:00:18,625 day and made it to Friday Eve. 7 01:00:19,041 --> 01:00:20,625 So, go ahead, treat yourself with a 8 01:00:20,625 --> 01:00:21,875 little extra cream in 9 01:00:21,875 --> 01:00:22,916 your coffee this morning. 10 01:00:23,291 --> 01:00:24,458 Well, you've earned it. 11 01:00:25,000 --> 01:00:27,541 Today is Constitution Day in Denmark. 12 01:00:28,000 --> 01:00:29,041 And today is the day to raise a toast 13 01:00:29,041 --> 01:00:31,500 democracy, democracy everywhere. 14 01:00:32,166 --> 01:00:34,958 Especially here in the good old US of A. 15 01:00:35,625 --> 01:00:37,958 It's also National Gingerbread Day, 16 01:00:38,125 --> 01:00:39,500 which invites you to indulge some of 17 01:00:39,500 --> 01:00:41,250 those sweet, spice treats. 18 01:00:41,708 --> 01:00:43,583 You know, I actually like gingerbread, 19 01:00:43,583 --> 01:00:45,250 but I didn't realize how split the 20 01:00:45,250 --> 01:00:48,083 country is on this tasty little cookie or 21 01:00:48,083 --> 01:00:49,041 bread, I guess, too. 22 01:00:49,875 --> 01:00:51,083 Well, here's a good one for you. 23 01:00:51,583 --> 01:00:53,708 If you're late to work this morning, just 24 01:00:53,708 --> 01:00:55,000 blame it on National. 25 01:00:55,000 --> 01:00:56,916 Sorry, I was on a boat day. 26 01:00:57,541 --> 01:00:59,166 It's the perfect excuse for 27 01:00:59,166 --> 01:01:00,416 any tardiness this morning. 28 01:01:01,458 --> 01:01:03,166 Lastly, it's thank you day. 29 01:01:03,500 --> 01:01:05,583 And that's a nice reminder to express 30 01:01:05,583 --> 01:01:07,500 gratitude to those deserving it. 31 01:01:07,750 --> 01:01:09,666 And I'll start it off. Thank you for 32 01:01:09,666 --> 01:01:10,666 tuning in this morning. 33 01:01:11,375 --> 01:01:12,625 Well, as a token of my 34 01:01:12,625 --> 01:01:13,833 gratitude and appreciation, 35 01:01:14,416 --> 01:01:15,958 I'm going to give you a hard-hitting 36 01:01:15,958 --> 01:01:18,333 quote this morning from Mark Wahlberg, 37 01:01:18,333 --> 01:01:20,208 who said, "If I succeed, 38 01:01:20,208 --> 01:01:21,000 it's because I was lucky. 39 01:01:21,000 --> 01:01:23,208 But if I fail, it's because 40 01:01:23,208 --> 01:01:24,500 I didn't work hard enough." 41 01:01:25,333 --> 01:01:27,750 So some perspective here from Mark, 42 01:01:27,958 --> 01:01:29,500 and a nice reminder to 43 01:01:29,500 --> 01:01:31,041 focus on effort and ownership. 44 01:01:31,583 --> 01:01:32,500 No excuses, people. 45 01:01:33,375 --> 01:01:34,375 Well, today's news, facts, 46 01:01:34,375 --> 01:01:36,208 and birthdays are for June 5th, 47 01:01:36,208 --> 01:01:38,583 and we're going to start back in 1883, 48 01:01:38,791 --> 01:01:41,208 when on this date, the first Orient 49 01:01:41,208 --> 01:01:44,083 Express departed Paris for Istanbul, 50 01:01:44,708 --> 01:01:45,750 offering luxurious 51 01:01:45,750 --> 01:01:47,458 train travel across Europe. 52 01:01:48,291 --> 01:01:51,541 Then in 1944, over 1,000 British bombers 53 01:01:51,541 --> 01:01:53,750 dropped 5,000 tons of bombs 54 01:01:53,750 --> 01:01:55,583 on German gun batteries in Normandy. 55 01:01:56,083 --> 01:01:57,541 That was preparing us for D-Day. 56 01:01:58,708 --> 01:02:02,500 Then on this date in 1956, Elvis Presley, 57 01:02:02,500 --> 01:02:03,958 he performed Hound Dog 58 01:02:03,958 --> 01:02:06,125 live on TV for the first time. 59 01:02:06,500 --> 01:02:08,500 And as we all know, it caused quite the 60 01:02:08,500 --> 01:02:09,833 sensation with his 61 01:02:09,833 --> 01:02:11,083 little hip dance moves. 62 01:02:11,958 --> 01:02:12,583 Then we're going to move 63 01:02:12,583 --> 01:02:13,708 all the way up to 1981, 64 01:02:14,000 --> 01:02:16,750 when on this date, the CDC reported the 65 01:02:16,750 --> 01:02:19,166 first recognized cases of AIDS 66 01:02:19,166 --> 01:02:21,500 in the United States, marking the 67 01:02:21,500 --> 01:02:23,083 beginning of the epidemic. 68 01:02:24,125 --> 01:02:27,000 Then lastly, in 2004, on this date, 69 01:02:27,500 --> 01:02:29,250 former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, 70 01:02:29,833 --> 01:02:32,791 he passed away at the age of 93 after a 71 01:02:32,791 --> 01:02:34,750 long battle with Alzheimer's. 72 01:02:35,333 --> 01:02:36,916 Well, happy birthday to you 73 01:02:36,916 --> 01:02:38,458 if today is your birthday. 74 01:02:38,458 --> 01:02:39,416 You share a birthday 75 01:02:39,416 --> 01:02:41,125 with quite a few musicians. 76 01:02:41,375 --> 01:02:42,500 But first, we're going to start with, 77 01:02:42,708 --> 01:02:43,000 well, I guess he is a musician, 78 01:02:43,000 --> 01:02:45,708 too. You remember his songs? 79 01:02:46,458 --> 01:02:48,250 Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, Mark 80 01:02:48,250 --> 01:02:50,541 Wahlberg, he's 53 today. 81 01:02:51,583 --> 01:02:53,500 Then Brian McKnight, one of my favorite 82 01:02:53,500 --> 01:02:55,000 R&B singers and songwriters, 83 01:02:55,500 --> 01:02:56,875 he has songs like One Last 84 01:02:56,875 --> 01:02:59,250 Cry, well, he's 55 today. 85 01:03:00,000 --> 01:03:02,750 Then definitely my favorite, Smooth Jazz 86 01:03:02,750 --> 01:03:04,833 Saxophonist, probably yours too, 87 01:03:05,500 --> 01:03:07,416 Kenny G, he's 68 today. 88 01:03:07,875 --> 01:03:09,041 And then lastly, Financial 89 01:03:09,041 --> 01:03:10,000 Advisor and Television Host, 90 01:03:10,000 --> 01:03:13,625 you might remember from the 80s and 90s, 91 01:03:13,625 --> 01:03:15,875 Susie Orman, she's 74 today. 92 01:03:16,666 --> 01:03:18,583 Well, the number one song on this date 93 01:03:18,583 --> 01:03:22,083 back in 1986 was The Crossroads 94 01:03:22,083 --> 01:03:23,625 by Bone Thugs and Harmony. 95 01:03:24,125 --> 01:03:26,625 Well, this song was a tribute to lost 96 01:03:26,625 --> 01:03:27,791 loved ones in their lives, 97 01:03:27,791 --> 01:03:30,833 including their mentor, Eazy-E, which in 98 01:03:30,833 --> 01:03:33,166 a weird twist of irony for today's show, 99 01:03:33,166 --> 01:03:35,166 Eazy-E did pass away from AIDS. 100 01:03:35,791 --> 01:03:36,875 But that little factoid 101 01:03:36,875 --> 01:03:38,000 aside, this is a great song. 102 01:03:38,000 --> 01:03:41,000 And I had to listen to it about a 103 01:03:41,000 --> 01:03:42,250 thousand times so I 104 01:03:42,250 --> 01:03:43,416 could memorize the lyrics 105 01:03:43,416 --> 01:03:45,791 because of how fast these guys rap. If 106 01:03:45,791 --> 01:03:47,208 you haven't heard it, look it up. 107 01:03:47,791 --> 01:03:50,125 Well, the song's success solidified their 108 01:03:50,125 --> 01:03:51,375 place in hip hop history. 109 01:03:51,583 --> 01:03:54,666 It won a Grammy for them in 1997, and it 110 01:03:54,666 --> 01:03:57,041 definitely resonated with fans worldwide. 111 01:03:58,041 --> 01:03:59,041 All right, well, let's cross the road 112 01:03:59,041 --> 01:04:00,291 into our book review segment 113 01:04:00,291 --> 01:04:01,916 as we continue our journey through 114 01:04:01,916 --> 01:04:04,125 Stephen R. Covey's The Seven Habits of 115 01:04:04,125 --> 01:04:05,000 Highly Effective People. 116 01:04:05,000 --> 01:04:07,958 And today we're still in part two, habit 117 01:04:07,958 --> 01:04:09,041 two, in the 118 01:04:09,041 --> 01:04:11,625 sub-chapter, a principal center. 119 01:04:12,500 --> 01:04:15,125 Now, here Covey explores what it means to 120 01:04:15,125 --> 01:04:17,000 build our lives around principals 121 01:04:17,416 --> 01:04:19,750 rather than fleeting external influences, 122 01:04:20,083 --> 01:04:21,250 things that we've been talking about over 123 01:04:21,250 --> 01:04:22,041 the last couple of days. 124 01:04:22,791 --> 01:04:25,541 Now, Covey begins by contrasting how most 125 01:04:25,541 --> 01:04:27,500 people live reactively, 126 01:04:27,500 --> 01:04:28,791 driven by circumstances, 127 01:04:29,208 --> 01:04:30,500 moods, or other people's expectations. 128 01:04:31,583 --> 01:04:34,208 Covey writes, "Principles are deep, 129 01:04:35,041 --> 01:04:37,250 fundamental truths, classic truths, 130 01:04:38,291 --> 01:04:40,208 generic common denominators." 131 01:04:41,166 --> 01:04:43,666 And those are unlike social trends or the 132 01:04:43,666 --> 01:04:45,625 latest self-help fads, right? 133 01:04:46,500 --> 01:04:48,208 Principles like integrity, honesty, and 134 01:04:48,208 --> 01:04:49,875 fairness, they endure 135 01:04:49,875 --> 01:04:52,083 across time and across cultures. 136 01:04:52,958 --> 01:04:55,333 They're universal standards that we can 137 01:04:55,333 --> 01:04:56,291 rely on when 138 01:04:56,291 --> 01:04:58,000 everything else feels uncertain. 139 01:04:58,000 --> 01:05:01,625 So this chapter challenges us to look at 140 01:05:01,625 --> 01:05:03,333 what's really at our center, 141 01:05:03,833 --> 01:05:06,250 the driving force behind our decisions 142 01:05:06,250 --> 01:05:08,416 and how we see our worlds. 143 01:05:09,208 --> 01:05:11,541 Here, Covey talks again about some of 144 01:05:11,541 --> 01:05:13,500 these alternative centers, right? 145 01:05:13,875 --> 01:05:16,125 If we're centered on a job, we might feel 146 01:05:16,125 --> 01:05:18,000 lost if that job disappears. 147 01:05:18,500 --> 01:05:20,958 If we're centered on friends or family, 148 01:05:21,375 --> 01:05:23,041 we might feel shaken when those 149 01:05:23,041 --> 01:05:24,000 relationships change. 150 01:05:24,000 --> 01:05:27,541 But if we're centered on principals, we 151 01:05:27,541 --> 01:05:30,000 find a stability that doesn't rely on 152 01:05:30,000 --> 01:05:31,041 external circumstances. 153 01:05:31,875 --> 01:05:33,916 Now, Covey explains that when we live a 154 01:05:33,916 --> 01:05:36,708 principal-centered life, we gain four 155 01:05:36,708 --> 01:05:38,500 invaluable life support factors. 156 01:05:38,791 --> 01:05:39,916 Remember these? Security, 157 01:05:39,916 --> 01:05:41,750 guidance, wisdom, and power. 158 01:05:42,500 --> 01:05:44,125 Now, security, he says, comes from 159 01:05:44,125 --> 01:05:45,916 knowing we're aligned with 160 01:05:45,916 --> 01:05:47,708 what's true and unchanging. 161 01:05:48,250 --> 01:05:50,125 Guidance comes from principles that act 162 01:05:50,125 --> 01:05:52,583 like a compass, helping us to see clearly 163 01:05:52,583 --> 01:05:53,750 and make better decisions. 164 01:05:54,791 --> 01:05:56,958 Wisdom flows from understanding how those 165 01:05:56,958 --> 01:05:58,125 principles apply in 166 01:05:58,125 --> 01:05:59,625 every area of our lives. 167 01:06:00,416 --> 01:06:03,000 And lastly, power, not the power to 168 01:06:03,000 --> 01:06:04,458 control others, but the 169 01:06:04,458 --> 01:06:06,250 power to live with purpose. 170 01:06:06,750 --> 01:06:08,541 That emerges naturally 171 01:06:08,541 --> 01:06:11,000 from this solid foundation. 172 01:06:12,000 --> 01:06:14,458 Okay, to help us recognize our current 173 01:06:14,458 --> 01:06:17,625 center, Covey gives practical examples. 174 01:06:18,291 --> 01:06:20,000 If you're family-centered, you might find 175 01:06:20,000 --> 01:06:21,125 it hard to make decisions 176 01:06:21,125 --> 01:06:22,583 that don't please everyone. 177 01:06:23,125 --> 01:06:24,708 If you're money-centered, you might feel 178 01:06:24,708 --> 01:06:27,458 constant anxiety and unstable economies. 179 01:06:28,333 --> 01:06:30,666 And Covey's message is that these centers 180 01:06:30,666 --> 01:06:33,250 can leave us reactive, forever chasing 181 01:06:33,250 --> 01:06:35,541 that security in the wrong places. 182 01:06:36,375 --> 01:06:38,291 Okay, so here's your takeaway. A 183 01:06:38,291 --> 01:06:40,458 principal-centered life isn't just about 184 01:06:40,458 --> 01:06:41,458 doing the right thing. 185 01:06:41,958 --> 01:06:43,833 It's about building a foundation that 186 01:06:43,833 --> 01:06:45,125 can't be shaken by the 187 01:06:45,125 --> 01:06:46,458 ups and the downs of life. 188 01:06:46,958 --> 01:06:49,208 It's about anchoring yourself to timeless 189 01:06:49,208 --> 01:06:52,833 truths, those "deep fundamental truths" 190 01:06:53,125 --> 01:06:55,083 that Covey calls "principals." 191 01:06:55,541 --> 01:06:58,125 And letting those guide your actions, 192 01:06:58,458 --> 01:07:01,416 shape your choices, and give you the 193 01:07:01,416 --> 01:07:03,333 quiet confidence to face 194 01:07:03,333 --> 01:07:04,333 whatever comes your way. 195 01:07:05,041 --> 01:07:07,500 Alright, well as we wrap up today's 196 01:07:07,500 --> 01:07:09,625 episode, remember to embrace the spirit 197 01:07:09,625 --> 01:07:12,791 of Constitution Day by reflecting on the 198 01:07:12,791 --> 01:07:14,208 principles that guide your life. 199 01:07:14,750 --> 01:07:16,958 And don't forget to express gratitude on 200 01:07:16,958 --> 01:07:19,000 this thank you day. A simple thank you 201 01:07:19,000 --> 01:07:20,583 can brighten someone's day. 202 01:07:21,250 --> 01:07:23,000 Again, thank you for joining us today on 203 01:07:23,000 --> 01:07:24,750 Morning Serial. We'll see you back here 204 01:07:24,750 --> 01:07:26,166 tomorrow with more insights 205 01:07:26,166 --> 01:07:27,666 and stories to start your day. 206 01:07:28,208 --> 01:07:29,500 Now get out there and 207 01:07:29,500 --> 01:07:31,041 have a fantastic day. 208 01:07:35,000 --> 01:07:36,458 This is the Morning Serial podcast on the 209 01:07:36,458 --> 01:07:38,000 One Life Live It channel. 210 01:07:38,500 --> 01:07:40,458 You can find more episodes and videos by 211 01:07:40,458 --> 01:07:42,125 visiting our YouTube channel and the 212 01:07:42,125 --> 01:07:45,500 website at seanenglish.com, 213 01:07:45,958 --> 01:07:47,541 where you can also follow our other 214 01:07:47,541 --> 01:07:49,708 podcast, the Mr. and Mrs. English podcast 215 01:07:49,708 --> 01:07:51,291 and the Life Happens podcast. 216 01:07:52,125 --> 01:07:54,250 And these other podcasts will dive deeper 217 01:07:54,250 --> 01:07:56,083 into everyday issues, self-improvement 218 01:07:56,083 --> 01:07:58,458 and well-being, business and finance, and 219 01:07:58,458 --> 01:07:59,958 we welcome special guests too. 220 01:08:01,000 --> 01:08:02,541 Yes, it'll be a good time, I promise. 221 01:08:03,250 --> 01:08:04,541 Thanks again for listening. Have a 222 01:08:04,541 --> 01:08:06,416 fantastic day and we'll see you tomorrow.