Morning Cereal

 We are shooting on location this week, so this is a bit of a truncated show, but we wouldn’t leave you without a small pour of your Morning Cereal.  On location shows begin 7/16/25. 
Start your day with inspirational quotes, followed by a fun journey through nostalgic facts from this day in history. Then, we dive into Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  
In Part 2, Habit 3, we’ll explore Covey’s timeless advice on building authentic connections, the art of influence, and creating positive interactions in every area of life.
In This Episode:
  • Daily inspirational quotes to spark your motivation
  • Fun historical facts from this day in history
  • A dive into Part 2, Habit 3 of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
Whether you're a leader, communicator, or just someone looking to improve your relationships, this episode is packed with actionable insights.
Tune in now and let’s grow together!
Resources:
Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Powerful lessons in personal change. Free Press. 
 
All photo’s utilized in this video are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported by Wikimedia Commons license and are free to copy, distribute and transmit.  No photos have been altered.

What is Morning Cereal?

Good morning, and welcome to Morning Cereal!
Pull up a stool, grab your favorite cereal, and let’s kick-start your day with a spoonful of inspiration, nostalgia and personal growth. Join your host, Shaen Inglis, as he highlights the music, movies, and moments that made the 80s, 90s, and 2000s unforgettable—kind of like digging for toy at the bottom of the cereal box. Each episode, Shaen also reviews a chapter or so from top wellness books, offering practical insights to help you set a positive tone for your day. Start your mornings right—no cartoons required!

Follow and subscribe to the Morning Cereal podcast and visit our Life Happens, Live Balanced channel and our website at shaeninglis.com to check out and follow our other podcasts. You can also follow Shaen @ShaenInglis on Instagram, YouTube, etc. Feel free to share the Morning Cereal with someone who could use a little fun and motivation to start their day right.

(upbeat music)

Good morning.

And welcome to Morning Serial.

Okay, good morning and

welcome to Wednesday.

And welcome to Rome.

We're kicking off our

on location shoot here

and none other than

the fabled city of Rome.

So walking around

here, every street feels

like we're in a movie set.

And there's just so much history here

and beauty everywhere I look.

Also known as the

eternal city, Rome greets us

with these sun-warm paved streets.

Well, it's actually really hot here.

It's about 95 and we've

been sweating like crazy.

But there's a constant hum of scooters

and enough gelato and

vino options to relax,

even the most frayed of nerves.

Well, from the grandeur of the Colosseum,

which is just that direction,

to the quiet charm

and tucked away piazza,

Rome isn't just the backdrop.

It's our co-star today.

And as we dive into this episode,

we're channeling all the

energy, all the elegance

and the edge of this iconic

city that it has to offer.

Well, in keeping with

the European flavor,

our quote today is from Sergio Busquets,

a master of quiet

excellence on the pitch.

Sergio Busquets said, quote,

"You don't need to be in the spotlight

"to make a big impact.

"Sometimes the most

important work is what no one sees."

Now this captures the

quiet strength and humility

that Busquets is known for.

And it reminds us all that

value isn't about volume,

it's about consistency.

And it's perfect for anyone

grinding behind the scenes,

making things happen without the fanfare.

All right, well, today's news,

facts and birthdays are for July 16th.

We're gonna start back in 1926.

That's when National Geographic,

they first published the

first underwater color photograph

taken near the Florida Keys.

And what was the picture of?

An elegant dolphin or

a majestic blue whale?

No, it was a picture of a hogfish.

Then moving into 1945,

the first atomic bomb

was tested in New Mexico.

It was a moment that

changed world history forever.

Then in 1969, Apollo 11,

it launched towards the moon

with Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and

Michael Collins aboard.

Then we're gonna skip up to 1994.

That's when the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9,

it smashed into Jupiter.

And it was the first ever

observed planet collision.

And then lastly, in 1999,

John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bassett,

they tragically passed

away in a plane crash

near Martha's Vineyard.

But on a happier note,

happy birthday to you.

Today's your birthday.

You share a birthday with Gareth Bale,

the elite Welsh footballer.

He's 36 years old today.

Spanish mood filter Maestro Sergio

Busquetsi is 37 today.

Future buddy of mine and someone

who just generally cracks me up

consistently, Will Ferrell.

He's 58 today.

And you know him as the King of Dance,

Michael Flatley, he's 67 today.

And lastly, local legend and cowboy

owner, Jimmy Johnson,

he's 82.

Now the number one

song on this date in 1986

was "At This Moment" by

Billy Vera and The Beaters.

Now, you may not know this song by name.

It was a surprise chart topper,

but the song's rise was an instant.

It was originally released in 1981

and it stalled at number 79.

Then in a fairy tale twist,

it was featured in a family ties episode

during the slow dance

scene between Alex P Keaton

and Ellen Reid.

And then boom, it soared

to the number one position

six years after its debut.

Hey, here's a fun fact.

It's one of the few songs

to reach number one twice

and one of the last

live versions to do so,

marking a spot in the

record books for it.

Well, you know what they say.

When in Rome, you

should wrap up the podcast

diving into Stephen R. Covey's

"The Seven Habits of

Highly Effective People."

And today we're zooming in

on a vital leadership concept

from habit three, stewardship delegation.

Now in this sub-chapter,

Covey draws a clear line

between two different

types of delegation.

Remember these?

The first, which most

people are familiar with

is go for delegation,

where the boss tells

someone exactly what to do

and exactly how to do it.

These are like, go

fetch this and go do that.

It's task-based, it's micromanaged,

and it doesn't build trust

or long-term capabilities.

But Covey says truly effective leaders

use stewardship delegation,

which is a method

based on mutual respect,

clarity, and accountability.

It focuses not on

methods, but on results.

And Covey says, quote,

"Stewardship delegation

involves clear upfront

mutual understanding and commitment

regarding expectations in five areas."

So here's these five areas.

They are number one, desired results.

What needs to be

accomplished, clearly stated.

Number two, those guidelines,

the boundaries of

principles that must be followed.

Number three, resources.

What help, what tools

or support are available?

Number four, accountability,

the schedule or the standard for

reporting the progress.

Okay, and then lastly are the

consequences, right?

What happens based on the success

or the failure of getting it done?

All right, this approach empowers others.

It encourages the

creative problem solving in them,

and it develops long-term skills.

Covey emphasizes that trust

is the engine here, right?

When you delegate stewardship,

you're not giving up control.

You're giving up control

on how something is done

while still remaining

responsible for the outcome.

Covey says, quote, "People are more

likely to be committed

to a plan that they

helped create," end quote.

And by using stewardship delegation,

you don't just unload

tasks, you grow people.

It's how organizations move

from being people dependent

to system and team dependent.

Okay, so here's your takeaway.

Effective delegation

isn't about dumping work,

transferring ownership in

a way that empowers others

while keeping accountability intact.

If you want to be a highly

effective person or leader,

this method allows you

to scale your impact.

It allows you to build trust

and free yourself on

what only you can do.

All right, so whether

you're touring the Coliseum

or just watching Gladiator,

remember, leadership isn't

about doing it all yourself.

It's about building trust

and letting others grow.

Hey, thanks for waking

up with morning cereal

on our first episode on

location here in the Mediterranean.

Where in the world will

morning cereal be tomorrow?

Join us tomorrow and

find out for more nostalgia,

insight, and inspiration.

And until then, 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 seaninglis and at seaninglis.com,

where you can also

follow our other podcast,

the Mr. and Mrs. English podcast

and the Life Happens podcast.

And these other podcasts will dive deeper

into everyday issues,

self-improvement and wellbeing,

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.