1 01:00:01,250 --> 01:00:04,125 Good morning and 2 01:00:04,125 --> 01:00:05,958 welcome to Morning Serial. 3 01:00:08,833 --> 01:00:13,125 Okay, good morning 4 01:00:13,125 --> 01:00:14,375 and welcome to Thursday. 5 01:00:14,750 --> 01:00:16,166 Hey, two week warning 6 01:00:16,166 --> 01:00:19,375 people, two weeks until 2026. 7 01:00:19,625 --> 01:00:21,958 So if you're not up and going yet, grab 8 01:00:21,958 --> 01:00:23,541 your coffee and here is 9 01:00:23,541 --> 01:00:24,458 someone who is packing 10 01:00:24,500 --> 01:00:26,291 some serious energy to 11 01:00:26,291 --> 01:00:27,500 get us moving along today. 12 01:00:27,916 --> 01:00:29,291 Our quote today is from powerhouse 13 01:00:29,291 --> 01:00:30,791 vocalist Christina 14 01:00:30,791 --> 01:00:33,291 Aguilera who said, "You have to 15 01:00:33,291 --> 01:00:35,291 be strong and know that you can do 16 01:00:35,291 --> 01:00:37,291 anything you put your mind to." 17 01:00:38,000 --> 01:00:39,291 Sounds simple, doesn't it? 18 01:00:39,625 --> 01:00:41,500 The world may have a lot of opinions 19 01:00:41,500 --> 01:00:43,041 about you, but the most 20 01:00:43,041 --> 01:00:45,000 important voice is the one 21 01:00:45,000 --> 01:00:45,666 in your own head. 22 01:00:46,000 --> 01:00:47,166 Make sure that voice is 23 01:00:47,166 --> 01:00:48,166 your biggest cheerleader. 24 01:00:48,625 --> 01:00:50,375 Alright, here are your four moments that 25 01:00:50,375 --> 01:00:52,500 matter for December 18th. 26 01:00:52,500 --> 01:00:54,541 Okay, our historic moment is a little bit 27 01:00:54,541 --> 01:00:55,666 of a scary one today. 28 01:00:56,125 --> 01:00:58,750 It happened on this date back in 1975. 29 01:00:59,041 --> 01:00:59,666 Do you know the name 30 01:00:59,666 --> 01:01:01,208 George and Kathy Lutz? 31 01:01:01,791 --> 01:01:03,791 Well, on this date, they moved into a 32 01:01:03,791 --> 01:01:05,666 house in Amityville, New York. 33 01:01:06,125 --> 01:01:10,125 It was the site of a 1974 mass murder and 34 01:01:10,125 --> 01:01:13,375 within 28 days, they fled their new house 35 01:01:13,625 --> 01:01:15,916 claiming terrifying paranormal events. 36 01:01:16,291 --> 01:01:18,458 Their story inspired the book and the 37 01:01:18,458 --> 01:01:19,958 film, The Amityville Horror. 38 01:01:20,666 --> 01:01:21,833 Crazy scary stuff. 39 01:01:22,333 --> 01:01:24,000 My daughter and I and my family, we watch 40 01:01:24,000 --> 01:01:25,041 some of these documentaries. 41 01:01:26,125 --> 01:01:26,583 Scary stuff. 42 01:01:27,166 --> 01:01:28,125 Well, today's special day 43 01:01:28,125 --> 01:01:29,000 is going to lighten the mood. 44 01:01:29,333 --> 01:01:30,166 It's answer the 45 01:01:30,166 --> 01:01:32,041 telephone like Buddy the Elf Day. 46 01:01:32,750 --> 01:01:33,583 Buddy the Elf, what's 47 01:01:33,583 --> 01:01:34,208 your favorite color? 48 01:01:34,750 --> 01:01:36,416 I know it's a little silly, but it's also 49 01:01:36,416 --> 01:01:37,166 a reminder that your 50 01:01:37,166 --> 01:01:38,375 energy is contagious. 51 01:01:39,000 --> 01:01:40,375 Alright, the number one song on this date 52 01:01:40,375 --> 01:01:42,833 back in 1998 was I'm 53 01:01:42,833 --> 01:01:44,083 Your Angel by R. Kelly 54 01:01:44,083 --> 01:01:45,208 and Celine Dion. 55 01:01:45,208 --> 01:01:47,000 Now, one of my favorite Christmas songs, 56 01:01:47,000 --> 01:01:47,750 but don't expect 57 01:01:47,750 --> 01:01:49,416 anything new out of this duo 58 01:01:49,416 --> 01:01:51,083 until at least 2045. 59 01:01:51,708 --> 01:01:52,750 That's when R. Kelly is 60 01:01:52,750 --> 01:01:54,041 scheduled to be released from jail. 61 01:01:54,750 --> 01:01:55,875 Still a great song. 62 01:01:56,458 --> 01:01:57,500 Well, happy birthday to you. 63 01:01:57,625 --> 01:01:58,416 Today's your birthday. 64 01:01:58,666 --> 01:02:00,000 You sure birthed it with a lot of people. 65 01:02:00,583 --> 01:02:02,416 Grammy sweeping singer, songwriter and 66 01:02:02,416 --> 01:02:04,500 whisper pop power, Billie Eilish. 67 01:02:04,500 --> 01:02:05,958 She's just 24 today. 68 01:02:06,458 --> 01:02:07,458 Vocal powerhouse and pop 69 01:02:07,458 --> 01:02:08,666 icon, Christina Aguilera. 70 01:02:08,875 --> 01:02:10,125 She's 45 today. 71 01:02:10,666 --> 01:02:11,458 Wrestler, Stone Cold 72 01:02:11,458 --> 01:02:13,500 Steve Austin, 61 today. 73 01:02:14,416 --> 01:02:15,750 Oscar winning actor and producer, you 74 01:02:15,750 --> 01:02:18,000 might know him, Brad Pitt, 62 today. 75 01:02:18,541 --> 01:02:20,416 Legendary director, Steven Spielberg. 76 01:02:20,416 --> 01:02:21,666 He's 79 today. 77 01:02:22,041 --> 01:02:22,958 The energizer bunny 78 01:02:22,958 --> 01:02:24,125 guitarist, Keith Richards. 79 01:02:24,416 --> 01:02:26,041 He's a young 82 today. 80 01:02:26,708 --> 01:02:29,250 And rapper, the late DMX was 81 01:02:29,250 --> 01:02:31,458 born on this day back in 1970. 82 01:02:32,208 --> 01:02:33,791 Well, today's chapter for Mel Robbins, 83 01:02:33,791 --> 01:02:34,958 the Let Them Theory is 84 01:02:34,958 --> 01:02:37,333 Creating Community Anywhere, 85 01:02:37,333 --> 01:02:39,750 which is basically Mel Robbins guide for 86 01:02:39,750 --> 01:02:40,958 building a sense of 87 01:02:40,958 --> 01:02:43,333 belonging, no matter where life 88 01:02:43,500 --> 01:02:44,166 drops you. 89 01:02:44,458 --> 01:02:44,625 Okay. 90 01:02:45,291 --> 01:02:46,625 Robbins starts with a hard truth here. 91 01:02:47,250 --> 01:02:49,166 As adults, we often fantasize that 92 01:02:49,166 --> 01:02:50,083 community will just 93 01:02:50,083 --> 01:02:51,875 happen the way it did in school 94 01:02:52,041 --> 01:02:54,083 when proximity and shared schedules did 95 01:02:54,083 --> 01:02:55,791 all the heavy lifting for us. 96 01:02:56,208 --> 01:02:58,625 Whereas in reality, adulthood is the era 97 01:02:58,625 --> 01:03:01,125 of what she calls the great scattering. 98 01:03:01,833 --> 01:03:03,416 Friends moving away, job shifting, kids 99 01:03:03,416 --> 01:03:04,833 entering the chat, kids 100 01:03:04,833 --> 01:03:06,416 entering the chat and calendars 101 01:03:06,416 --> 01:03:08,250 pulling everyone in different directions. 102 01:03:09,041 --> 01:03:11,000 Instead of mourning the loss of automatic 103 01:03:11,000 --> 01:03:12,291 community, this 104 01:03:12,291 --> 01:03:14,000 chapter teaches you how to 105 01:03:14,000 --> 01:03:14,958 build it on purpose. 106 01:03:15,500 --> 01:03:17,416 It leans again on those three pillars, 107 01:03:17,708 --> 01:03:19,500 proximity, timing, and energy. 108 01:03:19,875 --> 01:03:21,250 And invites you to look at your current 109 01:03:21,250 --> 01:03:22,458 life through that lens. 110 01:03:23,250 --> 01:03:24,250 Where are you already 111 01:03:24,250 --> 01:03:26,500 crossing paths with potential people? 112 01:03:26,833 --> 01:03:29,041 At the gym, at work, at your kid's 113 01:03:29,041 --> 01:03:30,208 school, at the dog park, 114 01:03:30,208 --> 01:03:31,541 your apartment lobby, that 115 01:03:31,541 --> 01:03:32,583 coffee shop you treat 116 01:03:32,583 --> 01:03:33,958 like an office, right? 117 01:03:34,750 --> 01:03:37,041 Creating community anywhere is practical. 118 01:03:37,541 --> 01:03:40,291 And Mel suggests tiny doable moves. 119 01:03:40,791 --> 01:03:42,333 Sit in the same spot regularly. 120 01:03:42,833 --> 01:03:44,125 Talk to the same barista. 121 01:03:44,666 --> 01:03:45,875 Join a recurring class. 122 01:03:46,125 --> 01:03:47,500 Say hello to the same neighbors. 123 01:03:48,208 --> 01:03:51,541 Over time, those micro interactions stack 124 01:03:51,541 --> 01:03:54,458 into familiarity, then into comfort, then 125 01:03:54,583 --> 01:03:55,500 into connection. 126 01:03:56,083 --> 01:03:56,583 Mel emphasizes, 127 01:03:56,833 --> 01:03:59,083 "Friendship is not a group sport. 128 01:03:59,083 --> 01:04:00,541 It's an individual one." 129 01:04:01,625 --> 01:04:02,583 You don't need a giant 130 01:04:02,583 --> 01:04:04,625 squad to feel less alone. 131 01:04:04,625 --> 01:04:06,583 You need a handful of repeated 132 01:04:06,583 --> 01:04:08,041 intentional connections. 133 01:04:08,750 --> 01:04:10,833 And Mel also connects this to the let 134 01:04:10,833 --> 01:04:12,291 them, let me mindset. 135 01:04:13,000 --> 01:04:15,000 Let people be who they are, busy, 136 01:04:15,750 --> 01:04:17,833 distracted, not super talkative at first. 137 01:04:18,250 --> 01:04:20,375 Let them respond however they respond. 138 01:04:20,875 --> 01:04:22,625 Your power sits in the let me. 139 01:04:22,833 --> 01:04:24,750 Let me show up again next week. 140 01:04:24,750 --> 01:04:26,000 Let me smile first. 141 01:04:26,291 --> 01:04:28,708 Let me ask one follow-up question. 142 01:04:29,083 --> 01:04:30,500 Let me invite, even if 143 01:04:30,500 --> 01:04:31,625 it's a little awkward. 144 01:04:32,500 --> 01:04:35,000 Crucially, Robbins doesn't pretend this 145 01:04:35,000 --> 01:04:36,166 is easy for everyone. 146 01:04:36,625 --> 01:04:38,791 If you're introverted, like me, or if 147 01:04:38,791 --> 01:04:40,500 you're anxious or coming 148 01:04:40,500 --> 01:04:42,666 off a season of hurt, creating 149 01:04:42,666 --> 01:04:44,916 community can feel like climbing a 150 01:04:44,916 --> 01:04:46,375 mountain in flip-flops. 151 01:04:46,958 --> 01:04:48,708 She normalizes that fear while insisting 152 01:04:48,708 --> 01:04:50,000 that staying isolated 153 01:04:50,000 --> 01:04:51,375 actually hurts you more in 154 01:04:51,375 --> 01:04:51,958 the long run. 155 01:04:52,500 --> 01:04:52,958 You don't have to 156 01:04:52,958 --> 01:04:54,458 become the life of the party. 157 01:04:54,791 --> 01:04:55,750 You just have to be 158 01:04:55,750 --> 01:04:57,166 willing to be consistent. 159 01:04:57,750 --> 01:04:59,791 And by the end of the chapter, community 160 01:04:59,791 --> 01:05:01,125 stops looking like 161 01:05:01,125 --> 01:05:02,708 something you either magically 162 01:05:02,791 --> 01:05:03,875 have or don't. 163 01:05:03,875 --> 01:05:05,500 And it starts looking like something you 164 01:05:05,500 --> 01:05:09,208 can co-create one small step at a time. 165 01:05:09,500 --> 01:05:11,000 Okay, here's your Thursday takeaway. 166 01:05:11,708 --> 01:05:14,041 You can feel at home almost anywhere if 167 01:05:14,041 --> 01:05:15,625 you're willing to show up regularly. 168 01:05:16,208 --> 01:05:19,041 Go first in small ways and let community 169 01:05:19,041 --> 01:05:21,916 grow slowly instead of instantly. 170 01:05:22,500 --> 01:05:24,583 So as you head into your Friday Eve, 171 01:05:24,583 --> 01:05:26,125 maybe answer one call 172 01:05:26,125 --> 01:05:27,125 with the Buddy of the Elf 173 01:05:27,208 --> 01:05:29,791 enthusiasm and one conversation with 174 01:05:29,791 --> 01:05:31,208 Christina-level confidence. 175 01:05:31,791 --> 01:05:33,625 Now, remember, the place you live or work 176 01:05:33,625 --> 01:05:34,666 today could turn into 177 01:05:34,666 --> 01:05:35,958 your community if you 178 01:05:35,958 --> 01:05:37,458 keep showing up as yourself. 179 01:05:38,083 --> 01:05:39,416 Hey, thanks for spending part of your 180 01:05:39,416 --> 01:05:40,583 morning with Morning Cereal. 181 01:05:40,875 --> 01:05:42,083 I will see you back 182 01:05:42,083 --> 01:05:43,250 here tomorrow on a Friday. 183 01:05:43,791 --> 01:05:46,250 And until then, have a fantastic day. 184 01:05:48,000 --> 01:05:49,666 Don't forget to follow and subscribe to 185 01:05:49,666 --> 01:05:50,416 the Morning Cereal 186 01:05:50,416 --> 01:05:52,416 podcast on the One Life Live 187 01:05:52,416 --> 01:05:52,916 It channel. 188 01:05:53,458 --> 01:05:55,333 You can find more episodes and videos by 189 01:05:55,333 --> 01:05:56,125 visiting our YouTube 190 01:05:56,125 --> 01:05:58,291 channel and the website at Shawn 191 01:05:58,291 --> 01:06:00,958 English and at ShawnEnglish.com, where 192 01:06:00,958 --> 01:06:02,208 you can also follow our 193 01:06:02,208 --> 01:06:03,583 other podcasts, the Mr. 194 01:06:03,583 --> 01:06:04,500 and Mrs. English podcast 195 01:06:04,500 --> 01:06:06,000 and the Life Happens podcast. 196 01:06:06,875 --> 01:06:09,166 And these other podcasts will dive deeper 197 01:06:09,166 --> 01:06:10,083 into everyday issues, 198 01:06:10,375 --> 01:06:11,583 self-improvement, well-being, 199 01:06:11,875 --> 01:06:13,625 business and finance, and we 200 01:06:13,625 --> 01:06:14,875 welcome special guests too. 201 01:06:15,416 --> 01:06:16,125 So join us. 202 01:06:16,125 --> 01:06:17,416 It will be a good time, I promise. 203 01:06:18,125 --> 01:06:19,208 Thanks again for listening. 204 01:06:19,208 --> 01:06:20,833 Have a fantastic day and 205 01:06:20,833 --> 01:06:21,333 we'll see you tomorrow.