Good morning and
welcome to Morning Serial.
Okay, good morning
and welcome to Thursday.
It's the fourth day of the week and today
is national first love day.
And it's a day to remember your first
butterflies, that first date, maybe that
first spark of young love.
Whether it ended up happily ever after or
just with some nostalgic
memories from years past.
Those people, well, they're building
blocks that make us who we are today.
And they probably taught us a little bit
about what still warms our heart now.
Now, our quote this morning comes from
somebody who played some parts that maybe
did believe in love at first sight,
but maybe not true love or fidelity.
Well, our quote this morning comes from
James Gandolfini who said, quote, those
that want respect, they give respect.
Well, that's pretty straightforward. You
want to be treated with
value and consideration?
Well, show others those same qualities.
Well, now that quote may have been a Tony
Soprano quote, but it still works, right?
Tony also said all this from a slice of
Gaba Ghoul, end quote, let that sink in.
All right. Well, today's news facts and
birthdays are for September 18th.
We're going to start back in 1773.
That's when U.S. President George
Washington, he laid the cornerstone of
the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
Then moving up to 1947, that's when the
Central Intelligence Agency, well, it
officially came into existence after
being established by President Truman.
Then in 1970, on this date, the famed
musician at just age 27, Jimi Hendrix, he
was found deceased in
his hotel room in London.
Then finally here in 1987, the thriller
movie Fatal Attraction, it opened up in
U.S. movie theaters.
Now, this movie starred Michael Douglas
and Glenn Close, and it
won six Academy Award nods,
and it provided just another reason to
steer clear of infidelity.
Well, happy birthday to
you. Today is your birthday.
You share a birthday with legendary
Barcelona soccer player, Rinaldino.
He's 49 today. Actress and forgive me,
Will, for saying her
name, Jada Pinkett Smith.
She's just 54 today and Livestrong
Infamy, Lance Armstrong.
He's just 53 today.
And lastly, actor and the crime boss you
hated to love, the late James Gandolfini.
He was born on this date in 1961. He
would have only been 64.
Well, the number one song on this date
back in 1986 was Take
My Breath Away by Berlin.
And not only is this one of my top five
songs, it is very apropos
for National First Love Day,
taking us all the way back to those very
first butterflies and those first loves
in the 80s and the 90s.
Or if you're not feeling that, I know
you're at least thinking about Tom
Cruise, sunglasses and a motorcycle.
Either way, great song
and greater nostalgia.
By the way, Take My Breath Away won the
Academy Award for Best Original Song, as
well it should have.
Love this song.
Okay, moving from love and life to our
friend, Kovi, who tells us that the real
secret to lasting
effectiveness isn't found in surges.
It's found in balance.
In the sub-chapter Balance and Renewal in
Stephen R. Kovi's The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People,
he explores how sharpening the saw must
happen across all dimensions
of life, not just one of them.
Now, Kovi explains, quote, "Renewal must
be balanced in all four
dimensions of our nature.
The physical, the spiritual, the mental
and the social-emotional," end quote.
And if we only emphasize one, say,
physical exercise, but we neglect
reflection, we neglect
relationships or learning,
then we eventually burn out
or we start feeling hollow.
Balance ensures that growth in one area,
it feeds and it
supports all the other areas.
Kovi points out how
interconnected these dimensions are.
Physical health supports clear thinking.
Mental development fuels
emotional intelligence.
And spiritual grounding provides
perspective when challenges come.
If one dimension is
ignored, the whole system weakens.
For example, Kovi writes, quote,
"Neglecting any one area negatively
impacts the rest," end quote.
That's why marathon hours at work without
nurturing relationships or values,
eventually that
leaves people unfulfilled.
And Kovi uses the
metaphor of the saw again here.
If you sharpen only one side, the tool
still won't cut well.
A balanced approach creates harmony.
This doesn't mean equal time in all
dimensions every day, but
rather more of a rhythm over time.
Some seasons may lean more on physical
while others more on the emotional side.
But balance across the weeks and across
the months, that creates
renewal that's sustainable.
And Kovi encourages us to intentionally
schedule renewal in
all four areas, right?
And that might even mean combining them,
going on a walk with a friend that blends
physical and social-emotional.
Or studying inspirational literature
deepens both the mental
and the spiritual renewal.
Now, the synergy of balance is powerful.
Kovi emphasizes that renewal isn't
selfish, it's stewardship.
Quote, "We are the instruments of our own
performance. To be effective, we need to
recognize the importance of taking time
regularly to sharpen the saw
in all four ways," end quote.
And when we keep balance, we're better
partners, we're better
leaders and creators.
Okay, here's your takeaway.
True renewal is about balance. So our
hearts remember, our bodies sustain, our
minds stay curious, and
our spirits stay alive.
So today, enjoy the nostalgia of those
first butterflies, maybe even if it's
just for laughing at yourself, and strive
for renewal and
balance for yourself as well.
All right, hey, thanks for being part of
Morning Serial this morning.
Come back tomorrow. We'll have some more
music meeting and moments that matter.
Hey, have a fantastic day.
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. We'll see you tomorrow.