Morning Cereal

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 3, Habit 5, 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 3, Habit 5 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.

Good morning and

welcome to Morning Serial.

Okay, good morning and welcome to Friday.

And if that's not enough, all on its own,

today has three

pretty strong celebrations.

Okay, we're going to start with Hawaiian

shirt day because

nothing says TGIF like rocking

and aloha print.

Now I definitely would have

done that had I owned one.

I just don't have that or I guess.

Well, aloha Hawaii, our 50th US state.

And it's also Kool-Aid day because that

makes it feel like it's

still summer, just a little

bit longer.

And then lastly, it's world greatness

day, reminding us to

salute not just global icons,

but recognize the everyday

greatness around us, right?

Our parents, our friends, our pets maybe,

maybe even yourself.

It's a day to appreciate the brilliance

in others and in ourselves.

Now here's your Friday pep talk from Ben

Affleck who said, "You

only live once, but if you do

it right, once is enough."

Now I love this quote.

I constantly find myself trying to remind

myself, right, that we only have this one

shot at this life.

So we got to do it right.

You got to take full

advantage of it, right?

Let's be bold.

Be goofy or just make the most of that

coffee this morning.

Well, today's news, facts, and birthdays

are for August 15th.

Now we're going to start back in 1939.

That's when The Wizard of Oz, the iconic

American musical film, the

adaptation of L. Frank Baum's

book, well, the movie premiered at

Gromen's Chinese

Theater in Hollywood today.

Then in 1969 on this date, the Woodstock

Festival, it opened

up in Bethel, New York

on Max Yasker's dairy farm.

Now I've been to a couple of dairy farms

and I know what they

smell like, so that must

have been a very special few days.

And then lastly, in 1994, the original

Lion King, it roared

into theaters becoming one

of the most beloved

animated films of the 90s.

Well, happy birthday to you.

Today is your birthday.

You share a birthday with actress with

that killer blend of

humor and just raw talent,

Jennifer Lawrence.

She turns only 35 today.

Top singer who's okay with

being jealous, Joe Jonas.

Maybe that's his brother.

Well, Joe turns 36 today.

And then the hard-hitting actor and

director, Ben Affleck, he turns 53 today.

And lastly, from the Bill and Melinda

Gates Foundation,

Melinda Gates, she's 61 today.

And now the number one song on this date

back in 1986 was "Papa

Don't Preach" by Madonna.

Now this is a bold dance pop

and baroque blend hit, right?

But it became yet another Madonna anthem

that fused social commentary that she was

kind of known for at

that time with a pop hook.

Now you might remember that it caused a

lot of buzz for its storyline, right?

Teenage pregnancy with a rebellious edge.

Now Madonna, she dedicated the song to

Pope John Paul II

during her "Who's That Girl"

world tour, which led to the Vatican

urging Italian fans to

boycott her concerts.

Well, speaking of bold statements and

messages, let's move

into our book review.

We are now in habit five of Kovey's "The

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People."

And this sub-chapter introduces the rare

but powerful practice

of empathic listening.

Now Kovey explains that empathic

listening isn't about giving advice or

prepping a rebuttal.

It's about fully entering into another

person's emotional world.

As Kovey writes, "You will never be able

to truly step inside another person until

you develop the empathic

listening skills to do it."

Now this isn't mimicking

"got it" or selective hearing.

It's moving through four stages.

One, you mimic.

Two, interpret.

Three, evaluate.

And fourthly, empathic listening.

And this is where you

reflect their feeling.

You unpack the meaning and you

acknowledge their humanity.

That's the highest rung.

Empathic listening means pushing past our

instinct to judge or

fix and instead, "enter

into their frame of reference."

As Kovey describes.

Now it's giving someone the emotional

space to be seen, like

listening to your kids'

mixtape ideas before calling it cringe.

This is more than communication.

It's emotional connection.

And it's a reminder that real listening

helps cut through the noise.

Alright, here's your takeaway.

Empathic listening is more than a skill.

It's the foundation of trust, clarity,

and meaningful connection.

When you listen to understand without

judgment or

distraction, you build bridges.

Try it today.

In meetings with friends or even with

that silent car ride, right?

Let others feel heard and watch

understanding follow.

Alright friends, whether you're in a

floral shirt, sipping

Kool-Aid, or giving someone

your undivided ear, go seize today with

comfort, courage, and curiosity.

Hey, thanks for listening today.

Have a great weekend.

Come back on Monday for more wit and

thoughtful nostalgia.

And have a fantastic day.

Don't forget to follow and subscribe to

the Morning Serial

Podcast on the One Life Live

It channel.

You can find more episodes and videos by

visiting our YouTube

channel and the website at Shawn

English and at ShawnEnglish.com, where

you can also follow our

other podcasts, the Mr.

and Mrs. English Podcast

and the Life Happens Podcast.

And these other podcasts will dive deeper

into everyday issues,

self-improvement, well-being,

business and finance, and we

welcome special guests too.

So join us.

It will be a good time, I promise.

Thanks again for listening.

Have a fantastic day and

we'll see you tomorrow.