Good morning and
welcome to Morning Serial.
Okay, good morning and
welcome back to another Monday.
I hope you had a great weekend and the
big question is, what
will this week hold for
us, right?
We can start with the fact that today is
National Couples Day.
So if you are indeed a part of a couple,
it's a moment to
celebrate your ride or die, right?
Your partner in crime and yes, even your
argument co-star as some might call them.
Well, it's a low key Valentine's sequel
just six months later
and it's designed for love
in all of its modern forms.
And if love isn't your vibe today or
maybe even if it is,
it's also never give up day,
honoring the inner hero in all of us
created to remind you that
when life knocks you down,
resilience is your best rebound.
So whether you're sending heart emojis to
that someone special
or you're sending heart
emojis to yourself if that's your thing,
or maybe you're just
flexing your willpower today
and this week is yours to own.
All right, here's a bit more inspiration
for you for this week
and it comes from the late
Patrick Swayze who said,
"Don't be afraid of being different.
Be afraid of being the
same as everyone else."
Now that's your Monday
morning mantra, right?
Embrace whatever makes you stand out.
Well, today's news facts and birthdays
are for August 18th.
We're going to start back in 1920.
That's when the 19th amendment, it was
ratified when Tennessee
cast the deciding vote and
it gave women the right to vote and it
changed American history forever.
Then in 1986 on this date, John Tesh, you
know that name, made
his first national TV
appearance for entertainment tonight.
And that was long before
he became a music legend.
Then in 1991, basketball icon Larry Bird,
one of the greatest shooters the NBA has
ever seen.
Well, Larry announced his retirement,
closing the chapter on an
era of Celtic dominance.
Well, happy birthday to you.
Today is your birthday.
You share a birthday
with a few standouts.
Still gleaming the cube, Christian
Slater, he's 56 today.
Actor and director who's still gleaming
the cube himself,
Robert Redford, he turns 89
today and the late Patrick Swayze, actor
and dancer grit and grace incarnate.
He would have been 70 today.
Well, the number one song on this date
back in 1989 was right
here waiting by Richard
Marx.
Now, you know this song, this bittersweet
ballad, it soared to
the top of the billboard
Hot 100, spending three weeks at number
one and becoming a
platinum certified anthem of
long distance devotion, right?
Richard Marx originally wrote it as a
love letter to his wife and
fun fact here, he intended
for Barbara Streisand to sing it, but she
passed on it and it seemed to have worked
out pretty well for Rich.
Well, we are right here waiting for the
book review segment and
we're in part three of
Stephen R. Kobe's The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People
and we're in habit five,
right?
Seek first to
understand, then to be understood.
And this sub chapter is a powerful
principle diagnosed before you prescribe.
Okay.
Here, Kobe argues that most people leap
to solutions before
understanding the real problem.
It's like diagnosing a fever
by turning up the thermostat.
Is that helpful?
Not so much.
All right.
Kobe says, quote, you must never pretend
to understand before
you actually do, or you'll
be prescribing the wrong solutions.
End quote.
Now that resonates deeply, right?
How often do we give advice?
We offer fixes or we jump right in with
solutions with what the
other person really needs is
just to be heard, right?
This habit draws a medical parallel here.
Doctors don't prescribe medicine before
diagnosis, yet in
relationships and in family and at
work, we often do exactly that.
We say things like, here's what you
should do before the
first empathetic ear tunes in,
right?
Emphasizes true listening
as a form of service, right?
Giving respect, giving
empathy and giving space.
Kobe writes that empathic listening is
not agreement, but an
accurate understanding.
You reflect not just words, but feelings.
Quote, you deeply understand, not your
interpretation of what they
said, but their intent, their
meaning, end quote.
So this patience and
awareness nurtures trust.
And as Kobe states, people listen best
when they feel heard.
And only then can real connection occur.
So applying this, right?
The next time someone vents, especially
at work or at home,
don't just reach for advice.
Maybe just soak in their tone, their
pause, what they're not saying.
Then ask some clarifying questions like,
what's that like for you?
Or what does that feel like?
Let the diagnosis emerge naturally.
Okay, here's your takeaway.
Kobe teaches that
effectiveness starts with empathy.
Before prescribing solutions, first
listen deeply to diagnose the real need.
When people feel truly understood,
solutions become meaningful and
relationships thrive.
So as you step into this new week,
remember, understand before advising.
Love even on ordinary days and never
underestimate your own resilience.
All right.
Thanks for tuning in today.
Come back tomorrow for
more nostalgia and insights.
And as always, have a fantastic day.
Don't forget to follow and subscribe to
the Morning Serial
Podcast on the One Life Live
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You can find more episodes and videos by
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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.