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 7, 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 7 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 Cereal.

Okay, good morning

and welcome to Tuesday.

And just like this week, we need to jump

right into today because

today has a trio of celebrations

to jump into.

Now we're going to start off and keep it

super classy from the get-go here.

It's International Box Wine Day.

And it's also International Sudoku Day.

So it's time that you level

up past that beginner's level.

Challenge yourself.

It's just numbers.

And then lastly and thirdly,

expect the unexpected today.

Why?

Because it's finally

national when pigs fly day.

You never know what could happen on a

random Tuesday when pigs fly.

So who knows?

Well someone who may know about pigs

flying, but I know he

knows how to get golf balls

to fly and that's not a good transition.

Apologies.

But nevertheless, Adam Sandler said, "I

wasn't a kid growing up

saying, one day I'll get

an Oscar and make a speech.

That wasn't on my mind.

So what I do is the best work I can do."

And I like it.

Focus on what you can do today.

The best you can be today.

Tomorrow will then take care of itself.

Now today's news facts and

birthdays are for September 9th.

We're going to start back in 1776.

The date probably sounds familiar to

those of you here in the

US, but you may not have

known this.

The US Congress officially renamed the

country as the United

States of America on this date

in 1776, changing it

from the United Colonies.

Then in 1956, that's when Elvis Presley's

first appearance on the

Ed Sullivan Show happened.

And if you don't necessarily remember

those, how about this one?

On this date in 1989, the hit TV show

American Gladiators premiered.

Now how badly did you want to shoot

someone with one of

those tennis ball cannons?

I know you did.

Well, happy birthday to you.

Today is your birthday.

You share a birthday with

soccer star, Luka Modric.

He's 40 today.

Welcome to your 40s.

Actor with range and

grace, Michelle Williams.

She's 44 today.

Bruner with a timeless

voice and he tries to be funny.

Okay.

He makes me laugh.

Michael Bublé.

He's 50 today.

Enjoy your 50s.

And the comedian with a big heart behind

all those laughs, Adam Sandler.

He's 59 today.

And we're not stopping there.

There's still more birthdays for today.

Positively British actor Hugh Grant.

He's 65 today.

And lastly, winner,

winner, chicken dinner.

The late Colonel Sanders

was born on this date in 1890.

And now the number one song on this date

back in 1989 was Cold

Hearted by Paula Abdul.

Now at this time, Paula was in her

choreography groove with her

third number one chart topper.

And Cold Hearted was a fierce anthem of

calling out emotional

distance and the accompanying

music video.

Well, it's cemented Paula as a dance

floor icon, but maybe,

maybe it was remembered more

for the scaffolding dance routines.

Do you remember those?

Well, let's transition now to make sure

that no one calls you a

cold hearted snake by diving

into the long awaited seventh and final

habit in Stephen R.

Covey's The Seven Habits of

Highly Effective People.

And today we begin the seventh habit

entitled Sharpen the Saw.

And in this opening intro to habit seven,

Covey first quotes

Bruce Barton, who said,

"Sometimes when I consider what

tremendous consequences

come from little things, I am

tempted to think there

are no little things."

So in this intro, Covey emphasizes

renewal as the fuel that

sustains effectiveness.

Covey says, "Sharpening the saw means

preserving and enhancing

the greatest asset you have."

You end quote.

Now this means intentional investment in

mind, body, heart and

soul, prevention, not burnout.

Covey introduces the four dimensions.

First one, physical, caring for your body

with exercise, with rest and nutrition.

Number two, mental, engaging your mind

through learning and

reading and reflection.

Number three, emotional or social, right?

This is building deeper connections,

serving, empathizing.

And then lastly is spiritual, aligning

with your core values

through meditation, inspiration,

or purpose-driven acts.

Now Covey uses the

metaphor of a lumberjack.

A dull saw requires more

effort and it yields less.

Quote, "Only one thing

works, keep the saw sharp."

End quote.

Renewal might feel indulgent in a busy

world, but it's exactly

what sustains effectiveness.

Covey also cautions imbalance, right?

Ignoring one dimension leaves gaps.

For instance, physical health matters

little if your spirit is empty.

First renewal, daily, weekly, monthly, it

boosts resilience,

creativity, and satisfaction.

Covey says, quote, "Without renewal, the

body becomes tired, the

mind mechanical, the emotions

unengaged and the spirit insensitive."

End quote.

Conversely, he notes,

renewal creates synergy.

You don't live longer, you live stronger.

Okay, here is your takeaway.

Intentional renewal across body, mind,

heart and spirit, it isn't extra.

It's essential.

Sharpen the saw and everything you do

becomes sharper too.

So today, pick up the biggest box of wine

you can find and look through the sky for

flying pigs or maybe a flying elephant.

That's a song

reference from the Dumbo movie.

I don't know, the best quotes and jokes

are the ones that you have to explain.

All right, well, thanks for sharing your

morning energy with us.

We'll see you tomorrow with new thoughts

and cereal-fueled smiles.

Hey, 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 Shawningless

and at Shawningless.com, where you can

also follow our other

podcast, the Mr. and Mrs.

English podcast and

the Life Happens podcast.

In these other podcasts, we'll dive

deeper into everyday issues,

self-improvement and

well-being, business and finance, and we

welcome special guests too.

So join us.

It will be a good time.

Thanks again for listening.

Have a fantastic day and

we'll see you tomorrow.