Good morning and
welcome to Morning Cereal.
Okay, good morning
and welcome to Thursday.
We're doing it, we're getting there
tomorrow's Friday, but
let's get through this Thursday
first and hopefully you're getting your
morning going and I don't
know, maybe you're having
some coffee or some green tea and if it's
green tea, maybe you
should pair it with some
green avocado toast maybe.
I only say that because
today is National Avocado Day.
I've actually never had an avocado bread.
I don't know, that was a
craze over the last couple years.
I still have never had it, but what I do
have is some incredible
homemade guacamole nearly
every weekend and that is
all that I highly suggested.
I mean, the avocado has healthy fats,
it's got vitamins, it's got antioxidants.
All right, well, let's
change the subject here.
Here's a quote to further feed your body,
your soul and your mind, right?
Wesley Snipes, he said, "90% of what you
are stressing over
today won't even be relevant
in a year.
Breathe easy."
Now, this is refreshing and it's a great
reminder for us to keep
things in perspective.
So if that email from your boss is
causing anxiety or whatever
it is you're just stressing
out about right now, Wesley Snipes would
say, "Just take a deep
breath and remember, it
probably won't be on
your mind next summer."
Pretty true.
All right, well, today's news, facts and
birthdays are for July 31st.
And we're going to start back in 1991.
That's when the US and the USSR, they
signed the Strategic Arms
Reduction Treaty, start,
right?
At limited nuclear
weapons for both nations.
Good things.
Then on this date in 1996, George R.R.
Martin, he released the
first book, A Game of Thrones.
Now, this was the first book in his epic
fantasy series that led
to the Game of Thrones show
on HBO.
Now, I've read his whole series of books
and if you like that
show, you're going to love
the books too.
So dive into them if you can.
Still waiting on his final book though.
All right, well, happy birthday to you.
Today is your birthday.
You share a birthday with some
interesting people today, right?
Country singer Zach
Brown, he's turning 47 today.
Remember actor Dean Kane, one of the
original superman, he's 59 today.
Author and Harry Potter creator J.K.
Rowling, she's turning 60 today.
Musician and DJ Fatboy Slim, he's also
celebrating his birthday.
He's 62 today.
And lastly, actor and martial artist
Wesley Snipes, he's 63 today.
Well, the number one song on this date
back in 1999 was Genie
in a Bottle by Christina
Aguilera.
Now, this song, which is regarded as one
of Aguilera's
signature songs, it topped the
Billboard 100 for five consecutive weeks.
And it was her debut
hit at just the age of 18.
Well, apparently the song faced some
controversy back then due
to its suggestive lyrics.
However, Christina Aguilera, she
clarified that the song was about
self-respect and not
giving it to temptation until respective.
And she pretty much
backed that up over her career.
Well, let's move in to
today's book segment.
When we're working our way through
Stephen R. Kobe's The Seven
Habits of Highly Effective
People, today we're still in Habit 4.
And today we're diving into one of the
boldest philosophies of
Habit 4, which is win-win
or no deal.
And in this sub-chapter, Kobe lays out a
principle that sounds
simple, but it can radically change
relationships.
If both parties can't come away from a
deal feeling good about
it, then there's no deal.
He writes, "If we can't find a solution
that would benefit us
both, we agree to disagree
agreeably.
No deal."
End quote.
Well, the concept of win-win or no deal
is built on deep trust,
maturity, and willingness
to walk away from outcomes that don't
honor both, that don't honor both sides.
This isn't about being stubborn, okay?
It's not about being difficult.
It's about integrity and respect.
So you don't force a compromise where
someone else ends up
feeling short-changed.
Instead, you aim for mutual benefit, or
you hold off until that's possible.
So this mindset is especially important
in long-term
relationships, whether it's family,
business, or even friendships, right?
Because short-term gains that come at
someone else's expense,
they almost always lead us
to resentment, right?
Kobe reminds us that, quote, "No deal"
basically means that if we
can't find a solution that
works for both of us, we
agree to disagree agreeably.
No expectations have been created, no
performance contracts established.
End quote.
That's emotional freedom, right?
It keeps relationships clean and open,
not laced with pressure or manipulation.
But Kobe doesn't shy away from the
reality that no deal, that can be scary.
It requires confidence, especially in
high-stakes situations like negotiations
or personal relationships
where walking away feels like failure.
Yet in truth, no deal can protect a
relationship or future
collaboration when the time or the
terms are better aligned, right?
Okay, the takeaway today is powerful.
You don't have to make a deal just
because one is on the table.
If it doesn't feel right, if it's not a
genuine win-win, you're
allowed to say, "Not now."
That's not quitting.
That's strategic maturity, all right?
Whether you're in a team meeting, you're
planning a vacation with
your spouse or negotiating
bedtime with a
toddler, good luck with that.
Remember that win-win or no deal isn't
about winning at all costs.
It's about valuing the relationship just
as much as the result.
And well, that's a wrap for today's
episode of Morning Serial.
And I always like to remind us every now
and again of what Dory says, right?
She said, "Just keep swimming.
Sometimes that's all we can do."
Hey, thanks for
starting your day with us.
Come back tomorrow for more trivia,
tunes, and tiny steps towards greatness.
And as always, have a fantastic day.
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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.