1 01:00:01,250 --> 01:00:02,000 Good morning. 2 01:00:03,958 --> 01:00:06,041 And welcome to morning cereal 3 01:00:11,875 --> 01:00:13,791 Okay, good morning and welcome to 4 01:00:13,791 --> 01:00:15,000 Wednesday, the middle 5 01:00:15,000 --> 01:00:16,333 child of the work week. 6 01:00:16,958 --> 01:00:19,125 Well, today is the great American 7 01:00:19,125 --> 01:00:20,291 grump-out, which means 8 01:00:20,291 --> 01:00:22,000 you're officially encouraged 9 01:00:22,125 --> 01:00:22,875 to put down the 10 01:00:22,875 --> 01:00:24,500 grumbling and pick up a smile. 11 01:00:25,250 --> 01:00:27,416 Or at least maybe a sarcastic smirk. 12 01:00:28,083 --> 01:00:30,916 And it's also National Skilled Trades 13 01:00:30,916 --> 01:00:32,750 Day, so shout out to the 14 01:00:32,750 --> 01:00:33,833 folks who actually know 15 01:00:33,833 --> 01:00:34,583 how to fix things 16 01:00:34,583 --> 01:00:35,958 instead of just googling it. 17 01:00:36,416 --> 01:00:37,791 And don't forget, it's 18 01:00:37,791 --> 01:00:39,333 also school nurse day. 19 01:00:40,000 --> 01:00:42,333 To the heroes armed with band-aids, ice 20 01:00:42,333 --> 01:00:44,083 packs, and infinite 21 01:00:44,083 --> 01:00:45,750 patient for the quote, "My 22 01:00:45,916 --> 01:00:47,541 stomach hurts before math class" 23 01:00:48,166 --> 01:00:50,541 complaints, we see you and we thank you. 24 01:00:51,041 --> 01:00:53,083 So take a deep breath, shake off that 25 01:00:53,083 --> 01:00:54,291 grump, but not 26 01:00:54,291 --> 01:00:56,625 entirely, because today's quote 27 01:00:56,708 --> 01:00:59,166 comes from someone who is absolutely 28 01:00:59,166 --> 01:01:01,458 known for his cynicalness 29 01:01:01,458 --> 01:01:03,333 and his grouchy personality. 30 01:01:04,375 --> 01:01:07,583 Surprisingly, he also provided some great 31 01:01:07,583 --> 01:01:10,500 insights, even some inspirational quotes. 32 01:01:11,166 --> 01:01:13,416 Our quote today comes from Sesame Street 33 01:01:13,416 --> 01:01:15,041 resident, Oscar the 34 01:01:15,041 --> 01:01:17,333 Grouch, who said, "Be yourself. 35 01:01:17,958 --> 01:01:19,541 Everyone else is already taken." 36 01:01:20,625 --> 01:01:22,375 I bet you didn't see that one coming. 37 01:01:23,291 --> 01:01:25,083 Well, today's news, facts, and birthdays 38 01:01:25,083 --> 01:01:27,291 are for May 7th, and we're going to start 39 01:01:27,291 --> 01:01:32,041 back in 1867, when on this day, Swedish 40 01:01:32,041 --> 01:01:33,750 chemist, Alfred Nobel. 41 01:01:34,333 --> 01:01:37,125 He patented dynamite in England, and it 42 01:01:37,125 --> 01:01:38,375 was the first of his 43 01:01:38,375 --> 01:01:39,666 three patents that he would 44 01:01:39,666 --> 01:01:41,416 receive for the explosive material. 45 01:01:42,125 --> 01:01:43,083 Now, you feel like you 46 01:01:43,083 --> 01:01:43,958 should know his name? 47 01:01:44,375 --> 01:01:45,125 Well, you do. 48 01:01:45,750 --> 01:01:46,416 Alfred Nobel. 49 01:01:46,916 --> 01:01:49,500 He established the Nobel Prize in his 50 01:01:49,500 --> 01:01:50,916 will, stating that the 51 01:01:50,916 --> 01:01:52,500 majority of his fortune should 52 01:01:52,500 --> 01:01:55,125 be used to reward individuals who made 53 01:01:55,125 --> 01:01:57,208 significant contributions to humanity. 54 01:01:57,916 --> 01:02:00,000 The Nobel Prize was first awarded in 55 01:02:00,000 --> 01:02:03,375 1901, following Nobel's death in 1896. 56 01:02:04,333 --> 01:02:04,833 The more you know. 57 01:02:05,541 --> 01:02:08,458 Then we're going to move up to 1946, when 58 01:02:08,458 --> 01:02:09,250 on this date, the 59 01:02:09,250 --> 01:02:10,958 company Sony was founded. 60 01:02:11,416 --> 01:02:13,458 And thank goodness, we may never have had 61 01:02:13,458 --> 01:02:15,625 those Sony Walkmans without this company. 62 01:02:16,750 --> 01:02:19,625 Then lastly, in 2017, on this date, 63 01:02:20,166 --> 01:02:22,250 Emmanuel Macron, he won France's 64 01:02:22,250 --> 01:02:22,875 presidential election, 65 01:02:23,541 --> 01:02:25,541 and oddly enough, he was inaugurated for 66 01:02:25,541 --> 01:02:28,083 a second term on this same date in 2022. 67 01:02:29,416 --> 01:02:30,583 Well, happy birthday to you 68 01:02:30,583 --> 01:02:31,791 if today is your birthday. 69 01:02:31,875 --> 01:02:34,500 You share a birthday with YouTuber and 70 01:02:34,500 --> 01:02:35,458 someone you probably 71 01:02:35,458 --> 01:02:37,333 only know if you're under 20 72 01:02:37,333 --> 01:02:38,375 years old or you have 73 01:02:38,375 --> 01:02:39,833 kids under 20 years old. 74 01:02:40,583 --> 01:02:41,083 Mr. Beast. 75 01:02:41,500 --> 01:02:42,958 He's 27 today. 76 01:02:44,000 --> 01:02:46,041 And the number one song on this date back 77 01:02:46,041 --> 01:02:50,583 in 1986 was "Addicted to Love" by Robert 78 01:02:50,625 --> 01:02:50,958 Palmer. 79 01:02:51,666 --> 01:02:52,875 Now, "Addicted to Love" 80 01:02:52,875 --> 01:02:54,625 wasn't just a smash hit. 81 01:02:54,625 --> 01:02:57,583 It became a full-blown Gen X anthem with 82 01:02:57,583 --> 01:02:58,833 one of the most iconic 83 01:02:58,833 --> 01:03:00,458 music videos of the decade. 84 01:03:01,166 --> 01:03:02,958 Now the track was originally intended to 85 01:03:02,958 --> 01:03:04,416 be a duet with Shaka Khan. 86 01:03:05,250 --> 01:03:07,250 However, due to scheduling difficulties, 87 01:03:07,750 --> 01:03:08,916 Robert Palmer ended up 88 01:03:08,916 --> 01:03:10,500 singing the song by himself. 89 01:03:11,083 --> 01:03:12,958 And maybe that was for the best, because 90 01:03:12,958 --> 01:03:14,833 his deadpan delivery 91 01:03:14,833 --> 01:03:16,333 paired perfectly with that 92 01:03:16,333 --> 01:03:19,000 now famous army of identically dressed, 93 01:03:19,541 --> 01:03:21,583 expressionless female models playing 94 01:03:21,583 --> 01:03:22,541 instruments in the video? 95 01:03:23,125 --> 01:03:24,583 Well, that video became a 96 01:03:24,583 --> 01:03:26,666 symbol of the 80s cool, right? 97 01:03:27,250 --> 01:03:29,041 Airplay royalty on MTV. 98 01:03:29,333 --> 01:03:31,750 Plus, let's be honest, Gen Xers didn't 99 01:03:31,750 --> 01:03:33,666 just love to dance to "Addicted to Love." 100 01:03:33,666 --> 01:03:35,583 They probably played air guitar in front 101 01:03:35,583 --> 01:03:36,541 of their bedroom mirrors, 102 01:03:36,833 --> 01:03:38,333 well, in their acid wash jeans. 103 01:03:39,291 --> 01:03:41,125 Well, whether you're addicted to love or 104 01:03:41,125 --> 01:03:42,041 you're addicted to a 105 01:03:42,041 --> 01:03:43,291 little bit of self-improvement, 106 01:03:43,291 --> 01:03:44,791 you're in the right place because we're 107 01:03:44,791 --> 01:03:46,041 reading through Stephen R. 108 01:03:46,041 --> 01:03:47,458 Covey's "The Seven Habits 109 01:03:47,458 --> 01:03:48,791 of Highly Effective People." 110 01:03:49,458 --> 01:03:50,416 And we're in Covey's 111 01:03:50,416 --> 01:03:51,708 second chapter today. 112 01:03:52,083 --> 01:03:54,166 We're diving into a powerful section. 113 01:03:54,833 --> 01:03:56,791 It's from part two, chapter one, and 114 01:03:56,791 --> 01:03:57,833 we're focusing on two 115 01:03:57,833 --> 01:03:59,791 sub-chapters, the social mirror 116 01:03:59,791 --> 01:04:02,208 and between stimulus and response. 117 01:04:02,875 --> 01:04:04,708 Now, these sections really lay the 118 01:04:04,708 --> 01:04:06,083 foundation for the first 119 01:04:06,083 --> 01:04:07,791 habit, which is be proactive. 120 01:04:08,583 --> 01:04:10,583 And Covey kicks things off by talking 121 01:04:10,583 --> 01:04:12,041 about how most of us 122 01:04:12,041 --> 01:04:13,250 see ourselves through what 123 01:04:13,250 --> 01:04:15,083 he calls the social mirror. 124 01:04:15,625 --> 01:04:17,083 Basically, we believe what the world 125 01:04:17,083 --> 01:04:18,916 tells us about who we are. 126 01:04:19,416 --> 01:04:20,833 If people say we're bad at 127 01:04:20,833 --> 01:04:22,375 something, we take it as truth. 128 01:04:23,125 --> 01:04:25,666 If society defines success in a certain 129 01:04:25,666 --> 01:04:28,416 way, we feel pressured to chase it. 130 01:04:28,875 --> 01:04:31,250 Covey puts it like this, "We see the 131 01:04:31,250 --> 01:04:33,125 world not as it is, but 132 01:04:33,125 --> 01:04:35,666 as we are, or as we are 133 01:04:35,666 --> 01:04:37,000 conditioned to see it." 134 01:04:38,041 --> 01:04:39,291 Now that's a wake-up call. 135 01:04:39,583 --> 01:04:41,958 If we don't recognize how much of our 136 01:04:41,958 --> 01:04:43,875 identity is shaped by 137 01:04:43,875 --> 01:04:46,625 outside voices, we risk living 138 01:04:46,625 --> 01:04:49,291 someone else's version of our life. 139 01:04:50,625 --> 01:04:52,541 Then he drops this beautiful truth bomb. 140 01:04:53,375 --> 01:04:55,583 Between stimulus and response, man has 141 01:04:55,583 --> 01:04:57,000 the freedom to choose. 142 01:04:57,958 --> 01:05:00,333 Covey tells the story of Victor Frankl, a 143 01:05:00,333 --> 01:05:01,291 psychiatrist and 144 01:05:01,291 --> 01:05:03,541 Holocaust survivor who discovered 145 01:05:03,541 --> 01:05:04,916 that even in the most horrific 146 01:05:04,916 --> 01:05:06,583 conditions, no one could 147 01:05:06,583 --> 01:05:08,166 take away his power to choose 148 01:05:08,166 --> 01:05:09,125 his attitude. 149 01:05:10,000 --> 01:05:13,041 That space between what happens to us and 150 01:05:13,041 --> 01:05:15,125 how we respond, that's 151 01:05:15,125 --> 01:05:16,583 where our power lives. 152 01:05:17,333 --> 01:05:19,500 Covey says this space is where our 153 01:05:19,500 --> 01:05:21,666 uniquely human gifts come in, 154 01:05:22,000 --> 01:05:23,666 self-awareness, imagination, 155 01:05:24,333 --> 01:05:25,791 conscience and independent will. 156 01:05:26,458 --> 01:05:29,750 When we use those gifts, we stop reacting 157 01:05:29,750 --> 01:05:32,541 out of habit or fear of what someone else 158 01:05:32,708 --> 01:05:33,083 expects. 159 01:05:33,541 --> 01:05:35,750 Then we start acting on values. 160 01:05:36,041 --> 01:05:38,375 He says, "We are not our feelings. 161 01:05:38,375 --> 01:05:40,041 We are not our moods. 162 01:05:40,041 --> 01:05:41,750 We are not even our thoughts." 163 01:05:43,291 --> 01:05:44,666 That line stops me every time. 164 01:05:45,041 --> 01:05:45,291 Why? 165 01:05:46,083 --> 01:05:46,625 Because of the takeaway. 166 01:05:47,375 --> 01:05:50,083 You're not defined by your past, your 167 01:05:50,083 --> 01:05:51,666 mistakes, your upbringing, 168 01:05:52,083 --> 01:05:53,416 or what someone else says 169 01:05:53,416 --> 01:05:54,083 about you. 170 01:05:54,500 --> 01:05:55,875 You are defined by what 171 01:05:55,875 --> 01:05:57,375 you choose to do next. 172 01:05:58,458 --> 01:06:00,083 That's why this whole chapter sets the 173 01:06:00,083 --> 01:06:01,333 stage for habit one. 174 01:06:01,958 --> 01:06:02,791 Be proactive. 175 01:06:03,500 --> 01:06:05,083 It's about owning your choices, breaking 176 01:06:05,083 --> 01:06:05,750 free from old 177 01:06:05,750 --> 01:06:07,541 patterns and deciding day by 178 01:06:07,541 --> 01:06:10,125 day the kind of person you want to be. 179 01:06:10,916 --> 01:06:12,250 Hey, thanks for joining us today. 180 01:06:12,583 --> 01:06:14,125 Remember, don't be a grouch today. 181 01:06:14,708 --> 01:06:15,833 Even Oscar the Grouch had 182 01:06:15,833 --> 01:06:17,083 days where he could be positive. 183 01:06:17,833 --> 01:06:19,208 Alright, we'll see you back here tomorrow 184 01:06:19,208 --> 01:06:21,583 and have a fantastic day. 185 01:06:24,375 --> 01:06:26,125 Don't forget to follow and subscribe to 186 01:06:26,125 --> 01:06:26,750 the Morning Serial 187 01:06:26,750 --> 01:06:28,375 podcast on the One Life 188 01:06:28,541 --> 01:06:29,375 Live It channel. 189 01:06:29,916 --> 01:06:31,833 You can find more episodes and videos by 190 01:06:31,833 --> 01:06:33,500 visiting our YouTube channel and the 191 01:06:33,500 --> 01:06:35,125 website at seaningless 192 01:06:35,458 --> 01:06:37,625 and at seaningless.com, where you can 193 01:06:37,625 --> 01:06:38,958 also follow our other 194 01:06:38,958 --> 01:06:40,500 podcast, the Mr. and Mrs. 195 01:06:40,500 --> 01:06:41,666 Inglis podcast and the 196 01:06:41,666 --> 01:06:42,666 Life Happens podcast. 197 01:06:43,500 --> 01:06:45,166 In these other podcasts, we'll dive 198 01:06:45,166 --> 01:06:46,541 deeper into everyday issues, 199 01:06:46,833 --> 01:06:47,583 self-improvement and 200 01:06:47,583 --> 01:06:50,083 well-being, business and finance, and we 201 01:06:50,083 --> 01:06:51,333 welcome special guests too. 202 01:06:51,833 --> 01:06:52,583 So join us. 203 01:06:52,583 --> 01:06:53,916 It'll be a good time, I promise. 204 01:06:54,625 --> 01:06:55,500 Thanks again for listening. 205 01:06:55,708 --> 01:06:57,250 Have a fantastic day and 206 01:06:57,250 --> 01:06:57,875 we'll see you tomorrow.