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 2, Habit 2, 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 2, Habit 2 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.

Alright good morning

and welcome to Wednesday.

Well if you're feeling like the week is

already three days too

long, don't worry, there's

only two days left until

Friday and we always have hope.

Actually, today is audacity to hope day.

So go ahead and dream

bigger than just your to-do list.

I also hope you like cheese today, not

because my dad jokes are

the cheesiest, but because

today is also National Cheese Day.

Yet it's not clear if that is referring

to dad jokes or just

good old mac and cheese

variety cheese.

Alright lastly it's shopping cart day, so

just be sure to pick the

one without the squeaky

problem wheel.

And if you're shopping for some boldness

this morning, our

quote may have just what

you ordered.

Angelina Jolie said quote, "Make bold

choices and make mistakes.

It's all those things that add

up to the person you become."

End quote.

Now this quote is a reminder that growth

and authenticity often

comes from stepping outside

your comfort zone, even if it means

making a few mistakes along the way.

Well today's news facts and

birthdays are for June 4th.

We're going to start

back all the way in 1783.

That's when the Montgolfier brothers,

they publicly

demonstrated their hot air balloon

for the first time, marking a significant

milestone in aviation history.

Then skipping up to 1919, that's when the

US Congress approved the 19th Amendment.

You know what that one was?

It's an important one.

It was the amendment that

granted women the right to vote.

Then in the great year of 1977, on this

date, JVC introduced the

nostalgic relic, the VHS

videotape at the Consumer Electronics

Show, and that

revolutionized home entertainment,

and it also ushered in

Friday nights at Blockbuster.

Then in 1984 on this date, Bruce

Springsteen released his

iconic album, Born in the USA,

which became a

defining work of his career.

And then lastly, in 2003, everyone's

favorite grandma that's

done hard time, Martha Stewart,

this was the date she was indicted on

charges related to insider trading.

Well, happy birthday to you

if today is your birthday.

You share a birthday with British

comedian and actor known for his

irreverent humor and

his sharp wit, Russell Brand.

He's 50 today.

Then Angelina Jolie, you know her,

actress, filmmaker,

humanitarian icon, also provided

our quote today, "Angelina's 50 today."

I'll be sure he's an R&B

singer and record producer.

You might remember him

gaining fame in the late 1980s.

Well, he's 57 today.

You know this name Scott Wolf.

He's an actor best known for his role in

the television series, Party of Five.

Well Scott's 57 today.

And lastly, an actor recognized for his

performances in ER and

the Librarian, Noah Wiley.

He's 54 today.

Well, the number one song on this date

back in 1985 was

Everything She Wants by Wham.

Now, you might not know this song by the

name, but you know the song.

And you can hear it on the morning serial

highlights on

Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

Great song that was actually released as

a double A-side

release along with one of my

favorite Christmas songs, Last

Christmas by Wham, obviously.

Well, with this number one song, Wham

became the first group

since the Bee Gees to have

three number one

singles from the same album.

They were Wake Me Up Before You Go Go and

Careless Whisper from

their album Make It Big.

Now, it's been a while since I said

quintessential, so I'm

going to go ahead and say it.

These are quintessential 80s hits.

Now, let's go ahead and jump into some

essential self-improvement

in our book review segment.

Right now, we're in the sub-chapter

Identifying Your Sinner of

the Seven Habits of Highly

Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, in

which Covey is urging

us to take a hard look at

the core of our lives,

what he calls our center.

He writes, "Looking closely at our life

support factors is perhaps

one of the most important

investments you'll ever make."

This idea asks us to pause and reflect

what is truly driving us every day.

Now, Covey explains that many of us have

centers that shape our

decisions, reactions, and even

our sense of identity.

These centers might not be obvious, but

they quietly direct how we

approach life's challenges.

And he breaks them down with simple

examples to help us see them in action.

So if you're a spouse-centered person,

you might find that your

happiness and self-worth

depends entirely on your partner's mood

or their validation of you.

If you're a work-centered person, your

sense of success might

fluctuate with your job

title or your paycheck, which might leave

you anxious during uncertain times.

Or another one, if you're a

friend-centered person, you

may feel lost or even betrayed

when friendships change or fade, leading

to confusion about who

you are without those

social ties.

Or how about this one?

If you're an enemy-centered person,

you're likely driven by

resentment or the need to

win in conflicts, letting competition and

grudges shape your path.

So Covey's point is not to shame us for

these centers, okay, but

to highlight how reactive

they can make us.

These alternative centers often shift

with external

circumstances, making it hard to

stay balanced or find real satisfaction.

And Covey contrasts this with the

principle-centered life that we've been

talking about, and that

principle-centered life is built on

timeless values like

honesty, fairness, and respect.

Now, when we center ourselves on these

principles, Covey says we

gain security that doesn't depend

on the moods of others.

It's guidance that comes from within.

It's wisdom that sees beyond the moment.

And it's a power that's

proactive rather than reactive.

Now Covey's call to action in this

chapter is simple, but

it's an important one.

He says, "Identify your current center

and ask whether it's

giving you the stability

and the clarity that you need.

Are you living in reaction to someone

else's expectations, or

are you guided by principles

that you've chosen?"

Okay, here's your takeaway.

By looking closely at your life support

factors, as Covey puts it,

you're not just naming your

center.

You're taking the first step in

redesigning it, and that shift from

reactive to principle-centered

living is what truly unlocks your

effectiveness and peace of mind.

Hey, thanks so much for

joining us today on Morning Serial.

And as we wrap up today's episode,

remember to embrace the

audacity to hope and savor

some cheese if that's your thing.

We'll be back here tomorrow with more

insights and more stories

to start your day off with.

Hey, 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 seaningless

and at seaningless.com, where you can

also follow our other

podcast, the Mr. and Mrs.

Inglis 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'll be a good time, I promise.

Thanks again for listening.

Have a fantastic day and

we'll see you tomorrow.