1 01:00:00,500 --> 01:00:03,041 Good morning and welcome 2 01:00:03,041 --> 01:00:04,708 to your morning cereal. 3 01:00:06,083 --> 01:00:07,583 (upbeat music) 4 01:00:09,000 --> 01:00:10,208 Okay, good morning 5 01:00:10,208 --> 01:00:11,750 and welcome to Thursday. 6 01:00:12,125 --> 01:00:14,708 Today is Earth's Rotation Day, 7 01:00:14,916 --> 01:00:16,125 which is a gentle reminder 8 01:00:16,125 --> 01:00:17,791 that whether you are ready 9 01:00:17,791 --> 01:00:19,500 or not, the planet is 10 01:00:19,500 --> 01:00:20,833 just gonna keep on spinning. 11 01:00:21,375 --> 01:00:23,833 Meetings, emails, and coffee included. 12 01:00:24,541 --> 01:00:26,375 But before we dig in, 13 01:00:26,375 --> 01:00:28,291 here's the answer to yesterday's trivia. 14 01:00:28,958 --> 01:00:30,083 The answer is 12. 15 01:00:30,625 --> 01:00:33,083 There are 12 zeros in a trillion, 16 01:00:33,375 --> 01:00:34,333 just like your bank account. 17 01:00:35,208 --> 01:00:36,583 Well, now the essential 18 01:00:36,583 --> 01:00:38,250 vitamins in your morning cereal. 19 01:00:38,583 --> 01:00:39,625 Today's quote is from 20 01:00:39,625 --> 01:00:41,375 the late Stephen Hawking, 21 01:00:41,916 --> 01:00:43,500 who was born on this date in 1942. 22 01:00:44,500 --> 01:00:45,458 Stephen said, quote, 23 01:00:45,625 --> 01:00:48,166 "however difficult life may seem, 24 01:00:48,166 --> 01:00:49,041 there's always something 25 01:00:49,041 --> 01:00:50,958 you can do to succeed at," 26 01:00:50,958 --> 01:00:51,416 end quote. 27 01:00:51,916 --> 01:00:54,291 Now that's a solid reminder from someone 28 01:00:54,291 --> 01:00:56,000 with some hardships of his own 29 01:00:56,000 --> 01:00:58,333 that even in the face of challenges, 30 01:00:58,458 --> 01:01:00,291 there's always potential for 31 01:01:00,291 --> 01:01:01,791 action and for achievement. 32 01:01:02,291 --> 01:01:03,750 It's focusing on resilience. 33 01:01:03,958 --> 01:01:05,250 It's focusing on hope. 34 01:01:05,250 --> 01:01:07,375 It's purpose, not limitations. 35 01:01:07,916 --> 01:01:10,166 All right, you've heard enough from me. 36 01:01:10,416 --> 01:01:11,958 So let's pour in some 37 01:01:11,958 --> 01:01:13,041 of the let them theory 38 01:01:13,208 --> 01:01:14,500 by Mel Robbins. 39 01:01:15,166 --> 01:01:16,250 And today's section 40 01:01:16,250 --> 01:01:18,625 is called The Standoff. 41 01:01:18,625 --> 01:01:20,708 And if you've ever felt stuck, frozen, 42 01:01:20,833 --> 01:01:22,583 or locked in a mental 43 01:01:22,583 --> 01:01:24,125 tug of war with yourself, 44 01:01:24,666 --> 01:01:26,500 this one is gonna hit close to home. 45 01:01:27,166 --> 01:01:28,541 Mel describes the 46 01:01:28,541 --> 01:01:30,583 standoff as that exhausting, 47 01:01:30,583 --> 01:01:32,166 internal moment where you 48 01:01:32,166 --> 01:01:33,541 know what you should do, 49 01:01:33,541 --> 01:01:35,166 but you don't do it. 50 01:01:35,791 --> 01:01:36,916 Now, just like we tell 51 01:01:36,916 --> 01:01:38,000 ourselves, you're not lazy. 52 01:01:38,208 --> 01:01:39,833 So I'm glad she says that too, 53 01:01:39,833 --> 01:01:41,208 but you're also not 54 01:01:41,208 --> 01:01:43,875 broken and you are simply stuck 55 01:01:44,000 --> 01:01:46,333 between a desire and discomfort. 56 01:01:46,875 --> 01:01:47,916 As Robbins explains, 57 01:01:48,208 --> 01:01:49,625 quote, "a standoff happens 58 01:01:50,125 --> 01:01:51,125 when your brain is 59 01:01:51,125 --> 01:01:52,833 protecting you from discomfort, 60 01:01:53,166 --> 01:01:54,375 even when that discomfort 61 01:01:54,375 --> 01:01:56,291 would lead to growth," end quote. 62 01:01:56,875 --> 01:01:58,583 Now, the problem isn't lack of 63 01:01:58,583 --> 01:02:00,791 motivation, it's resistance. 64 01:02:01,500 --> 01:02:03,375 Your brain is wired to 65 01:02:03,375 --> 01:02:04,583 keep things familiar. 66 01:02:05,000 --> 01:02:07,916 Even when familiar no longer serves you. 67 01:02:08,625 --> 01:02:10,000 Robbins reminds us that, 68 01:02:10,000 --> 01:02:11,500 quote, "your nervous system, 69 01:02:11,500 --> 01:02:13,250 it prefers what it knows 70 01:02:13,250 --> 01:02:15,583 over what will help you grow," 71 01:02:15,875 --> 01:02:16,333 end quote. 72 01:02:17,000 --> 01:02:20,041 Now, that is why change feels heavy 73 01:02:20,625 --> 01:02:21,958 before it feels rewarding. 74 01:02:22,333 --> 01:02:23,541 So in this standoff, 75 01:02:23,541 --> 01:02:25,041 people wait for confidence. 76 01:02:25,125 --> 01:02:26,791 They wait for clarity or courage to 77 01:02:26,791 --> 01:02:28,041 magically just appear. 78 01:02:28,541 --> 01:02:29,625 But Robbins is blunt 79 01:02:29,625 --> 01:02:30,875 about this saying, quote, 80 01:02:31,041 --> 01:02:33,041 "you do not resolve a standoff by 81 01:02:33,041 --> 01:02:34,583 thinking your way out of it. 82 01:02:34,791 --> 01:02:37,000 You move your way out of it," end quote. 83 01:02:37,666 --> 01:02:39,208 Action breaks the stalemate. 84 01:02:39,625 --> 01:02:41,333 Even small actions count. 85 01:02:41,833 --> 01:02:43,875 She emphasizes that the longer you wait, 86 01:02:44,250 --> 01:02:46,625 the stronger that resistance becomes. 87 01:02:47,083 --> 01:02:48,000 The brain builds a 88 01:02:48,000 --> 01:02:49,541 case against the movement, 89 01:02:49,958 --> 01:02:51,375 not because the action is bad, 90 01:02:51,500 --> 01:02:54,666 but because uncertainty feels unsafe. 91 01:02:55,458 --> 01:02:56,708 Letting people and even 92 01:02:56,708 --> 01:02:58,791 yourself feel uncomfortable 93 01:02:59,333 --> 01:03:00,208 is part of growth. 94 01:03:01,000 --> 01:03:02,583 So the breakthrough comes when you 95 01:03:02,583 --> 01:03:05,541 stop negotiating with the feeling 96 01:03:05,541 --> 01:03:07,500 and simply just move forward. 97 01:03:08,208 --> 01:03:09,750 Robbins says, quote, "the moment you stop 98 01:03:09,750 --> 01:03:11,416 arguing with how you 99 01:03:11,416 --> 01:03:14,333 feel and take one step anyway, the 100 01:03:14,333 --> 01:03:15,708 standoff is over," end quote. 101 01:03:16,041 --> 01:03:17,041 So this chapter 102 01:03:17,041 --> 01:03:20,291 reframes stuckness as biology, 103 01:03:20,583 --> 01:03:21,541 not failure. 104 01:03:22,083 --> 01:03:23,250 The solution isn't more 105 01:03:23,250 --> 01:03:25,541 self-criticism, it's momentum. 106 01:03:26,125 --> 01:03:27,750 OK, your Thursday 107 01:03:27,750 --> 01:03:30,375 takeaway is when you feel stuck, 108 01:03:30,375 --> 01:03:31,541 don't wait for motivation. 109 01:03:32,208 --> 01:03:34,208 Let movement in the standoff. 110 01:03:35,041 --> 01:03:36,291 All right, well, as we 111 01:03:36,291 --> 01:03:37,250 talked about earlier, 112 01:03:37,250 --> 01:03:38,541 the world is spinning at 113 01:03:38,541 --> 01:03:40,166 about 1,000 miles per hour 114 01:03:40,166 --> 01:03:41,250 if you're sitting on the equator. 115 01:03:41,750 --> 01:03:45,083 So whether you hesitate or not, you might 116 01:03:45,083 --> 01:03:46,333 as well move with it. 117 01:03:46,708 --> 01:03:47,875 Now, the prize from 118 01:03:47,875 --> 01:03:48,750 the bottom of the box, 119 01:03:48,875 --> 01:03:50,500 the Morning Serial Daily 120 01:03:50,500 --> 01:03:52,250 Trivia question, is now. 121 01:03:52,916 --> 01:03:55,916 What is the chemical symbol for gold? 122 01:03:56,500 --> 01:03:57,708 Now, high school chemistry is going 123 01:03:57,708 --> 01:03:58,625 to come right back to you. 124 01:03:58,625 --> 01:03:59,708 I know you're going to remember this one. 125 01:04:00,291 --> 01:04:01,833 Well, we will see you back 126 01:04:01,833 --> 01:04:03,083 here tomorrow for the answer 127 01:04:03,083 --> 01:04:05,416 to that and more sugar for the soul. 128 01:04:05,750 --> 01:04:06,458 Hey, thanks for listening 129 01:04:06,458 --> 01:04:07,583 to Morning Serial today. 130 01:04:07,583 --> 01:04:10,500 And until then, have a fantastic day. 131 01:04:34,416 --> 01:04:45,083 And we'll see you tomorrow.