WEBVTT - Second Cup: A 2-minute ritual that can change your day

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is about a simple morning ritual that can

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<v Speaker 1>change your entire day. I'm taking this tip from my

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<v Speaker 1>friend Neil Pasricha's new book You Are Awesome. How to

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<v Speaker 1>Navigate Change, Wrestle with failure, and live an intentional life.

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<v Speaker 1>His two minute ritual involves writing three sentences, each of

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<v Speaker 1>which involves a different aspect of a positive mindset. The

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<v Speaker 1>first sentence, he writes interestingly enough, gets its heft from

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<v Speaker 1>the power of confession. Religious listeners might be familiar with

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<v Speaker 1>this concept in its more sacramental form. You go tell

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<v Speaker 1>the priest your sins and express your contrition for them.

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<v Speaker 1>He tells you that you are forgiven. The saying is

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<v Speaker 1>that confession is good for the soul, and that's probably true.

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<v Speaker 1>Fears and anger and regrets weigh us down. Confession doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>change what has happened, and if you've hurt someone, confession

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't get you out of taking responsibility for that, but

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<v Speaker 1>mentally it gives us the freedom to move forward. Past

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<v Speaker 1>Rica notes that you don't actually have to be religious

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<v Speaker 1>to experience some of the power of mental release. So

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<v Speaker 1>he begins his mornings by writing out this sentence, I

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<v Speaker 1>will let go of fill in the blank. And this

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<v Speaker 1>is where he confesses an anxiety, a feeling like jealousy,

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<v Speaker 1>or anything else weighing him down. He vows to move

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<v Speaker 1>forward from this negativity the second sentence, I am grateful

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<v Speaker 1>for fill in the blank. Lots of studies have attempted

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<v Speaker 1>to quantify the health effects of a gratitude practice, and

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<v Speaker 1>I think some of this research is overblown, but it

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<v Speaker 1>makes intuitive sense that focusing on the good helps you

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<v Speaker 1>see more of the good. Past Richa recommends writing down

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<v Speaker 1>very specific things you're grateful for. We can always be

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<v Speaker 1>grateful for family, friends, and health. It's more effective for

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<v Speaker 1>framing purposes to notice something like the good WiFi at

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<v Speaker 1>a coffee shop, or the excellent dessert that was included

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<v Speaker 1>with your kid's meal at a restaurant and that you

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<v Speaker 1>got to consume because your kid is humorously picky. Finally,

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<v Speaker 1>this sentence, I will focus on fill in the blank.

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<v Speaker 1>He writes down three intentions for the day. What small

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<v Speaker 1>goals are most worth accomplishing in the next twenty four hours.

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<v Speaker 1>By choosing these items and keeping the list very short,

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<v Speaker 1>he massively increases the chances that they actually get done,

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<v Speaker 1>and progress is motivational. Filling in the blanks on these

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<v Speaker 1>three sentences, I will let go of, I am grateful for,

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<v Speaker 1>and I will focus on takes very little time. Two

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<v Speaker 1>minutes isn't much, but as Neil notes, were awake for

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<v Speaker 1>about a thousand minutes a day, it's humbling to think

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<v Speaker 1>that two minutes can affect the other. But if you

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<v Speaker 1>try this two minute ritual, I'm guessing that you'll start

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<v Speaker 1>the day with a different outlook too. In the meantime,

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<v Speaker 1>this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

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<v Speaker 1>hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

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<v Speaker 1>or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook

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<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the

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<v Speaker 1>number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can also

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<v Speaker 1>shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i

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<v Speaker 1>heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out

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<v Speaker 1>with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward

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<v Speaker 1>to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of

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<v Speaker 1>I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio,

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