1
00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720
Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

2
00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:15,440
Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

3
00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,800
Speaker 1: Today's tip is that you don't have to do everything

4
00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:25,239
Speaker 1: that anybody else does. You can admire what they do

5
00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:33,319
Speaker 1: without aspiring to it yourself. Humans are social creatures, so

6
00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:35,800
Speaker 1: we take our cues about what we should be doing

7
00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,800
Speaker 1: from what we see around us, and when something is

8
00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,440
Speaker 1: done very well, it is easy to feel that we

9
00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:48,360
Speaker 1: are just not measuring up. Your neighbors work in their

10
00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,920
Speaker 1: yard every Saturday and plant seasonal color in their flower

11
00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:56,320
Speaker 1: beds with astonishing frequency, so that something is blooming in

12
00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,840
Speaker 1: their yard nine months of the year. Meanwhile, you are

13
00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,880
Speaker 1: doing your best to keep your yard mood and raked.

14
00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,440
Speaker 1: Your colleague does aerobic exercise five nights a week, plus

15
00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,120
Speaker 1: regular strength training in yoga, and oh, by the way,

16
00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,119
Speaker 1: she volunteers for a youth running program twice a week,

17
00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,160
Speaker 1: which makes you feel less proud of walking once a

18
00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:22,360
Speaker 1: week and going to yoga every now and then. Your

19
00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,080
Speaker 1: friend from book club cooks an amazing spread every time

20
00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,120
Speaker 1: it is her turn to host, so you are a

21
00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:33,160
Speaker 1: little sheepish about ordering pizza when it is your turn.

22
00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,120
Speaker 1: You know the people I am talking about you look

23
00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,640
Speaker 1: at them and are wowed by what they are doing

24
00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,280
Speaker 1: and keenly aware of what you are not doing, at

25
00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,920
Speaker 1: least not to the same degree. But here's the thing.

26
00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,400
Speaker 1: It is quite possible to admire something without thinking you

27
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,400
Speaker 1: should do it. We are well aware of that in

28
00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,680
Speaker 1: certain professional realms. I don't watch an NBA game and

29
00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,960
Speaker 1: feel bad about myself because my jump shot doesn't look

30
00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,120
Speaker 1: like that. I don't walk into an art museum study

31
00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,720
Speaker 1: a haunting Andrew Wyath painting and feel sad because I

32
00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,880
Speaker 1: can't paint like that. I know these are amazing examples

33
00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,240
Speaker 1: that I can be in awe of. I am not

34
00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,440
Speaker 1: supposed to be doing anything like that. I am supposed

35
00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:28,080
Speaker 1: to be impressed and inspired that such greatness exists. Of course,

36
00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:30,080
Speaker 1: it makes sense that it is a little harder to

37
00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:32,320
Speaker 1: get our heads around this idea with people who are

38
00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:38,280
Speaker 1: closer to home. Your neighbors are literally your neighbors. Your

39
00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:43,440
Speaker 1: colleague probably has similar workplace demands and skills, your friend

40
00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,480
Speaker 1: has a similar life, and so these people's talents and

41
00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,840
Speaker 1: skills may feel a little more like they should be

42
00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:55,239
Speaker 1: points of reference. But we can transfer the same mindset

43
00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,639
Speaker 1: when people put tons of time and effort into something

44
00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,320
Speaker 1: they can do well at it. But we all have

45
00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,760
Speaker 1: to make choices about what to put our time and

46
00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,480
Speaker 1: effort into. We tend to choose things that we truly

47
00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:12,640
Speaker 1: enjoy or that we find meaningful. These are different things

48
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:17,560
Speaker 1: for everyone. If your neighbors, colleagues, and friends inspire you

49
00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,240
Speaker 1: to take your creativity up a natural, great, But you

50
00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:24,240
Speaker 1: can also remind yourself that just because some one else

51
00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,560
Speaker 1: does something doesn't mean you need to. We all have

52
00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:33,680
Speaker 1: our reasons, We all have our seasons. Your neighbors are

53
00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:37,840
Speaker 1: retired empty nesters. The time they have for their yard

54
00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,960
Speaker 1: as time you are spending helping with homework and managing

55
00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:44,800
Speaker 1: your work team. Your friend who cooks gourmet meals for

56
00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,560
Speaker 1: book club may truly enjoy cooking as her favorite hobby.

57
00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,360
Speaker 1: The time you spend reading books beyond the book club

58
00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:56,960
Speaker 1: fair and exercising is the time she spends behind the stove.

59
00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:03,160
Speaker 1: Maybe you've read Ulysses and she hasn't. It is all time,

60
00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:10,400
Speaker 1: and time goes somewhere. People's lives have different shapes, jobs

61
00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:15,800
Speaker 1: of varying intensities, parenting or caregiving responsibilities, more or less

62
00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:19,479
Speaker 1: help at home, hobbies, and volunteer commitments that ask more

63
00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:24,040
Speaker 1: or less of people's time, health challenges, or long commutes

64
00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,680
Speaker 1: that shape how much time is available for pursuits beyond

65
00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:33,039
Speaker 1: the necessities. Nobody does it all. You are seeing one

66
00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:37,320
Speaker 1: aspect of people's lives. You are probably not seeing all

67
00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:41,839
Speaker 1: of it, and they aren't seeing all of your life either.

68
00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,200
Speaker 1: So you are under no obligation to do everything that

69
00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,279
Speaker 1: anyone else does. You have full license to admire what

70
00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,560
Speaker 1: others do without aspiring to do it yourself. Probably you

71
00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,880
Speaker 1: are doing something that others admire if you think about it.

72
00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,960
Speaker 1: In deed, try thinking about it. You probably have your

73
00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,279
Speaker 1: greatest hits too. And if you have something that you

74
00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:11,480
Speaker 1: are reasonably proud of, you might try letting any aspirational

75
00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,120
Speaker 1: feelings you find yourself indulging allow you to try to

76
00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:19,560
Speaker 1: take that up a notch. We can challenge ourselves, and

77
00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,520
Speaker 1: when we do put time and effort into things, we

78
00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:26,120
Speaker 1: often get pretty good results. It's just a matter of

79
00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:33,000
Speaker 1: choosing what we find worthwhile. In the meantime. This is Laura.

80
00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:38,200
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of

81
00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:47,680
Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

82
00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,599
Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.

83
00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,920
Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at

84
00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:59,800
Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod. That's b E the number four, then

85
00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,240
Speaker 1: Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an

86
00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:07,599
Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that

87
00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,960
Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks

88
00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:18,880
Speaker 1: so much, I look forward to staying in touch. Before

89
00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,960
Speaker 1: Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For more

90
00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:25,479
Speaker 1: podcasts from i heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app,

91
00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,960
Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.