WEBVTT - Sometimes it pays to be picky

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good morning.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is that sometimes it pays to be picky. When

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<v Speaker 1>you are going to indulge, wait for a treat that

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<v Speaker 1>is truly worth it. So I recently heard about a

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<v Speaker 1>person who has to minimize how much sugar she eats

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<v Speaker 1>for health reasons, which probably describes all of us. But

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<v Speaker 1>this lady doesn't deprive herself completely. Instead, she delights herself selectively.

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<v Speaker 1>Every Sunday, she makes a fabulous dessert like pecan pie

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<v Speaker 1>and has one piece, which she savors. Then she gives

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<v Speaker 1>the rest of the dessert to her neighbors. I think

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<v Speaker 1>this is brilliant. Chioma certainly gets more enjoyment from that

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<v Speaker 1>one slice of delicious pie than the person who has

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<v Speaker 1>a Snickers every day at lunch, Doritos for a snack,

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<v Speaker 1>and Oreos and ice cream for dessert. Now, don't get

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<v Speaker 1>me wrong. I like Oreos as much as the next person.

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<v Speaker 1>But a slice of homemade pecan pie is probably better.

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<v Speaker 1>And enjoying treats once a week means they always feel special.

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<v Speaker 1>We get used to most things in life. This is

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<v Speaker 1>the sad phenomenon of the hedonic treadmill, where we need

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<v Speaker 1>more and more to achieve the same joy. But there

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<v Speaker 1>is pretty good evidence that we can limit this phenomenon

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<v Speaker 1>by limiting how much we indulge in our favorite treats.

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<v Speaker 1>Eat out every night, and it quickly gets old. Go

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<v Speaker 1>to a fabulous restaurant once a month, and you will

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<v Speaker 1>still look forward to it. And, of course, when you

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<v Speaker 1>are doing something rarely, it can and should be fabulous.

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<v Speaker 1>We should be selective about indulging, so the indulgence really

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<v Speaker 1>feels worth it. This is true in lots of different

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<v Speaker 1>categories of treats. For instance, consider screens. Watching hours of

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<v Speaker 1>YouTube shorts daily does not feel particularly special. It's kind

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<v Speaker 1>of like eating Oreos with every meal. But choosing a

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<v Speaker 1>really great movie to watch on Saturday night makes screen

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<v Speaker 1>time feel special. We're only going to watch so many

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<v Speaker 1>movies in life, so be sure to choose something fabulous.

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<v Speaker 1>It pays to be picky with screen time. For most adults,

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<v Speaker 1>it is smart to be selective with clothes, too. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>little kids need new clothes all the time because they

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<v Speaker 1>grow like weeds. For adults, though, we hope not to

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<v Speaker 1>grow like weeds. Our clothes generally fit year after year.

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<v Speaker 1>If we are reasonably careful, they don't fall apart immediately either.

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<v Speaker 1>So if you had enough clothes last year, you probably

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<v Speaker 1>have enough clothes this year. And since you don't actually

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<v Speaker 1>need new clothes, you can be selective about buying more.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't buy a shirt unless you are pretty sure it's

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<v Speaker 1>going to be your favorite shirt. Don't buy a scarf

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<v Speaker 1>unless you absolutely love it. Love it so much, in fact,

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<v Speaker 1>that you are planning to wear it tomorrow. Just like

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<v Speaker 1>the one fabulous piece of homemade pie, the one perfect

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<v Speaker 1>clothing item will make you much happier than a bunch

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<v Speaker 1>of junk. We often feel pressure to consume and indulge.

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<v Speaker 1>We are presented with stuff to eat or buy or

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<v Speaker 1>watch everywhere we turn. We get a little hint of

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<v Speaker 1>dopamine every time we do. But in many cases, these

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<v Speaker 1>treats aren't that satisfying for particularly long. For stuff we

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<v Speaker 1>don't need, it pays to be selective. Only choose what

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<v Speaker 1>will truly delight you, And you may end up considerably

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<v Speaker 1>happier and healthier. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks

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<v Speaker 1>for listening. And here's to making the most of our time.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas,

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<v Speaker 1>or feedback, you can reach me Before Breakfast is a

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<v Speaker 1>production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit

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