1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,319 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: tip is to remember that you almost always have options. 4 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: You may feel like your life is entirely determined by 5 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: requirements and circumstances, but more often than not, you do 6 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: have choices. The question is whether you are comfortable with 7 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: the whole package of what a choice entails. Today's tip 8 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: comes from Oliver Berkman's book Meditations for Mortals. Berkman points 9 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: out that it is almost never the case that you 10 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: don't have options. You don't actually have to go to work, 11 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: you don't have to floss your teeth. It's just that 12 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: those options come with consequences, So you have to weigh 13 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,559 Speaker 1: the appeal of the whole package of the option plus 14 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: its consequences. If you don't go to work, you might 15 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: not get paid or perhaps keep the job for long. 16 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,919 Speaker 1: If you don't fluss, you might have cavities or gum trouble. 17 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: And these are options. They just might not be appealing 18 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: options once you consider the whole package. Starting from the 19 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: premise that you almost always have options, but options come 20 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: with consequences, Berkman reframes the decision. The only two questions 21 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 1: at any moment of choice in life, he says, are 22 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: what the price is and whether or not it's worth paying. Now, 23 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: I'm going to go out on a limb and say 24 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: that for most of us, we are probably wise to 25 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: choose to go to work. But you won't be surprised 26 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: to know that I have decided that I don't have 27 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: to tidy the house before bedtime, or buy on trend 28 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: clothes every season, or cook meals from scratch every night. 29 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: Whatever consequences come with those choices are ones I am 30 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: willing to accept. Berkman even refers to my work and 31 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: his meditation about how you always have choices. He quotes 32 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: me telling people that there is no eleven pm home 33 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: inspection with someone coming around to see if all the 34 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: toys are picked up. You really can relax and take 35 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: some time for yourself at night, even if your house 36 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 1: is a wreck. There are no grave consequences that come 37 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:46,639 Speaker 1: with that option. So if your schedule feels overwhelming, or 38 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 1: you think some aspect of your life is inescapable, think again. 39 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 1: You don't have to get up at four am to 40 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: pack lunches for your kids and exercise and put on 41 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: makeup and dry your hair before work. What would happen 42 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: if your kids bought school lunch and you did a 43 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: five minute beauty routine instead of a longer one, or 44 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: perhaps didn't exercise every day. You don't have to stay 45 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: in your current job because you assume you will never 46 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: find one that pays as well. You could at least 47 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: look for a new job. It is entirely possible that 48 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: you will find one that pays just as well or better. 49 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: And if you find a great job that pays less, well, 50 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: maybe a salary cut is a consequence that is worth 51 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 1: it to get a job you are excited about. So 52 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: when you hear yourself talking about what you have to 53 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: do or what you can't do, consider the option you 54 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: would prefer and return to Berkman's questions, what is the 55 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: price of doing what you want to do or not 56 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: doing what you don't want to do? And is that 57 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: price worth paying? I would love to hear what you decide. 58 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: You can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 59 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 60 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 61 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: listening to before Breakfast If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 62 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 63 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 64 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 65 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.