1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to think ahead of time about conversations 4 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: you are likely to have and consider what you might 5 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: like to say. We can often anticipate the questions people 6 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 1: might ask. Having a good story or answer in advance 7 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: can make you feel more relaxed in the moment and 8 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: can help you enjoy any event more. If you think 9 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: about it, you realize that at any gathering, the opening 10 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: questions will be relatively predictable. If you are headed to 11 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: a class reunion, you know your classmates will ask what 12 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: you're up to these days. The other parents set back 13 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: to school night, we'll ask how school is going for 14 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: your child. Most likely the icebreaker at a meeting right 15 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: around Thanksgiving, we'll have something to do with what you 16 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: are grateful for. If you are going to a colleague's 17 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: going away party, you will be asked for stories about 18 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: your time together. If you are going to a wedding, 19 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 1: you will be asked how you know the bride or 20 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:29,759 Speaker 1: groom or their families. These questions don't really require a 21 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: huge leap of imagination to picture, and yet many of 22 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: us stumble when we are asked these questions, Um, what 23 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: am I up to these days? I don't know school 24 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: is good this year? Or hmm stories about Joan That 25 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: awkwardness can be avoided by giving a moment's thought to 26 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: how you might respond to the questions you know you 27 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,559 Speaker 1: are going to be asked. You don't need a whole 28 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: l of leader speech, but picking some detail that you 29 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: will be happy to talk about can go a long 30 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: way toward making the whole experience more fruitful. So if 31 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: you are on your way to a reunion, you might 32 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: decide that whenever somebody asks you will mention that you 33 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: started a side gig as a professional organizer after your 34 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: last kid left for college. Or if you are in 35 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: the stage of life where you are still doing back 36 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: to school nights, maybe you can answer how much your 37 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: son is enjoying playing trumpet in band. You can pick 38 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: one socially acceptable thing to tell your colleagues you are 39 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: grateful for, like seeing their smiling faces in the break 40 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: room again after a long time of social distancing. If 41 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: you will be interacting with someone who may be slower 42 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: to engage, it can be especially valuable to consider how 43 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: you could spark conversation. For instance, if you are visiting 44 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: a quiet elderly relative, think about family stories or photos 45 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: you'd like to share, or topics you'd like to ask 46 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: your relative about. Of course, there are lots of social 47 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: context when you can't predict the conversation. Who knows what 48 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: topics will come up at the cocktail party or a 49 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: neighborhood barbecue. But you can still have some ideas for 50 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: interesting directions to steer the conversation. Perhaps you can mention 51 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: a book you've recently read that you think others would 52 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: be interested in, an upcoming travel destination, that people might 53 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: have recommendations for a milestone in a child's life. You'd 54 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: love to talk about your hopes for the local sports 55 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: team now that a strong new player has joined the ranks. 56 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: These are all upbeat conversations of broad interest. Consider what 57 00:03:55,800 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: has made you happy, curious, or hopeful recently, and be 58 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: ready to share it with others. When we think about 59 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: conversations in advance, we can alleviate any anxiety and prepare 60 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: ourselves to move the conversation in interesting, relationship building or 61 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: productive directions. That certainly beats the awkwardness that ensues when 62 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: we don't think about such things. Maybe some folks are 63 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: naturally great conversationalists, many of us are not. Fortunately, it 64 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: doesn't take too much time to prepare, and when we 65 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: do prepare, we can relax and enjoy ourselves rather than 66 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: worrying that we will say the wrong thing. In the meantime, 67 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:53,119 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 68 00:04:53,120 --> 00:05:02,280 Speaker 1: the most of our time. M Hey everybody, I'd love 69 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 70 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, 71 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's b E 72 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: the number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can 73 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at 74 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,799 Speaker 1: i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled 75 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look 76 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:35,839 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 77 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, 78 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 79 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.