Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Speaker 1: Today's tip is to let people know that you care
Speaker 1: about them, even especially those people who are a little
Speaker 1: harder to love. There is a wise and tender children's
Speaker 1: picture book called Somebody Loves You Mister Hatch. The story
Speaker 1: begins when a not especially lovely man named mister Hatch
Speaker 1: receives a Valentine's gift, a heart shaped box of chocolates,
Speaker 1: accompanied by an unsigned note that reads, Somebody Loves You. Suddenly,
Speaker 1: everybody Mister Hatch encounters could be the one who loves him.
Speaker 1: Feeling loved, his attitude and behavior change. He helps out
Speaker 1: people who need him. He shares his chocolates with his
Speaker 1: colleagues at the shoelace factory. He makes brownies and lemonade
Speaker 1: for his neighbors, and spontaneously throws a party in his yard.
Speaker 1: In his formerly drabbed life, he now finds cause for
Speaker 1: smiles and laughter at every turn. In short, Mr Hatch
Speaker 1: becomes more lovable, and before long everybody in the whole
Speaker 1: town loves him. And when it comes to light that
Speaker 1: the Valentine's package, Mr Hatch received had been intended for
Speaker 1: somebody else, that it was someone else who had a
Speaker 1: secret admirer who loved them. Mr Hatch naturally feels heartbroken,
Speaker 1: but thanks to the transformation wrought by feeling loved, Mr
Speaker 1: Hatch now has a town full of friends who set
Speaker 1: out to cheer him up. They shower him with heart
Speaker 1: shaped boxes of chocolates and present a big banner that reads,
Speaker 1: everybody loves mister Hatch. Somebody a lot of somebody's love
Speaker 1: him after all. The book is a gentle reminder that
Speaker 1: our love and outreach to others make a difference in
Speaker 1: how they feel and interact with the rest of the world.
Speaker 1: When we show people love, they feel loved, and as
Speaker 1: a result, they tend to become more lovable. Love is
Speaker 1: not a one way street. So this Valentine's Day and
Speaker 1: any time of year, let the people in your life
Speaker 1: who may not feel a lot of love or attention
Speaker 1: know that you care about them and notice them. You
Speaker 1: could send a card to a twenty something niece or
Speaker 1: nephew who is living far from home. You could bring
Speaker 1: flowers or cookies to a neighbor who isn't able to
Speaker 1: get out much. You could write notes of encouragement to
Speaker 1: your colleagues, especially those who are a bit more reserved.
Speaker 1: It is also great to teach kids to reach out
Speaker 1: to those who might be lonely and to realize their
Speaker 1: friendliness and caring may help someone feel better about themselves.
Speaker 1: They can ask the shy classmate about their weekend, or
Speaker 1: invite someone who is a bit more reticent into their game.
Speaker 1: They can ask to be someone's partner for a project
Speaker 1: who isn't exactly going to be others first choice. If
Speaker 1: you are already the star student and already have tons
Speaker 1: of friends, then what does it matter to you? We
Speaker 1: can operate from a sense of abundance. Our love can
Speaker 1: make a difference in others lives, and you never know
Speaker 1: when someone untried might turn out to have unique gifts
Speaker 1: or become a real friend. When people know that somebody
Speaker 1: loves them, they become more lovable. Life no longer draws
Speaker 1: on a dry well. If you try spreading the love
Speaker 1: this Valentine's Day or any time, I'd love to hear
Speaker 1: about how you do it and what the results are.
Speaker 1: You can reach me at Laura at Laura Vanderkam dot com.
Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and
Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey everybody,
Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.
Speaker 1: That's b E the number four, then breakfast p o D.
Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,
Speaker 1: I look for are to staying in touch. Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: is a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts
Speaker 1: from I heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app,
Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.