1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 1: tip is to consider being generous with your time. While 4 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: boundaries are wise, people are generally a good use of time, 5 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: so be generous with time when you can. There is 6 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,319 Speaker 1: a famous passage from First Corinthians that has read at 7 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: weddings about love. You probably remember how this starts from 8 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: the last wedding you went to, with the statement that 9 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: love is patient. I was pondering recently what it means 10 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: for love to be patient, and I realized that fundamentally, 11 00:00:55,520 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: patience means being generous with time. When love is patient, 12 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 1: it means we aren't rushing off to the next thing. 13 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: We are giving people enough time to be heard and seen. 14 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: This plays out in all sorts of ways. It can 15 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 1: mean chatting with a teenager even though it is bedtime 16 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 1: and you are tired. It can mean listening to your 17 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 1: spouse as worries even though you are annoyed about something 18 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: else here or she did. It can mean taking time 19 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: to encourage a direct report, even in the middle of 20 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: a packed day. It can mean graciously listening to your 21 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: elderly neighbor tell that same story about her grandchild. Again, 22 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: time is ultimately limited, and so this generosity is costly 23 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: in a way that being profligate with money is not. 24 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: You can make more money, you cannot make more time. 25 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: And so a lot of time management literature talks about 26 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: saying no more often, and perhaps there is something to that. 27 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: But when we can say yes to the people in 28 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: our lives, it strengthens those relationships in a way that 29 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 1: little else can. I fundamentally believe that people are a 30 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: good use of time, and the good news is that 31 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: a few minutes invested in generosity is often paid back 32 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: in profound ways. I love to get emails from listeners 33 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: and readers, and I respond to almost all of it. 34 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: As a result of spending just a few minutes on 35 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: those emails here and there, I have made some great 36 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:49,679 Speaker 1: friends and professional acquaintances over the years because of those connections. 37 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 1: Talk about a huge payback. Many of us have had 38 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: the experience of encouraging a young person in our field. 39 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 1: That young person then goes on to become a total 40 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 1: rock star and a font of all sorts of opportunities. Again, 41 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: that is a big payback for what was probably not 42 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 1: a huge investment of time. Now, generosity doesn't need to 43 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: be a blank check, and I am sure that sometimes 44 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: generosity is abused. But even if being generous with time 45 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: sometimes feels like a waste of time, the truth is 46 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,519 Speaker 1: that we waste time on all kinds of things. As 47 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: it is. I doubt that listening to a neighbor's story 48 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: is a much worse use of time than scrolling around 49 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: online for a few minutes. The former can spread some 50 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: serious joy. Love is patient and we all need more 51 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: love in the world. In the meantime, this is Laura. 52 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 53 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 54 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 55 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 56 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:24,280 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four then 57 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: Breakfast Pod. You can also shoot me an email at 58 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. That Before Breakfast 59 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 60 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:43,919 Speaker 1: should I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast 61 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 62 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen 63 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.