1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: tip is that kindness cascades. When you are kind to someone, 4 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: it's highly likely that that person will be just a 5 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: little kinder to others too. Those folks might then show 6 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: more kindness to the other people in their lives. The 7 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: kindness keeps rippling down, which is much better than this 8 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: working in the opposite direction. So, if you've ever been 9 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 1: driving through roadwork that necessitated one lane merging into another, 10 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: you may have noticed an interesting phenomenon. Now, ideally this 11 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: would be a zipper merge sort of situation, but not 12 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: everyone knows to do that. So in the normal run 13 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: of things, where one lane of traffic feels like they 14 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: have possession of the continuing lane, if you let someone 15 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: merge in front of you, that person is more likely 16 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: to let someone else merge in front of them, and 17 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,479 Speaker 1: that means you don't wind up with stopped cars in 18 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: one lane, with people honking and frustrated. Who knows exactly 19 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: why this happens. Maybe when someone lets you merge, you're 20 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: so relieved that you want to let someone else feel 21 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 1: that relief too. Or maybe you realize you had to 22 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: rely on someone else's kindness to get out of the 23 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: traffic jam, and so you feel less self protective and 24 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: more gracious you are inclined to let others merge too. 25 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: Or maybe it's just that a new norm is established 26 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: for a moment and everybody accepts for a time that 27 00:01:54,800 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: this is the community expectation. Whatever the specifics of our 28 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: thought process, one person's kindness can spark a chain reaction 29 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: of kindness from other people too. Kindness cascades. Sometimes the 30 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: cascade of kindness is similar and kind to the first kindness. 31 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: Other times, though one kindness paves the way for something 32 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: of a different flavor. Someone lets you merge in front 33 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: of them, and you arrive at your workplace and notice 34 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 1: a colleague carrying a heavy load into the building. You 35 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: offer to help out. Then that person sees there's very 36 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: little coffee left and makes a new pot. The generosity 37 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: and community mindedness continue. Or perhaps your partner makes the 38 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: bed even though that's your job, and you decide to 39 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: unload the dishwasher even though that's your partner's job. Or 40 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,559 Speaker 1: maybe you end your team meeting with praise and gratitude 41 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:00,839 Speaker 1: for all your team has accomplished in the past week. 42 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: They leave feeling good, and they go back to their 43 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 1: desks much more inclined to be appreciative of the people 44 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: they interact with. When you do something kind, you may 45 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: be benefiting not only the direct beneficiary of your kindness, 46 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: but also the next few people that person interacts with. 47 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: You may not see all the wonderful ripples flowing out 48 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: from your act of kindness, but it feels good to 49 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: imagine what you might have set in motion. It's kind 50 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: to let others imagine that too, So when you are 51 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: a recipient of a kindness, see what you can do 52 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: to pass it on. It really doesn't take much. We 53 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: all want to live in a kind world, and one 54 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: little act of kindness may set in motion myriad kindnesses. 55 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: That is a much better scenario than all of us 56 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: getting increasingly miffed at each other. In the meantime. This 57 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 58 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear 59 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 60 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 61 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the 62 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 1: number four, then breakfast pod. You can also shoot me 63 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com 64 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: that before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 65 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, should I look forward to staying in touch. 66 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,840 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 67 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 68 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.