1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 2: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 2: Today's tip is to consider being generous with your time. 4 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 2: While boundaries are wise, people are generally a good use 5 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 2: of time, so be generous with time when you can. 6 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 2: There is a famous passage from First Corinthians that has 7 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 2: read at weddings about love. You probably remember how this 8 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 2: starts from the last wedding you went to, with the 9 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 2: statement that love is patient. I was pondering recently what 10 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 2: it means for love to be patient, and I realized 11 00:00:53,760 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 2: that fundamentally, patience means being generous with time. When love 12 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 2: is patient, it means we aren't rushing off to the 13 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 2: next thing. We are giving people enough time to be 14 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 2: heard and seen. This plays out in all sorts of ways. 15 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 2: It can mean chatting. 16 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: With a teenager even though it is bedtime and you 17 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: are tired. It can mean listening to your spouse as 18 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: worries even though you are annoyed about something else here 19 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 1: she did. It can mean taking time to encourage a 20 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,119 Speaker 1: direct report, even in the middle of a packed day. 21 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: It can mean graciously listening to your elderly neighbor tell 22 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: that same story about her grandchild. Again. Time is ultimately limited, 23 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: and so this generosity is costly in a way that 24 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,919 Speaker 1: being profligate with money is not. You can make more money, 25 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: you cannot make more time. And so a lot of 26 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: time management literature talks about saying no more often, and 27 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: perhaps there is something to that. But when we can 28 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: say yes to the people in our lives, it strengthens 29 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: those relationships in a way that little else can. I 30 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: fundamentally believe that people are a good use of time, 31 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 1: and the good news is that a few minutes invested 32 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: in generosity is often paid back in profound ways. I 33 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: love to get emails from listeners and readers, and I 34 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: respond to almost all of it. As a result of 35 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 1: spending just a few minutes on those emails here and there, 36 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: I have made some great friends and professional acquaintances over 37 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: the years because of those connections. Talk about a huge payback. 38 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: Many of us have had the experience of encouraging a 39 00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: young person in our field. That young person then goes 40 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: on to become a total rock star and a font 41 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: of all sorts of opportunities. Again, that is a big 42 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: payback for what was probably not a huge investment of time. Now, 43 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: generosity doesn't need to be a blank check, and I 44 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 1: am sure that sometimes generosity is abused. But even if 45 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: being generous with time sometimes feels like a waste of time, 46 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 1: the truth is that we waste time on all kinds 47 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: of things. As it is. I doubt that listening to 48 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: a neighbor's story is a much worse use of time 49 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: than scrolling around online for a few minutes. The former 50 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: can spread some serious joy. Love is patient and we 51 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: all need more love in the world. In the meantime, 52 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 53 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: the most of our tak Hey, everybody, I'd love to 54 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 55 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: or anything else. 56 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 2: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 57 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 2: Before Breakfast Pod. 58 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: That's b E the number four then Breakfast pod. You 59 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts 60 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: at iHeartMedia dot com. That before Breakfast is spelled out 61 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much, should I look 62 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 63 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app. 64 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.