WEBVTT - Burst your bubble

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to be intentional about encountering and building relationships

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<v Speaker 1>with people whose experiences are different from yours. In life,

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<v Speaker 1>it can be easy to live in a bubble, but

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<v Speaker 1>consciously bursting that bubble can make life more interesting. One

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<v Speaker 1>of the more fascinating demographic trends these days is just

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<v Speaker 1>how much people sort themselves into very similar communities. There

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<v Speaker 1>are the political implications, of course, as the US has

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<v Speaker 1>different states becoming known as red states or blue states,

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<v Speaker 1>plenty of folks don't know many people who vote differently

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<v Speaker 1>than they do, even though obviously millions of people make

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<v Speaker 1>those choices. But beyond that, people sort on other factors

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<v Speaker 1>as well. For instance, if you have a professional degree,

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<v Speaker 1>which I know many of my listeners do, you might

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<v Speaker 1>not have many close friends who didn't go to college.

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<v Speaker 1>Your children most likely know children from other similar backgrounds,

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<v Speaker 1>and I know there are reasons for such sorting. But

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<v Speaker 1>even if your job and neighborhood are what they are,

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<v Speaker 1>it is possible to make some excursions outside the bubble.

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<v Speaker 1>Doing so reminds us that people have lots of different experiences.

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<v Speaker 1>So alongside your professional organization, which naturally has people with

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<v Speaker 1>the exact same job, as you join a civic organization

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<v Speaker 1>that recruits more broadly, if nothing else. As you meet

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<v Speaker 1>and volunteer together, you will meet people in different lines

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<v Speaker 1>of work and who might be at different life stages

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<v Speaker 1>from you. Many houses of worship draw their members from

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<v Speaker 1>all walks of life, which is great. Join the choir

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<v Speaker 1>or the church softball team and get to know people

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<v Speaker 1>you wouldn't otherwise. That said, if your house of worship

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<v Speaker 1>is a bit more homogeneous, maybe it is time to

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<v Speaker 1>partner with a like minded church in a different neighborhood

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<v Speaker 1>to do some projects together, or field that joint softball team.

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<v Speaker 1>If you visit community institutions, you don't necessarily have to

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<v Speaker 1>visit the ones in your exact community. Many towns libraries

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<v Speaker 1>have multiple branches, and if you can return your books anywhere,

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<v Speaker 1>why not check out the story time and class options

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<v Speaker 1>at a different branch. One of the reasons I love

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<v Speaker 1>my YMCA is that the clientele is more diverse than

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<v Speaker 1>the clientele I have encountered at other gyms. This is

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<v Speaker 1>true for the group fitness classes there as well, so

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<v Speaker 1>those could be worth checking out. Cast a slightly broader

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<v Speaker 1>net with the restaurants you visit for lunch. It doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>have to just be that upscale sandwich spot in your

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<v Speaker 1>office building. Even a coffee shop represents a choice, and

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<v Speaker 1>going somewhere a little different occasionally can remind you that

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<v Speaker 1>the world is a varied place, plus that diner's coffee

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<v Speaker 1>might be slightly cheaper. I'm just suggesting it. Even our

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<v Speaker 1>online communities can become bubbles, but they don't have to be.

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<v Speaker 1>I am not saying you need to expose yourself to

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<v Speaker 1>strident voices, but ask around to find who your friends

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<v Speaker 1>and colleagues consider to be the most thoughtful voices with

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<v Speaker 1>differing opinions. You might try seeking out and following a

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<v Speaker 1>few bloggers or influencers or podcasters whose lives differ in

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<v Speaker 1>significant ways from yours. These days, our life bubbles can

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<v Speaker 1>have walls that are a lot thicker than actual soap bubbles.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's not necessarily because we are actively trying to

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<v Speaker 1>limit interaction. It's just what tends to be easiest. If

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<v Speaker 1>you spend most of your time working or caring for

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<v Speaker 1>your kids, then you probably don't see that many people

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<v Speaker 1>outside your extended family and neighbors and colleagues. Anyway, it

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<v Speaker 1>does take effort, but at least from time to time,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe it is worth that effort, if for no other

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<v Speaker 1>reason than to remember what the broader world is like.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime, This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod

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<v Speaker 1>that's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled

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<v Speaker 1>out with all the letters. Thanks so much. Should I

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<v Speaker 1>look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a

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<v Speaker 1>production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the

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<v Speaker 1>iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your

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<v Speaker 1>favorite shows. Don't I can't get I get