Be a person who shows up

Your presence matters, and will be remembered

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good morning.
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is to be a person who shows up. You
may not think your presence matters, but it does. And

(00:24):
developing an identity as a person who shows up can
make decisions on what to do with your time easier.
So the older I get, the more I realize how
important it is to show up for big events in
people's lives. Weddings, funerals, birthday parties, bridal and baby showers,

(00:47):
marking milestones in community is powerful. Now, I have heard
some people tell me they have a different approach. At
a big wedding, you won't see the bride and groom
much or talk with them much. So it would be
fine to skip the wedding and just get together with
the bride and groom some other time. And I suppose

(01:10):
that is true. But these aren't either-or things. You could
go to the wedding and get together with the bride
and groom. Yes, time is limited. But people do manage
to scroll around online for hours daily. I am guessing
most of us could make more time for people if

(01:31):
we wanted. And people are a good use of time.
Most people remember who came to their wedding. And even
if you don't spend much time with the bride and groom,
you'll get to spend time with other people who you
do know are there. And that can be great as well. Now,

(01:52):
I know there will be times when schedules or finances
or other commitments mean you can't make it to a
wedding or funeral or other milestone event. But when you can, Do.
It matters. It particularly matters for smaller things that might
not be terribly well attended. If your friend has an

(02:13):
art showing in a local gallery, you should try to
go to the opening and bring others as well. Unless
your friend is the most well-connected person in town, it
is quite possible that your crew will be the majority
of people there. Your friend might know that you support
them in their art regardless, but they will definitely note

(02:36):
your presence. So be a person who shows up. Developing
identity as a person who shows up can help with
making decisions. If you are tired, but your friend has
that gallery opening, well, you are a person who shows up.
We will always be tired. What? Are you saving your

(03:01):
energy for? Now, obviously, there is a balance here. If
you go to extended family and friend events so often
that you are neglecting your immediate family, that can be
a problem. It is not your spouse's job to cover
for you with the kids indefinitely so you can go
to everything. You need to make sure that both of

(03:24):
you have the freedom to show up for people in
your lives. But in general, you can take a relationship
from good to great by showing up for milestone events
or anything where your presence will really matter. It won't
take much time. Soon it will be in the rearview mirror.
But the person will always remember. Best to be on

(03:47):
the good side of that memory if you can. In
the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening. And here's
to making the most Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.

(04:10):
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach
me at laura at lauravandercam.com. Before Breakfast is a production
of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the
iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your

(04:32):
favorite shows.