Go for the memory

Consider what would make a good story

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to go for the memory. When you
are feeling uncertain about doing something, consider not just how

(00:25):
you are feeling now, but how you will feel to
have done the thing. Will it make for a good story.
If so, it might be worth trying. Time always moves
along at the same rate, but how we experience it
varies widely. Time expands when we have more memories of it.

(00:48):
Time seems to disappear when we do the same thing
over and over again with nothing novel or adventurous. Emotional
intensity can so deep in time. Sometimes things that were
over with quite quickly become defining memories for the rest
of our lives. The memory consumes much more space than

(01:11):
the event itself. We can't really control that with some
negative things that become memories, but we do have a
choice with other memorable things that we can actively put
into our lives. I had this discussion with one of
my children a few years ago when he was very
curious about a particular roller coaster. He got to the

(01:34):
park and his nerve almost failed him, but we talked
about this and hashed out that the ride would be
over in two minutes. Love it, hate it. Either way,
it would be over in two minutes, and then he
could tell all his other siblings about going on it,

(01:54):
and he would have the memory. If he walked away
from the park without that, well, he could spend far
longer than two minutes rehashing that decision. He decided to
go on the ride, and sure enough it was awesome.
He went on it again and again. But even when
things aren't so awesome in the moment, they can make

(02:15):
a good memory. Over a recent weekend, my family elected
to go hiking in some nearby mountains. Theoretically, early summer
should be beautiful hiking weather. It was not. The rain
that was supposed to stop. By the time we started
hiking did not stop. The temperature hovered around forty eight
degrees and this was pretty ridiculous, as are the photos

(02:38):
of us in our wet winter coats in summer. But
you know what, I love looking at those photos of
my little hikers. The day stands out more in my
mind than if we had stayed at home attempting to
do nothing, which really means meaningless. Something's one way or another,

(02:59):
these five hours would pass. I now have a memory
of all of us soaked on that rocky mountaintop. So
as you are pondering planning your day, you're weak the
rest of this year, your life. Why not go for
the memory. Yes, you will feel silly dressing up as

(03:22):
a clown for that parade, or you might feel nervous
about that karaoke solo or traveling to Boise on your own,
but you will definitely remember those things, and the memories
can entertain you and stretch your experience of time long
after the experience itself has drifted into the past. The

(03:44):
present is fleeting. All we have most of the time
is memories, so best to make some interesting ones in
the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's
to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd

(04:10):
love to hear from you. You can send me your tips,
your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter,
Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's B the
number four, then breakfast p o D. You can also
shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcast at i
heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out

(04:33):
with all the letters thanks so much. I look forward
to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of
I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio,
visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.