Second Cup: Reflect before you connect

Think about what you'd like to discuss with friends and family

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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 that before you get together with a friend
or relative, take a moment to reflect on what's going
on for them. Think of any new developments in your

(00:27):
life that they might find interesting. That way, you can
be ready for a meaningful connection. Most people, I mean
I hope, plan for work meetings and have a clear
agenda and purpose for the meetings they have convened. We
do this so we get things done effectively and don't

(00:48):
waste people's time. And I actually think there is a
lot to be said for prepping for social get togethers too.
As with a work meeting, forethought can make a personal
gathering much more meaningful. Well, you probably don't want to
circulate an agenda in advance of a lunch date with friends.

(01:11):
It is wise to think through what's going on in
the lives of the people you are going to be seeing,
and what's going on in your own life that you
want to share and maybe get their input on. Did
you last see your friends before or after you've found
out that you aren't moving for your spouse's job. If
it was before. Be sure to update them. Have you

(01:34):
told them about the rowing class you just started in
are loving and that you think they might want to
check out. Think through any topics in your life that
your friends might find interesting. Also reflect on topics in
your friend's lives that you want to follow up on.
Whatever happened with that renovation project your friend was considering?

(01:56):
How is your other friend's mom settling into the retirement home.
Is your friend with the green thumb started on her
vegetable garden?

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yet? You can even write yourself a note about what
you want to converse about, Whether in a paper calendar
or in a digital calendar, you can leave yourself a
note like any college news for Jack or moms move
to the retirement home, or job search progress, Especially when
we're feeling stretched going from one thing to another, Spending

(02:28):
just a little time, I mean even just five minutes
reflecting before you connect can make a big difference in
how deep those connections actually are. When you have prioritized
time for relationships in your busy life, taking the extra
few minutes to prep can make your time to gather

(02:51):
even more satisfying than it already is. In the meantime,
this is Laura, thanks for listening, and here's to making
the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.

(03:14):
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach
me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast
is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,
please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

(03:36):
listen to your favorite shows.