November 15, 2019 • 4 mins
Build your community and relationships this holiday season
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Episode Transcript
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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 consider how you can give the
gift of time. Far more than a gift card. The
gift of time can help nurture relationships and build community.
(00:26):
I decided to do an episode on this topic after
hearing from a Before Breakfast listener who had thoughts on
an earlier episode we did on having too much time.
The listener noted that people whose schedules open up because
they're between jobs or retired, or his children have grown
are often advised to volunteer. That's a great idea, but
(00:47):
the listener reminded me that volunteer opportunities don't have to
be formal. For instance, she decided to take on some
kid driving duties for a busy family. She knew the
kids got to spend special time, I'm with someone who
is like an aunt to them, and the parents got
a break. Time can be an incredible gift in many ways.
(01:08):
It's more valuable than money or things, because while you
can make more money, you cannot make more time. The
richest person on the planet still has just twenty four
hours in a day. Once a second is gone, all
the money in the world cannot buy it back. I
know that sounds daunting and maybe like we should hoard
our time, But as with money, having a mentality of
(01:30):
abundance can actually make us feel rich. While philanthropists are
technically giving their money away, they're building the world they
want to see, which makes them feel wealthier. Not everyone
has money, but all of us do have time. By
thinking of yourself as a time philanthropist, you can seek
(01:51):
out opportunities to invest your time in building the community
you'd like to inhabit. So if you've got time, you
can give. Come a time detective. Who in your community
needs help, who's struggling to cope with their responsibilities in
the twenty four hours we have each day. Maybe a
single parent in your neighborhood could really use a break.
(02:14):
She might not ask, but you can offer. Maybe someone
with a new baby would welcome the opportunity to hand
over the other children for a few hours. Maybe a
family with two working parents facing the stress of making
a daycare pickup with the vagaries of traffic would love
to have you on call for those days when the
inner state is backed up For miles. Maybe a neighbor
(02:35):
who works an hour away would welcome your offer to
check on an aging parent if there's ever an issue
like that parent isn't picking up the phone. You could
offer to drive someone whose car is broken down to
the grocery store. There are plenty of needs when you look,
but you can also think about giving the gift of
time in general, perhaps as a substitute for more traditional gifts.
(02:58):
Instead of giving a RelA of a sweater, take her
as your guest to the art museum for the afternoon.
Instead of giving a friend a plant for her birthday,
offered to do a few additional carpool runs. If you're
pressed for time, this won't work. None of us can
give more than we actually have. But if you're in
a stage of life where there is more time, all
(03:21):
of these ideas will nurture your relationships and build your community.
And here's the even better part of gifts like these.
If you come into a time squeeze yourself, people will
remember and they'll pay it back. In that sense, the
gift of time isn't really a gift. It's more like
banking time for the future. In the meantime. This is
(03:45):
Laura thanks for listening, and here's to making the most
of our time. Hey everybody, I'd 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
(04:05):
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 with all the letters.
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
(04:29):
Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For
more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.
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 consider how you can give the
gift of time. Far more than a gift card. The
gift of time can help nurture relationships and build community.
(00:26):
I decided to do an episode on this topic after
hearing from a Before Breakfast listener who had thoughts on
an earlier episode we did on having too much time.
The listener noted that people whose schedules open up because
they're between jobs or retired, or his children have grown
are often advised to volunteer. That's a great idea, but
(00:47):
the listener reminded me that volunteer opportunities don't have to
be formal. For instance, she decided to take on some
kid driving duties for a busy family. She knew the
kids got to spend special time, I'm with someone who
is like an aunt to them, and the parents got
a break. Time can be an incredible gift in many ways.
(01:08):
It's more valuable than money or things, because while you
can make more money, you cannot make more time. The
richest person on the planet still has just twenty four
hours in a day. Once a second is gone, all
the money in the world cannot buy it back. I
know that sounds daunting and maybe like we should hoard
our time, But as with money, having a mentality of
(01:30):
abundance can actually make us feel rich. While philanthropists are
technically giving their money away, they're building the world they
want to see, which makes them feel wealthier. Not everyone
has money, but all of us do have time. By
thinking of yourself as a time philanthropist, you can seek
(01:51):
out opportunities to invest your time in building the community
you'd like to inhabit. So if you've got time, you
can give. Come a time detective. Who in your community
needs help, who's struggling to cope with their responsibilities in
the twenty four hours we have each day. Maybe a
single parent in your neighborhood could really use a break.
(02:14):
She might not ask, but you can offer. Maybe someone
with a new baby would welcome the opportunity to hand
over the other children for a few hours. Maybe a
family with two working parents facing the stress of making
a daycare pickup with the vagaries of traffic would love
to have you on call for those days when the
inner state is backed up For miles. Maybe a neighbor
(02:35):
who works an hour away would welcome your offer to
check on an aging parent if there's ever an issue
like that parent isn't picking up the phone. You could
offer to drive someone whose car is broken down to
the grocery store. There are plenty of needs when you look,
but you can also think about giving the gift of
time in general, perhaps as a substitute for more traditional gifts.
(02:58):
Instead of giving a RelA of a sweater, take her
as your guest to the art museum for the afternoon.
Instead of giving a friend a plant for her birthday,
offered to do a few additional carpool runs. If you're
pressed for time, this won't work. None of us can
give more than we actually have. But if you're in
a stage of life where there is more time, all
(03:21):
of these ideas will nurture your relationships and build your community.
And here's the even better part of gifts like these.
If you come into a time squeeze yourself, people will
remember and they'll pay it back. In that sense, the
gift of time isn't really a gift. It's more like
banking time for the future. In the meantime. This is
(03:45):
Laura thanks for listening, and here's to making the most
of our time. Hey everybody, I'd 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
(04:05):
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 with all the letters.
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
(04:29):
Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For
more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.
Before Breakfast News
Host
Laura Vanderkam
Show Links
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