Latest / Inspirations for Your Life / When Likes Aren’t Enough: Choosing Real Connection Over Status” (S5) S25:E6

Transcript

When Likes Aren’t Enough: Choosing Real Connection Over Status” (S5) S25:E6 · Inspirations for Your Life

0:25
Well, hello there, everyone, and welcome to Inspirations
0:28
for Your Life.
0:28
It's so great to be with you here
0:30
on the show.
0:31
Thank you so much for deciding to join
0:33
me here.
0:34
Like I said, it is so great to
0:35
be with you.
0:36
If this is your very first time coming
0:39
on the show, I want to say welcome,
0:40
and I want to say thank you very,
0:42
very much from the bottom of my heart.
0:44
If you've been here one time, five times,
0:46
10 times, 100, or many, many more, I
0:49
want to say not only thank you and
0:51
welcome, but I want to say the words
0:53
welcome back.
0:54
It's really great to have people that are
0:56
part of our family here that want to
0:59
keep learning about this information, sharing it with
1:01
their friends and family, and becoming better versions
1:03
of themselves.
1:05
So guys, if you have not heard or
1:08
you've heard before, don't forget to check out
1:10
BelieveMeAchieve.com for more of my amazing, inspiring
1:13
creations, which you can do, incidentally, after the
1:15
show is over.
1:16
And there'll be short-form content, long-form
1:18
content, articles, reels, and so much more.
1:22
Well, before we actually kick off the show
1:24
tonight, so on Sundays and Thursdays, we started
1:27
doing something a little bit unique to help
1:29
our communities.
1:31
And we do a shout-out to some
1:32
local family businesses that are basically in different
1:36
parts of New Jersey.
1:37
So we started doing this, and it's been
1:39
a pretty neat segment.
1:40
We do this on basically Sunday and Thursday.
1:42
So tonight, June 18, 2026, we're giving a
1:48
shout-out to Cozy Cop at 1031 New
1:53
Jersey Route 18, Unit C, East Brunswick, New
1:56
Jersey, 08816-609-8669013, a family-owned business.
2:04
This one's located, as I said, in New
2:06
Brunswick neighborhood of Central Jersey.
2:10
And we can just read you what one
2:13
of the people said here.
2:14
There was a quote that I'll read you.
2:16
And it says, perfect family stop.
2:19
Cozy Cop is my go-to spot when
2:22
I'm out with my daughter.
2:23
The iced cappuccino I had was fantastic, probably
2:26
the best I've had in a long time.
2:28
They also serve delicious ice cream, which my
2:31
daughter absolutely loved.
2:32
It's a lovely cafe with great food and
2:35
friendly service.
2:35
I can see us coming back regularly.
2:38
Whether you're a coffee aficionado or just looking
2:41
for a casual place to relax, Cozy Cop
2:44
is the place to be.
2:46
And so they don't just have coffee, guys.
2:47
It looks like they have a lot of
2:49
different things, which first surprised me.
2:51
So they're known for breakfast, like bagels, muffins,
2:54
butter croissants, egg and cheese, bacon, ham, sausage
2:58
and egg.
2:58
You can make a combo.
3:00
You can do an egg omelet.
3:01
You can do big treats like muffins and
3:03
cookies.
3:04
So they have that.
3:05
And then they have different kinds of teas
3:06
like vanilla chai, black, lemon, green, green with
3:09
honey, raspberry royal, earl grey, cinnamon apple, English
3:13
breakfast, chamomile tea, matcha green tea, cappuccinos, a
3:19
whole bunch of those.
3:20
They have lunch.
3:21
There's a lot of lunch choices.
3:23
And so nice little place.
3:25
And again, they have fruit cups and salads.
3:28
And so there's really something it looks like
3:30
for everyone.
3:30
So the reason that I'm reaching out to
3:33
you guys and giving a shout out to
3:34
Cozy Cup is I wanted to reach out
3:38
to you to ask you to visit jcmacademy
3:41
.com and to invite us to come to
3:45
your facility to do a live shoot of
3:47
Inspirations for Your Life.
3:48
We'll do a full live show.
3:50
We'll do a recording, which we'll rebroadcast later
3:52
on other social media.
3:53
And it'll be a great way for the
3:55
community to come and to get together.
3:58
And yeah, it's going to be a lot
4:00
of fun.
4:00
So I hope you will invite us to
4:02
come to your restaurant to have a cup
4:05
of tea.
4:05
Maybe I'll have some chai.
4:06
Maybe I'll try some of those sweet treats.
4:08
And it'll even be a chance for people
4:10
to actually come past our red line and
4:12
come on the air if they decide to
4:14
do that.
4:14
They can sign immediately.
4:16
So if that sounds like something you guys
4:18
want to do and help build the community
4:20
and grow, definitely go to jcmacademy.com.
4:23
Click on the contact us form and say,
4:26
John has invited us to be basically a
4:32
place to have your show.
4:33
And we'll be glad to do that.
4:36
All right, guys, let's kick this show off
4:37
now.
4:38
So welcome, everyone, to the Inspirations for Your
4:40
Life show.
4:41
I'm John C.
4:43
Morley, serial entrepreneur, engineer, marketing specialist, video producer,
4:47
podcast host, coach, passionate lifelong learner, a graduate
4:53
student at Montclair State University.
4:56
And I'm so grateful now to be a
4:58
published author.
5:00
So our weekly topic is a good one.
5:04
I mean, we always have good topics.
5:06
You know that, right.
5:07
But our weekly topic is one, I think,
5:09
that's going to make a lot of people
5:10
think, right.
5:11
And this is a topic I feel that
5:14
a lot of people, when they hear it
5:16
first, are like, what is that about?
5:17
Like, how does that work?
5:18
And I think that's an interesting thing about
5:20
it.
5:20
So the weekly master topic for this week,
5:24
you guys ready?
5:24
The drum roll here, if you're ready, is
5:28
this.
5:29
It's answering the call, OK?
5:32
That's what it is.
5:33
And today's granular topic, we'll get to that
5:36
in just a second, or probably just a
5:38
moment.
5:38
But I want to let you know, it's
5:39
about answering the call.
5:40
And no, we're not talking about the phone.
5:42
So that's important.
5:43
And so this episode is titled, When Likes
5:47
Aren't Enough, Choosing Real Connection Over Status.
5:51
Oh, by the way, don't forget to get
5:52
yourself a nice hot cup of coffee, tea,
5:55
or a beverage, or something healthy, or not.
6:00
I have a decaf tea that I have
6:03
right here.
6:04
And yeah, it's great to be with you.
6:08
And so that is the important thing, guys,
6:13
to know, is that we are all about
6:16
helping the community, about growing, and things like
6:20
that.
6:20
I think that's something that a lot of
6:21
people don't understand, is that this is how
6:26
life works when we grow together, right?
6:29
And so we help our businesses, and I
6:31
think that's a great thing.
6:32
So real connection over status.
6:36
This is not just a conversation about social
6:40
media, or even the numbers.
6:42
This is a conversation about life.
6:44
It is about how we build meaning, how
6:48
we grow as people, and how we stay
6:51
grounded in a world that constantly pushes us
6:54
toward performance.
6:56
Over purpose.
6:57
Number one, guys, every day gives us a
7:01
choice between chasing attention and building substance.
7:05
That's important, guys.
7:07
Attention feels exciting because it is immediate, right?
7:13
Really good decaf tea.
7:15
It's visible, and it's easy to measure, guys.
7:18
Substance takes time, effort, and, of course, patience.
7:22
But it is what lasts when the noise
7:25
fades.
7:26
When you wake up, you decide what to
7:29
invest your energy in.
7:30
You can invest in your eyes looking at
7:33
you, or you can invest in people walking
7:36
with you.
7:37
One disappears when the trend ends.
7:40
The other grows stronger with every passing year.
7:44
And I think taking the opportunity to embrace
7:47
is really the key to success.
7:50
Number two, guys, real connection is one of
7:53
the most powerful parts of a meaningful life.
7:56
People do not remember every like, view, or
8:01
even every comment.
8:02
But they do remember how others made them
8:06
feel.
8:06
I've said that before, but this is important
8:08
in social media.
8:09
A genuine conversation, a thoughtful check-in, or
8:12
a moment of real support can stay with
8:17
someone for longer than any online metric ever
8:21
will.
8:22
When you choose connection, you're choosing to be
8:25
the person who makes others feel valued, seen,
8:29
and, of course, understood.
8:31
Or make sure, guys, you're doing it for
8:33
the right reasons.
8:33
That's a really important thing, okay?
8:36
Number three, the pressure to constantly be visible
8:42
can wear people down.
8:44
So when every post feels like it must
8:46
perform, life can start to feel like a
8:49
stage instead of a journey.
8:51
Post, enjoy.
8:53
If it doesn't go anywhere, don't lose sleep
8:55
over it.
8:56
Just low-key chill.
8:58
That pressure can create burnout, comparison, and self
9:03
-doubt, especially when people begin measuring their worth
9:08
by reaction instead of by our character.
9:13
You are not your followers.
9:19
You are not your views.
9:22
You are, instead, the person behind the screen,
9:25
and that person is who truly matters now
9:28
and in the future.
9:30
Number four, guys, true success is not about
9:32
being seen by everyone.
9:34
It is about being trusted by the right
9:37
people.
9:38
10 true connections will always be more valuable
9:41
than 10,000 empty views because the right
9:46
people, guys, bring encouragement, honesty, loyalty, and growth.
9:53
They do not just watch your life.
9:55
They walk with you through it.
9:59
They are there when you rise, and they
10:02
are there when you fall.
10:05
Number five, life becomes richer, ladies and gentlemen,
10:09
when we stop performing and start participating.
10:15
Participation means being present, speaking honestly, offering help,
10:22
and allowing ourselves to just be real.
10:25
It means choosing depth over image and authenticity
10:30
over approval.
10:32
When you live this way, you do not
10:35
need to try to impress people.
10:38
You simply become someone they can trust.
10:41
I think a lot of people forget about
10:45
that, but it is the truth.
10:47
Number six, the strongest relationships are built through
10:50
consistency.
10:52
People trust what is repeated, not what is
10:55
promised once and forgotten.
11:01
Oh, we are going to do that.
11:04
You always have to go back to documentation,
11:05
you have to go back to emails, go
11:07
back to voicemails.
11:08
Yeah, we did say that, you are right,
11:10
so we are going to make good on
11:11
that promise.
11:13
Showing up, following through, and staying engaged are
11:16
what turn contact into connection.
11:21
And connection into community.
11:23
You see, real support is not forced, it
11:25
is not about being loud, it is about
11:27
being steady though.
11:30
It is not about putting a show on,
11:32
guys.
11:32
It is about having a truth.
11:35
Number seven, many people are surrounded by digital
11:39
interaction, but still feel lonely in their daily
11:43
lives.
11:44
That is because visibility is not the same
11:47
as belonging.
11:49
Belonging comes from feeling valued, understood, and accepted,
11:53
and respected without having to constantly earn it.
11:57
When you choose connection, you are not just
12:00
building relationships, guys.
12:01
You are building a place where people can
12:04
breathe.
12:06
Number eight, we live in a time when
12:09
it is easy to compare our behind-the
12:12
-scenes life with someone else's highlight reel.
12:17
You see, that comparison can distort reality and
12:20
make us forget how much value already exists
12:24
in our lives.
12:26
Inspiration grows, guys, when we focus less on
12:29
competition and more on contribution.
12:32
When you contribute to others, you do not
12:35
need to compete with them.
12:37
You become part of their growth, and they
12:39
become part of yours.
12:41
Anybody that does not want to support your
12:43
growth is probably not someone you want to
12:47
hang around with.
12:48
And that person might be wanting you to
12:52
support them, but it is a two-way
12:53
street, guys.
12:55
Number nine, choosing real connection means choosing people
13:00
over performance.
13:02
A lot of people just do performance because
13:04
they think that is what it is about
13:05
a stage.
13:06
No.
13:07
It means giving your time, your attention, and
13:09
your energy to those who matter most.
13:12
It means remembering that relationships are not built
13:14
by accident.
13:15
They are built intentionally, through care, through trust,
13:19
and mutual respect.
13:20
When you treat people this way, you are
13:23
living in alignment with the purpose that you
13:28
have aligned with your core values.
13:31
Number ten, there is something powerful about being
13:33
known for your character rather than your popularity.
13:38
Character lasts longer than trends.
13:41
It shapes how others experience us, how they
13:44
remember us, and how they choose to trust
13:46
us over time.
13:47
Popularity can fade, guys.
13:50
Character never fades.
13:53
Number eleven, social media can be useful, yes.
13:56
But it should never become the definition of
13:59
your worth.
14:01
It is a tool for communication.
14:04
It is not a measure of your identity.
14:07
If we let numbers define us, we will
14:10
always be living at the mercy of changing
14:12
algorithms and shifting attention, and that is no
14:15
fun.
14:15
But if we let our values define us,
14:18
we become steady, grounded, and we become free
14:22
to fly wherever we want to be.
14:25
Number twelve, the call today is simple, but
14:28
it is a deep one.
14:30
Live in a way that creates real value.
14:33
Be the person who listens, encourages, supports, and
14:37
shows up.
14:39
Be the one people can count on when
14:43
the spotlight is gone and the room is
14:45
quiet.
14:46
When you choose this, you choose to answer
14:49
the call.
14:51
And people think just because there is lots
14:54
of noise that you are going the right
14:56
way.
14:57
No, you are not.
14:58
You are going the wrong way.
15:01
When it is not aligned, that is a
15:03
very, very big problem, guys.
15:07
Number thirteen, real connection is a daily choice.
15:12
It begins with a text, a call, a
15:14
conversation, a visit, or a kind word.
15:18
It grows through effort, empathy, and presence over
15:22
time.
15:23
Those small actions become the foundation for a
15:26
stronger, more meaningful life.
15:30
You do not need to wait for a
15:32
perfect moment.
15:33
You just need to start.
15:36
There are no perfect moments.
15:37
There are no perfect places.
15:39
You have to start.
15:42
Number fourteen, if you want a life that
15:45
feels full and rich, do not chase applause,
15:49
guys, alone.
15:50
It is okay to have it, but do
15:52
not seek that only.
15:54
Build relationships that truly matter.
15:57
Choose connection over clout.
15:59
Choose substance over image.
16:01
Choose people who see you, not just people
16:04
who watch you.
16:06
Because in the end, guys, ten true connections
16:09
will always matter more than, as I said,
16:11
ten thousand empty views.
16:13
I think that is an important thing.
16:15
Today's inspiration is not just about social media
16:18
or status.
16:19
It is about how we live, how we
16:21
love, and how we lead our lives every
16:23
single day.
16:24
The path to a meaningful life is not
16:26
found in the numbers of eyes on us.
16:30
It is found in the depth of the
16:32
connections around us.
16:33
When you build that kind of life, you
16:36
will never feel empty.
16:37
You will never feel alone.
16:39
You will feel real, authentic.
16:44
That is something that I think changes people
16:50
a little bit.
16:53
Authenticity, being real, answering the call.
17:00
I think that is important.
17:07
Why?
17:11
I think it is because when we are
17:14
authentic, we are not trying to be anybody.
17:24
Does that
17:38
make sense?
17:46
I think the more that we understand that,
17:57
I think people don't get it sometimes.
18:06
They feel that it is all about what
18:11
people see on the surface.
18:16
Although that can draw some attention, it is
18:20
false, guys.
18:21
It is not the truth.
18:23
It is not being authentic.
18:26
It is not being authentic.
18:28
If we cannot be authentic with our lives,
18:31
how can we expect other people to respond
18:33
to us in an authentic way?
18:35
How?
18:36
That is the question I have for you
18:38
now.
18:38
How can we expect that in our lives?
18:41
We cannot.
18:45
We cannot expect that.
18:48
I think that happens because the show becomes
18:53
a trend.
18:55
That trend is not the truth of who
18:58
we really are.
19:02
But it does catch people's attention.
19:06
Let me give an example.
19:07
If you were to yell emergency or fire
19:10
or something like that, which you don't want
19:11
to do, you are going to get people's
19:14
attention.
19:15
Right?
19:17
But if there really isn't a fire or
19:19
there really isn't an emergency, you are going
19:21
to quickly lose what?
19:23
Your credibility.
19:28
So, yes, you got their attention.
19:32
They even paid attention to you for a
19:34
few minutes.
19:35
But then, once they realized it wasn't true,
19:39
it was all baloney, they are like, oh,
19:41
this is nonsense.
19:43
And now they are careful about what you
19:48
say and should they pay attention to it.
19:50
Like if you yelled fire once, and you
19:53
did it a few weeks later and you
19:54
did it again, maybe they would pay attention.
19:55
After the third time, it would be like
19:57
the boy who cried wolf.
19:58
Remember the one that goes, wolf, wolf, wolf,
19:59
wolf, wolf?
20:00
He said he would just try it once.
20:02
People came out.
20:04
There was no wolf.
20:05
Second time, he said, I'm going to try
20:06
it again.
20:07
Third time, he tried it again.
20:08
And there really was a wolf the last
20:11
time.
20:12
But because he exploited people's nature, he lost
20:20
their trust.
20:23
I think people do this in life.
20:25
They don't mean to do it, but they
20:28
do it sometimes to get recognition.
20:31
Social media is a perfect example.
20:33
If you are creating content that is genuine
20:36
and is going to give value, great.
20:38
But if you are giving social media, say,
20:40
hey, look at me, look at me, look
20:41
at me, that's not being authentic.
20:47
Or if you are creating social media that's
20:48
a lie, that's also not authentic, is it?
20:53
But it happens.
20:54
It happens in people's lives.
20:57
So when we talk about answering the call,
21:01
we are not talking about the telephone, in
21:04
case you were wondering.
21:05
We are not talking about the telephone.
21:06
We are talking about your call of life.
21:12
Your call of life.
21:17
Your call could be a certain vocation that
21:22
you are supposed to do.
21:24
A job, etc.
21:26
A skill you are supposed to learn.
21:29
Knowledge that you are supposed to retain.
21:35
Maybe it could be something like volunteering.
21:40
So answering the call is saying, look, here
21:47
is some inspiration of something you should do.
21:51
Check yourself.
21:52
Does it align with your core values?
21:54
Yes or no?
21:56
Well, I'm not sure.
21:58
Okay.
21:59
So that's not a yes, not a no.
22:00
We could still research that.
22:01
We could still figure it out.
22:03
But if it's a hard no, we know
22:07
we are done.
22:07
If it's a hard yes, like, yeah.
22:11
So you get those two extremes.
22:12
But there is the middle ground where, I
22:14
don't know, is this the right choice or
22:18
am I just like eluding myself?
22:22
Answering the call is not something you do
22:25
to make yourself look better.
22:29
Answering the call is something you do to
22:31
become a better version of yourself.
22:37
And you do that for one reason.
22:40
To grow.
22:42
There will always be people out there that
22:44
are going to say, you know, this isn't
22:46
the way you can do it.
22:48
Great.
22:49
Do you have a better way?
22:50
No, but that's how I would do it.
22:55
I've had lots of, let's say, groups I've
22:59
been with.
23:01
And people would have a complaint.
23:06
I'm like, oh, that's awesome.
23:09
Sounds like a great idea.
23:10
Great, let's do that.
23:11
Great, come up here and you can lead
23:13
it.
23:13
Oh, no, no.
23:15
You're the one that has the comment.
23:17
You can come up here and lead the
23:18
group.
23:21
And then when people realize, oh, I just
23:25
put my foot in my mouth.
23:26
Like, what am I supposed to do?
23:28
What do I do now?
23:31
I came up with an idea.
23:32
I don't know if it's real or not.
23:34
I haven't thought about the logistics.
23:35
But all I did was open my mouth
23:36
to complain.
23:37
I didn't say, gee, maybe we could try
23:41
something like this.
23:43
Instead, I was arrogant and said, well, we
23:44
should definitely do this.
23:47
And that's why I brought them and said,
23:48
well, gee, take my chair.
23:49
I'll take yours.
23:51
Well, wait a minute.
23:52
If they would have just said, well, could
23:53
we consider this?
23:54
I would have been like, well, let's look
23:55
at the options.
23:56
But because the person was so arrogant, telling
23:59
me they could be a better leader than
24:00
me, I'm like, I'll sit down.
24:02
I'll sit in your chair.
24:03
You can come and sit in mine.
24:07
That's politely putting people in their place.
24:10
And why people do this is they want
24:13
to be in the limelight.
24:14
But they don't even know what's required of
24:17
them to be in the light.
24:18
They don't know what accountability is, responsibility is.
24:20
They don't know anything.
24:22
All they know is, there's the light, and
24:25
now I'm in it.
24:29
Okay, well, where do we start?
24:31
Where's the gavel?
24:33
So what do we do first?
24:36
Well, we run the meeting like Robert's Rules.
24:38
Who's Robert?
24:40
I think John left you a book on
24:42
how to run Robert's Rules.
24:44
Okay, well, we're going to run it through
24:46
Bob's Rules.
24:49
And people that are not open to learning
24:52
are doomed to failure.
24:57
Being passionate about wanting to learn every day
25:01
is something a lot of people don't want
25:02
to do.
25:03
I admit every day that I don't know
25:05
everything, and I want to keep learning.
25:07
I want to keep growing every single day
25:09
of my life.
25:12
But in order to learn every day, guys,
25:14
you have to be what?
25:16
You have to be humble.
25:20
You've got to be humble.
25:25
It's not easy to do.
25:28
But you all can do this.
25:30
When you're humble, you'll find that other people
25:33
want to actually help you.
25:37
They're not looking to take you out of
25:39
the limelight.
25:40
Okay?
25:42
They're not looking to do that.
25:46
They're looking to change what's happened.
25:51
They're looking to change a potential or a
25:53
possibility.
25:56
That's what they're looking for.
26:00
That's important, guys.
26:02
So, in closing tonight, before I sign off,
26:07
I want to say, again, a big shout
26:09
-out to our friends over at Cozy Cup.
26:14
And that's spelled C-O-Z-Y-C
26:17
-U-P.
26:18
And they are in East Brunswick, New Jersey.
26:24
And this is a special shout-out to
26:26
them.
26:27
Asking them today if they would like us,
26:30
the Jason Academy and Inspirations of Your Life
26:32
team to come out there and shoot a
26:33
show.
26:34
It won't cost you any money.
26:35
It's basically about a 27-minute show.
26:38
27 minutes and some change.
26:41
15 minutes to start to get set up
26:44
the show.
26:45
15 minutes afterwards, a brief little author talk,
26:48
a Q&A, and then an author signing.
26:54
But the show is actually only 27 minutes.
26:56
And people can even be part of the
26:58
show if they want to.
26:59
So, if you want to do that, I
27:00
encourage you to reach out to us at
27:06
jcmacademy.com.
27:07
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm John C.
27:08
Morley.
27:09
And you have been watching or listening to
27:13
the Inspirations for Your Life show.
27:14
Remember, guys, that life is not built on
27:16
empty numbers.
27:17
It's built on real people, real purpose, and
27:20
real connection.
27:22
Go out today or tomorrow and choose substance,
27:24
choose kindness, choose presence.
27:27
Choose to be someone who adds value wherever
27:31
you go.
27:32
Of course, you can learn more at believemeachieved
27:36
.com.
27:36
You can catch all of my unique content,
27:40
reels, articles, replays of this show and other
27:44
shows.
27:45
I think when you realize that and you
27:48
understand and you become humble when that proverbial
27:52
phone rings, you know what?
27:55
I think I should answer it.
27:57
But now I have the courage and I
28:00
have the wherewithal to where I'm going to
28:01
go with it.
28:02
Have yourself a great one and be well.
28:04
And again, a big shout out to Cozy
28:05
Cup.
28:06
And we hope you'll consider us to have
28:07
us come to your venue and have us
28:09
do a show.