Shadowing Practice: The Power of Positive Thinking | English Listening & Shadowing Practice (B1โB2) | The Cozy English - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hey everyone, welcome back to The Cozy English.
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I'm Emma.
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And I'm Daniel.
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It's really nice to have you here with us again.
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Emma, how has your day been so far?
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Honestly, my morning wasn't great.
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I woke up late, I spilled tea on my desk, and then I couldn't find my headphones for 20 minutes.
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Wow, that's already three problems before breakfast.
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Exactly.
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And for a moment, I thought, okay, this is going to be a terrible day.
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I do that too.
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Last week I missed my bus, forgot my wallet at home, and got caught in the rain.
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I remember thinking, everything is going wrong today.
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But was the whole day actually bad?
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Not really.
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The funny thing is, after lunch, everything became normal again.
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But my brain had already decided it was a bad day.
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I think many people do that.
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One small problem happens and suddenly we say, today is ruined.
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Yeah, we let ten bad minutes control ten whole hours.
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That's actually why I wanted to talk about today's topic.
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Sometimes the way we think changes everything.
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Positive thinking.
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Exactly.
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And we're not talking about pretending everything is perfect.
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Because life isn't perfect.
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Right.
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Sometimes you're tired.
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Sometimes you're sad.
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Sometimes things really go wrong.
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But maybe we can choose how we look at those situations.
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Let me ask you something.
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When your bus left without you, what was your first thought?
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Honestly?
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I'm so unlucky.
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And how did that make you feel?
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Annoyed.
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Angry.
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I started noticing every other bad thing around me.
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That's interesting.
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One thought created more negative thoughts.
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Exactly.
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And later I met a friend for coffee, and he said, well, at least you have a good story now.
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Did that change your mood?
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It really did.
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Suddenly it didn't feel like a disaster anymore.
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I think positive thinking often starts with small changes.
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Instead of saying, everything is terrible, maybe we can say, this moment is difficult.
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That's much gentler.
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Or instead of, I ruined my day, we can say, my morning didn't go as planned.
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You know, when I was younger, I thought positive people never had problems.
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Me too.
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But now I think positive people still have problems.
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They just don't let those problems become their entire story.
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I love that.
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Have you ever had a small problem completely change your mood?
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Oh, yes.
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Perhaps one email or one mistake at work makes me think I'm doing everything wrong.
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Why do you think that happens?
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Maybe because we're very hard on ourselves.
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We expect everything to go perfectly.
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And when it doesn't, we immediately think negatively.
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But perhaps one bad moment doesn't mean a bad day.
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And one difficult day doesn't mean a bad life.
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Today we're going to talk about how positive thinking can change the way we see ourselves, our problems, and our future.
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So grab a cup of tea, get comfortable, and let's talk about it together.
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Before we started recording today, you said something interesting, Daniel. Did I?
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I say many strange things.
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You said, I'm terrible at remembering names.
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Oh yes, that's absolutely true.
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But are you really terrible at it?
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Well, maybe not terrible.
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I just forget names sometimes.
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See?
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That's what we're talking about today.
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The voice inside our heads.
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Ah, the little voice that talks all day.
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Exactly.
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Sometimes it helps us, but sometimes it can be very negative.
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Mine likes to say things like, you're not good enough, or you're going to make a mistake.
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I think many people have that voice, especially when they're learning English.
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Oh yes, I hear students say, my English is awful all the time.
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Have you ever said that to yourself?
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Definitely.
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When I started learning guitar, I remember thinking, I'm too slow.
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Everyone else is better.
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How did that make you feel?
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Honestly, a little embarrassed.
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I didn't want to practice in front of anyone.
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Why?
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Because I thought people would judge me.
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Did anyone actually judge you?
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Not really.
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Most people were very supportive.
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Isn't that interesting?
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Sometimes the negative voice is much louder than reality.
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That's true.
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We often believe our own thoughts without questioning them.
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I had something similar when I started speaking English with foreigners.
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After every conversation, I would think, I made so many mistakes.
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Did someone tell you that?
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No. It was just my own voice.
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What changed?
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One friend told me, you communicate very well.
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I was surprised because I only saw my mistakes.
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Sometimes other people see us more kindly than we see ourselves.
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Exactly.
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That's why positive thinking isn't saying, I'm perfect.
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Because nobody is.
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Instead, it's saying, I'm improving.
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I like the word, yet.
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Me too.
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Instead of saying, I can't do this, we can say, I can't do this yet.
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That one word changes everything.
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It gives us hope.
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Let me ask you something.
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If your best friend said, I'm terrible at English, what would you say?
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I'd probably say, no, you're learning.
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Give yourself some time.
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Would you call your friends stupid?
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Never.
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Then why do we speak to ourselves that way?
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That's a very good question.
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Sometimes we're our own worst critics.
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And maybe positive thinking begins when we become a little kinder to ourselves.
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Not because we want to ignore our mistakes.
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But because we want to keep going.
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Learning, growing and improving take time.
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And the voice inside our heads matters.
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So maybe today, if you hear yourself saying, I'm not good enough, try changing it.
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Maybe say, I'm still learning.
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Or, I'm getting better.
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Or even, I'll try again tomorrow.
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Small changes in our words can create big changes in our minds.
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And sometimes, the most important conversation is the one we have with ourselves.
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You know, we've been talking a lot about the voice inside our own heads.
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The little voice that sometimes helps us and sometimes makes us nervous.
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Exactly.
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But I think another important thing is the voices around us.
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You mean our friends, family, teachers and co-workers?
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Yes.
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The people around us can really affect how we think about ourselves.
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That's very true.
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I still remember one teacher from high school.
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Really?
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What happened?
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I had to give a presentation in class and I was extremely nervous.
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My hands were shaking.
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Oh no. Before I started, my teacher said, Take your time.
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You always have good ideas.
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That's such a simple sentence.
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Yes, but I still remember it after many years.
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How did it make you feel?
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Honestly, I felt calmer.
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Someone believed in me before I believed in myself.
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I think many of us have moments like that. Do you?
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Yes.
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When I first started working, I was very quiet during meetings.
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Why?
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I thought everyone else was smarter than me.
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That's a common feeling.
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One day, my manager asked, Emma, what do you think?
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I said I didn't have anything important to say. And then?
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She said, Your ideas are always thoughtful.
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We'd like to hear them.
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Wow.
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I still remember those words.
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Did it change anything?
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Slowly, yes.
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I started speaking more.
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Not because I suddenly became smarter, but because I felt supported.
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It's amazing how one sentence can stay with us for years.
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And unfortunately, negative words can stay with us too.
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That's true.
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Sometimes people tell us we're not talented enough or not good enough.
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Have you ever experienced that?
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Yes.
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When I was younger, someone told me I wasn't very creative.
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That must have hurt.
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It did.
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For a long time, I believed it.
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What changed?
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A friend encouraged me to start writing again.
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He said, you always tell good stories.
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It's interesting how one person can close a door, but another person can open it.
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Exactly.
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That's why positive thinking isn't only about ourselves, it's also about the people around us.
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Sometimes we can become that encouraging person for someone else.
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Maybe a classmate who is afraid to speak English.
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Or a friend who wants to try something new.
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Sometimes all they need to hear is, you can do it.
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Or, take your time.
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Or even, I'm proud of you.
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Let me ask you something.
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Has anyone ever said something positive to you that you still remember today?
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That's a beautiful question.
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And maybe another question.
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Have you ever said something kind that changed someone else's day?
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Because words are powerful.
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They can build confidence.
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They can give hope.
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And sometimes they help people see themselves differently.
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So maybe today we can all choose our words a little more carefully.
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Both for ourselves and for the people we care about.
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Because one kind sentence can stay in someone's heart for a very long time.
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We've talked about our thoughts and the people around us.
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but I think positive thinking becomes much harder when life is difficult.
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Definitely.
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It's easy to stay positive when everything is going well.
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But what about when things don't go well?
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Like failing an exam, losing a job, or going through a difficult time.
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Exactly.
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Have you ever experienced a moment when it was hard to stay hopeful?
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Yes, actually.
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A few years ago, I worked very hard on a project that completely failed.
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Oh no, what happened?
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I spent months on it, but in the end, nothing worked.
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I felt like all my effort was wasted.
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That sounds really disappointing.
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It was.
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For several weeks, I kept thinking, maybe I'm not good enough.
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What was the hardest part?
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Honestly, it wasn't the failure itself.
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It was feeling like I had disappointed myself.
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I understand that.
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Have you ever experienced something similar?
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Yes.
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When I was learning English, there was a period when I felt completely stuck.
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Really?
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Yes.
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I studied every day, but I couldn't see any progress.
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I started thinking, maybe I'll never become fluent.
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How did that make you feel?
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frustrated, and a little sad.
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What helped you continue?
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One day I realised that positive thinking doesn't mean saying, everything is wonderful.
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That's an important point.
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Sometimes things are difficult.
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Sometimes we're tired or disappointed.
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And pretending to be happy all the time can actually make us feel worse.
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Exactly.
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Instead, I started saying, this is hard right now, but it won't stay this way forever.
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I really like that.
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What helped you after your project failed?
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I talked to a close friend.
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He asked me, what did you learn from it?
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That's a good question.
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At first I said, nothing.
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But after thinking about it, I realised I had learned a lot.
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So the experience still had value.
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Yes.
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The failure hurt, but it also taught me things.
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I think positive thinking during difficult times is really about hope.
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Not pretending.
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Not ignoring pain.
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Not forcing yourself to smile.
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Just believing that today's problem isn't the end of the story.
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Sometimes we only see the difficult moment in front of us.
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But life is usually much bigger than one mistake or one bad experience.
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And progress is often very slow.
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Especially when we're learning something new.
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Or trying to change our lives.
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So if you're listening right now and going through a difficult time, maybe you don't need to be perfectly positive.
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Maybe you only need one small thought.
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Such as, I can try again.
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Or this won't last forever.
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Or even, I'm doing the best I can today.
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Because positive thinking isn't about denying difficult moments.
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It's about believing that difficult moments can change.
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And sometimes hope is enough to help us take the next step.
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We've talked about bad days, negative thoughts, supportive people, and difficult times.
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And now I have a question.
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Go ahead.
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Can positive thinking actually become a habit?
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I think it can.
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Not overnight, of course.
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Unfortunately.
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But small actions every day can slowly change the way we think.
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What's one habit that helps you?
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Every evening, I try to think of three good things that happen during the day.
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Really?
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Even on bad days?
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Especially on bad days.
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What kinds of things?
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Sometimes they're very small.
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Maybe I had a good cup of coffee.
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Maybe a friend sent me a message.
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Maybe I finished a difficult task.
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I like that.
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It reminds us that not everything is bad.
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Exactly.
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What about you?
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I go for walks.
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Walks?
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Yes.
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When I stay inside and keep thinking about my problems, everything feels bigger.
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But when I walk outside, my mind becomes quieter.
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That makes sense.
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Sometimes I don't solve the problem, but I stop worrying about it so much.
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Another habit that helps me is avoiding comparison.
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Oh, that's a difficult one.
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Especially these days.
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We see people online travelling, succeeding, learning new skills.
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And suddenly we think we're falling behind.
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Have you ever felt that?
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Many times.
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I look at someone else's success and think, why am I not there yet? Yet.
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There's that word again.
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Exactly.
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What helps you stop comparing yourself?
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I try to remember that everyone moves at a different speed.
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That's true.
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Some people learn quickly.
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Some people need more time.
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And that's OK.
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Another small habit is celebrating little progress.
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We usually wait for huge success.
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Yes, but maybe finishing one chapter deserves celebration.
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Or speaking English for five minutes.
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Or trying something new.
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Sometimes we forget to notice our own growth.
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Let me ask you something.
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If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
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I would say, stop being so hard on yourself.
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You're doing better than you think.
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That's beautiful.
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What about you?
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I would say, you don't have to figure everything out right now.
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I think many people need to hear that.
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Life isn't a race.
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And positive thinking isn't about becoming happy every single day.
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It's about choosing hope a little more often.
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Being kinder to yourself.
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Noticing good moments.
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Continuing even when progress feels slow.
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Before we finish, here's a question for everyone listening.
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What is one positive thing in your life right now?
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It can be something big or something very small.
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And what's one kind sentence you can say to yourself today?
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Thank you so much for spending this time with us.
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We hope this conversation brought you a little comfort.
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Remember, you don't need to think positively all the time.
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Just take one small step at a time.
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Take care of yourself.
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And we'll see you again very soon on The Cozy English.
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Bye everyone.
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Bye.
About This Lesson
Welcome to todayโs English practice session focused on the theme of positive thinking. In this lesson, you will listen to a conversation between Emma and Daniel, where they share their experiences with dealing with challenging moments. Youโll strengthen your English listening skills and practice shadow speakingโa technique that helps improve English pronunciation and speaking fluency. By the end of this session, you'll understand how a simple shift in your thinking can influence your day-to-day emotions and interactions.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Positive thinking: The practice of focusing on the good aspects of situations.
- Control: To have power over something; often relates to emotions and reactions.
- Situation: A set of circumstances in which one finds oneself.
- Perspective: A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.
- Plan: To make arrangements in advance; can relate to daily activities.
- Story: A narrative about past experiences; often used to share lessons learned.
- Difficult: Something that is hard to deal with or understand.
- Moment: A brief period of time, which can greatly impact feelings.
Practice Tips
To maximize your learning from this video, consider these effective shadowing techniques:
- Listen actively: First, watch the video without trying to speak. Focus on understanding the context and emotions.
- Repeat instantly: Play short segments of the conversation and repeat the phrases aloud. This will help you improve your English pronunciation and internalize the language.
- Match the tone: Pay attention to the speakersโ intonations and expressions. Mimicking their emotions will enhance your fluency and make your speech more natural.
- Pause and reflect: After shadowing, take a moment to reflect on the key points made in the conversation. Think about how you can apply positive thinking in your own life.
- Engage with the content: After practicing, write down your thoughts or a short paragraph about a difficult situation you overcame. This will help reinforce the vocabulary and concepts learned.
By utilizing these shadowing tips and reflecting on the conversation, you can effectively learn English with YouTube resources and build confidence in your speaking abilities. Remember, shadowspeaks to the essence of language learning: practice, reflect, and improve! Enjoy your journey in mastering English with intentional speech practice through shadowspeak techniques!
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud โ like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1โ2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency โ making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.