#414 10 Powerful Books That Will Transform Your English Fluency and Your Life
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RealLife English: Learn and Speak Confident, Natural English
11-04 22:5234914
全文概览
In the dialogue, the hosts of a podcast delve into the transformative power of ten books that have significantly impacted their lives and personal development. They emphasize the importance of habit formation and breaking, discussing "Atomic Habits" as a pivotal resource for cultivating good habits and transforming lives. The conversation explores how habits shape identity and the significance of focusing on desired identities to foster positive behavioral changes. The hosts also touch on mindfulness and present moment awareness, advocating for a peaceful existence through "The Power of Now." Encouraging listener engagement, they share insights from various books, including "I Will Teach You to Be Rich," "Essentialism," and "The Obstacle Is the Way," which cover financial management, productivity, and overcoming obstacles. The dialogue concludes with an invitation for audience participation in ongoing discussions about personal growth and an endorsement of their English learning app, Real Life English, as a tool for enhancing language skills and connecting globally.
In the dialogue, the hosts of a podcast delve into the transformative power of ten books that have significantly impacted their lives and personal development. They emphasize the importance of habit formation and breaking, discussing "Atomic Habits" as a pivotal resource for cultivating good habits and transforming lives. The conversation explores how habits shape identity and the significance of focusing on desired identities to foster positive behavioral changes. The hosts also touch on mindfulness and present moment awareness, advocating for a peaceful existence through "The Power of Now." Encouraging listener engagement, they share insights from various books, including "I Will Teach You to Be Rich," "Essentialism," and "The Obstacle Is the Way," which cover financial management, productivity, and overcoming obstacles. The dialogue concludes with an invitation for audience participation in ongoing discussions about personal growth and an endorsement of their English learning app, Real Life English, as a tool for enhancing language skills and connecting globally.
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Transform Your Life with Powerful Non-Fiction Books on Self-Development
Today's episode highlights the transformative potential of non-fiction books, especially those focused on self-development and creativity. We delve into how these books can assist individuals in taking control of their time, fostering a growth mindset, and unleashing their inner creativity. Through ten meticulously selected books, listeners will uncover actionable lessons they can immediately apply to enhance their English proficiency and personal growth. The discussion kicks off with the insightful 'Atomic Habits', which explores the profound impact of habits on our identity and vice versa. This episode is designed to inspire and equip eager learners with practical strategies for self-improvement and habit formation, making it an invaluable resource for anyone committed to self-development.
02:11
02:11
The Power of Consistent Daily Habits for Personal Transformation
The dialogue highlights the significance of developing consistent daily habits for personal growth, using examples from both learning English and adopting a healthier lifestyle. It emphasizes the importance of small, regular actions over occasional large efforts in building new habits, and how these habits shape one's identity and future behaviors. The conversation also touches on the transformative effect of adopting habits that align with one's desired self-image, such as becoming more active and financially responsible. The speakers share personal anecdotes about shifting their habits towards more productive and fulfilling activities, demonstrating the power of habit formation in achieving personal and financial goals.
04:54
04:54
Living Within Your Means Without Sacrificing Happiness
The dialogue focuses on a financial philosophy that emphasizes maintaining happiness by allowing for personal indulgences, rather than strictly adhering to a budget that eliminates all non-essential expenses. It highlights the importance of spending money on things that bring genuine joy, such as coffee from Starbucks or a spontaneous ice cream treat, rather than depriving oneself to meet financial goals. This approach encourages saving and investing by automating these processes, turning them into habits, and thus making financial planning easier and less stressful.
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06:57
The Power of Prioritization Over Excuses
The dialogue emphasizes the importance of avoiding the phrase 'I don't have time' to foster a sense of control and responsibility over one's schedule. It advocates for a shift from perceiving time constraints as external barriers to recognizing time management as a matter of personal prioritization. This approach encourages individuals to align their actions with their values, leading to a more intentional and fulfilling life design. The discussion draws from the lessons of a book that promotes taking ownership of one's choices and proactively shaping a life that reflects one's true priorities.
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09:12
Real Life English App Improves Ankita's Language Skills
Ankita, a satisfied user, praises the Real Life English app for transforming her perception of learning English. Despite earlier doubts, the app enabled her to significantly improve her English abilities. She encourages others to join the app's community for a supportive and enriching language learning experience.
10:12
10:12
Understanding Attachment Styles for Stronger Relationships
Relationship psychologist Harville Hendricks' book, 'Getting the Love You Want', emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and understanding attachment styles in fostering healthy relationships. By reflecting on childhood experiences and relationships with parents, individuals can identify their attachment patterns, which influence their behavior in adult relationships. This knowledge aids in empathizing with partners' reactions and working through issues together, promoting growth and deeper connection. The book encourages not just couples, but all individuals, to enhance their awareness of others' backgrounds for more meaningful connections and global consciousness.
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13:28
The Dangers of Emotional Dependence and Independence in Relationships
The dialogue touches upon the issue of emotional dependence and independence in personal relationships. It discusses how being too emotionally attached to someone can have negative consequences, yet also highlights the importance of emotional independence. This interplay between dependence and independence is crucial for maintaining a healthy relationship.
13:38
13:38
Embracing Obstacles and Improvisation for Personal Growth
Discussing the concept that obstacles present opportunities for improvement, highlighting the personal journey of overcoming overthinking and self-improvement through improv classes. Also touching on the therapeutic aspects of learning a new language and improv, especially when done in a second language, which encourages embracing mistakes and connecting with one's playful side.
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15:54
Matthew McConaughey's Career Risk for Oscar Success
Matthew McConaughey, known initially for romantic comedies, faced the risk of being typecast in the 2000s. He turned down a lucrative $14.5 million contract for a rom-com to pursue more serious roles. Despite a period of unemployment, his dedication paid off when he landed the role in 'Dallas Buyers Club,' earning him an Oscar.
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17:11
The Stockdale Paradox: Unwavering Faith in Adversity
Admiral James Stockdale, a Vietnam War prisoner, embodied the Stockdale Paradox with his belief in ultimate victory amidst bleak circumstances. Despite enduring torture and uncertainty, Stockdale maintained a hopeful outlook while acknowledging the harsh realities of his situation. This approach enabled him to endure and emerge with a greater purpose, inspiring those around him. The concept teaches the importance of combining optimism with realism to overcome challenges.
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18:47
Optimistic Resiliency: Balancing Realism and Faith
The dialogue explores the concept of resilient optimism, a blend of realism and unwavering faith. It explains 'unwavering faith' as a steadfast belief that remains firm, unmoving, and unchanging, signifying complete confidence in a belief's truth regardless of circumstances. The speaker inquires about the next book, not directly related to the main topic discussed.
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Self-Reflection and Habit Transformation
The discussion highlights the significance of self-awareness and habit change through a recommended book exercise, where the individual documents every action in a day as if it were being filmed by someone. This exercise prompts reflection on actions, habits, and the alignment with one's values, ultimately leading to a reevaluation and potential shift in focus towards more impactful activities.
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21:33
Embrace the Die Empty Philosophy in Your Next Book
Exploring the concept of 'Die Empty', a strategy for living a purposeful life by fully utilizing one's talents and energy, ensuring no reserves are left. This approach is mirrored in the development of the speaker's upcoming book, emphasizing creative fulfillment and impact.
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22:11
The Power of Curiosity in Unleashing Creativity
This dialogue highlights the significance of curiosity, exemplified by the life of Leonardo da Vinci, in fostering creativity. The speaker, inspired by a biography of da Vinci written by Walter Isaacson, emphasizes how da Vinci's broad interests in art, anatomy, engineering, and more, fueled his creativity. The meticulous journal entries of da Vinci, including detailed observations about nature, serve as a testament to the value of curiosity. The speaker also suggests that curiosity is crucial for professionals and language learners to stay inspired and innovative, linking it to the ability to observe and consume knowledge from various sources. This dialogue advocates for cultivating curiosity as a means to unleash one's creative potential.
24:54
24:54
The Art of Presence for Inner Peace
The main message focuses on the importance of being fully present and suggests three practical options for dealing with situations that cause unhappiness: remove yourself, change the situation, or accept it completely. This approach is linked to the Serenity prayer, emphasizing the virtues of acceptance, action, and wisdom in achieving inner peace.
25:55
25:55
The Significance of Living in the Present Moment
The dialogue emphasizes the importance of being 'here now', a concept symbolized by a tattoo and highlighted in discussions about future-oriented living. It suggests that true happiness and fulfillment are found in the present, encouraging the adoption of rituals to anchor oneself in the moment. The conversation also touches on the power of meditation and the influence of role models like Boyd Vardy, a lion tracker and author, who embodies the practice of living authentically in the present.
27:58
27:58
The Art of Tracking and Self-Awareness
The dialogue explores the concept of tracking animals as a meditative practice that fosters self-awareness and encourages aligning one's life with activities that bring joy and reducing those that cause unhappiness. Inspired by a story told by Boyd, the speaker reflects on a book that uses the analogy of tracking to convey life lessons on happiness and fulfillment. This narrative also includes a promotion for a podcast episode featuring Boyd, emphasizing storytelling and the immersive experience it provides, inviting listeners to delve into a safari adventure. A special segment, 'Story Time,' is introduced, offering a clip from the podcast for vocabulary enhancement, showcasing Boyd's ability to captivate audiences with his tales.
30:36
30:36
Bee Attack Experience in an African Village
A person recounts an intense encounter with a swarm of African bees led by a village beekeeper named Simon Sambo. The narrative details a failed attempt to handle the bees, followed by a dramatic rescue involving a smoker. The experience includes vivid descriptions of bee behavior and the use of interesting language to convey the situation.
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32:21
Describing Enraged Bees and Swarm Collective Behavior
The dialogue discusses the use of colloquial language and descriptive terminology to convey the intensity and visual impact of a swarm of bees, specifically mentioning 'enraged African killer bees.' The term 'enraged' is explored as a vivid synonym for 'angry,' emphasizing a heightened state of aggression. The term 'swarming' is also examined, likening it to the collective behavior of a school of fish, thus highlighting the dynamic and unified movement of the bees.
33:37
33:37
Exploring Language Nuances and Pronunciation with a Visual Storyteller
The dialogue centers around a discussion on the usage of language, specifically focusing on the verb 'swarm' and its collocations with insects. It highlights a unique approach to learning English through visual imagery and connected speech. A specific instance is mentioned where a speaker discusses a story about using a 'smoker' to put a beast to sleep, illustrating nuances in pronunciation, such as dropped 'T's and schwa sounds, for better fluency.
35:53
35:53
Mastering English Fluency: Stopping Wasting Time and Achieving Advanced Level
The dialogue emphasizes the importance of transitioning from intermediate to advanced English fluency. It encourages listeners to identify and avoid habits that hinder progress, suggesting methods that genuinely work. The speakers invite community members to share favorite books, fostering a platform for language learners to discover new reads. Additionally, they highlight ways to support the podcast, such as using provided links or subscribing, aiming to unite the community through shared literature.
发言人 100:00
Today we're covering non-fiction books.
发言人 200:03
Yeah, the book was really impactful. And because it forces you to take responsibility for your time.
发言人 100:09
I like this. I'm really into self development .
发言人 200:11
and this book is for anyone who wants to unleash their creativity. So it probably would go really nice actually hand in hand with. You see, it's great to see you again. And I'm really excited for today's topic to get to talk about some books with you since we're both pretty avid readers.
发言人 100:31
Probably like we were talking about media, native media the other day, we covered movies. So books would probably be my favorite option. You know, especially today we're covering non fiction books, I like this. I'm really into self development.
发言人 200:45
And yeah, and by the end of this episode, you are going to be getting 10 different books that can transform your English and your life. And you'll be getting one lesson from each of those that you can apply right away, right after you finish listening. And finally, we'll be letting you in on how to survive AB attack. But before we get into any of that, I want to let you know that if you are new here, every single week we make fun lessons like this that help you to become a confident, natural English speaker. So be sure to hit that subscribe button and the bell down below to not miss a single new episode. Or if you're listening to us on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere else that you listen to podcast, be sure to follow us all. Izzy, what is your .
发言人 101:27
first book? All right, my first book is Atomic Habits. Now, lots of people will talk about habit formation, and in this book, this is exactly what you get to learn about. It teaches you an easy and proven way to build good habits and break bad ones. So one great lesson that I learned from it was that my habits, they build my identity, my sense of identity, know who I think I am. And then my identity, it influences back my habits. So you have this cycle, and what's really surprising that the book shows is that if you focus on building your identity first, that's going to be more productive for you. It's going to be more effective for building habits.
发言人 102:09
Most people just focus on the activities.
发言人 102:11
You know, one example I can give related to English learning is most learners, they'll try and spend, say, one hour learning English, but they'll only do that sometimes. But that's not super helpful. That's not really going to help you develop a habit because it'd be better off spending five minutes every day as long as it's every day. You're better off building that identity because you're going to be thinking like, I'm really am the type of person who learns English every day, you know? So it's all about taking action, not spending time initially in this initial phase of building habits.
发言人 202:48
Yeah, that was one of my favorite takeaways from the book as well from Atomic Habits For me, it was really transformational in the sense that when I was coming up, I didn't exercise a lot. I used to prefer like playing video games or watching TV, things like this. I didn't have very good, healthy, active habits. And just like the last couple years and this book was really helpful as part of this I've been trying to become someone who's more active and applying atomic habits, applying this whole thing about identity.
发言人 203:20
I started thinking more about, okay, you know, what do people who are active do? And so I started going to the gym, of course, it's like been something I've been working on the last couple years, but then this year especially, what's been really helpful was getting into more activities. So doing things that are fun, but are also active. So rock climbing this summer, I got into rowing and I'm planning to try also some other sports. So rather than, you know, just trying to have things that I do to be in shape, like going to the gym, it's actually having a more active lifestyle where that's something that I do socially. That's something I do for fun.
发言人 103:56
Yeah, I think what you're saying now in what we were discussing here is really well captured in a quote from a book that says every action you take is a vote for the type of person that you wish to become. So you try to convince yourself that you're the kind of person and it also happened with me. I started investing and started saving money a year ago, also influenced by this book because I realized, you know what? It doesn't matter how much I save and it matters that I just save a certain amount. I have a goal of saving X, but if I don't hit that, if I don't get to save that amount of money, that's okay, you know, because I just want to create the habit and it worked. So every month now I am doing that.
发言人 204:36
Well, it's perfect that you bring that up. Is he? Because it streamlines right into the next book that I brought, which is called I will teach You to Be Rich by ramit Sethi, and this is one that's super applicable for all of us because all of us need to learn how to spend our money, how to budget it, how to save, how to invest, and so on.
发言人 204:55
And I read this a few years ago because not really something, at least in the United States that were in school, how to do all these things and I especially like his approach because I read other books on finances.
发言人 205:07
And oftentimes it's about like really cutting away things that aren't considered essential to your life and like only spending your money on those things that are absolutely necessary. But he talks a lot about about like, no, don't sacrifice those things that you love. So for example, if you really have a happy moment every day going down to the Starbucks and having your, I don't know, your caramel macchiato, venti, or whatever special drink that costs an absurd amount of money, like do that, that's your happy moment. Whereas a lot of other financial people would say like, oh, no, Starbucks is way too expensive. Just make your coffee at home. So it's this whole thing about reflecting your values and trying to spend your money and your values on the other side of that too.
发言人 205:47
You could apply it to say you're watching too much TV. And that's not really something that you actually value. Maybe you cut out your cable bill so that you have more money for the things that really bring you happiness, like maybe your morning coffee hit.
发言人 206:01
So for me, it was really nice to actually create a budget that took into consideration, you know, having space for my whims and just the book in general. I highly recommend it to anyone that needs a philosophy for this. It was really helpful for me too, like you said, to automate my savings and my investment every month.
发言人 106:23
It becomes so much easier when we turn things into a habit, right? Instead of be trying to figure it out every month, Every every week. Yeah, you said the word whims. They like to make room, to make space for your whims, what does that mean?
发言人 206:38
A whim is something that you just feel like in a moment, so it might be that it's a really hot day. And on a whim, you go to buy an ice cream or an acai because that just sounds so refreshing in that moment. So it's nice to have some money set aside so that you can have a guilt-free ice cream on a hot day. What's your next book Izzy?
发言人 106:57
All right, my next one is essentialism. This is a book that you and I have read, Ethan, and you were the one who actually recommended it to me first. Not one thing that this book taught me and that you taught me to is not to use the words.
发言人 107:10
I don't have time, like I don't have time to do this. I don't have time to do that, basically, because that implies that somebody is taking away your options, your time, and that's making you feel like helpless, that you can't do anything about it. Now, the problem with that is exactly that because like you don't have to give, give away your freedom to choose, right?
发言人 107:31
If you say I don't have time, you're basically doing that. And instead of saying that, you can say it's not a priority because that shows that you're deciding to not make that a priority. And that's okay too.
发言人 107:42
But sometimes conflicts, it creates this conflict with our own values of what we actually want in life. For example, parents, they often say, I don't have time to play with my kids, for example. But if instead of saying that, they say it's not a priority for me to play with my kids, and suddenly you start to think about that, I was like, but it is a priority. So what should I do about it? You know? So we do have time. It's just about prioritization, end of the day, right?
发言人 208:14
Yeah, the book was really impactful and especially what you're talking about because it forces you to take responsibility for your time. A lot of us just like to have this excuse. I don't have time as if it were something that's completely out of our control, but instead you start to kind of like we're talking about too with, with I will teach you to get rich that it has you reflect on your values and kind of come from a value centered place of how do I want to spend my time and be more proactive about that so that you can figure out, okay, I need to have more time to play with my kids or I need to have more time to play the guitar, maybe you have that hobby that is really important to you and so you actually design a life, become the architect for the type of life that you want to be leading, right?
发言人 109:05
Love that idea right of like, don't be the victim of your life of the circumstances, design it, you do have the option.
发言人 209:13
I think we need to give a thank you to our learner of the week.
发言人 109:20
Alright, so this message comes from ankita and they left a five star review on Google Play. And here's their message about the real life app. So this is the best app ever. I want to say that this app changed my mind because I thought I could never learn English, but I was wrong. My English has improved. I want to say a big thanks for all members. Nothing is impossible in this world. If you can think it, you can do it.
发言人 209:46
Oh, yeah, that's so amazing. And if you are not yet learning with the real life English app, that is by far the best way to take advantage of these lessons with vocabulary flashcards you can follow around along with the interactive transcript so you don't miss a single word. If you have trouble understanding us at all and so much more, so definitely go check it out, meet the vibrant community there, and we look forward to being your coaches on your English learning journey.
发言人 110:12
So you said what is that next book of yours?
发言人 210:15
So my next book comes from relationship psychologist harville Hendricks, and it's called Getting the Love You Want. And I recommend this absolutely to everyone who's in a romantic relationship or otherwise. I found it really valuable in my relationship with George. Actually, a few years ago, we read it together. So just doing that was already really valuable experience to have together.
发言人 210:38
But one of the tips that I like that he gives in this book is about getting to know the context of your partner and yourself. And this makes a lot of sense because having self-aware is just so important for actually being able to function with other people. And in particular, he gives exercise where you reflect on your childhood and you think about your relationship with your parents and things that they did that you liked and that you didn't like. And this really helps to point out what your attachment styles might be.
发言人 211:07
Now, these are patterns of behavior that we have in relationships with other people, and they usually were developed during childhood. So actually knowing this about yourself and your partner, it's really helpful because maybe you have a really strong reaction to something that your partner does, or they have a strong reaction to something that you do. So like when you have a strong reaction to something they did, you can actually think about like, okay, what is that bringing up in me that maybe I experienced when I was younger or in your partner? If you know their background, it's like, okay, what might be the reason that they're reacting really strongly to that? And it gives you a chance to work through that.
发言人 211:41
And it's actually something I really like about his philosophy for relationships is that we can actually use our romantic relationships and the issues that we experience together to grow together. We can kind of deal with these things together. So I think that it's a really powerful book for people in relationships. And I would even recommend it to single people because ultimately it's important all sorts of relationships that we have this sort of awareness for other people's, you know, how they grew up a lot, how their lives have shaped them and everything, maybe their cultural background, even if you're coming from different cultures. And this is really an essential ingredient of global consciousness. And that's something that we have at the heart of the real life way because ultimately your English, the highest, the highest use of your English, highest potential for it really is to gain that global consciousness and become a global citizen.
发言人 112:30
like this book really feels like it's something we could recommend in a real life way, even because it does help you connect with other people. And it's great for self-aware to I do think that self awareness is is one of the most important areas of knowledge one could pursue because if you understand how things work that's nice, but if you don't understand how your works, you know you're not going to be very functional, as you said. So, yeah, there's that aspect of understanding yourself and then understanding odds, having that curiosity, which is also a part of the real life way be curious. And this is being curious about other people, so you can connect with them just incredible. So you use a nice word there. You said attachment styles, referring to that concept that you introduced. But what does the word attachment mean here exactly?
发言人 213:19
So if you attach to things, you connect them. And so this is basically saying how you attach to other people or how you connect with them.
发言人 113:28
Yeah, it's even used sometimes in the context of like being too, too attached to somebody, right? Maybe you're emotionally independent, so there's that too.
发言人 213:37
Emotionally dependent, right?
发言人 113:39
Dependent, yeah. Anyway, so my next book is The Obstacle is the Way. Now, this is a book that I think the title already contains the essence of it, it's actually a great title, there's a quote in it that expands on that a little bit that goes like this, the obstacle in the path becomes the path, never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.
发言人 114:05
I think this is, for me, I feel really connected to this because when I started appearing on this podcast as a presenter here, I was reading this book and at that time I was overthinking a lot, you know, and I was having a really a hard time to be myself, you know, and not only on this podcast, but I realized that that was happening in other areas of my life, in relationships. I really struggled to be myself. So I started taking improv classes so I could improve my performance here, but that also helped me in life in general. I think that was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done was taking improv lessons and seeing that happening. And it only happened because I saw the obstacle as an opportunity. You know, it was the way I didn't try to avoid it. So that was amazing.
发言人 214:55
Yeah, for the next day, you brought up improv because I'm doing that too, and it also has a therapeutics to it, if that's a word. And so we were talking about like something that's kind of like relationship therapy and going into that can be a good way to get to know yourself better because it really forces you out of your comfort zone. It forces you to connect more with that childlike, playful part of yourself. And I think that that connects so well too, to learning a language because it requires you just to embrace the silliness of it, because you feel like a child when you're speaking a foreign language. You don't have the same, you know, mastery over words and the same flow that you would have when you're speaking your mother tongue. So those two things can really go hand in hand.
发言人 215:37
And I've been really impressed because I'm doing improv in English. And people, most people in the class English isn't their first language. So it's pretty crazy to see how they they're able to do this thing that's really difficult also in another language.
发言人 115:50
definitely. So what is your next 1 Ethan?
发言人 215:55
All right, so a few years ago, Matthew McConaughey wrote an autobiography that kind of took the world by storm. It was quite viral. Maybe for most of us, we didn't realize what an incredible life he has led up to this point. He's maybe in his 50 S, so he's already having an autobiography that's just so packed with adventures, so that's really great.
发言人 116:15
It a lot cooler he.
发言人 216:19
And one of the stories that really impacted me from his autobiography from Green Lights is that he was in the 2000s. He was really just known for doing romantic comedies, rom-coms, and he felt like he was in danger of being typecast. And he was wanting to break into more serious roles. And so he completely risked his career. He turned down a $14.5 million contract for a romantic comedy movie and he was without work. I don't remember for exactly how long, but for a long time. And he, you know, wasn't sure if he was actually going to get the call, but he just really believed in himself and kept turning down any sort of job that wasn't something that was a more serious role. And eventually, he did get the opportunity to be in a movie called Dallas Buyers Club in a dramatic role, and he won an Oscar for it.
发言人 217:07
So just shows that he was using that time to improve as an actor.
发言人 217:13
He had this unwavering faith that he would prevail, which reminds me directly of something called the Stockdale Paradox that I read about in another book. So the Stockdale Paradox, it comes from a man named Admiral James Stockdale, who was taken prisoner during the Vietnam War, and he was tortured. You know, he went through some of the worst experiences a human can have. He had this reflection that he knows people who were breaking, who were going through the same thing as him in these prisoner camps were the people who were the most optimistic. You know, they'd be telling themselves, you know, we're going to be out by Thanksgiving, we're going to be out by Christmas, and these holidays or these moments would come and they wouldn't be rescued. They wouldn't be out.
发言人 217:55
He, on the other hand, he knew he had this unwavering faith like Matthew McConaughey, that he would prevail, that he would get out eventually. But he also was very realistic that he didn't know how long it was going to take, that he needed to, you know, support his fellow inmates and he needed to himself really remain intact. And the way he did that was by reflecting that this would be an experience of his life that would really mark him and would really help him to go home and be a better person because of it, to pay that forward.
发言人 218:25
So I find Matthew McConnell had really inspiring and someone who I really look up to because I think that this sort of unwavering faith that's also very important for me, being a cosplayer of real life English, being an entrepreneur, I think for us, it's something that you're always going through difficulties. There's always new problems and everything, and you have to have that unwavering faith that you will prevail, that you will succeed and not give up.
发言人 118:47
almost like an optimistic resiliency or resilient optimism, right? Is it is a paradox in that sense? Because you're combining two things like being realistic, but also having that unwavering faith you mentioned? And by the way, what does that mean if you have unwavering faith? Or what does that word mean, unwavering?
发言人 219:05
I said that a few times. So if you waver, it's like you flinch, you're not, you're not firm to something. And so when you're unwavering or you have an unwavering faith, it means that that faith is, it's completely firm, it's unmoving, it's unchanging. You're really confident that whatever will happen, that that belief is just so confident already is. So what's your next book?
发言人 119:27
All right, so my next one is Die Empty, and I feel this is related to the story you just shared from Matthew McConaughey because this one is all about unleashing your best work every day, which is likely something that he did. Matthew did.
发言人 219:43
he continues to do.
发言人 119:44
He continues to do it. Yeah, and then I think this is the best book for professionals who work in English or who want to pursue their craft in English because it offers so many tips and one exercise that I remember from it that just impacted me was one that helped me review my day, review my life that was like this. So imagine somebody is going to spend a day with you and from the moment you wake up to the moment you're going to go to bed, you're going to document everything, you do all of your actions and then they're going to take all their notes after that and write a book documenting exactly what you did on that day to show what your life is like based on that day. So doing this helped me identify some things that I was not happy doing, but I didn't know about it, like I hadn't really realized these are bad habits I don't want to be doing this. Like for how long is it going to take until I stop doing this, you know, doing these things? So great, exercising great book for professionals .
发言人 220:48
that wouldn't really impacted me to it, made me uncomfortable even just to think about that because like you said, bad habits, I think it makes you just focus more, you know, not not given to distractions and so on because it's kind of like you have this ideal self on your shoulders. If someone were looking over and filming what you're doing. And so you can definitely use that just to be like, I don't know, like, you know, let me let me get back on track, let me get back to focus or maybe you're working on something that you're just like, you know, this is meaningless. So like, let me shift gears and see what I can be working on that's more impactful.
发言人 121:21
Yeah, I noticed how many tabs ahead open with stuff like YouTube clips, you know, even stuff that could be productive to watch, but like it's not the thing I want to do, you know? But what's your next book Ethan?
发言人 221:33
Yeah, my next book actually goes perfectly with this concept of IMT because I'm sure it's someone who was a great model of dying empty, which by the way, I don't know if you explained why it's called Die Empty. It sounds a bit morbid, but it's actually about that you're spending yourself, you know, you're like spending yourself creatively by kind of like that exercise reflects, right? That you're, you're focusing, you're doing your work focus, you're working with purpose and passion to, you know.
发言人 122:01
bring value into the world empty like a car that uses its fuel, right? So you want to use all of your fuel, all of your creative fuel, make sure you don't have anything left when you're done.
发言人 222:12
So this next person definitely did that about Leonardo da Vinci. So it's a biography written by Walter Isaacson, who's a very famous biographer. I believe that's the name of someone who writes biographies. And this book is for anyone who wants to unleash their creativity. So it probably would go really nice actually hand in hand with Die Empty.
发言人 222:29
Da Vinci was a polymath. Most of us know him as an artist, did many very impressive art pieces that to this day, like Mona Lisa, probably. If anyone thinks of a painting, that's the first one that pops into their head, right? But he was also super skilled. Most people don't know in anatomy and engineering and architecture, in music and so many more fields because he just had this crazy level of curiosity about things. And he very lucky for us because he lived in like the 15 hundreds, he very meticulously kept a journal.
发言人 223:06
And one of the things that Isaacson takes note of is that in one of his journals, I found this really interesting. He wrote down Describe the Tongue of the Woodpecker woodpecker being a bird. So he had all sorts of reminders for himself like this in his journals that you could just see he was continuously looking the world. And so just really inspired me to be a little bit more observant and to spark my curiosity more often.
发言人 123:32
Yeah, I think creativity has a lot to do with being curious. It's interesting for professionals, for people who need to be creative like us here, that we also be curious like if we, we're not curious, if we don't even steal like an artist, that's actually another book that has that title steal like an artist, which is basically just consume things from other people, from other creators, from other artists, because that's going to inspire you and you're going to be more creative. It's really great. And it seems like he would do that and he get inspired by nature by other people's work, right? Fascinating.
发言人 224:09
I think you spoke several languages. So curiosity is also important for languages because it has you paying attention to the details an interesting way someone said something in an interesting new word and this is really, this is part of the real life way and part of our method for learning English because it's really a way that you can break out of intermedi and go to advances by cultivating your curiosity so that you're just taking those things. If you're consuming a book, for example, and it turns into a really powerful learning tool for you. So all right, I, in your last book, I believe, right, what is it?
发言人 124:40
Yeah, so this is the power of now. It's a classic. I think lots of people have read it. And I just thought about mentioning here, bringing it to this lesson because it is something that we haven't talked about so much yet that is present.
发言人 124:54
The main message of the book is that presence is the key to inner peace. Now, there's a quote that illustrates that pretty well and makes it more actionable for you to find that inner piece that goes like this.
发言人 125:06
Wherever you are, be there totally. If you find you're here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappy, you have three options. Remove yourself from the situation, change it or accept it totally. So I think this is really actionable. You know, it makes presence and even patience something that you can attain more easily because you just need to realize like, what is my option here that I have? And then you can become suddenly more patient. A lot of people wonder like, how can it be more patient? Well, this quote unveils that for me. And this also reminds me of the Serenity prayer. Ever heard about that one?
发言人 225:44
Yeah I do, it's a really nice message. So it's grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
发言人 125:55
Nice, that's inner peace, at least for me.
发言人 225:58
Most definitely. It reminds me too. I don't know if you've heard before, very short quote, maybe it's from e tole who wrote this book, but might be from someone else that's just be here now. And Justin's girlfriend, Margot actually has this. Justin's founder of her life think well, she actually has this tattooed, I believe, on her wrist, and I think that's such like a nice tattoo to have because it's just something you can see all the time and it's like a reminder, right? Be here now. So that's applicable in so many situations and it's coincident, inly.
发言人 226:30
I was just listening today to a podcast that was talking about how we're always sort of working towards a future where we'll finally be happy or we'll finally be satisfied. You know? I'll be fulfilled when whatever happens. But then we get to that moment and we're just thinking about, okay, what's the next thing? And life is happening right now in this moment. It only happens in this moment. You can only be happy we're content or fulfilled in this moment. And so we need to find more of these rituals that help us to be in this present moment.
发言人 127:01
Yeah, I think it connects happiness to our lifestyle. It's like if we're running the ideal lifestyle that we want to pursue today, this is a successful day. This is a day that I can be happy with, and this even connects with that empty, right? That is a day that you're proud of, you know, that you're happy with.
发言人 227:17
And that's why I think that meditation is just such an important practice, at least for many of us. It can be that time of the day where we really get to be present, fully present. And the last book that I brought, actually, I think it connects really well to this idea because I'm sure this is something that he tries to bring into his life constantly. In fact, I know it is. So his name is Boyd Vardy. He's South African, so it's, I think it comes from Afrikaans, which is a language like Dutch, and it's called the Line Tracker's Guide to Life, and he's a lion tracker. And I heard about him first on a Tim Ferris interview, which was one of the best podcasts I probably ever listened to. He's just such an incredible storyteller.
发言人 127:58
What's a lecture tracker, by the way?
发言人 228:00
Someone who tracks lions or line tracker is someone who basically follows signs to find that animal, so he doesn't just track lions, but that's one of the animals that people most want to see when they visit South Africa, but it's something that require so much attuned it to nature, to knowing how different animals move and behave and being attuned with the Earth and like the marks they make and so on.
发言人 128:24
So you're saying that he went on to Ferris the two first podcast?
发言人 228:28
Yeah, and then I thought of this book again, because recently I listened to another interview on Tim Ferris with Martha Beck, who's a mutual friend of Boyd Party. She, this was also amazing, just both of them talking about him. So he's quite the character. But anyways, in this book, he kind of makes this analogy between this practice of tracking animals, which is something that people from all over the world go to his reserve there in South Africa to learn how to do this, to track animals with them. And he does an analogy between that and self awareness. So it's one of my favorite books I read last year because I think it kind of gets you in this, this mood of being out in nature, of being out in a very peaceful place and doing something that's very meditative, like tracking, tracking these animals.
发言人 229:14
And one of my favorite. So, so I'd say that this book is a very easy read. It's pretty short, it's written sort of in the story of tracking the animal, and you're getting different gems of wisdom throughout. And one of my favorite quotes I'd say like it's one of my favorite quotes ever came from in this book and he says, track what makes you feel good and bring more of that into your life. Knows what makes you feel lousy and do less of it. Very simple wisdom, much easier said than done. So for me, it's kind of become like a mantra that I try to remind myself of a lot.
发言人 129:43
It's really fascinating and I listened to that podcast, you mentioned it too, and it was just so entertaining. Like this guy, he's not all funny, but I think I think his stories are so immersive. And he starts, he's a great storyteller too, so he starts telling the stories and you suddenly you find yourself there, you know, you can picture the Savannah and the whole like safari experience there that he creates. I think it's part of his business, too, right?
发言人 230:08
So people should definitely check that out. Check out the full interview. We can link it in the show notes in the description, and we have a special treat for you. So we have a new segment called Story Time.
发言人 230:28
In today's storytime, Izzy, we're actually going to watch a clip of the interview with boy Barty on, and this is going to be a great way to pick up some vocabulary.
发言人 130:37
Let's check it out.
发言人 330:38
70000 of the most raged African rise up in a black. I walk up into the back of the village and Simon Sambo is the village beekeeper. He says, okay, I can take your beekeeping. Next morning I meet him, Simon and I start hitting towards the hive. Simon gets out his crowbar and he cranks the lid off and 70000 of the most enraged African bees rise up in a black cloud around me.
发言人 331:04
One bee found my weak sock area, and the shimmering, swarming dark mass around my head. It stopped for a second, and then, as one, the bees went to my ankles, and then he runs back and he starts beating me with the branch. They're still all around me at the time, it's not working, it's not working. He says, okay, I will get the smoker going. And I just, the thought ran into my head like little late for that and the first blast went right through the visor of the B into my mouth. I said I'm, and they're still singing me, they're seeing me says okay.
发言人 231:38
Love how he does like the voices, the sound effects. He's just such an amazing storyteller. And there's like five of these stories or something in that.
发言人 131:47
And most of them are hilarious like. All right, he used some really interesting words, is there to really paint the picture better. What did you catch there? Just being curious about what we heard. What did you or were able to catch?
发言人 232:01
Here you go, practicing what we play, practicing what we learned today. He uses an interesting contract there, he says, heading towards the hive. And Hive is very specific. It's like where bees live. But what does it mean when you're heading somewhere?
发言人 132:17
You're going there, you're walking or moving towards that location.
发言人 232:22
It's a very colloquial way to say that, so that's a great word for people to use. He says the bees, it's a certain type of bee that I think are pretty famous. Like the killer, African bees are the most dangerous bee in the world, if I'm not mistaken. And he says 70000 enraged African killer bees. What does it mean if something or someone is enraged?
发言人 132:44
Yeah, enraged, that's more visual I'd say than the synonym angry. You can say angry, but enraged, There's some nice word formation there by the way, if you don't know what that means, you can stop and think, okay, maybe you know the word rage. So enraged, maybe that's just going to be like inflicted with rage, right? So enraged, angry.
发言人 233:04
yeah, but it's one of those ones that's like a stronger synonym, right? Then then just st, like you said, he's describing the swarm of bees, so he said shimmering, swarming, dark mess. And there's a lot of different words. That sounds really nice, right? So shimmering, I think of two like a school of fish. So something that's kind of like moving and the lights bouncing off of it, so it kind of creates like a mirror like effect. And then I said the word swarm, what's a swarm of something Or what does it mean if something is swarming?
发言人 133:33
You also said the school of fish, by the way, that's like the collective right .
发言人 233:37
of fish .
发言人 133:40
knowledge, or fish go to school or something. Anyway, so swarm, that's a verb, and it's usually collocated with bugs or insects that they come together and they form a mass, you know, and there's like a chaotic and there's like all over a certain area.
发言人 233:58
And he said a do mass, what's a people know dark, but what's a mass of something?
发言人 134:05
A mass? Well, when collocated that way, it refers to a certain volume or an amount of something that's all, you know, forming a mass of something, so it's like a dark mass like usually like you can see it, it's like almost like, dense, right? Feels dense.
发言人 234:23
Yeah, so I think that boy vaardi is a really great person, even though he has a quite strong accent, but he's great to learn English with because he uses this really visual imagery in his stories and I wanted to finally I noticed some connected speech, so really good for you guys to practice your pronunciation. Yeah, so he said, and just this thought ran into my head. So he's saying one of the guys like saying he's gon na, get the smoker, which is something that they used to put the beast to sleep and he says like it's a little late for that, but this phrase and just this thought ran into my head, So we have some with and we often drop the D so it can become and or just in. So that's one thing he did here. And then when we have just it ends with a T and it's followed by the Th of this, so when we have a T ending word and followed by a T or T or D usually will drop that first T, so instead of saying just this, it's a lot easier just to say just this, or like I just said, just to say. So you don't need to say both TS and then thought he has a glottal t there, so it's not thought but thought, and then finally in there's a schwa sound there in the second syllable, so it becomes inta. So he says, and just this thought ran into my head, so maybe we can watch that again and listen.
发言人 335:48
and just the thought ran into my head, just thought ran into my head.
发言人 235:54
All right Daisy, it's been a blast getting to talk about books with you and if you guys want another lesson, maybe on some fiction books or you want us to share more of our favorite books, please let us know down in the comments below or you could also share a favorite book that you've read in English so other learners can also from our community can check that out and discover new books and the books we cover today just remind you guys were Atomic Habits. I will teach you to be rich. Essentialism, the obstacle is the way green light getting the love you want die empty Mirena da Vinci, The power of Now and the Lion Packer is a guide to life that is a mouthful and a free way to support this podcast. One way is actually by using the links down in the description below to check out these books and buy them if you decide to, because we'll actually that we'll actually go to supporting the podcast. Another really easy freeway you can support us is if you're on YouTube, hit the subscribe button and the bell down below so you don't miss a single new lesson and join our community of almost a million learners around the world. You can follow us on Spotify Apple podcast or any other podcast platform course. You can download the real life English app and consume it there, which we believe is the best possible way that you can learn English. With these lessons, you get a vocabulary, you can follow along with a transcript, you can speak English with people anytime, anywhere.
发言人 237:14
So remember that no matter what divides us, that which unites us, like great literature, great books, he's far greater. One, 2, 3, Oh, yeah.
发言人 137:25
So let me ask you an honest question. Do you see yourself making real progress towards real life fluency in English? I'm talking about speaking with confidence without translating in your head. Are you getting there? Well, if you're watching or listening to this lesson I'm sure that it's because you have succeeded in going from a basic level to intermediate. But how long have you been at intermediate and are you sure that you know what to do to get to an advanced level? So in today's lesson, we're going to tell you exactly what are the things that you need to stop doing that are wasting your time and will teach you the methods that actually works and that'll help you level up your English to advanced real life fluency in English.
Listen with FREE Interactive Transcript only on the RealLife App.
Get ready for a powerful dose of inspiration and English learning in our latest episode! We’re diving into 10 life-changing books that helped shape our journeys — and will boost yours too. From popular reads like Atomic Habits to unique gems like the Leonardo da Vinci biography, we’ll share why these books resonated with us and how they’re perfect for mastering English. Whether you’re after self-improvement, creative fuel, or just looking for your next great read, these picks are sure to inspire!
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