رفتن برای بزرگ شدن

Let Go of Good for Great

This is an All Ears English Podcast, Episode 147: “Let Go of Good for Great.”

Welcome to the All Ears English Podcast, where you’ll finally get real, native English conversation with your hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the ‘English Adventurer’ and Gabby Wallace, the ‘Language Angel,’ from Boston, USA.

Why would you waste your time memorizing the dictionary or vocabulary lists of random words when you could learn the 100 most common phrases in English conversation? We’ve made an e-book with exactly that information for you, All Ears English listeners. You can get that e-book at AllEarsEnglish.com/100. That’s 1-0-0.

In today’s episode, you’ll hear two personal examples about how Lindsay and Gabby let go of something good for something great and find out what this means for your English learning.

Hey, Gabby. How you doing today?

Hey, Lindsay. I’m doing great. How are you?

Good and we hope you guys are doing great, our…

Yeah.

awesome listeners.

Hey, guys.

Thanks for listening. So here we go. Today’s a ‘Deep Thoughts Thursday’, so we’re gonna (going to) go into a deep topic.

Yeah.

Are you ready? I hope so. So today, we want to talk about the idea that if something is not amazing in your life, a relationship, or a connection (um), (you know), be willing to let go and sit in the open space, right.

It’s scary to let go of something that’s

Totally.

Because when you let go of that, you – for a moment or for who, who knows how long, you actually don’t have that person or that thing or that support system. But that’s…

Right.

Today we want to talk about how that’s okay. And we’re gonna (going to) talk about how this connects to your language learning and we’re gonna (going to) give a few examples of our own.

Absolutely. This is a, a very, (um), interesting idea that, (you know) we’re talking in generalities now about letting something go so you can make space in your life for something even better. (Uh), and we’re gonna (going to) give some examples too to make it more concrete. (Uh), but maybe, maybe we could share a, a quote just (uh)…

Okay.

To (kind of) inspire you with this idea. (Um), so Lindsay found a great quote from the entrepreneur and motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, and that quote is, “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”

Ooh!

Yeah.

And an ordinary life, (um), not something I want. I don’t know about you.

Well, that’s the thing is I, I believe that, (you know) – we and our listeners, we’re very interested in developing ourselves professionally, personally. Learning language is one of our ways to do that and you’re listening because you don’t want to be average. You…

Right.

Want to be amazing.

That’s a good point. You guys are not ordinary language learners.

Yeah.

Because if you were, you…

You wouldn’t be listening.

Wouldn’t have even found this podcast.

That’s right. So, so that’s why we’re talking about this topic. (Um)…

Yeah.

Maybe we can get right into some examples, to really clarify the idea.

Sure.

One thing, (you know), I can share, (uh), one personal example is, (you know), for the last two years I’ve been working in a position, (um), with students at a university and I love it very much. (Um), but it came to the point where I believed that I was able to give a lot, I was able to learn a lot, and moving forward, I think that my skills would be possibly, (uh), better used somewhere else and I could develop in more ways in another project. I don’t know what that project will be. Obviously, I still have a lot going on with the podcast and, and other projects.

But it’s one project that I was working on that I decided, (you know), this is going very well, actually, and so it’s time to let go. I wanted to end on a high point, which is another thing to think about. (You know), I, I would say if at all possible, don’t end on a, a low note try to end when things are going well and you’ll have good memories of that place and that project…

Yep.

And people will remember you as, (you know)…

Yeah.

Someone who is highly successful in that, that position where you were. That’s a work example.

So how do you feel now that you’ve ended that?

Yeah.

And well, you’re in a void now, right, a little bit of a void.

Exactly.

So how does that feel sitting in that space that’s actually (kind of) – a little bit empty.

Right. Well, even now, (you know), it’s been very recently that I, I made the decision, (um), and I’m still, I’m still working some hours – the same hours that I’ve been working on that project for a while that won’t change for a few weeks or so, but even since I’ve made the decision, I have more mental time and space in which I can start to consider a new reality.

Oh.

I don’t know what it’s going to be.

But the space is open for it.

That’s right. That’s right, and I can start to, (uh), tell people…

Yeah.

you know), (like) , you Lindsay and, and (like) other colleagues that I’m open to opportunities…

Yeah.

And that’s when, (um), (you know), I, I, I don’t mean to get (like) too metaphysical, but that’s (like), that’s (like) when you start attracting new opportunities.

Totally. Totally.

Right. You have to put yourself out there and tell people “I am interested in new opportunities.” Lindsay : Exactly, it’s a gesture to the universe.

Right, right.

You’re giving a gesture and you’re saying, “Hey, I’m ready for something. I’ve been moving along steadily with something that’s (sort of) average or ordinary…”

…and now I’m ready for something bigger and better.”

Right.

(Um), I had a similar situation where I recently ended a, a (kind of) connection with someone and we had hit a wall.

(Um), this person was helping me and I just decided that I wasn’t growing as much as I wanted to grow, although I was very appreciative of her help.

Okay.

(Um), but I just decided to end it…

Yeah.

Aand now I feel like there’s a lot of open space.

Nice. Nice.

And it’s a great feeling. So how can this apply, Gabby, to our listeners?

Right. well, (uh), well first of all, I just want to say that when you begin a relationship or a job or, or something in your life, it can be amazing, but then after time, when you evolve and you change and you’ve learned, and you’ve given yourself, (uh), you’ve given a lot of yourself in that situation, it, it’s not a challenge anymore.

Exactly.

So what we’re looking for is, (you know), continual, (uh), growth, like…

Yes. You want to always be pushing yourself, feeling like you’re, you’re being challenged.

Right. So let’s say you’ve been working with a teacher or you’ve been taking an English class or you’ve been working with some English learning materials (uh), let’s say for a couple of years.

Yeah.

And at first, they were challenging and exciting and you were learning a lot and you loved them, but now you’re (kind of) feeling they’re a little boring…

Yeah.

maybe you’re not learning as much, it’s okay to…

Yes.

identify that and to move on to something or, or just let go. Maybe you have nothing to move on to. You don’t know who your, your new teacher will be or you don’t know how you’re going to learn English. That’s okay.

Yeah.

You can let go of what you’re doing now and make room in your life for finding a, a new, (uh), teacher…

Yeah.

or a new program.

And, and sometimes it’s not that the teacher’s doing anything wrong, or…

Right.

That you’re doing anything wrong, it’s this, it’s just that the connection between the two of you has become a little bit stale…

Right.

and bland and there’s no energy that can get in.

there, because you’re just having the same conversations over and over.

Yeah.

You need a new perspective.

Right. And, and that, that person may have been a great fit for you for the last couple of years, or however much…

Yeah.

time…

Yeah, yeah.

we’re talking about.

(Um), but, but now it’s – the relationship may not be serving you anymore. So, (you know), it’s okay to let go and, and look for something else.

So always be thinking about setting yourself up in situations that are gonna (going to) let you grow.

Yeah.

And you need to have your monitor out for that.

Right.

When is something just not working anymore? And don’t be afraid to sit in the void, in the emptiness…

Yeah.

Not having a teacher for a while, or not having a learning group for a while.

Right.

That’s okay.

And I would just say, (you know), you don’t have to, (um), just make a split decision, (um), right away. “Oh, I things aren’t going well,” or “I’m, I’m not doing this anymore.” Try to think of how you could perhaps adapt the situation or maybe you could talk to your teacher and ask for something more challenging because you have developed a good relationship with someone. And if it’s not challenging you, why don’t you ask to change.

But if that still doesn’t work, then don’t be afraid to let go, right.

Absolutely. Don’t be…

Yeah.

Afraid to let go. That’s the, the mantra for today.

Yeah, yeah, I love it.

All right guys. Thank you for listening.

Thanks, guys.

Hey, Lindsay.

If you wanna (want to) put your ears into English more often, be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes on your computer or on your smartphone. Thanks so much for listening and see you next time.