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Personal Vision VIP – Mini Story

Hello this is AJ, welcome to the mini story for this month’s VIP Program. Now, in the mini stories, as you know, I do three things and only three things. Number one, I will make a statement. So a statement is a sentence that ends with a period. For example, Felix was full of regrets. That’s a statement. Felix, is a name, was full of regrets. It’s a statement. It’s not a question, it’s a statement.

When I make a statement, I want you to make a sound. I want you to do this, aaaahhh.

Yes, I know. While you’re listening to your iPod, while you’re in your room at home, I want you to make that sound every time I make a statement. You can move your head up and down, aaaahhh. You can smile. You can bring your shoulders back. Bring your chest up. It’s even better if you stand and you move around a little bit. You can walk around and every time I make a statement you say aaaahhh or hummm. This is important. It keeps your brain awake.

So, number one, I will make a statement and your job when I make a statement is to make a sound hummm, aaaahhh, very interesting. Number two, I will ask a question that you know. In other words, you know the answer. So I might say was Felix full of regrets? When I ask a question that you know the answer to, simply shout the answer.

Shout it if possible. If you’re at home alone, if your outside alone, shout the answer and don’t just shout it with your voice, shout it with your body. Move your body. Move your arms. Be standing up walking around. Give as much energy as possible. So if I say was Felix full of regrets? You say yes!

One word is okay. If you’re more advanced or you feel more comfortable you could answer with a longer answer. You might say yes, he was full of regrets. You could give a full sentence if you want to, but it’s not necessary. What is necessary is that you answer with energy.

Finally, I will ask a question that you don’t know the answer to. If I ask a question and you don’t know the answer, just guess. Shout a guess. So if I say where was Felix from? You don’t know because I haven’t told you yet, but you can guess. You can say America or Spain! It doesn’t matter, just shout an answer.

Again, this is important because I don’t want you to sit passively listening to this. I want you to shout answers with your body, with your voice. Now, if you’re listening to this with an iPod on a train or a bus you might need to be a little more quiet, but still try to use your body a little bit and at least shout it in your mind.

All right, let’s get started with our story this month.

Felix was full of regrets, aaaahhh.

Now, to be “full of regrets” means to be full of bad feelings about the past. A “regret”, this could be a verb or a noun, in this case it’s a noun. A regret is something you feel bad about. Something you did in the past and you wish you had not done it. Let’s say you said something unkind. You said something mean to your friend and later that is a regret. You say aaaahhh, that’s a big regret. I wish I had not said something bad to my friend.

So Felix the cat was full of regrets.

Who was full of regrets?

Felix. Felix was full of regrets.

And what was he full of?

Regrets. He was full of regrets.

In what area was he full of regrets?

Well, he was full of regrets about his life, about his whole life.

Was he full of regrets about just one part of his life?

No, he wasn’t full of regrets about just one part of his life. He was full of regrets about his whole life. He regretted everything in his life.

So now it’s a verb, he regretted. He felt bad about his whole life. He felt he should have gone to college. He felt he should have gone to college.

Did he feel he should have gone to high school?

No, he didn’t feel he should have gone to high school.

Why not?

Well, because he actually did go to high school.

Now, he felt he should have gone where?

He felt he should have gone to college.

So this phrase “should have”, “should’ve”, we pronounce it “should’ve” when we’re speaking quickly, “should’ve”. I should’ve done this. I should’ve gone to college. I should’ve kissed that girl. Should’ve is a phrase we use when we regret something about the past. If we say I should have done this means that you didn’t do it, but you wish that you had done it.

So Felix wishes he had gone to college. He thinks he should have gone to college. That it would have been better for his life, but he didn’t so he’s just regretting it or he’s saying I should have gone to college. He didn’t go to college, but he feels he should have. It would have been good.

So who felt he should have gone to college?

Felix. Felix felt he should’ve gone to college.

Why did he feel he should’ve gone to college?

He felt he should’ve gone to college because he thought he would have made more money in his life.

He felt he would have made more money in his life. He felt he would have made more money in his life. So if he had gone to college, he thought, he would have made, would have made, more money in his life. So “would have”, again, this is talking about a possibility. It did not happen, but if it had happened then he would have made more money.

So “would have” talks about a possibility. What would have happened if? We use this “if” when we’re talking about the past, something that did not happen, but if it had happened then something would have happened. Am I confusing you yet? Let’s just use the examples you’ll start to understand it better.

So Felix said to himself, “If I had gone to college, I would have made more money.”

So what did he say?

He said “If I had gone to college, I would have made more money.” So if he had gone to college, he would have made more what?

Money. If he had gone to college, he would have made more money.

Who thought that?

Felix. Felix thought that. Felix thought and Felix said to himself, “If I had just gone to college, I would have made more money.”

Did he feel he should have gone to business school?

No, he didn’t feel he should have gone to business school.

He felt he should have gone where?

To college. Just generally to college. He felt he should have gone to college.

Did he in fact go to college?

No, he didn’t. He did not go to college.

Did he regret not going to college?

Yes, he regretted it. He regretted not going to college.

He felt what?

He felt he should’ve gone to college.

And why did he feel he should’ve gone to college?

He felt he should have gone to college because then he would have made more money during his life and so he regretted not going to college.

But he had more regrets in his life. He also felt he should have gotten married. He said to himself “If I had gotten married, I wouldn’t be lonely now. I should’ve gotten married.”

Did he regret being single all his life?

Yes, he did. He regretted being single all his life.

What did he feel he should have done? He felt he should’ve gotten what?

Married. He felt he should’ve gotten married.

Who felt he should’ve gotten married?

Felix. Felix felt he should have gotten married. He felt he should’ve gotten married.

Did he regret being single?

Yes.

Did he regret getting married?

No, because he never got married, but he felt he should have gotten married.

Why did he feel he should’ve gotten married?

Because then he would not be lonely now.

What did he say to himself?

He said “If I’d gotten married, if I had gotten married, I’d, I had, if I’d gotten married, I wouldn’t be lonely now. I would not be lonely now. If I’d gotten married, I wouldn’t be lonely now. I should’ve gotten married and so he regretted not getting married.

Was that his only regret? Were those two his only regrets? He regretted not going to college. He regretted not getting married. Did he have anymore regrets?

Yes, he did. Poor Felix, he did. He also felt he should have traveled.

Did he feel he should have traveled?

Yes, he did. He felt he should have traveled.

Did he, in fact, travel during his life?

No, he didn’t. He never traveled during his whole life.

Did he regret not traveling?

Yes, he regretted not traveling. He felt he should have traveled, but in fact he never did travel. He just regretted the past. He felt bad because he never did it. He felt he should have traveled.

He said to himself “If I’d traveled, I wouldn’t be bored right now. I should have traveled.”

What did he say to himself?

Again, he said “If I’d traveled, if I had traveled, I wouldn’t be bored right now. I should’ve traveled. I should have traveled.”

So was he bored?

Yes, he was bored. He was very bored.

Had he traveled in the past?

No, he had never traveled in the past.

Did he regret not traveling?

Yes, he regretted not traveling. He said “If I’d traveled, I wouldn’t be bored now.” He said “I should’ve traveled.”

So had he traveled in the past?

No.

Did he wish he had traveled in the past?

Yes, he wished he had traveled in the past. That’s why he said “I should’ve traveled.” Well, finally, Felix decided to stop regretting his life. He finally said “I shouldn’t have regrets. I should live now.”

So he said what?

He said “I shouldn’t, should not, I should not have regrets. I should live now.” So, again, that’s “shouldn’t”. When we speak quickly we say shouldn’t, shouldn’t, shouldn’t. I shouldn’t have regrets. I should live now. Now, in this case “have” means to possess. I should not have regrets.

So what did he say?

I shouldn’t have regrets. I should live now.

So, again, “should” is the idea that it’s something that you feel that you must do, but that maybe you did not do or are not doing. So it’s this idea of something that you wish you had done in the past or that you wish you would do in the future. It’s this idea of kind of wishing or wanting an action. So “I shouldn’t have regrets”, he’s realizing aaaahhh, that’s bad. It’s bad to have regrets. It’s not a good thing. When he said “I should live now” then he realizes ah, I want to live now. It’s a good thing to live now.

So who changed his mind?

Felix. Felix changed his mind.

He decided he shouldn’t have what?

Regrets. Felix decided that he shouldn’t have regrets.

He decided he should do something instead, what was that?

He decided he should live now. So he shouldn’t have regrets and he should live now.

Who shouldn’t have regrets?

Felix.

Who should live now?

Felix.

Who decided this?

Felix.

He said what?

He said “I shouldn’t have regrets. I should live now.” And so he did. He enrolled in online course. He joined online courses. He started to date women and he booked a ticket for around the world trip. He started to live his life fully.

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And that is the end of our mini story for this month. Now, this grammar point is a little difficult for some people, just relax about it. Remember listen to this mini story every day for seven days or even 10 days or more. Don’t think about it too much, don’t worry about the grammar rules too much, just listen and answer the questions, listen and answer the questions each day. Each day you will get more of a feeling for the meaning, more of a feeling for how to use it correctly. So just relax, listen each day and answer those questions. That’s all you need to do.

All right, I will see you next time. Bye-bye.