Hey, everyone.
I'm Gwen.
And I'm Leo.
Welcome back to another episode of Podcast and Chill, where learning and relaxing happen at the same time.
That's right.
Just take it easy and enjoy the moment.
So, how was your week, Leo?
Almost good.
There was a photography workshop I really wanted to join, but I didn't.
Oh, what stopped you?
I just wasn't ready.
Like, I don't have a good camera or enough skills.
I don't.
But that's the point of joining the workshop, right?
You go there to learn.
I just didn't think it was the right time to start.
That's a trap, Leo.
Waiting for the right moment to begin something is just another way of saying, I'll never do it.
Ugh, I hate that you're right.
You're not alone, Leo.
I've had many moments where I thought I should really do something for myself.
But right after that, self-doubt shows up.
That sounds like a common problem.
That is a common problem.
So does that mean we're weak?
Not at all.
We just need a nurturing mindset.
A nurturing mindset?
Yes, one that helps us make better choices.
When it comes to the most important investment of our lives ourselves, which is what we'll talk about today.
Oh, interesting.
Today we're talking about investing in ourselves and how nurturing ourselves can turn that investment into something truly valuable.
We'll also explain some useful vocabulary at the end.
So, stay with us.
Are you ready for it?
Let's get started.
Look up the word invest in any dictionary.
What's the first thing you'll see?
Put money in, get more money out.
Simple math, right?
But that's not the kind of investment we're talking about today.
Invest also means putting time and effort into something to make it better.
That's the kind of investment we want you to make.
You know what?
You are the most important thing you can invest in.
And you need things like time, energy, and belief to grow.
You must be the one who chooses to grow.
You do it because you want to get better, not because you want someone else to see you get better.
And what usually comes with getting better?
Pain, friends.
No pain, no gain.
No, Leo.
It's patience and rest.
Oh yeah, my bad.
Yes, patience is essential for growth, especially when we live in a world where everyone is often impatient and wants results.
Yesterday.
But hey, Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is a better version of you.
Now how about rest?
I bet a lot of people think resting is lazy.
That's true.
But the truth is, if you skip rest, you'll burn out faster than a phone battery at 1%.
Fair enough.
Been there, done that.
Believe me, it's not fun at all.
Friends, if you think we're on the same page about investing in yourself, hit that like button to show us some support.
And if you have another idea, drop a comment down below.
We'd love to hear them.
Different opinions help us open up our minds.
Speaking of opinions, I want to talk about a common myth that you mentioned earlier.
Really?
What's that?
It's the no pain, no gain mindset.
Most people think growth goes with pain and suffering, but that's not always the case.
So what's your take on it?
More like a part of life.
A natural rhythm.
A natural rhythm?
What do you mean by that?
It means growth happens naturally, step by step.
How can we grow better now that we know the nature of it?
We should approach growth with a nurturing mindset.
We see it as something that needs care and patience, not force.
Just like you can't yell at a tree and expect it to grow faster.
Hmm, that's interesting.
When you think about it, our lives are quite similar to a tree.
Not a fast-growing one, but a very patient one.
How so? because we all go through different seasons.
Seasons?
Like spring, summer, autumn, and winter?
Yes.
Spring is for beginnings.
That's when ideas start to grow.
You feel excited, you have energy, things feel easy, progress comes quickly, and creativity flows.
How about summer?
In summer, you're not starting new things anymore.
You're maintaining what you've already built.
You work hard to keep things going.
And what happens in our autumn?
Autumn is about letting go.
Like a tree letting its leaves fall?
Yes.
It's when you let go of habits or thoughts that no longer help you.
Maybe too much gaming or relationships that drain your energy?
You got it.
Letting go can feel sad or uncomfortable, but it's often for the better.
Why does letting go help?
Because you have limited energy.
If you waste it on those people or things, you'll have none left for truly meaningful relationships or habits.
I see.
How about winter?
In winter, you might look weak because there are no leaves left.
But in reality, you're stronger than ever.
Beneath the surface, your roots are growing deeper and stronger.
How so?
That's because you now focus 100% of your time and effort on people and things that make you better.
So winter is when we gain back from our investment?
Yep.
That's an interesting and beautiful way to look at it.
So friends, which season do you think you're in right now and why?
Tell us in the comment section below.
Understanding our seasons is the first step of growth.
Now let's talk about how we can really make a difference.
Gwen, what are some good ways to invest in ourselves?
What do you think is the nature of investment?
It should give us benefits, and it should last a long time.
Exactly.
And that leads us to one of the best ways to invest in ourselves, learning.
That sounds more like investing in your resume or LinkedIn profile.
Haha, that's not wrong.
But what I want to focus on is the long-term value of learning.
Long-term value?
Yes.
Learning doesn't just last a long time.
It grows over time.
From an investment point of view, that's a very good deal.
How does it grow over time?
Let's take learning English as an example.
A person learns this language, maybe just 15 minutes a day.
That doesn't sound like much, but one day, they can watch English movies without subtitles.
They can join conversations with English speakers without using Google Translate.
Many doors start to open.
That makes sense.
Another bonus of learning is confidence.
When you know more, you feel more confident.
And that confidence helps you adapt to new situations.
Our future selves must love that.
They definitely will.
But let's be honest.
This kind of investment isn't easy.
True.
It takes much more effort compared to going on a shopping spree or treating yourself to a big meal.
So how can we push ourselves to invest in learning?
We need a special kind of fuel.
Curiosity.
Curiosity?
Yes.
When your interest in something is strong, you become curious.
When you're curious, you want to know more.
And how do we know more?
We learn.
That's right.
Curiosity is a quiet engine that can take us very far.
Just like Albert Einstein once said, I have no special talent.
I am only passionately curious.
I wonder how curious he really was.
Probably just as curious as our friends who are listening right now.
Let's find out.
Our friends, are you usually a curious person?
And what are you passionately curious about?
Tell us in the comment section below.
In return, I'll tell you what Gwen is usually curious about.
And that will be our little secret.
All right, let's get back to the investment 101, friends.
When you invest in something, the key is to stay consistent.
Yeah, and when we say stay consistent, we mean that even small actions can change things if you do them every day.
So spot on.
And that actually reminds me of how this podcast started.
Oh, really?
I don't think I've heard this story before.
Tell us more.
A few years ago, I started a simple habit.
I spent one hour every day learning new things.
Languages, crafting, writing, and anything that caught my interest.
Just one hour a day?
That sounds doable.
It was.
And honestly...
At that time, starting a podcast wasn't even on my list.
No way.
So this wasn't the plan at first?
Not at all.
But one day I stopped and reflected on my journey.
It wasn't easy.
There were moments when I wanted to quit.
But I had a lot of support from people around me, and that helped me keep going.
That kind of support really makes a difference.
It really does.
And then I thought there must be so many people out there who want to get better but don't have this kind of support.
That's when the idea for this podcast came to me.
I wanted to create a place to learn, to grow, and to feel safe sharing fears and stories.
I just want to say, I'm really honored to be part of that journey with you.
Oh, your honor is my honor.
I love how something so small, like one hour a day, can lead to such big changes.
It really feels like we can take control of our own fate.
Fate is often misunderstood.
Many people think life is already planned and decided and there's nothing we can do about it.
But that's not true.
The control is in our hands.
Kind of like in Jane Eyre, right?
Oh, a classic example.
Yeah, she had a really hard start.
Nothing came easy for her.
But she chose to learn, to fight, and to stand up for who she was.
That's how she earned the happy ending she deserved.
Or think about Remy from Son Famille.
Son Famille?
You mean Nobody's Boy by Hector Malo?
The classic story?
Yes, that's the one.
Remy is the main character in that story.
He was alone, poor, and had almost nothing.
But he worked hard, learned new skills, and kept going.
His life changed not because of luck, but because of effort.
So friends, remember this.
We have more control than we think.
We get to decide how our life story is written.
You're not a side character.
You're the protagonist.
That's right.
We shape our future through our choices.
First, we change how we think.
Then we change how we act.
And over time, we see different results.
But I can already hear some people saying, OK, but that sounds easy for young people.
What if I'm already old?
I hear that all the time.
But here's the thing.
There are many older people who keep learning.
In fact, studies show that the brain can keep learning at any age.
Like Steve Kaufman, right?
The founder of that language learning app, LingQ?
Yes, Steve Kaufman.
He's in his 70s, and he's still learning new languages.
Oh, now this reminds me of Vera Wang.
You know her?
Of course I do.
She's one of the most wedding dress designers.
Her dresses are so elegant.
But do you know she didn't start designing career until she was 40?
Really?
I didn't know that.
What a woman.
Friends, you see.
If age didn't stop them from doing what they wanted...
It shouldn't stop you either.
It's never really too late.
Where you start doesn't matter that much.
That's right.
Growth doesn't care about your age.
It doesn't care about your past.
It only cares about one thing.
Did you start?
Yeah, that's it.
Just start.
And you know what, Leo?
You don't need a great camera or a lot of experience to join that photography workshop you mentioned before.
You just need to show up.
That's the first step.
You're right.
Honestly, I've been overthinking it.
I'm going to sign up for the next workshop.
I love that.
So how about our friends?
How do you want to write your life story?
You can be the main character in the future you imagine.
You really can.
And it doesn't have to start big.
You can even start right now by learning some new vocabulary from today's podcast.
Exactly.
Let's not just talk about it.
Let's do it.
All right, friends, it's time for today's five new words.
And don't forget that we have exercises for these words in our PDF.
You can find the link in the description box below.
Okay.
What's the first word, Leo?
The first word today is nurturing mindset.
Repeat after me.
Nurturing mindset.
A nurturing mindset means taking care of yourself with patience, like taking care of a plant you give yourself time to grow.
For example, I'm learning to have a nurturing mindset when I study English.
Or a nurturing mindset helps you be kind to yourself when you make mistakes.
What's next, Gwen?
Next is impatient.
Repeat after me, impatient.
Impatient means you want things to happen right now.
You don't want to wait.
For example, I feel impatient when I'm learning something new, and I'm not good yet.
Or, don't be impatient with yourself.
Learning takes time.
Leo, what's the next phrase?
The next phrase is long-term value.
Repeat after me, long-term value.
Long-term value means something that will help you in the future, not just today.
It's worth more later.
For example, learning English has long-term value because it opens many doors.
Or, good habits have long-term value even if they're hard at first.
Nice.
What's next?
Next, we have passionately curious.
Repeat after me.
Passionately curious.
Passionately curious means you really want to learn and know about things.
You're excited to discover new stuff.
For example, Einstein was passionately curious about how the world works.
Or, stay passionately curious and you'll never stop growing.
And the last word, Leo?
The last word is protagonist.
Repeat after me.
Protagonist.
A protagonist is the main character in a story, the person who makes things happen.
For example, you're the protagonist of your own life, not a background character.
Or be the protagonist.
Make choices.
Don't wait for luck.
Great job, everyone.
Now go check the PDF and practice to make these words yours.
All right, friends, we're coming to the end of today's episode.
Thank you so much for spending this time with us.
We truly appreciate every minute you choose to listen, learn, and grow with us.
We hope today's conversation gave you something useful.
Maybe a new idea or a new way of thinking.
Or even just a little motivation to keep going.
And now, we'd love to hear from you.
What is one small lesson you took away from today's episode?
Drop it in the comment section below.
Your words might help someone else who's going through the same thing.
If this podcast helped you in any way, please support us by hitting the like button and sharing this episode with someone who might need it.
You never know, one share could be exactly what someone else needs today.
And before we say goodbye, remember friends, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.
The second best time is now.
So go ahead.
Take that first step.
Write your own story.
We believe in you.
Be sure to check out today's vocabulary and exercises in the PDF linked below.
I'm Gwen.
And I'm Leo.
See you in the next episode of Podcast and Chill.
