Talking About How to Live a More Meaningful Life
Stan: I read a really interesting article this morning about how to live a more meaningful life.
Jennifer: Yeah, I was pondering, um, changing- making some changes in my life too. Uh, what did you read?
Stan: Well, a couple of points that- that stood out to me were- one was that it’s important to try and become more self-aware. Um, and- and something like meditation is quite a useful tool for that.
Stan: And I’ve- I’ve been actually trying to get into meditation for quite a while. I’m finding it quite difficult though.
Jennifer: Well, do you find it difficult finding the time to meditate?
Stan: Yes, absolutely. That’s- that’s the big problem. Hmm.
Jennifer: Yeah, that’s- that’s exactly the same for me. Um, it- I thought for me a more meaningful life might come from creating more time for myself. And I thought well maybe, um,
Jennifer: trying to become more assertive with people when they’re asking me to do things, um, and reconciling the idea that you have to do things for other people but also you’ve got to create some time for yourself.
Stan: Yeah, and not- not trying to- to live up to– to other people’s expectations or ideals of- of you but- but following your own passion and your own purpose,
Stan: which is actually something that- that the article mentioned as well, which- which I agree with.
Jennifer: Yeah, I- I I’m not sure I’m really cut out for telling people that I can’t do things, um, not just yet. But I do want, um, to be more assertive, with a view to saying no more often.
Jennifer: I really have to because I’ve got to, you know, I’ve- I’ve got to find time for me.
Vocabulary:
meaningful life – (noun phrase) a way of living that has a clear purpose, brings fulfillment, and feels valuable, “Volunteering at the shelter helped him live a more meaningful life.”
pondering – (verb) thinking carefully about something for a long time, “She sat quietly, pondering whether to accept the new job offer.”
stood out to me – (idiom) was highly noticeable, impressive, or easy to remember, “Of all the paintings in the gallery, the colorful landscape stood out to me the most.”
self-aware – (adjective) having a clear understanding of your own character, feelings, strengths, and weaknesses, “To improve your relationships, you must first become more self-aware.”
useful tool – (expression) a helpful method, device, or resource used to achieve a particular goal, “A daily planner is a very useful tool for keeping your schedule organized.”
get into – (phrasal verb) to become interested in or start doing an activity regularly, “He recently tried to get into yoga to help reduce his daily stress.”
quite a while – (idiom) a fairly long period of time, “They have been living in this neighborhood for quite a while now.”
assertive – (adjective) behaving in a confident and direct way so that people listen to your opinions and needs, “Learning to be assertive helped her express her ideas clearly in business meetings.”
reconciling – (verb) finding a way to make two different or opposing ideas, situations, or needs agree with each other, “He is struggling with reconciling his demanding career with his desire to spend time with family.”
live up to – (phrasal verb) to do as well as expected, or to meet the standards and expectations of others, “The young musician worked hard to live up to his father’s famous reputation.”
expectations – (noun/plural) beliefs or hopes about how successful someone will be or how something will turn out, “Her parents had high expectations for her academic success.”
ideals – (noun/plural) perfect standards, principles, or beliefs that someone aims to achieve, “The organization was founded on the ideals of peace, equality, and justice.”
cut out for – (idiom) naturally suited or qualified for a particular job, activity, or situation, “She realized she was not cut out for working in a busy, noisy office.”
with a view to – (idiom) with the aim, purpose, or intention of doing something in the future, “He bought a laptop with a view to writing his first novel.”