Discussing How People in Your Life Affect Your Goals
Kate: Um, I’m a little worried about my little sister because, um, you know, when she was younger she hung out with, like, really studious people when she was in school and that really had a great effect on her- you know, like her grades and how well she did in school.
Kate: But now that she’s, um, studying at university, she’s kind of mixed in with the wrong crowd and her friends now love to, you know, go out and socialize and- and I’m a little worried that they’re having a bad effect on her.
Steven: Yeah, your friends can really change, you know, everything about your life. Like, s- you know, some people are ambitious to start with and they start hanging out with people that are going after like the wrong kinds of goals. Um, and it really does change them. It’s remarkable how much of an impact they can have.
Kate: Yeah, especially when you’re younger, you know… I think when you’re in high school or in college, they really do have a- a, you know, a big impact on- on who you are and who you become
Kate: because those are really like the, um, you know, the formidable years. But then as you grow older, you kind of know yourself a little bit better so you- you can resist the influence of other people, but… yeah.
Steven: Is it… Do you think it’s possible to help someone like your sister like cultivate relationships with, you know, some more ambitious, uh, I dunno, go-getter type people? Or is it… Is there anything you can do?
Kate: I don’t know. Can you force friendships?
Sarah: I think- I think forcing friendships is a little bit harder, but I think when you’re older it is, um, it’s a little bit easier, just because, um, you don’t have friends that impact every part of your life.
Sarah: Like you have your coworkers that might influence how you are at work and your career goals, but they won’t necessarily impact too much, you know, like how you are outside of the workplace and…
Kate: Mmhm.
Sarah: So I- I guess it’s just harder for your sister because right now like school is her life and so the people she meets at school are jus- are gonna kind of impact who she is as a person right now, so…
Kate: Yeah, that’s why I’m actually encouraging her to, um, get like a part-time job so she can…
Sarah: Mm.
Kate: You know…
Sarah: Meet other people and…
Kate: Yeah.
Sarah: Yeah.
Steven: Get out of the bubble.
Kate: Yeah, be more responsible.
Sarah: Yeah, go after maybe different goals.
Vocabulary:
hung out with – (phrasal verb) spent time relaxing or socializing with someone in an informal way, “She hung out with her classmates at the local cafe after school ended.”
studious – (adjective) spending a lot of time studying, reading, and caring about academic success, “The studious student spent every Friday night studying in the quiet library.”
had a great effect on – (expression) caused a highly positive change, impact, or influence on someone or something, “Learning to play the violin had a great effect on her mental focus and discipline.”
mixed in with – (phrasal verb/idiom) associated or spent time with a specific group of people, often a negative one, “He got mixed in with some rebellious teenagers during his first semester at college.”
the wrong crowd – (idiom) a group of people who behave badly, break rules, or have a negative influence on others, “She started skipping classes after she began hanging around with the wrong crowd.”
having a bad effect on – (expression) causing a negative, harmful, or damaging influence on someone or something, “Staying up too late watching TV is having a bad effect on his school performance.”
ambitious – (adjective) having a strong desire, determination, and drive to be successful, rich, or powerful, “The ambitious young entrepreneur wanted to open three new businesses before turning thirty.”
hanging out with – (phrasal verb) spending time relaxing or socializing with someone in an informal way, “He spent his weekends hanging out with his childhood friends in the park.”
going after – (phrasal verb) trying to catch, obtain, or achieve a specific goal or ambition, “She is going after a master’s degree in computer science to advance her career.”
impact – (noun) a powerful effect or influence that something has on a situation or person, “The guest speaker’s speech had a massive impact on the students’ career goals.”
formidable years – (expression/context) a common misspoken phrase for ‘formative years’, referring to the early period of life when a person’s character is deeply shaped, “High school represents the formidable years where teenagers develop their core values.”
resist the influence – (expression) to successfully withstand, oppose, or say no to the control or peer pressure of others, “It takes a lot of confidence to resist the influence of peer pressure in high school.”
cultivate relationships – (expression) to intentionally develop, grow, and improve friendships or professional connections over time, “Attending networking events is a great way to cultivate relationships in your industry.”
go-getter – (noun/idiom) an energetic, active, and highly motivated person who works hard to succeed, “The new sales manager is a real go-getter who always exceeds his monthly targets.”
forcing friendships – (expression) trying too hard to make people become friends when a natural connection does not exist, “You cannot build a true bond by forcing friendships that just aren’t meant to be.”
outside of the workplace – (expression) in one’s personal life, away from the office, job, or professional environment, “They enjoy playing tennis together outside of the workplace on weekends.”
the bubble – (idiom) a safe, isolated environment or state of mind where a person is protected from the realities of the outside world, “Leaving her hometown to attend college helped her finally step out of the bubble.”