“When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance. What I know for sure is that every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and step out and dance—to live free of regret and filled with as much joy, fun, and laughter as you can stand. You can either waltz boldly onto the stage of life and live the way you know your spirit is nudging you to, or you can sit quietly by the wall, receding into the shadows of fear and self-doubt.”

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah’s words remind us that every day is a chance to step out onto the stage and live with joy, fun and laughter.

The choice is ours.

We can either sit in the shadows of fear and self-doubt, or we can take a deep breath, kick off our shoes and waltz boldly onto the stage of life.

But why is it so important to choose the latter?

Because when we dance, we live free of regret.

We are living in alignment with our spirit, doing the things that bring us true joy and fulfilment. We are living in the present moment, not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

But let’s be real, it’s not always easy to dance.

Sometimes we feel afraid, uncertain or stuck in our comfort zones.

But the beauty of life is that every day offers us a new opportunity to make a different choice.

Every day is a new chance to step out of our comfort zones and into the unknown.

Every day is a new chance to dance.

So, next time we’re faced with the choice to sit it out or dance, let’s remember Oprah’s words.

———–

to sit out – to stop doing something for a period of time

But first, what is a “calling”?

It’s when the things you’re good at, the things you love doing and the things that are important to you all come together.

It’s the thing that makes you feel happy and fulfilled when you do it.

It’s like finding your dream job or your true passion in life.

Okay, it’s not always easy to find, but when you do find it, it’s worth it.

Trust me!

A nudge

You might have heard the saying, “other people often nudge us toward our calling“.

Well, that’s exactly what happened to me.

I was a stay-at-home mum for 18 years, with two children still at home and two at university.

I was thinking about going back to work, but I didn’t want to go back into an office. So, I was trying to figure out my options.

And then, one day, a young man asked me to help him improve his English conversation skills.

That was nothing I had considered before. To be honest, I didn’t even like the idea.

But the man was persistent and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

And do you know what?

The minute we started working together, I knew that this was exactly what I was meant to do.

It was crazy, but language coaching found me.

If nothing else, remember this

We don’t always have to have everything figured out and planned out.

Sometimes, we simply have to be open and willing to see where life takes us.

So, if you’re feeling lost and unsure about what to do next, don’t be afraid to try something new.

You never know, it might just be your calling.

———-

calling – Berufung
to nudge – stupsen
a nudge – ein Stupser

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You’re reading my posts because you want to improve your English.

I can give you lots and lots of tips and ideas on what else you can do to improve.

But what good is it if I give you a list which is so long that you feel overwhelmed? 

You probably wouldn’t get started. Or you would lose interest very fast.

So what do I suggest?

• Start small.
• Start with something you enjoy doing.
• And keep doing it consistently.

The key is to make a new habit that is so simple to execute that you won’t need any extra effort or self-control to begin.

That’s why I send out my Sparks of English on a regular basis.

If you manage to read my posts every day (and even to follow some of the links I include), you’re already taking those tiny steps you need to improve your English skills.

Congratulations!

Look into an English dictionary and you’ll probably find the word “zeitgeist“(sometimes with a capital “Z”).

Yes, it’s a German word we use in English.

It translates to “the spirit of the times” or “the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era“. And refers to the ideas, beliefs, and trends that are popular in a certain time period. 

Here is an example sentence:

“The popularity of social media platforms can be seen as a reflection of the zeitgeist of the digital age.”

It’s important to remember, however, that zeitgeist can also include negative things like racism or prejudice.

For example, during the Holocaust, the zeitgeist in Germany included the belief that Jewish people were inferior.

Studying zeitgeist can help us understand the culture and society of a specific time period. And can give us insight into what people were thinking and what was important to them.