📖 Book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff … and It's All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson, PhD. Synopsis: Simple ways to keep little things from taking over your life. The book consists of 100 short articles -- we'll go through them week by week. This week’s # 18: Allow Yourself to Be Bored Here's what you need to do: 1. Read it yourself, take time to reflect on it and make notes. 2. Join the live reading on Wednesday. We'll read and listen to the article together, line by line. 3. Share your thoughts. Keep your answer under 4 minutes. Be clear, and focus on expressing your ideas about the topic to practice real English speaking. No debates, just sharing thoughts. For many of us, our lives are so filled with stimuli, not to mention responsibilities, that it's almost impossible for us to sit still and do nothing, much less relax -- even for a few minutes. A friend of mine said to me, "People are no longer human beings. We should be called human doings." I was first exposed to the idea that occasional boredom can actually be good for me while studying with a therapist in La Conner, Washington, a tiny little town with very little "to do." After finishing our first day together, I asked my instructor, "What is there to do around here at night?" He responded by saying, "What I'd like you to do is allow yourself to be bored. Do nothing. This is part of your training." At first I thought he was kidding! "Why on earth would I choose to be bored?" I asked. He went on to explain that if you allow yourself to be bored, even for an hour -- or less -- and don't fight it, the feelings of boredom will be replaced with feelings of peace. And after a little practice, you'll learn to relax. Much to my surprise, he was absolutely right. At first, I could barely stand it. I was so used to doing something every second that I really struggled to relax. But after a while I got used to it, and have long since learned to enjoy it. I'm not talking about hours of idle time or laziness, but simply learning the art of relaxing, of just "being," rather than "doing," for a few minutes each day. There isn't a specific technique other than to consciously do nothing. Just sit still, perhaps look out the window and notice your thoughts and feelings. At first you may get a little anxious, but each day it will get a little easier. The payback is tremendous.

📅 LIVE Classes Tomorrow (Feb 9) 🕔 5:00 AM MSK — AMA with Coach Vinnie LA: 6:00 PM (Feb 8) | Beijing: 10:00 AM What it is: Open AMA, friendly and conversational Best for: Speaking practice, everyday English, confidence Vibe: Relaxed, supportive, zero pressure 🕧 12:30 PM MSK — AMA with Coach Miguel LA: 1:30 AM | Beijing: 5:30 PM What it is: Clear, practical AMA with lots of real examples Best for: Fluency, natural phrasing, everyday communication Good choice if: You like learning through examples 🕒 3:00 PM MSK — AMA with Coach Mila LA: 4:00 AM | Beijing: 8:00 PM What it is: Friendly, interactive AMA Best for: Speaking comfort, confidence, expressing ideas Vibe: Encouraging and student-focused 🕔 5:00 PM MSK — AMA with Coach Jas Karan LA: 6:00 AM | Beijing: 10:00 PM What it is: Clear, structured AMA Best for: Clarity, pronunciation, organized thinking Perfect if: You like step-by-step explanations 🕣 8:30 PM MSK — The Topic: Social Media LA: 10:30 AM | Beijing: 3:30 AM What it is: Short discussion on social media addiction and its impact on daily life and focus Best for: Sharing experiences, learning together, relaxed conversation Vibe: Easygoing, supportive, zero pressure 🕚 11:00 PM MSK — LME Speaking / Listening LA: 12:00 PM | Beijing: 4:00 AM (Feb 10) What it is: Guided speaking + listening practice Best for: Fluency, comprehension, real-time listening

Hello everyone! 🙌 How about we dig into this assignment in our next Throwback PIRFsday? So, February 12 — our weekly class: Throwback PIRFsday, every Thursday ⏰ 👉 Calendar Link Here’s what we’ll do: Go through one of the “old” PIRF assignments and… Do VF (Vowel Foul) 😜 Practice pronunciation 🗣️ Read the whole assignment 📝 My assistant Super Mariel @Mariel Liang, will, as always, be watching out for me and lending a hand. 🤝 PRACTICING TOGETHER, IMPROVING BIG TIME! 💪

We usually steer our members away from private tutoring because it's very expensive (unless your company is paying for it...or you're just really, really rich!!!). A combination of VIP memberships in PIRF and DDM are usually MORE than enough to GREATLY improve your English skills as long as you stick to the programs and attend as many LIVE classes as you can. We have recently had Gulistan (a lawyer and PhD student from Turkey) and Soooda (a teacher from China) who have attended over 120 hours EVERY MONTH of LIVE classes on top of their VIP lessons. Their English has skyrocketed. The price is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper, too. DDM+PIRF Premium is $340/month, DDM+PIRF VIP is $150/month. Private tutoring STARTS at $1250 for ten hours. Just an FYI for everyone!

@Evelyne Vincent @Ute Delsing @Mariel Liang @Windy Wang @Ra Ja @Nolla Nella @Sara Li @Ada Ada @Jackie Li @Kelly Trinh @Lu Huishan @Massouda Mhamdi @Miko Zhou @Mina Min @Nza Kurdi @Rory Yuan @Sam O @Sarah Chen @Shirley Lee @Xinxin Zhang @Sherry Zhan @Eve Eve @Zha Xi @Fengxiao Wang @Denise Zhang @Smith Jess @Candice Liu @Faisal L @Juan Romero @Julie Meng @Dai Judy @George Gubaidulin @Hanny Zzzzzzz @Steven Jiang @Gulistan Asan @Daria Filippova Thank you guys! Super-duper job today. The assignment was a bit tough with all the proper names, but we nailed it! Special thanks to my amazing assistant Super @Mariel Liang for helping me out. I was able to practice with 15 members today thanks to her help with organizing everything!