“YES MAN” CHANGED MY LIFE

by Richard Collins

Yes Man is the best book I've ever read. It's the true story of a year in the life of author Danny Wallace. Before Danny Wallace became the "Yes Man', his life was boring and he felt old. So he decided to make things more exciting. He started saying yes to every question people asked him. And he did it for a whole year. From the day he started, it completely changed his life, and he had all kinds of adventures. It's a fantastic story. When I finished the book, I wanted to change my life like Danny Wallace. So I took a holiday from work and became a “Yes Man” for a week. This is what happened.

Day 1

I started on Saturday morning. At 10 am, I got my first question. I saw a poster in the window of a travel agents. It said, Tired? (Yes - I slept badly the night before, so I was tired.) Under this, it said, 'Do you need a holiday?' (Yes, definitely.) So I went in. The travel agent asked, me where I wanted to go. But before I could answer, she said, 'Somewhere hot?' I don't like hot weather, but I said, “Yes.” “A beach holiday? Maybe in Greece?' I don't like the beach ‹I prefer cities) But I said, 'Yes.” “What kind of accommodation? A hotel? Or a ...” I hate hotels, but before she could continue, I said, 'Yes? Five minutes later, everything was ready. My flight was the next day.

Day 2

I arrived at my hotel on the island of Zante at lunchtime. It was very, very hot. I just wanted to check in and unpack my suitcase, but the receptionist said, We have a minibus to the beach in ten minutes. Do you want to go?" You know the answer I gave her. It was about 40°C at the beach. Luckily, I brought suntan lotion. A man came towards me: Sunglasses? Do you want sunglasses?' I had some in my bag, but I said, 'Yes? Five minutes later, another man came: 'Beautiful hat, sir? I tried not to look at him. Three hours later, I had two pairs of sunglasses, three hats, a watch and a woman's necklace. It was difficult to carry all my new things back to the minibus. I decided: no trips tomorrow, just rest. When I got back, the receptionist asked, “Did you like the beach?” I didn't, but I said, 'Yes.' “Oh, there's a water skiing course tomorrow. Do you want me to book a place for you?" I can't swim very well, and I don't like the sea. I wanted to cry ...

Are you shopping too much?

Shopping used to be my favourite activity. It started when I was a teenager and I worked in a clothes shop. I had a staff discount in the shop and I used to spend all my wages on clothes. When I got a job in an office I carried on spending all my spare money on clothes - even after I had got married, bought a house and had children!

I used to go shopping every weekend and I probably spent about 500 a month on clothes. It wasn't something I only did when I wasn't very happy, I always went shopping however I felt. Sometimes I'd look for ages to find what I wanted. Other times, I'd just buy the first thing I saw.

Most of the things I didn't need. One day I bought three pairs of boots, even though I  already had another ten pairs at home. I never even took the most expensive pair out of the box!

I realised I had a problem when one day my five-year-old daughter looked into my wardrobe and asked me why I had so many handbags. I counted them. I had seventy five handbags and they must have cost me thousands of pounds. I couldn't believe what I'd done!

First of all, I threw away my credit card. Then I gave away all the clothes that I'd never worn. After that I made arrangements every Saturday to visit friends or go on a day trip, so I wouldn't be able to go shopping.

Having problems is a natural part of life, and we all encounter them from time to time. Whether it's a personal issue, a work-related challenge, or a relationship dilemma, problems can cause stress and uncertainty. However, there are ways to approach and overcome these problems effectively. Firstly, it's important to define the problem clearly. Understanding the root cause and identifying the specific issues involved can help in finding appropriate solutions. Without a clear understanding of the problem, it's difficult to come up with effective strategies. Secondly, seeking advice or support from others can be valuable. Talking to friends, family, or colleagues who have faced similar challenges can provide fresh perspectives and insights. Additionally, seeking professional help, such as consulting a therapist or a mentor, can offer guidance and expertise in dealing with specific problems. Another strategy is to break down the problem into smaller, manageable tasks. By dividing a complex problem into smaller parts, it becomes less overwhelming and more achievable. This approach allows for a step-by-step analysis and solution implementation. Furthermore, maintaining a positive mindset is crucial when facing problems. A positive attitude can help in staying motivated and finding creative solutions. Instead of dwelling on the difficulties, focusing on potential opportunities and lessons learned can lead to personal growth and development. Lastly, it's essential to evaluate the outcomes and learn from the experience. Reflecting on the problem-solving process can provide valuable insights for future situations. Understanding what worked and what didn't can enhance problem-solving skills and increase resilience.

My Canadian trip

Last year I went on an amazing trip- travelling by boat on a guided group tour along the west coast of Canada. It was my brother Harry's idea. He's a journalist, like me, and he wanted to write articles about the trip. He's also a great fan of boats, although that's one interest we definitely don't share. But I'd dreamt of visiting the area ever since seeing it on TV as a child, especially as I knew it was where our great-grandparents had lived before moving to Europe. So I kept asking Harry if I could go too until he finally agreed!

A few weeks before we left home, there were storms in the area we were going to. But luckily the forecast for the time we intended to be there was for calm seas. Although there was plenty to arrange, I was busy at work so didn't have much time to think about what needed doing. But Harry promised he'd taken care of everything, so I knew everything would be all right. After arriving in Canada, we joined the group, packed our limited supplies into small boats and set off. The guide had mentioned that very few people now lived along that coast, and sure enough, the only other living creatures we saw for the first few days were dolphins and birds. We knew there were islands in the distance, but the early-morning fog made it hard to see very far, so I just focussed on the beautiful patterns our boat made in the water. We often stopped for hours to explore the rock pools on the beaches. They were full of amazing coloured fish, many of which I didn't recognise. And it was great to be able to stop caring about how quickly or slowly the day was passing. We never forgot lunch or dinner, though, which we all made together over camp fires. When we finally fell asleep on the boats each evening, even though the beds were hard, it really felt like stress-free living! When the time came to leave, I was sad. How could I return to normal life again? But I knew if I stayed, I'd miss family and friends. I was also looking forward to telling everyone at home about our adventures!

Artist Peter Fuller talks about his hobby

There's a popular idea that artists are not supposed to be into sport, but mountain biking is a huge part of my life. It gets me out of my studio, and into the countryside. But more importantly, racing along as fast as you can leaves you no time to worry about anything that's going on in your life. You're too busy concentrating on not crashing. The only things you pay attention to are the pain in your legs and the rocks on the path in front of you.

I'm in my sixties now, but I started cycling when I was a kid. In the summer my friends and I would ride our bikes into the woods and see who was brave enough to go down steep hills, or do big jumps. The bikes we had then weren't built for that, and often broke, so Fused to draw pictures of bikes with big thick tyres that would be strong enough for what we were doing. They looked just like modern mountain bikes. However, it wasn't until many years later that someone actually invented one. By the 1980s, they were everywhere.

At that time I was into skateboarding. I did that for a decade until falling off on to hard surfaces started to hurt too much. Mountain biking seemed a fairly safe way to keep fit, so I took that up instead. I made a lot of friends, and got involved in racing, which gave me a reason to train hard. I wanted to find out just how fit and fast I could get, which turned out to be fairly quick. I even won a couple of local races.

In the end I stopped racing, mainly because I knew what it could mean to my career if I had a bad crash. But I still like to do a three-hour mountain bike ride every week. And if I'm out cycling in the hills and see a rider ahead, I have to beat them to the top. As I go past I imagine how surprised they would be if they knew how old I am.

Work-life balance is an important aspect of our overall well-being. In today's fast-paced world, finding the right equilibrium between work and personal life has become increasingly challenging. Many individuals struggle to maintain a healthy separation between their professional obligations and their personal responsibilities. However, achieving work-life balance is essential for our mental and physical health, as well as our relationships.

One of the key factors in achieving work-life balance is effective time management. Being able to prioritize tasks, set boundaries, and allocate time for both work and personal activities is crucial. By managing our time effectively, we can reduce stress and ensure that we have dedicated moments for relaxation, family, hobbies, and self-care.

 Another important aspect is establishing clear boundaries between work and personal life. It is essential to set realistic expectations and communicate them with colleagues, clients, and family members. Creating a structured schedule and sticking to it can help maintain a healthy separation. Additionally, learning to disconnect from work during personal time, such as avoiding checking emails or taking work-related calls, can significantly contribute to work-life balance.

Furthermore, employers also play a vital role in fostering a healthy work-life balance for their employees. Organizations that promote flexible work arrangements, provide support for personal commitments, and prioritize employee well-being tend to have higher job satisfaction and productivity levels. By creating a positive work environment and implementing policies that support work-life balance, employers can contribute to the overall happiness and satisfaction of their workforce. 

In conclusion, achieving work-life balance is a continuous process that requires effort, self-awareness, and effective strategies. Prioritizing time management, setting boundaries, and creating a supportive work environment are key factors in attaining a healthy equilibrium between work and personal life.

James Waltham - Chocolate Taster

Whenever I tell people what I do for a living, they can hardly believe this job exists. But I'm not joking! I spend my days at work eating chocolate! Tasting the chocolate is an essential part of making sure that customers get perfect bars of high-quality chocolate from the company I work for.  Every week I receive samples, small amounts that show what the chocolate is like, from our factory and I have to check them for taste, texture and smell. I also have to taste the raw materials we usually use- the nuts, fruit and so on. I spend days choosing the most suitable ones to go into the chocolate.  Just beside my company office I have a kitchen where I can test and taste products I make- and I keep my colleagues happy by giving them samples! My kitchen is full of machines and ingredients to play with. It's wonderful to have a private space I can go off to during the day. No two days are the same in this job. Sometimes I am at our food lab and others I'm out of the country buying our raw materials and as I've got a young family that can be difficult. But that kind of variety, and lack of routine, is something I love about the job, although I think it still comes second to the chocolate itself! The question I get asked most is whether I get bored of chocolate. I've worked with it for a long time, and I've never felt I didn't want to eat it. In fact, I'll often go home and eat some more in the evening!

GET HAPPY, GIVE YOUR MONEY AWAY

You know the old saying: 'Money can't buy you happiness'? Well, what if it could? Not by making it or spending it, but by giving it away. Research tells us that if you give money away, you will feel much happier. In an experiment in Switzerland, researchers gave 50 volunteers 25 Swiss francs (about £20) each week for four weeks. Half the people spent the money on themselves and made a note of how they spent the money. But researchers asked the other half to spend the money on another person. Afterwards, all 50 volunteers did the same task in a laboratory. Researchers asked them to think of a person they would like to give money to. Then they had to choose how much money, from £3 to £20, they wanted to give. While the volunteers thought about this, researchers studied their brain activity using an MRI machine. The results showed two things. First, the 25 volunteers who gave their money away during the four weeks were more generous and chose larger amounts of money in the laboratory task. Second, those same people were much happier than the people who previously spent the money on themselves. How did researchers know they were happy? When they studied the results of the MRI scans, they could see that the parts of the brain linked to being generous are also linked to being happy - and those parts of the brain were more active in the 25 people who gave their money away. 'OK, I hear you say. That's great in theory, but does it work in the real world?' In the Swiss experiment, researchers told the volunteers they had to give money away. But what if you want to do this in your daily life? Can you really make yourself happy by giving? The answer is 'yes, but it's important that you follow some simple rules. First of all, don't start by giving away a lot of money. Give a pound to a homeless person or make a small donation to a charity. Maybe give just £5 from your wages, or try to change your habits so you save money to give away. To give an example, stop buying lunch at a café every day and take a packed lunch to work or school. You can then give your lunch money to charity.

Or perhaps you're the kind of person who does a lot of online shopping. So rather than looking at websites for shops, try looking at websites for charities. Which one do you think is important? Donate the money you were going to spend on a new T-shirt (that you probably don't need). Learning to give money away is all about changing the way you behave. It's about living with less and being more generous. And research now tells us this will make you happy.

A lesson about luggage

Two years ago, I went from London to Barcelona in Spain by train. I (16) ............ planning to stay in Spain for a year so I (17) ............ two big suitcases and a backpack. Why (18) ............ so much? I don't know.  I changed trains in Paris. I had to go across the city by underground to another station. When I got off the train at my stop, I (19) ............ two suitcases, just one, and my backpack. I saw the second suitcase through the window of the train but the train was already moving. How silly (20) ............ me!  The journey to Barcelona was at night and I (21) ............ most of the way. Some people (22) ............ a noise but they didn't bother me. (23) ............ at me? I don’t know. When I woke up in the morning, my suitcase wasn't there! Now I only had my backpack. But I was lucky – everything (24) ............ was in it. Did I miss my suitcases? No, (25) ............ . This journey taught me a useful lesson – now I never travel with a lot of luggage.

Money plays a significant role in our lives and (16)_______ many aspects of society. It is a medium of exchange that allows us to acquire goods and services. (17)_______, managing money effectively is important to ensure financial stability and achieve our goals. One of the basic concepts related to money is budgeting. It involves (18)_______ and allocating money based on income and expenses. By creating a budget, individuals can track their spending, prioritize their needs, and (19)_______ their savings. Saving money is another crucial aspect of personal finance. It helps (20)_______ a financial safety net for unexpected expenses and long-term goals. Saving can be done through various methods, such as setting aside a portion of income, (21)_______ in investment vehicles, or utilizing tax-advantaged accounts. Credit and debt management are important considerations when it comes to money. Understanding the (22)_______ of credit, such as interest rates and repayment terms, is essential to make informed decisions. Additionally, being mindful of debt and managing it responsibly can prevent (23)_______ financial difficulties. Investing is a way to make money work for you. It involves allocating funds to different assets with the expectation of generating returns over time. Investing can (24)_______ individuals build wealth and achieve long-term financial goals, but it also carries risks that need to be carefully evaluated. Lastly, financial literacy is crucial for making informed financial decisions. It (25)_______ understanding concepts such as interest rates, inflation, and risk management. Increasing financial literacy can empower individuals to make sound financial choices and improve their overall financial well-being.

A crucial aspect of personal and societal development. It (16)_______ individuals with knowledge, skills, and perspectives that (17)_______ them to navigate the complexities of the world. However, there are different approaches to education, and (18)_______ methods have their strengths and weaknesses. One approach is traditional classroom-based learning, where students attend classes (19)_______ a physical setting and learn from teachers. This method allows for direct interaction between students and teachers, fostering (20)_______ and immediate feedback. However, it may lack flexibility and individualized attention. On the other hand, online learning has gained popularity in recent years. With the advancements in technology, students can access educational resources and participate in virtual classrooms (21)_______ their own pace and convenience. This method provides flexibility and convenience, but it may require self-discipline and (22)_______ motivation. Another approach is experiential learning, which emphasizes learning through real-world experiences. This method (23)_______ students to actively engage in hands-on activities, problem-solving, and reflection. It fosters critical thinking and practical skills, but it may be challenging to implement on a large scale. Furthermore, lifelong learning has become increasingly important in today's fast-paced world. (24)_______ individuals continuously update their knowledge and skills, they can adapt to new challenges and stay competitive. Lifelong learning can be pursued through various means, such as attending workshops, (25)_______ online courses, or joining professional communities.

Dear Zuzana

How are you? I hope you and your family are all well.

Last weekend was fantastic. I (16)............................. …to visit my aunt and uncle. They live in Scotland now.(17) ………… to Scotland yet? It (18) ………… my first visit and I loved it. My uncle and aunt (19) ………… there two months ago because my uncle got a (20)…….. in the Bank of Scotland. My   aunt's a teacher but she (21)……………work yet.

They have already bought a flat in the (22)…….. of Edinburgh, the capital city. They (23)…..to pay a lot of money for it and it's very nice. I'd love to buy my own flat but I (24)……..…enough money yet.

Do write and tell me how things are with you. I know you wanted to learn to drive. (25)…….to have lessons?

All best wishes,

Fiona

Money is an essential part of our lives. It serves as a medium of exchange and enables us to (16) __________ goods and services. Managing money effectively is crucial for financial stability and (17) __________. It is important to develop good financial habits, such as budgeting, saving, and (18) __________.

One common form of saving money is through (19) __________ accounts. They offer a safe place to deposit funds and earn (20) __________ over time. Another way to grow wealth is by (21) __________ in the stock market. However, it is important to conduct thorough research and (22) __________ the risks involved.

Incurring debt is another aspect of money management. Many individuals rely on (23) __________ to finance major purchases, such as homes or cars. However, it is important to (24) __________ the terms and interest rates before taking on debt. Defaulting on loans can have serious (25) __________ consequences.

In conclusion, understanding money management is essential for financial well-being. By making wise financial decisions, saving for the future, and avoiding excessive debt, individuals can secure their financial future.

London Parks

London is famous (16) ... its parks and gardens. Some of them belong (17)…. the Crown, but they are all open to the public, and the entrance is free of (18)………. In St James's Park, you can watch and (19) ... swans, ducks, geese, and other water birds. Hyde Park (20) ... to be a hunting ground and is still popular with horse riders.

Those who like a good argument should go to the Speakers' Corner to listen to individuals (21) ... speeches on various subjects. Regent's Park now houses London Zoo and open-air (22)….. where Shakespeare's plays are staged in summer. Not (23) ... the parks are in the city centre. Greenwich and Richmond are located in the suburbs. All these areas of green (24)…… the city dwellers an excellent (25) ... to enjoy some peace away from traffic and crowded streets.

My first job!

I've just got my first job as a hairdresser! To apply for jobs, you have (16) ………… a qualification – I got (17)…………… last month. The job is fun but also tiring. I stand most of the day and (18) ………… only sit down for a few minutes at break times. Our customers are very important. There's a sign in our staff room: 'EMPLOYEES (19) ………… EVER BE RUDE TO CUSTOMERS.' It's a rule! Another rule is that we need to look nice, but we can choose our own clothes. I'm glad that we (20) ………… wear boring work clothes. Although this (21) ………… be my perfect job, I'm happy for now. It's a great place to work so I'm confident (22) ………… be a good start to my career. I need this (23) ………………., so I've decided that I (24) ………… change jobs for at least a year. (25) ………… be a safe career for the future? I think so – a computer can't cut your hair ... at least, not yet! But it might be possible in the future!

A lesson about luggage

Two years ago, I went from London to Barcelona in Spain by train. I (16) ………… planning to stay in Spain for a year so I (17) ………… two big suitcases and a backpack. Why (18) ………… so much? I don't know. I changed trains in Paris. I had to go across the city by underground to another station. When I got off the train at my stop, I (19) ………… two suitcases, just one, and my backpack. I saw the second (20)……………….  through the window of the train but the train was already moving. How silly of me! The journey to Barcelona was at night and I (21) ………… most of the way. Some people (22) ………… a noise but they didn't bother me. (23) ………… at me? I don’t know. When I woke up in the morning, my suitcase wasn't there! Now I only had my backpack. But I was (24)……………… – everything I needed was in it. Did I miss my suitcases? No, (25) ………… . This journey taught me a useful lesson – now I never travel with a lot of luggage.