Anna:
Hi everyone! Welcome back to Everyday English Talk - the podcast where we
practice simple English for real daily life. I’m Anna.
Ben:
And I’m Ben! Thanks for joining us today. We’re happy you’re here, whether
you’re at home, at work, or just taking a walk.
Anna:
Today’s topic is about something very important. We’re going to talk about Doing the
Right Thing.
Ben:
That’s right. This means making good choices, even when it’s difficult. It’s
about learning to be honest and be kind in our daily
lives.
Anna:
These situations happen all the time, in big ways and small ways. We will talk
about some simple, everyday situations.
Ben:
So sit back, relax, and let’s talk about how we can make good decisions.
Anna:
And remember, you can download the free PDF transcript with today’s vocabulary
and exercises. The link is in the description.
Ben:
Okay, Anna, let’s start with a very common situation. Imagine you are walking
in a park, and you look down... and you see a wallet on the ground.
Anna:
Oh, wow. That’s a classic problem. My first feeling is excitement... "Oh,
I found something!"
Ben:
What do you do? Do you open it?
Anna:
Yes, I think I would open it. I would want to see if there is an ID card or a
name inside.
Ben:
Okay, so you open it, and you see it’s full of money. Maybe $100. And there is
also a driver’s license with a name and a photo.
Anna:
Now there is a choice. A person could just keep it. They could
take the money and leave the wallet.
Ben:
But is that the right thing to do?
Anna:
No, it’s not. The right thing to do is to return it to the
owner.
Ben:
Why is that so important? The person was careless. Maybe it’s their fault for
losing it.
Anna:
I don't think it matters if it was their fault. You have to put yourself in
their shoes.
Ben:
What does that mean, put yourself in their shoes?
Anna:
It means you imagine you are that person. Imagine you lost your wallet. You
would be so sad and worried. You wouldn't have money, and you would have to get
a new ID card. It’s a terrible feeling.
Ben:
That’s a very good point. When you think about it that way, the choice is easy.
You know that person is probably very scared right now.
Anna:
So, what is the best way to return it?
Ben:
Well, if there is an ID card with an address, maybe you can take it to their
house. Or, if you don't want to do that, you can take it to the police station.
Anna:
Taking it to the police is a great idea. It’s a safe and honest choice.
Ben:
I found a phone on a bus once.
Anna:
What did you do?
Ben:
I waited for a few minutes to see if the person would call their own phone. And
they did! A call came in, and the name on the screen said "Mom”. I
answered, and I explained that I found the phone.
Anna:
That’s great! They must have been so happy.
Ben:
Yes, the person’s mother was so relieved. We met at the next bus stop, and I
gave her the phone.
Anna:
How did you feel after that?
Ben:
I felt really good. I felt honest. It was a simple action, but it made me
feel proud of myself.
Anna:
That’s the reward. You don't get money, but you get to feel
honest and know you did the right thing.
Anna:
Let’s go over some useful phrases.
Ben:
Sure!
Anna:
First - find
a wallet. This is the situation, when you see something someone
lost. For example: “What would you do if you find a wallet in the
street?”
Ben:
Second - return
it. This means to give something back to its owner. For example: “He
found my keys and returned them to me”.
Anna:
Third - the
right thing to do. This means the best, most honest, or kindest
choice. For example: “Returning the wallet was the right thing to do”.
Ben:
Fourth - put
yourself in their shoes. This means to imagine how another person
feels. For example: “Put yourself in her shoes; you would be sad
too”.
Anna:
And fifth - feel honest. This is the good feeling you have when you
tell the truth or do the right thing. For example: “I told the truth, and it
made me feel
honest”.
Ben:
So listeners, what would you do if you found a wallet full of money?
Anna:
Share your answer with us in the comments!
Anna:
Okay, so that was about being honest. Let’s talk about another situation. This
one is about being kind.
Ben:
What’s the situation?
Anna:
You are at the grocery store. You see an elderly woman, maybe 80 years old. She
is struggling
with two very heavy bags of groceries.
Ben:
Oh, yes, I see this kind of thing often.
Anna:
You are busy. You finished your shopping, and you just want to go home. You
have two choices.
Ben:
What are the choices?
Anna:
Choice one: You can keep walking. You can look at your phone,
pretend you don't see her, and go to your car.
Ben:
That is the easy choice. You are tired. It’s not your problem.
Anna:
Right. But what is choice two?
Ben:
Choice two is you can stop and help. You can walk over to her and ask,
"Excuse me, can I lend a hand with those bags?"
Anna:
Is it always easy to lend a hand?
Ben:
No. Sometimes we are shy. We are afraid the other person will say no. Or maybe
we are just in a hurry.
Anna:
But is it a
kind thing to do?
Ben:
Yes. It is a kind thing to do. Just like with the wallet, you can put yourself in
their shoes.
Anna:
How so?
Ben:
One day, we will all be old. Or one day, we might be the person struggling with
heavy bags. Wouldn't we hope that a kind person would stop and help us?
Anna:
That’s true. It's about thinking of other people, not just ourselves.
Ben:
It’s a small action. It only takes two minutes to help her carry the bags to
her car or to the bus stop.
Anna:
But for her, it makes a big difference. Her day is much easier because you were
kind.
Ben:
I saw a man fall down on the sidewalk last week. He tripped and all his papers
flew everywhere.
Anna:
Oh no! What did people do?
Ben:
Many people just kept walking. They were busy.
Anna:
What did you do?
Ben:
I stopped. I asked, "Are you okay?" And then I helped him pick up all
his papers. Another young woman also stopped to help.
Anna:
So two of you stopped?
Ben:
Yes. It took just one minute. The man said, "Thank you so much”. He was
okay, just a little embarrassed.
Anna:
It feels good to stop and help. It makes you feel connected to
other people.
Ben:
It does. Keeping
walking is easy, but lending a hand makes the world a little bit
nicer.
Anna:
Let’s go over some useful phrases.
Ben:
Sure!
Anna:
First - lend
a hand. This means to help someone. For example: “He is carrying a
heavy box. Let’s go lend a hand”.
Ben:
Second - struggling
with. This means to have difficulty doing something. For example:
“She was struggling
with four heavy bags”.
Anna:
Third - keep
walking. This means to continue going and not stop. For example: “He
saw the man fall, but he just kept walking”.
Ben:
Fourth - stop
and help. This is the opposite of "keep walking”. It means to
pause your day to help someone. For example: “She was kind enough to stop and help
me”.
Anna:
And fifth - a kind thing to do. This is a simple phrase for an action
that is nice or helpful. For example: “Giving her your seat on the bus was a kind thing to
do”.
Ben:
What about you, listeners? When was the last time you stopped to lend a
hand?
Anna:
Let us know in the comments!
Ben:
So Anna, we’ve talked about two situations: returning a wallet, which is
honest, and helping someone, which is kind.
Anna:
In both situations, you don't get a reward. You don't get money for returning
the wallet. You don't get paid for helping the woman with her bags.
Ben:
So... why do we do it? Why is it important to make the right decision?
Anna:
I think it’s about how it makes you feel.
Ben:
What do you mean?
Anna:
When you do the honest choice, or the kind choice, you feel good about
yourself.
Ben:
That's true. When I returned that phone on the bus, I felt happy all day. I
felt like a good person.
Anna:
Yes! You can't buy that feeling. It’s a feeling of pride. You know you did the
right thing, even when no one was watching.
Ben:
That’s a good point. Maybe your friends or family never know you did it. You do
it for yourself.
Anna:
There is a great English phrase for this. We say you have a clear
conscience.
Ben:
A
clear conscience? What does that mean?
Anna:
A "conscience" is the voice inside your head that tells you what is
right and what is wrong. If your conscience is "clear," it means you
are not guilty. You feel peaceful.
Ben:
Ah, I understand. If I kept the wallet, I would have $100, but I would feel
bad. I would feel guilty. I would not have a clear conscience.
Anna:
Exactly. You would always be thinking, "That was a bad thing to do. I
stole that money”.
Ben:
And when you have a clear conscience, you sleep well at
night.
Anna:
Yes! You can relax. You are at peace with yourself because you know you are a
good person.
Ben:
So, doing
the right thing is not about getting a reward from other people.
Anna:
No. The reward is internal. It's the feeling of being honest, being kind, and
having a
clear conscience.
Ben:
You feel
good about yourself, and that is the best reward.
Anna:
It’s not always the easy choice, but it is always the best choice for your own
peace of mind.
Anna:
Let’s go over some useful phrases.
Ben:
Sure!
Anna:
First - feel
good about yourself. This means to feel proud or happy about your
own actions. For example: “When I help my parents, I feel good about myself”.
Ben:
Second - sleep
well at night. This means to be relaxed and not worried, so you can
sleep. For example: “He told the truth, so he can sleep well at night”.
Anna:
Third - a
clear conscience. This is the good feeling you have when you know
you have done nothing wrong. For example: “I returned the money, so I have a clear
conscience”.
Ben:
Fourth - the
honest choice. This means the choice to be truthful and not steal or
lie. For example: “Giving the wallet to the police was the honest
choice”.
Anna:
And fifth - make the right decision. This means to choose the best,
most moral action. For example: “It was hard, but I know I made the right
decision”.
Ben:
So listeners, how do you feel after you do something good for someone else?
Anna:
Let us know in the comments.
Anna:
Now it’s your turn!
Ben:
Let’s practice what you learned today. This is your chance to use these new
phrases.
Anna:
First, listening practice. Listen to this episode again from the beginning. Try
to find all the useful phrases we talked about.
Ben:
Listen for when I said you should return it.
Anna:
Or when I said you can lend a hand.
Ben:
Try to find at least 3 to 5 phrases, like put yourself in their shoes,
a
clear conscience, or feel good about yourself.
Anna:
Second, speaking practice. Try to say 3 short sentences out loud. Tell us about
a time you did the right thing.
Ben:
For example, you can say: “I found a phone on the train. I gave it to the
driver. I made
the right decision”.
Anna:
Or: “I saw a woman struggling with her bags. I stopped and helped. I felt good
about myself”.
Ben:
Third, writing practice. Write a short paragraph in your notebook or in the
comments.
Anna:
You can start with: “Doing the right thing is important because...”.
Tell us what you think.
Ben:
Remember, small practice every day helps you improve.
Anna:
That’s right! Just one step at a time.
Ben:
Let’s quickly review what we learned today, Anna.
Anna:
Yes, it was a very important conversation. We talked about doing the right
thing in everyday life.
Ben:
First, we talked about being honest. If you find a wallet, you
should return
it.
Anna:
We learned the phrase put yourself in their shoes to remember how the
other person feels.
Ben:
Second, we talked about being kind. If you see someone struggling
with something, you should stop and help.
Anna:
It’s always good to lend a hand.
Ben:
And finally, we talked about why we do it. It’s not for a reward.
Anna:
It’s because it gives you a clear conscience and makes you feel good about
yourself.
Ben:
And that helps you sleep well at night.
Anna:
It’s not always the easy choice, but it is always the best choice.
Ben:
Thanks for listening to Everyday English Talk!
Anna:
We hope you enjoyed today’s episode and learned some useful phrases about
making good choices.
Ben:
Don’t forget to download the free PDF transcript and vocabulary exercises from
the link in the description. It’s a great way to review.
Anna:
And we’d love to hear from you. Tell us in the comments - what is one good
thing you did this week?
Ben:
We'll see you next time.
Anna:
Until then, keep practicing.
Download Transcript Try the exercises here
