Seri: 365 Days with self - Discipline

 -------------------Week 2-----------------------

Day 11: On self-discipline and Talent

Self-discipline without talent can often achieve astounding results, whereas talent without self-discipline inevitably dooms itself to failure.

 —Sydney J. Harris 11

 When you look at some of the most successful high-performers, it might be tempting to say that they were born this way. They’re talented, end of story. In fact, talent — while undeniably makes life easier — is but one part of the equation.

 I used to be a shy and fearful person. If you compared me, the awkward outsider, with the most successful guys at school, you could say they were born talented to be popular, liked and as alpha male as you could get, while I didn’t have such luck.

 However, my apparent misfortune turned out to be a source of strength because it provided a spark to introduce big changes in my life. By continuously pushing my comfort zone, I not only overcame social shyness and improved my communication skills, but also developed high self-confidence and overcame other fears in my life.

 I might not have been born with the talent to be a “people person” — I still prefer solitude to crowds — but with self-discipline and consistent work, I still achieved astounding results.

 Next time, before you complain that you don’t have a talent for something or weren’t “born this way,” remind yourself that self- discipline, in many situations, can more than make up for a lack of inborn traits.

Vocabualary

undeniably /ˌʌndɪˈnaɪəbli/

in a way that is true or certain and cannot be denied

SYNONYM indisputably

undeniably impressive

He is, undeniably, an excellent player.

equation/ɪˈkweɪʒn/ 

[countable] (mathematics) a statement showing that two amounts or values are equal, for example 2x + y = 54

the numbers on the right-hand side of the equation

the equation for a straight line

awkward /ˈɔːkwəd/ 

making you feel embarrassed

There was an awkward silence.

I felt awkward because they obviously wanted to be alone.

apparent /əˈpærənt/

[not usually before noun] easy to see or understand

SYNONYM obvious

Their devotion was apparent.

Then, for no apparent reason, the train suddenly stopped.

 apparent from something that… It was apparent from her face that she was really upset.

 apparent to somebody that… It soon became apparent to everyone that he couldn't sing.

 apparent that… It's readily apparent that she has a gift for this kind of writing.

 apparent from something No damage was apparent from a brain scan.

apparent to somebody The consequences

misfortune /ˌmɪsˈfɔːtʃuːn/

[uncountable] bad luck

He has known great misfortune in his life.

We had the misfortune to run into a violent storm.

spark /spɑːk/

[transitive] to cause something to start or develop, especially suddenly

 spark something The proposal would spark a storm of protest around the country.

Winds brought down power lines, sparking a fire.

The organizers are hoping to spark some interest in young people.

 spark something off The riots were sparked off by the arrest of a local leader.

solitude /ˈsɒlətjuːd/

the state of being alone, especially when you find this pleasant

SYNONYM privacy

She longed for peace and solitude.

I returned to the solitude of my room.

He shut himself away to pray in solitude.

astounding /əˈstaʊndɪŋ/

so surprising that it is difficult to believe

SYNONYM astonishing

There was an astounding 20 per cent increase in sales.

The performance was an astounding success.

They can perform astounding mathematical feats in seconds.

trait/treɪt/

a particular quality in your personality

personality traits

Awareness of class is a typically British trait.

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Translate

When you look at some of the most successful high-performers, it might be tempting to say that they were born this way. They’re talented, end of story. In fact, talent — while không thể phủ nhận/ˌʌndɪˈnaɪəbli/ makes life easier — is but one part of the phương trình/ɪˈkweɪʒn/.

 I used to be a shy and fearful person. If you compared me, the vụng về/ˈɔːkwəd/ outsider, with the most successful guys at school, you could say they were born talented to be popular, liked and as alpha male as you could get, while I didn’t have such luck.

 However, my rõ ràng/əˈpærənt/ bất hạnh/ˌmɪsˈfɔːtʃuːn/ turned out to be a source of strength because it provided a spark to introduce big changes in my life. By continuously pushing my comfort zone, I not only overcame social shyness and improved my communication skills, but also developed high self-confidence and overcame other fears in my life.

 I might not have been born with the talent to be a “people person” — I still prefer cô đơn/ˈsɒlətjuːd/ to crowds — but with self-discipline and consistent work, I still achieved kinh ngạc/əˈstaʊndɪŋ/ results.

 Next time, before you complain that you don’t have a talent for something or weren’t “born this way,” remind yourself that self- discipline, in many situations, can more than make up for a lack of inborn đặc điểm/treɪt/.

When you look at some of the most successful high-performers, it might be tempting to say that they were born this way.Khi bạn nhìn vào một số nghệ sĩ có thành tích cao thành công nhất, có thể bạn sẽ cảm thấy hấp dẫn khi nói rằng họ được sinh ra theo cách này. They’re talented, end of story. In fact, talent — while undeniably makes life easier — is but one part of the equation. Họ tài năng, kết thúc câu chuyện. Trên thực tế, tài năng - mặc dù không thể phủ nhận giúp cuộc sống dễ dàng hơn - nhưng chỉ là một phần của phương trình.

 I used to be a shy and fearful person. Tôi từng là một người nhút nhát và hay sợ hãi. If you compared me, the awkward outsider, with the most successful guys at school, you could say they were born talented to be popular, liked and as alpha male as you could get, while I didn’t have such luck. Nếu bạn so sánh tôi, một người ngoài cuộc vụng về, với những chàng trai thành công nhất ở trường, bạn có thể nói rằng họ sinh ra đã tài năng để được nổi tiếng, được yêu thích và trở thành nam thần tượng như bạn có thể có, trong khi tôi không có may mắn như vậy.

 However, my apparent misfortune turned out to be a source of strength because it provided a spark to introduce big changes in my life. Tuy nhiên, sự bất hạnh rõ ràng của tôi hóa ra lại là một nguồn sức mạnh bởi vì nó tạo ra một tia sáng để giới thiệu những thay đổi lớn trong cuộc đời tôi. By continuously pushing my comfort zone, I not only overcame social shyness and improved my communication skills, but also developed high self-confidence and overcame other fears in my life. Bằng cách liên tục thúc đẩy vùng an toàn của mình, tôi không chỉ vượt qua sự nhút nhát trong xã hội và cải thiện kỹ năng giao tiếp của mình, mà còn phát triển sự tự tin cao và vượt qua những nỗi sợ hãi khác trong cuộc sống của tôi.

 I might not have been born with the talent to be a “people person” — I still prefer solitude to crowds — but with self-discipline and consistent work, I still achieved astounding results. Tôi có thể không được sinh ra với tài năng để trở thành một “con người” - tôi vẫn thích cô độc trước đám đông - nhưng với tính tự giác và công việc nhất quán, tôi vẫn đạt được kết quả đáng kinh ngạc.

 Next time, before you complain that you don’t have a talent for something or weren’t “born this way,” remind yourself that self- discipline, in many situations, can more than make up for a lack of inborn traits. Lần tới, trước khi bạn phàn nàn rằng bạn không có tài năng về một thứ gì đó hoặc không được “sinh ra theo cách này”, hãy nhắc nhở bản thân rằng kỷ luật tự giác, trong nhiều tình huống, không thể bù đắp cho sự thiếu sót bẩm sinh.