Stop Doubting Yourself in English: Eight Yourself Phrases, a Pharmacy Story and an Interview Role Play

You know the feeling. The perfect sentence is ready in your head, you open your mouth, and “you said nothing at all” (00:05). Emily says it has happened to her “in shops, in meetings, even on the phone” (00:08), and Paul describes how it looks from outside: “Your face stays polite and quiet. But your head is very busy.” (00:13) The reason, in the episode’s words, is a small voice: “Don’t. You’ll get it wrong.” (00:18)

This episode is about that voice. It is not a grammar lesson. Emily tells a pharmacy story in which her sentence was correct and she still did not say it, Paul tells two stories about being new and being embarrassed, and together they offer a few pictures and eight expressions that give you words for doubt and for being kind to yourself. It ends with a job interview role play and a four-question quiz.

The episode is for B1 and B2 learners (00:29). It runs for about 19 minutes, the sentences are short, and every expression is said slowly first so you can repeat it out loud.

Watch the episode: Watch the episode on YouTube

Time: about 19 minutes to listen. The practice below takes about 20 minutes. The chapter list at the bottom lets you jump to one story at a time.

Before you listen: think of one English sentence you prepared and then did not say. What stopped you, and what did the voice in your head say? After the episode, compare your answer with Emily’s.

How to use this page: listen once for the stories. Then say each expression from the table out loud, replay the role play (11:34) with the video paused after each line, and try the quiz (16:02) before the hosts answer. The full transcript is at the bottom if a line goes too fast.

What You’ll Learn

• Eight expressions around yourself: believe in yourself, doubt yourself, second-guess yourself, talk yourself out of something, cut yourself some slack, give yourself credit, step out of your comfort zone and prove yourself
• Why a correct sentence can still stay unsaid (Emily’s pharmacy story)
• Why we are kind to friends and hard on ourselves: a window for others, a magnifying glass for yourself
• Being new is a stage, not a weakness: the invisible badge, I’m still learning, and that’s okay and please bear with me
• Confidence as a path across a field: it appears because people walk the same way many times
• A fact is not a label: “I mixed up two words” versus “I’m bad at English”
• Progress you cannot see day by day: the hair picture, the Spanish recording and the Sunday done list
• Phrases for a friend in doubt: I’m having second thoughts, I’m not sure I can pull this off, You’ve got this, Just give it a go
• Bored and boring, and what Emily said at dinner
• The pocket line: Doubt is a visitor, not the boss.

Key Idea

Doubt is a visitor, not the boss.

Emily gives you this line at 00:43 and it returns at 07:18, 09:41 and twice at the end (18:23 and 18:27). Paul explains the picture at 07:25: “The visitor can sit in the room. But the visitor does not choose what you say.” You do not have to make the doubt go away before you speak. You only have to stop letting it decide.

The Voice That Says “Don’t” (00:00)

After the opening lines the hosts say what the episode will cover (00:34): doubt, and how to stop letting it decide for you. Then comes the pocket line, and a plan with three parts (00:47). Why do we doubt ourselves so easily? Where does real confidence come from, a question Emily answers with “Hint, it is not where you think.” (00:51) And what should you do after a mistake, so it does not follow you for years?

Eight “Yourself” Phrases (01:01)

The hosts promise eight expressions and say they “all end with ‘yourself’” (01:01). The pattern is a little looser than that, and it is worth knowing. In talk yourself out of something, cut yourself some slack and give yourself credit the word yourself sits in the middle, followed by the rest of the phrase. Step out of your comfort zone has your, not yourself. So learn each phrase as a block, not as a rule about word order.

They read the list slowly at 01:13, and each one comes back in the review (14:24): believe in yourself, doubt yourself, second-guess yourself, talk yourself out of something, cut yourself some slack, give yourself credit, step out of your comfort zone and prove yourself. The full table with meanings is further down.

Emily’s Pharmacy Story (01:32)

Emily asks to start with her own story, “a little embarrassing” (01:32), and Paul says those are the best ones. It is her first month living abroad, a Wednesday around seven in the evening (01:40). She has a terrible sore throat and wants something that will not make her sleepy, because she has work the next morning. Outside the pharmacy door she prepares the sentence: “Do you have something for a sore throat that won’t make me sleepy?” (02:03) She says it three times in her head and once more, very quietly (02:07).

Then she walks in. There is a short line of people behind her, the pharmacist says, “Hi, how can I help?” (02:15), and Emily points at a box of throat sweets: “Just this, please.” (02:20) Paul’s reaction is “The whole sentence disappeared.” Emily corrects him: “It did not disappear. I chose not to use it.” (02:28) A voice had told her that her grammar was wrong and that they would laugh.

At home she reads the small letters on the back of the box: “May cause drowsiness.” (02:39) That is the one thing she wanted to avoid, and Paul explains that drowsiness means feeling sleepy (02:47). That night she checks her sentence on a grammar website, and it is “completely correct. Every word.” (02:58) So the problem was never her English. Paul’s version: “Something was wrong with your trust.” (03:04)

Emily names the expression for what happened: “I talked myself out of it.” (03:09) Paul adds the meaning at 03:15: to talk yourself out of something is to stop yourself from doing it. And she ends with the point of the story: if you have a pharmacy story of your own, “you are not alone.” (03:20)

A Window for Others, a Magnifying Glass for Yourself (03:26)

Paul asks a question about friends. When a friend makes a small mistake, Emily thinks, “No problem. I understood you. Keep going.” (03:34) When she makes the same mistake, she thinks, “Oh no. That was terrible. Everyone noticed.” (03:40) Why are we so kind to others and so hard on ourselves?

Emily’s answer is about how closely we look (03:50). We look at other people through a window and see the whole picture; we look at ourselves “like a scientist with a magnifying glass” (03:57). Under that glass, one wrong word looks like a huge disaster (04:05). Paul sums it up as “Window for others, magnifying glass for yourself.” (04:10)

There is a second cost. When we doubt ourselves we often avoid the situation completely, and staying quiet feels like protection (04:20). Emily’s warning: “It feels safe today. But you also never find out what you could do.” (04:26)

Paul’s First Week and the “I’m New Here” Badge (04:30)

Paul’s story is from his first week at a new job (04:30). He had to use a new computer system and did not understand it at all (04:35), and he asked his colleague Sam the same question twice in one morning (04:39). He felt completely embarrassed and thought, “He thinks I’m slow.” (04:46) Sam laughed and said: “You’re new. That’s normal. Ask me ten times.” (04:55)

Paul draws this conclusion at 05:02: being new is not a weakness, it is a stage. Emily turns it into an invisible badge that says “I’m new here” (05:09), and Paul says that when you wear that badge in your head, mistakes feel smaller (05:15). Two sentences go with the picture: “I’m still learning, and that’s okay.” (05:24) and “I’m new at this, so please bear with me.” (05:28) Emily explains bear with me as “please be patient with me” and says it is very useful at work (05:30).

Confidence Is a Path Across a Field (05:36)

When does confidence arrive? Many people think it arrives first, “like a delivery before the job starts” (05:41), so they say “I’ll speak English when I feel confident.” (05:47) Emily’s reply is neat: “They wait for the feeling. But the feeling waits for them.” (05:49)

Her picture is a path across a field of grass (05:56). Paul knows one in the park near his flat, and “Nobody built it.” (06:01) At first there was only grass, then people walked across it week after week (06:06). Paul says: “So the path did not come first. Many walks came first.” (06:14) Confidence works the same way: “It appears because you walk the same way many times.” (06:19) Emily applies it to English directly. A lot of learners keep their English inside and wait for a perfect day, but that day comes from speaking, and “Each conversation is one more walk across the field.” (06:42)

So the hosts change the question. Instead of “Am I ready?” (06:46) they suggest: “What can I say today, even if it’s not perfect?” (06:51) Two sentences follow for the moment before you speak, I’ll give it a go and Let me try that again (07:03). Emily explains give it a go as “try it”, friendly and very common in British English (07:05), and Paul says let me try that again is perfect after a mistake: “No drama. Just another walk.” (07:11)

The Highlight Video: Paul’s Wrong Name and Emily’s “I’m So Boring” (07:30)

Now it is Paul’s turn to confess (07:30). Last month, almost asleep at eleven at night, his brain replayed a meeting from three years ago in which he called his manager by the wrong name, his sister’s name, in front of eight people (07:54). The brain, he says, is “like a sports channel that only shows highlights of your own goals against you.” (08:10) Emily has such a video too, and one clip is about English (08:21). At a dinner with friends she wanted to say she was bored with her job, but she said, “I’m so boring.” (08:30) Everyone at the table smiled.

Paul calls it a classic mix-up (08:35), and Emily gives the difference: “Bored means you feel no interest. Boring means you make other people feel that way.” (08:38) For weeks her brain played that clip and told her, “You’re bad at English.” (08:45) The facts were smaller: “I mixed up two words. That’s all.” (08:52)

This is the most useful idea in the episode. Paul says “I’m bad at English” is not a fact, it is “a label you stuck on yourself” (08:56), and Emily completes it: “A fact tells you what happened. A label tells you who you are. And labels stick.” (09:03) Paul offers a better question for when the highlight video starts: “What would I do differently next time?” (09:15) Emily’s answer is ready: “I’m bored with my job.” (09:18)

That is where cut yourself some slack helps (09:23). Paul explains that it means being less strict with yourself (09:28), and gives the example: “I mixed up two words. I’ll cut myself some slack.” (09:33) They say it together at 09:37.

Give Yourself Credit: The Hair Picture, the Spanish Recording and the Done List (09:46)

Emily raises something we forget to do (09:46), and Paul guesses it: give ourselves credit. To give yourself credit means you notice your own effort and progress (09:53). We are very good at seeing what we cannot do yet, Paul says, and we almost never look at what we can do now (10:00).

Emily’s picture: do you see your hair grow every day? Paul says no, “It always looks the same.” (10:11) But look at a photo from a year ago and the change is clear (10:15). Progress in English is like that.

Paul then describes his own “sound photo” (10:25). A year ago he recorded himself speaking Spanish for one minute, describing his kitchen. Last week he found the recording and laughed out loud: “It was so slow. Long silences between every two words.” (10:42) Today he can describe his whole flat without stopping, and he had not noticed the change. Emily’s comment: “And you only saw it because you had the recording.” (10:54)

Their habit is a done list (10:59). Every Sunday evening you write three things you did in English that week: “Not a to-do list. A done list.” (11:05) The examples are small, like watching one video without subtitles (11:10), asking a question in a shop, or writing a short message to a colleague (11:15). Paul’s reason it works: “But on paper, small things suddenly look real.” (11:20) The two sentences for this moment are I did that and Good for me (11:25), and for a friend who is too hard on themselves, “Give yourself some credit.” (11:29)

Role Play: Leo Before His Interview (11:34)

Emily introduces a real conversation (11:34). Leo has a job interview tomorrow, in English, and he is full of doubt (11:39). Paul plays Leo, and the listener is asked to notice the phrases he uses.

Leo begins: “Hey. Can I be honest? I’m having second thoughts about tomorrow.” (11:48) His friend is surprised, because he was so excited last week (11:53). Leo says he keeps second-guessing himself and that maybe his English is not strong enough (11:57). The friend answers with facts: “you’ve prepared for two weeks” and he has practiced every question with her (12:03). Leo is still not sure he can pull this off (12:09).

The friend’s reply is short: “You’ve got this. You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be you.” (12:12) When Leo worries that the others will have better English, she says he does not have to prove himself to everyone in the world and only needs to show what he can do (12:21). Leo notices what he is doing: “Maybe I’m talking myself out of it.” (12:30) She agrees, “A little bit, yes,” and says, “Just give it a go. What’s the worst case? You learn something.” (12:33) Leo ends with “I’ll give it a go. Thanks. I needed that.” (12:39)

Then the hosts look at the phrases (12:43). Paul gives Leo’s side: I’m having second thoughts, I keep second-guessing myself and I’m not sure I can pull this off. For the friend’s side (13:06) Emily explains that You’ve got this means “I know you can do it”, Just give it a go means try it without too much pressure, and You don’t have to prove yourself to everyone uses prove yourself to mean showing your ability (13:21).

Your Challenge: The Smallest Step (13:27)

The small challenge for home is to think of one thing in English you have been avoiding (13:30), perhaps a phone call, a speaking class or a conversation at work (13:33). Paul’s instruction: don’t think about the biggest step, “Think about the smallest step.” (13:39) Ideas from the hosts: send one voice message in English, only twenty seconds long (13:45), ask a shop assistant one simple question, or write three sentences about your day (13:55). That is how you step out of your comfort zone: “One small step, not a big jump.” (13:58)

Emily defines the comfort zone as the place where everything feels safe and easy (14:05), and Paul says stepping out of it is uncomfortable, which is normal and “means you are growing” (14:09). Her last piece of advice at 14:16: “Your hands may shake a little. Send the message anyway.” The nerves come with you, and “They are visitors too.” (14:21)

Review: Eight Expressions with Their Stories (14:24)

The hosts go back through all eight expressions, each one tied to a story from the episode (14:24). Talk yourself out of something goes with the pharmacy (14:35), doubt yourself with Emily at the pharmacy door (14:47), second-guess yourself with Leo checking his decision again and again (14:56), believe in yourself with the path across the field (15:08), cut yourself some slack with bored and boring (15:19), give yourself credit with the old Spanish recording (15:29), step out of your comfort zone with a twenty-second voice message (15:40), and prove yourself with Leo (15:52). After each one, you are invited to say a full sentence out loud, such as “I don’t have to prove myself to everyone.” (15:59)

Quiz: Four People (16:02)

Emily describes a person and you choose the expression; there are three seconds of silence after each one (16:02). The four items are (the answers are below if you want to check your own first):

1. Nam orders the fish, then chicken, then fish again (16:12).
2. Lan is lost in a new city and sees a friendly police officer, wants to ask for directions in English, and then thinks, “My accent is bad.” (16:27)
3. Mai has studied English for three months and today she booked a table at a restaurant by phone, in English, with no help (16:49).
4. Tom always orders coffee by pointing at the menu, but this week he asked the barista a question in English and chatted for a minute (17:09).

The answers are second-guessing himself (16:22), talked herself out of it (16:43), giving herself credit (17:04) and stepped out of his comfort zone (17:24). If you got all four, “Give yourself some credit.” And if you missed one: “cut yourself some slack. Listen again later.” (17:27 and 17:32)

Wrap-Up and Today’s Sentence (17:36)

The hosts bring it together in three ideas (17:36): the magnifying glass (we see our own mistakes much bigger than they are), the path across the field (confidence comes after the walking, not before), and “a fact is not a label” (17:53). Today’s task is a small one: think of one English sentence you talked yourself out of saying and “Say it out loud now. To the wall, to your cat, to your phone. It doesn’t matter.” (18:10) Paul’s line: “The sentence deserves to be said. And so do you.” (18:15) The episode closes with the pocket line, said by both of them (18:19), and the comment question: “What is one English sentence you talked yourself out of saying?” (18:33)

Useful Language from the Episode

Phrase	Meaning	Example from the episode
believe in yourself (01:13)	trust that you are able to do it	“Each walk helps you believe in yourself.”
doubt yourself (01:14)	not trust your own ability	“Don’t doubt yourself.”
second-guess yourself (01:16)	question your own choice again and again	“Stop second-guessing yourself.”
talk yourself out of something (03:09)	stop yourself from doing it	“I talked myself out of it.”
cut yourself some slack (09:23)	be less strict with yourself	“I mixed up two words. I’ll cut myself some slack.”
give yourself credit (09:53)	notice your own effort and progress	“Give yourself some credit.”
step out of your comfort zone (13:58)	do something a little uncomfortable, one small step	“I stepped out of my comfort zone.”
prove yourself (12:21)	show your ability	“I don’t have to prove myself to everyone.”
bear with me (05:28)	please be patient with me	“I’m new at this, so please bear with me.”
give it a go (07:03)	try it, friendly and common in British English	“I’ll give it a go.”
Let me try that again (07:04)	start again after a mistake, no drama	“Let me try that again.”
I’m having second thoughts (11:48)	you decided, but now you are not sure	“I’m having second thoughts about tomorrow.”
I’m not sure I can pull this off (12:09)	pull off means to succeed at something hard	“I’m just not sure I can pull this off.”
You’ve got this (12:12)	I know you can do it, short and warm	“You’ve got this.”
drowsiness (02:39)	the feeling of being sleepy	“May cause drowsiness.”
bored / boring (08:38)	bored: you feel no interest; boring: you make others feel that way	“Bored means you feel no interest. Boring means you make other people feel that way.”
a fact / a label (08:56 and 09:03)	what happened versus who you say you are	“A fact tells you what happened. A label tells you who you are.”
done list (11:05)	three things you did in English this week	“Not a to-do list. A done list.”
I did that. Good for me. (11:25)	a small way to notice progress	“I did that. Good for me.”

Mistake and Repair

Often said	Better	Why
“I’m so boring.” (when you mean you feel no interest)	“I’m bored with my job.”	Bored is how you feel, boring is what you make others feel (08:30 and 09:18).
“I’m bad at English.”	“I mixed up two words.”	A fact tells you what happened, a label tells you who you are (08:52 and 09:03).
Pointing and saying “Just this, please.” when you prepared a full question	Say the sentence you prepared, or start with I’m new at this, so please bear with me.	Her sentence was “completely correct” and the problem was trust (02:20 and 02:58).
Waiting to speak until you feel confident	Ask “What can I say today, even if it’s not perfect?”	Confidence comes from many walks, not before them (06:19 and 06:51).
Staying silent to feel safe (written for this page)	Ask one short question and let a small mistake happen	Staying quiet feels safe, but “you also never find out what you could do” (04:26).
Repeating an old mistake in your head for weeks	Ask “What would I do differently next time?”	The highlight video only shows the bad clips (08:10 and 09:15).
Only looking at what you cannot do yet	Write a done list on Sunday	“But on paper, small things suddenly look real.” (11:20)

Practice with the Episode

1. Which expression fits?

Choose one expression for each situation: second-guess yourself, talk yourself out of it, cut yourself some slack, give yourself credit, step out of your comfort zone, prove yourself.

1. You write a message to your teacher, change one word, change it back, then change it again.
2. You wrote a sentence for a phone call and then decided not to call.
3. You mixed up two words at dinner and it is only a small thing.
4. Today you understood a whole podcast episode that was too hard last month.
5. Your friend thinks she must impress everyone at an interview.
6. You usually avoid asking a question in a shop, and today you asked one.

Sample answers (written for this page)

1. You second-guess yourself.
2. You talk yourself out of it.
3. Cut yourself some slack.
4. Give yourself credit.
5. She does not have to prove herself to everyone.
6. You stepped out of your comfort zone.

2. Fact or label?

Decide if each sentence is a fact or a label, then rewrite each label as a fact.

1. I always get everything wrong.
2. I said “boring” instead of “bored” at dinner.
3. I’m too slow to learn English.
4. I asked the same question twice on my first morning.
5. I’m not a speaking person.

Sample answers (written for this page)

1. Label. Fact: I made two mistakes in the meeting today.
2. Fact.
3. Label. Fact: I needed ten minutes to understand that email.
4. Fact.
5. Label. Fact: I did not say anything in class today.

3. Answer a friend in doubt

A friend says, I’m having second thoughts about the speaking class. (written for this page) Write two short replies, one that uses You’ve got this or Just give it a go, and one that names a fact about their preparation.

Sample answers (written for this page)

1. You’ve got this. Just give it a go. What’s the worst case? You learn something.
2. You’ve practiced every week for a month. You don’t have to be perfect. You only need to show what you can do.

4. Say it out loud

1. Say the pocket line three times: Doubt is a visitor, not the boss.
2. Think of one sentence you talked yourself out of this month, and say it out loud now, to the wall, your cat or your phone.
3. On Sunday write a done list with three things you did in English this week, using I did that. Good for me.
4. Send one twenty-second voice message in English to a friend or to yourself.

Keep Practicing

Do you ever need to tell a friend that you are having second thoughts, or answer a friend who is doubting themselves? Read I’m Having Second Thoughts: How to Talk About Self-Doubt and Encourage a Friend in English, a short guide with phrases, three short chats and exercises with answers.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Voice That Says “Don’t”
• 01:01 Eight “Yourself” Phrases
• 01:32 Emily’s Pharmacy Story
• 03:26 A Window for Others, a Magnifying Glass for Yourself
• 04:30 Paul’s First Week and the “I’m New Here” Badge
• 05:36 Confidence Is a Path Across a Field
• 07:30 The Highlight Video: Paul’s Wrong Name and Emily’s “I’m So Boring”
• 09:46 Give Yourself Credit: The Hair Picture, the Spanish Recording and the Done List
• 11:34 Role Play: Leo Before His Interview
• 13:27 Your Challenge: The Smallest Step
• 14:24 Review: Eight Expressions with Their Stories
• 16:02 Quiz: Four People
• 17:36 Wrap-Up and Today’s Sentence

Full Transcript

Emily: Have you ever had the perfect English sentence ready in your head?

Paul: And then you opened your mouth, and you said nothing at all?

Emily: That has happened to me in shops, in meetings, even on the phone.

Paul: Your face stays polite and quiet. But your head is very busy.

Emily: And the voice says, “Don’t. You’ll get it wrong.”

Paul: If you know that voice, this episode is for you.

Emily: Welcome to English Practice Daily. I’m Emily.

Paul: And I’m Paul. This episode is for B1 and B2 learners.

Emily: In today’s podcast, we talk about doubt, and how to stop letting it decide for you.

Paul: Here is a short line to keep in your pocket today.

Emily: Doubt is a visitor, not the boss.

Paul: We will look at three things. Why we doubt ourselves so easily.

Emily: Where real confidence comes from. Hint, it is not where you think.

Paul: And what to do after a mistake, so it does not follow you for years.

Emily: Along the way, we will use eight useful expressions. They all end with “yourself”.

Paul: Let me read them slowly first. You can repeat after us, out loud.

Emily: Believe in yourself.

Paul: Doubt yourself.

Emily: Second-guess yourself.

Paul: Talk yourself out of something.

Emily: Cut yourself some slack.

Paul: Give yourself credit.

Emily: Step out of your comfort zone.

Paul: And prove yourself.

Paul: And near the end, you get a short quiz. You will answer, not us.

Emily: Okay, Paul. Can I start with my story? It is a little embarrassing.

Paul: Those are the best stories. Go ahead.

Emily: I remember my first month living abroad. It was a Wednesday, around seven in the evening.

Emily: I had a terrible sore throat. So I walked to the small pharmacy next to the train station.

Emily: Simple on paper. I wanted something for my throat that would not make me sleepy.

Emily: I had work the next morning. So I prepared my sentence outside the door.

Emily: “Do you have something for a sore throat that won’t make me sleepy?”

Emily: I said it three times in my head. Then I said it once more, very quietly.

Emily: I walked in, and there was a short line of people behind me.

Emily: The pharmacist smiled and said, “Hi, how can I help?”

Paul: And?

Emily: And I pointed at a box of throat sweets and said, “Just this, please.”

Paul: Oh no. The whole sentence disappeared.

Emily: It did not disappear. I chose not to use it. A voice said, “Your grammar is wrong. They will laugh.”

Paul: So what happened with the throat sweets?

Emily: At home, I read the box. Small letters on the back said, “May cause drowsiness.”

Paul: Drowsiness means feeling sleepy. So the one thing you did not want.

Emily: Exactly. And that night, I wrote my sentence on a piece of paper.

Emily: I checked it with a grammar website. It was completely correct. Every word.

Paul: So nothing was wrong with your English. Something was wrong with your trust.

Emily: Yes. And there is a perfect expression for this. I talked myself out of it.

Paul: To talk yourself out of something means you stop yourself from doing it.

Emily: So if you have a story like my pharmacy story, you are not alone.

Paul: Okay, Emily, let me ask you a question about friends.

Paul: Your friend makes a small mistake in English. What do you think?

Emily: I think, “No problem. I understood you. Keep going.”

Paul: And when you make the same mistake?

Emily: I think, “Oh no. That was terrible. Everyone noticed.”

Paul: Why are we so kind to other people and so hard on ourselves?

Emily: I think it is about how closely we look.

Emily: We look at other people through a window. We see the whole picture.

Emily: But we look at ourselves like a scientist with a magnifying glass.

Paul: A magnifying glass makes small things look very big.

Emily: Right. One wrong word looks like a huge disaster under that glass.

Paul: I like that. Window for others, magnifying glass for yourself.

Emily: And when we doubt ourselves, we often avoid the situation completely.

Paul: Staying quiet feels like protection. No risk, no embarrassment.

Emily: It feels safe today. But you also never find out what you could do.

Paul: That reminds me of my first week at a new job, a few years ago.

Paul: I had to use a new computer system. I didn’t understand it at all.

Paul: I asked my colleague, Sam, the same question twice on the same morning.

Emily: That must have felt awful.

Paul: Terrible. Completely embarrassed. I thought, “He thinks I’m slow. He thinks I can’t do this job.”

Emily: And what did Sam say?

Paul: He just laughed and said, “You’re new. That’s normal. Ask me ten times.”

Emily: What a kind thing to say.

Paul: It was. And I realized something. Being new is not a weakness. It is a stage.

Emily: So maybe we all need an invisible badge. A little badge that says, “I’m new here.”

Paul: Yes. When you wear that badge in your head, mistakes feel smaller.

Paul: Here are two short sentences you can use when you feel new.

Emily: I’m still learning, and that’s okay.

Paul: I’m new at this, so please bear with me.

Emily: “Bear with me” means “please be patient with me”. It is very useful at work.

Paul: Good. Now, Emily, here is a big question. When does confidence arrive?

Emily: Many people think it arrives first. Like a delivery before the job starts.

Paul: “I’ll speak English when I feel confident.”

Emily: Exactly. They wait for the feeling. But the feeling waits for them.

Emily: Here is how I see it. Have you ever seen a path across a field of grass?

Paul: Yes. There is one in the park near my flat. Nobody built it.

Emily: Right. At first, there was only grass. Then people walked across, week after week.

Paul: So the path did not come first. Many walks came first.

Emily: Confidence is that path. It appears because you walk the same way many times.

Paul: That is a beautiful comparison. And it fits English conversation very well.

Emily: A lot of learners keep their English inside, waiting for some perfect day.

Paul: But that day comes from speaking. The talking is the training.

Emily: Each conversation is one more walk across the field.

Paul: So instead of asking, “Am I ready?”, what should we ask?

Emily: I like this question. “What can I say today, even if it’s not perfect?”

Paul: That question is much easier to answer.

Paul: Here are two more sentences for the moment before you speak.

Emily: I’ll give it a go.

Paul: Let me try that again.

Emily: “Give it a go” means “try it”. It is friendly and very common in British English.

Paul: And “let me try that again” is perfect after a mistake. No drama. Just another walk.

Emily: Excellent. And remember our pocket line. Doubt is a visitor, not the boss.

Paul: The visitor can sit in the room. But the visitor does not choose what you say.

Emily: Okay, Paul. Now it is your turn. You promised me your mistakes.

Paul: I did. Here is a strange thing about my brain.

Paul: Last month, I was lying in bed. It was about eleven o’clock at night.

Paul: I was almost asleep, and suddenly my brain started to replay an old moment.

Emily: Let me guess. Something from that same day.

Paul: No. A meeting from three years ago. I called my manager by the wrong name.

Emily: Oh no. What name did you use?

Paul: My sister’s name. In front of eight people.

Emily: And your brain still replays that, three years later?

Paul: Yes. Like a sports channel that only shows highlights of your own goals against you.

Emily: So your brain makes a highlight video, but only of the bad moments.

Emily: I have a video like that too. And one clip is about English.

Paul: Tell us.

Emily: At a dinner with friends, I wanted to say I was bored with my job.

Emily: But I said, “I’m so boring.” Everyone at the table smiled.

Paul: Boring and bored. A classic mix-up.

Emily: Bored means you feel no interest. Boring means you make other people feel that way.

Paul: Were you embarrassed?

Emily: Very. And for weeks, my brain played that clip. “You’re bad at English.”

Emily: The fact is, I mixed up two words. That’s all.

Paul: And “I’m bad at English” is not a fact. It is a label you stuck on yourself.

Emily: Yes. A fact tells you what happened. A label tells you who you are. And labels stick.

Paul: So when the highlight video starts, we can ask a different question.

Paul: “What would I do differently next time?”

Emily: Next time, I would say, “I’m bored with my job.” Done. Lesson learned.

Emily: That is where our next expression helps. Cut yourself some slack.

Paul: To cut yourself some slack means you are less strict with yourself.

Paul: For example, “I mixed up two words. I’ll cut myself some slack.”

Emily: Say it with us. I’ll cut myself some slack.

Paul: And that pocket line again. Doubt is a visitor, not the boss.

Emily: Now, Paul, I want to talk about something we forget to do.

Paul: Let me guess. Give ourselves credit?

Emily: Exactly. To give yourself credit means you notice your own effort and progress.

Paul: We are very good at seeing what we can’t do yet.

Paul: But we almost never look at what we can do now.

Emily: Here is my picture for this. Do you see your hair grow every day?

Paul: No. I look in the mirror every morning. It always looks the same.

Emily: Right. But look at a photo from one year ago, and the change is clear.

Paul: Progress in English is like that. You don’t see it day by day.

Paul: Actually, I have an old photo of my Spanish. A sound photo.

Paul: Last year, I recorded myself in Spanish for one minute. I described my kitchen.

Paul: Last week, I found that recording on my phone and played it.

Emily: How did it sound?

Paul: I laughed out loud. It was so slow. Long silences between every two words.

Paul: Today I can describe my whole flat without stopping. I didn’t notice that change.

Emily: That is real progress. And you only saw it because you had the recording.

Paul: So here is a simple habit. Every Sunday evening, write a “done list”.

Emily: Not a to-do list. A done list. Three things you did in English that week.

Paul: For example, “I watched one video without subtitles.”

Emily: “I asked a question in a shop.” “I wrote a short message to a colleague.”

Paul: They are small. But on paper, small things suddenly look real.

Emily: Two sentences for this moment. I did that. Good for me.

Paul: And when a friend is too hard on themselves, you can say, “Give yourself some credit.”

Emily: Now let’s do something a bit different. Let’s act out a real conversation.

Emily: Leo has a job interview tomorrow. The interview is in English.

Paul: And Leo is full of doubt. Listen for the phrases he uses.

Paul: Hey. Can I be honest? I’m having second thoughts about tomorrow.

Emily: About the interview? Why? You were so excited last week.

Paul: I know. But I keep second-guessing myself. Maybe my English isn’t strong enough.

Emily: Leo, you’ve prepared for two weeks. You’ve practiced every question with me.

Paul: I’m just not sure I can pull this off.

Emily: Listen. You’ve got this. You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be you.

Paul: But the other people will have better English than me.

Emily: Maybe. But you don’t have to prove yourself to everyone in the world.

Emily: You only need to show them what you can do. And you can do a lot.

Paul: Okay. Maybe I’m talking myself out of it.

Emily: A little bit, yes. Just give it a go. What’s the worst case? You learn something.

Paul: Okay. I’ll give it a go. Thanks. I needed that.

Paul: Let’s look at Leo’s phrases. First, “I’m having second thoughts.”

Emily: It means you made a decision, but now you are not sure about it.

Paul: Then, “I keep second-guessing myself.” You question your choice again and again.

Emily: And “I’m not sure I can pull this off.” To pull something off means to succeed at something hard.

Paul: Now the friend’s phrases. These are for when someone else is doubting.

Emily: “You’ve got this” means “I know you can do it”. It is short, encouraging and warm.

Paul: “Just give it a go.” Try it, without too much pressure.

Emily: And “You don’t have to prove yourself to everyone.” To prove yourself means to show your ability.

Paul: Now a small challenge for you at home.

Emily: Think of one thing in English that you have been avoiding.

Emily: Maybe a phone call. Maybe a speaking class. Maybe a conversation at work.

Paul: Now, don’t think about the biggest step. Think about the smallest step.

Emily: For example, send one voice message in English. Only twenty seconds long.

Paul: Or ask a shop assistant one simple question in English.

Emily: Or write three sentences about your day. Just three.

Paul: That is how you step out of your comfort zone. One small step, not a big jump.

Emily: Your comfort zone is the place where everything feels safe and easy.

Paul: Stepping out a little is uncomfortable. That feeling is normal. It means you are growing.

Emily: And here is the important part. Your hands may shake a little. Send the message anyway.

Emily: The nerves come with you. They are visitors too.

Paul: Okay, review time. Let’s go through our eight expressions with our stories.

Emily: We will say each one slowly. Please repeat after us.

Paul: Number one. Talk yourself out of something.

Emily: Remember the pharmacy? My sentence was correct, but I talked myself out of it.

Paul: Say it. I talked myself out of it.

Emily: Number two. Doubt yourself.

Paul: Standing at the pharmacy door, Emily started to doubt herself.

Emily: Say it. Don’t doubt yourself.

Paul: Number three. Second-guess yourself.

Emily: Leo kept checking his decision again and again. He kept second-guessing himself.

Paul: Say it. Stop second-guessing yourself.

Emily: Number four. Believe in yourself.

Paul: Think of the path across the field. Each walk helps you believe in yourself.

Emily: Say it. I believe in myself.

Paul: Number five. Cut yourself some slack.

Emily: Bored and boring. I mixed them up, and I cut myself some slack.

Paul: Say it. Cut yourself some slack.

Emily: Number six. Give yourself credit.

Paul: My old Spanish recording showed me how far I came. I gave myself credit.

Emily: Say it. Give yourself some credit.

Paul: Number seven. Step out of your comfort zone.

Emily: A twenty-second voice message in English is a small step out of your comfort zone.

Paul: Say it. I stepped out of my comfort zone.

Emily: And number eight. Prove yourself.

Paul: Leo didn’t have to prove himself to everyone. Only to show what he could do.

Emily: Say it. I don’t have to prove myself to everyone.

Emily: Now it is quiz time. I will describe a person. You choose the expression.

Paul: After each one, we take three seconds. Answer out loud if you can.

Emily: Ready? Number one. Nam orders the fish, then chicken, then fish again.

Paul: Which expression fits Nam? Three seconds. Think.

Paul: Nam is second-guessing himself. He can’t stay with one choice.

Emily: Number two. Lan is lost in a new city. She sees a friendly police officer.

Emily: She wants to ask for directions in English. Then she thinks, “My accent is bad.”

Paul: Which expression fits Lan? Three seconds.

Paul: Lan talked herself out of it. Just like Emily at the pharmacy.

Emily: Number three. Mai has studied English for three months.

Emily: Today she booked a table at a restaurant by phone, in English, with no help.

Paul: Which expression fits Mai? Three seconds.

Paul: Mai is giving herself credit. She noticed her progress.

Emily: And number four. Tom always orders his coffee by pointing at the menu.

Emily: But this week, he asked the barista a question in English and chatted for a minute.

Paul: Which expression fits Tom? Three seconds.

Paul: Tom stepped out of his comfort zone. And that took courage.

Emily: How many did you get right? Four out of four? Give yourself some credit.

Paul: And if you missed one, cut yourself some slack. Listen again later.

Emily: Okay, Paul. Let’s bring everything together.

Paul: Three ideas today. First, the magnifying glass.

Emily: We see our own mistakes much bigger than they really are.

Paul: Second, the path across the field. Confidence comes after the walking, not before.

Emily: Third, a fact is not a label. “I mixed up two words” is not “I’m bad at English.”

Paul: And here is one thing you can do today.

Emily: Today, try this. Think of one English sentence you talked yourself out of saying.

Emily: Say it out loud now. To the wall, to your cat, to your phone. It doesn’t matter.

Paul: The sentence deserves to be said. And so do you.

Emily: And one last time, our pocket line. Say it with us.

Paul: Doubt is a visitor, not the boss.

Emily: Doubt is a visitor, not the boss.

Paul: Now we have a question for you, in the comments.

Emily: What is one English sentence you talked yourself out of saying? Write it in the comments.

Emily: In the next episode, we will practice more real conversations for everyday life.

Paul: If this episode helped you, please subscribe, so you don’t miss it.

Emily: Thank you for listening, and thank you for trying, even with a little doubt.

Paul: I’m Paul.

Emily: And I’m Emily. Take care, and give it a go.

Paul: See you in the next episode.