Dick's Business Astrology

15-10-24 00 / episode: 408

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One of my students was telling me a story about a dramatic event in her life. She needed to describe some people so I could understand the situation. The problem was she didn’t know the right words to describe the people. She couldn’t express the dramatic impact she wanted. I want you to listen to this story so that you can get new vocabulary to describe people so you don’t have the same problem as my student. I’m gonna tell you a story about a guy named Dick. I’m gonna use the astrology signs to describe his character. I’m gonna show how he can overcome a problem in his life using his strong points and weak points.

Welcome to the English Listening World podcast for extensive English listening. I’m Les, and I’ve been teaching English conversation for over twenty years. I know how important listening is for students so I made this convenient short listening practice that you can add to your practice list.

Here are a few pre-questions before the story starts:

Questions

What did Dick think he could learn from zodiac signs?
What strong points did Dick find about Sagittarius?
How many points did Dick put on his business checklist?
What changes did Dick see after a few weeks?
Where does success come from?

Hi and welcome to the English Listening World podcast episode number 398. This podcast is for listening practice. I have 26 words and expressions highlighted in today's story for you to get practice listening to. In particular, the expression ‘so … that’ is repeated. I will put the full list of highlighted words in the description below.

Using Astrology for Business

Dick was stuck. At 35, his business was going nowhere. He needed a change, but what? One day, while scrolling through his phone, he saw something about zodiac signs. "Why not?" he thought. "I'll try anything at this point."

Strong Points and Weak Points

Dick looked up Sagittarius traits online. He was surprised by what he found. Sagittarians were known for being optimistic, honest, and adventurous. They loved to learn and explore new ideas. These were all things Dick could use in his work!

But there were weak points too. Sagittarians could be impatient and say things without thinking. Dick realized he did this sometimes with his customers. No wonder they got mad!

Business Checklist

He decided to use his Sagittarius strengths to help his business grow. He made a list:

Be more optimistic in meetings
Try new ideas for products
Be honest with customers about what he could do
Learn something new about his industry every week

Dick also worked on his weak points. He practiced thinking before speaking. He tried to be more patient when things went wrong.

Changes Came

At first, it was hard. Dick felt silly using astrology to run his business. But after only a few weeks, he noticed changes. Customers seemed happier. His team had more energy. And Dick felt excited about work again.

A Challenge

One day, a big client called. They wanted to try something new and risky. The old Dick would have said no right away. But now, he saw it as an adventure. "Let's just give it a shot," he said.

The project was a huge success. Dick's business started to grow. He couldn't believe it. Who knew that looking at the stars could help him down on Earth?

Know Yourself

Dick learned that success comes from knowing yourself - your strong points and your weak ones. And sometimes, you only need to look in an unexpected place to find the answers.

In the end, Dick realized that by using his Sagittarius traits, he had not only saved his business but made it better than ever. He was glad he had taken that one small step to learn about himself. It had led to a giant leap for his company.

Answers

What did Dick think he could learn from zodiac signs? He thought he could learn some ways to grow his business.
What strong points did Dick find about Sagittarius?
He learned that Sagittarians were optimistic, adventurous, and honest.
How many points did Dick put on his business checklist?
Dick had four simple points on his checklist.
What changes did Dick see after a few weeks?
He saw that customers were happier, his team had more energy and Dick felt excited about work.
Where does success come from? Dick found success comes through knowing yourself.