Below is a very recent article on public speaking.
It strikes a chord with me and I believe also with other fellow toastmasters. Enjoy.
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Honestly speaking, I never lie
MANOJ VASUDEVAN
MY SKILLS at public speaking were evident at an early age.
At my high school, the teacher asked each student to tell the class what they wanted to become when they grew up.
When my turn came, I knew exactly what I wanted to say.
But as I stood in front of my classmates, my mind became my master.
It said: "What if you sound stupid? What would your friends and teacher think?"
I stood scared stiff and silent.
Nevertheless, I learnt three lessons that day.
One, the meaning of the word petrified.
Two, what butterflies in tummy feels like.
Three, never try this again.
Lack of public speaking skills didn't bother me much.
Sometimes, it was surprising to see how people who have little to say can speak loudly for so long.
Most of them prospered well and some of them became my bosses.
I have heard peers commending my bosses by saying "boss, you speak well!"... which was another way of saying that they were good for little else.
Public speaking is for people who do not know how to speak quietly in private; smart people listen, think and act... these self-serving thoughts were always handy.
Fortunately, the mind has the amazing power to provide plenty of reasons to prove that you are right, under all possible circumstances.
But, why is it that most people are afraid of public speaking?
It did intrigue me; but that was nothing to lose sleep over.
Things started to change after my son was born.
To start with, I was no longer the most important man in my wife's life.
It suits me to believe I had that honour before.
The arrival of our daughter 1 1/2 years later changed things even more.
I was not important anymore.
Whoever said "child is the father of man" might have been a father.
Just that it really means children control fathers' destiny.
When our son was four, we trained him for days for a "show-n-tell" session.
After persistent practice through pushy pedantic procedures, he could deliver every line with energy and enthusiasm in his cosy home.
On "show-n-tell" day, daddy and mummy accompanies him with Handycam in tow.
I am convinced that my children will be famous one day.
In the distant future, when the media throngs our home, we should be ready with their childhood videos.
See, I am a practical parent with significant foresight.
Lights ON, camera rolls, my prodigious son walks up on stage.
He freezes up on seeing the audience.
Oops! This was not his cosy home anymore.
He repeats everything vividly and accurately, but it was only in his mind!
What bliss of silence!
What a brutal assault on parental ego!
At that instant, I clearly understood my parents' past predicaments involving me.
Lights OFF, plight ON.
On our drive home, there was lots to express and discuss.
Emotions varied from anger, sadness, frustration, sympathy, contemplation and fault-allocation to the appropriate parental genes.
A series of similar episodes prompted me to be a positive example for my children to look up to.
I took up public speaking and got associated with Toastmasters.
While I learned the ropes, I fumbled and faltered, but persisted.
Public speaking soon became a solemn diversion for engagement and expression.
That also improved my communication with my wife - yes dear, I learnt that eye-contact and listening is also an essential facet of communication.
I felt tempted to volunteer for every opportunity to speak, whether it was to deliver a talk, be an emcee, do stand-up comedy or speech contests.
It was never easy, neither was it as difficult as it once seemed.
As Madame Curie once said: "Nothing in this world is to be feared... only understood."
The cynical among us may add "except for marriage".
Public speaking is not about speaking, it is about communicating.
It is the ability to communicate our thoughts, clearly, concisely and convincingly.
Needless to say, folks who are able to clearly and convincingly communicate their ideas get noticed and listened to.
They progress faster in their careers and life.
Some become bosses.
It does not make them smarter, but it just makes them more self-assured and acceptable.
When I speak in public, I still have butterflies in my tummy.
But the more I speak, the more the butterflies fly in formation.
But when people tell me "boss, you speak well", I scratch my clear head and think... are they making fun of me?
tabla@sph.com.sg
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Say Swish
I was re-reading Unlimited Power by Antony Robbins recently. I was at this part on Swish technique. I used it yesterday nite to do away with my bad habit of touching my hair. Dunno if successful, but at least I am more conscious that I am touching my hair. So I guess, that itself is an improvement.
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The Swish Technique
The Swish technique is one by which we re-direct our thinking from unwanted thoughts to more fruitful and resourceful thoughts.
This is a valuable technique for managing your own thinking, states, and behaviours. By using the Swish in your own life you develop your ability to maintain resourceful states, manage your responses to stressful situations, and engage in the behaviours you want.
Six Steps to Swish Technique
1. Select a replacement image
First select your Replacement Feeling - ask yourself How do I want to be instead.
Having selected the Replacement Feeling see and hear a detached image of yourself experiencing this feeling. It is quite important that this image is dissociated. Enhance the detail and the quality (submodalities) of this until the image is quite compelling.
2. Find the trigger for the unwanted mood
What is it that you respond to? How you know when to have the unwanted response or reaction?
Ask yourself What occurs just before this negative or un-wanted state begins? This time, you want an associated image of what is going on immediately before you engage in the unwanted activity.
3. Put the replacement in the corner of unwanted image
Imagine a small sized version of your replacement picture in the bottom corner of the unwanted picture.
4. Swish the two images meeting you want to make both images change simultaneously and with increasing speed.
Have the 'negative' image become smaller and shoot off into the distance. At the same time have the 'positive' replacement image become larger and closer until it replaces the negative image completely. Imagine a "swish" sound as you do this - hence the name. That's one Swish sound.
(Do this fairly slowly at first taking, say, 5-10 seconds to do it. Then continue, doing it a little faster each time, until you are swishing almost instantaneously - in less than a second!)
5 Clear your mind
After each Swish round blank your mind, fully! Think of something else or visualise your favourite colour. Breathing easily as you do this since some people tend to hold their breath while concentrating on doing the Swish. It is crucial to the success of the Swish to clear your mind or turn your attention outside before you do each next round.
6 Practice 5-7 times
Repeat steps 3 to 5 up to about seven times until you have difficulty in maintaining the unwanted image.
============================
The Swish Technique
The Swish technique is one by which we re-direct our thinking from unwanted thoughts to more fruitful and resourceful thoughts.
This is a valuable technique for managing your own thinking, states, and behaviours. By using the Swish in your own life you develop your ability to maintain resourceful states, manage your responses to stressful situations, and engage in the behaviours you want.
Six Steps to Swish Technique
1. Select a replacement image
First select your Replacement Feeling - ask yourself How do I want to be instead.
Having selected the Replacement Feeling see and hear a detached image of yourself experiencing this feeling. It is quite important that this image is dissociated. Enhance the detail and the quality (submodalities) of this until the image is quite compelling.
2. Find the trigger for the unwanted mood
What is it that you respond to? How you know when to have the unwanted response or reaction?
Ask yourself What occurs just before this negative or un-wanted state begins? This time, you want an associated image of what is going on immediately before you engage in the unwanted activity.
3. Put the replacement in the corner of unwanted image
Imagine a small sized version of your replacement picture in the bottom corner of the unwanted picture.
4. Swish the two images meeting you want to make both images change simultaneously and with increasing speed.
Have the 'negative' image become smaller and shoot off into the distance. At the same time have the 'positive' replacement image become larger and closer until it replaces the negative image completely. Imagine a "swish" sound as you do this - hence the name. That's one Swish sound.
(Do this fairly slowly at first taking, say, 5-10 seconds to do it. Then continue, doing it a little faster each time, until you are swishing almost instantaneously - in less than a second!)
5 Clear your mind
After each Swish round blank your mind, fully! Think of something else or visualise your favourite colour. Breathing easily as you do this since some people tend to hold their breath while concentrating on doing the Swish. It is crucial to the success of the Swish to clear your mind or turn your attention outside before you do each next round.
6 Practice 5-7 times
Repeat steps 3 to 5 up to about seven times until you have difficulty in maintaining the unwanted image.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Outliers - The Story of Success
Outliers - The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell is the latest book that I have read. Tonight, I will like to share with my readers of my key takeaways from the book.
What I like about the book is the way it uses stories to support the points that the author is trying to put forward. We all love stories which add a human dimension to an otherwise dry academic work and make the book a captivating read. The most famous one would the 10,000-hour rule. And me being an involved parent is naturally drawn to his two chapters devoted to "The Trouble with Geniuses".
The 10,000-Hour Rule
The 10,000-hour rule needs little elaboration as there are tonnes of materials written about it in the Internet. It is not surprising as this is the most inspiring piece of information for us to be an outlier.
An outlier does not practise because he is good. He practises to be good. With 10,000-hours being an enormous amount of time, a great deal of perseverance and help are needed for one to stay focused in his goal. I would say it make a lot of sense. It is the same reason that the Toastmasters Club has been so successful helping people to conquer the fear of public speaking. It is the practice of delivering the speech in a supportive and encouraging environment that makes the difference. In the same light, I teach my children that there are no such things as "I cannot" as long as one puts in substantial efforts. It is important to have a goal in life and keep working towards it. It is alright to fail. As every failure carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit. I walk my talk and keep my faith going, or rather my children give me the motivation to do so.
The Trouble with Genius
My heart ached badly when I read Chris Langan's story. A genius in him was squandered away as he so lacked "practical intelligence". The latter includes things like "knowing what to say to whom, knowing when to say it, and knowing how to say it for maximum effect". It is the knowledge that helps one read the situation and get what you want. This is different from analytical intelligence which is measured by IQ or intelligence quotient. IQ is in our genes. If you are smart, you are born smart. On the other hand, practical intelligence can be learnt.
So we can work on our practical intelligence. And as parents, we can help our children be more socially savvy by teaching them how to interact comfortably with adults. This means talking with them, not to them. The book detailed about children able to make special requests to teachers and doctors to accomodate their desires. I saw it in my children which I did not see it in myself. This the book explained was due to different upbringing. When I was their age, I was quiet and dared not look at adults in their eyes. My mother believed that "whatever would be, would be". That was the thinking of most working-class families then. They were pre-occupied with what and when the next meal would be.
What's Next
With these newly gained knowledge, you can bet that I will be constantly reminding my children and myself whenever a setback hits - we will need to put in more hours. We will continue to improve our practical intelligence.
As for intelligence quotient, there is something known as Neurolinguistic Programming, which could help. Antony Robbins is the guru and he has written a few books. For those who are interested, "Awaken the Giant Within" (if my memory serves me well) is a classic.
What I like about the book is the way it uses stories to support the points that the author is trying to put forward. We all love stories which add a human dimension to an otherwise dry academic work and make the book a captivating read. The most famous one would the 10,000-hour rule. And me being an involved parent is naturally drawn to his two chapters devoted to "The Trouble with Geniuses".
The 10,000-Hour Rule
The 10,000-hour rule needs little elaboration as there are tonnes of materials written about it in the Internet. It is not surprising as this is the most inspiring piece of information for us to be an outlier.
An outlier does not practise because he is good. He practises to be good. With 10,000-hours being an enormous amount of time, a great deal of perseverance and help are needed for one to stay focused in his goal. I would say it make a lot of sense. It is the same reason that the Toastmasters Club has been so successful helping people to conquer the fear of public speaking. It is the practice of delivering the speech in a supportive and encouraging environment that makes the difference. In the same light, I teach my children that there are no such things as "I cannot" as long as one puts in substantial efforts. It is important to have a goal in life and keep working towards it. It is alright to fail. As every failure carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit. I walk my talk and keep my faith going, or rather my children give me the motivation to do so.
The Trouble with Genius
My heart ached badly when I read Chris Langan's story. A genius in him was squandered away as he so lacked "practical intelligence". The latter includes things like "knowing what to say to whom, knowing when to say it, and knowing how to say it for maximum effect". It is the knowledge that helps one read the situation and get what you want. This is different from analytical intelligence which is measured by IQ or intelligence quotient. IQ is in our genes. If you are smart, you are born smart. On the other hand, practical intelligence can be learnt.
So we can work on our practical intelligence. And as parents, we can help our children be more socially savvy by teaching them how to interact comfortably with adults. This means talking with them, not to them. The book detailed about children able to make special requests to teachers and doctors to accomodate their desires. I saw it in my children which I did not see it in myself. This the book explained was due to different upbringing. When I was their age, I was quiet and dared not look at adults in their eyes. My mother believed that "whatever would be, would be". That was the thinking of most working-class families then. They were pre-occupied with what and when the next meal would be.
What's Next
With these newly gained knowledge, you can bet that I will be constantly reminding my children and myself whenever a setback hits - we will need to put in more hours. We will continue to improve our practical intelligence.
As for intelligence quotient, there is something known as Neurolinguistic Programming, which could help. Antony Robbins is the guru and he has written a few books. For those who are interested, "Awaken the Giant Within" (if my memory serves me well) is a classic.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Goal Setting - Making Dreams Come True
I am researching on parenting tips on the internet when I chanced upon www.4lifehappykids.com and the website shares a sample 4 page of a book on goal setting. I will like to reproduce the gist for the benefit of my readers:
Making Dreams Come True
How would you like to learn how to get the things you want? Children’s stories say fairies or genies make wishes come true, but really, you have everything it takes to get the things you want and make wishes come true yourself. It doesn’t take magic, except for the kind you already have inside you. Another word for “wishes” is “desires,” and another word for “coming true” is “manifesting.”
Desires manifest when you decide to do something about them. That’s called setting a goal. Sometimes wishes come true without that, but wishes sitting on shelves usually don’t amount to much. You have to take them down, dust them off, and make them go to work. Then things start to happen.
Very successful people have written famous books telling how they achieved their dreams. They knew a few secrets, and applied them to their wishes. That’s why they became successful when other people didn’t.
They knew and practiced the secrets of success, while people who didn’t know those secrets left their wishes on the shelf and pretty much forgot about them.
Wishes are not silly. They are important. They always have been. Many things that kids wish for and imagine about in their childhood become real when they grow up. Would that have happened if they had not had a dream?
Wishes are powerful, when you know how to use them. Some people say children are born knowing what they came into this world to do. They say we each have a special purpose, and that kids’ wishes and dreams are clues to what their special purpose is.
Grown-ups may have forgotten their purpose, but children usually remember theirs. They remember in the deepest part of their mind, a place called the Subconscious. Serious wishes come from there. They are messages from the deepest part of you, reminding you of what really matters.
Never give up on your serious wishes, because when you do, you give up on yourself. You give up on your purpose. Have you started to forget about your serious wishes? If so, it’s time to take them seriously again!"
We all know that we need to set goals but how many of us actually keep our new year resolution. Or even have a new year resolution to start with. I hope the above can be a wake-up call for all to start to dream again like a child and work seriously hard to make our dreams come true too.
Making Dreams Come True
How would you like to learn how to get the things you want? Children’s stories say fairies or genies make wishes come true, but really, you have everything it takes to get the things you want and make wishes come true yourself. It doesn’t take magic, except for the kind you already have inside you. Another word for “wishes” is “desires,” and another word for “coming true” is “manifesting.”
Desires manifest when you decide to do something about them. That’s called setting a goal. Sometimes wishes come true without that, but wishes sitting on shelves usually don’t amount to much. You have to take them down, dust them off, and make them go to work. Then things start to happen.
Very successful people have written famous books telling how they achieved their dreams. They knew a few secrets, and applied them to their wishes. That’s why they became successful when other people didn’t.
They knew and practiced the secrets of success, while people who didn’t know those secrets left their wishes on the shelf and pretty much forgot about them.
Wishes are not silly. They are important. They always have been. Many things that kids wish for and imagine about in their childhood become real when they grow up. Would that have happened if they had not had a dream?
Wishes are powerful, when you know how to use them. Some people say children are born knowing what they came into this world to do. They say we each have a special purpose, and that kids’ wishes and dreams are clues to what their special purpose is.
Grown-ups may have forgotten their purpose, but children usually remember theirs. They remember in the deepest part of their mind, a place called the Subconscious. Serious wishes come from there. They are messages from the deepest part of you, reminding you of what really matters.
Never give up on your serious wishes, because when you do, you give up on yourself. You give up on your purpose. Have you started to forget about your serious wishes? If so, it’s time to take them seriously again!"
We all know that we need to set goals but how many of us actually keep our new year resolution. Or even have a new year resolution to start with. I hope the above can be a wake-up call for all to start to dream again like a child and work seriously hard to make our dreams come true too.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Nifty Memory Tools
Since late June this year, I have embarked on the journey to improve my memory. I used to pride myself with an enormous memory which has enabled me to ace History and Literature in my "O" Levels. It may be umpteenth years ago but victory was certainly memorable and has a sweet aftertaste. Probably due to neglect and to some irony the prevalence of modern day technology, a coat of rust formed on my once well-oiled memory.
Then through my Toastmasters Meeting, I met Nishant - a world record memory holder. He was not bornt with great memory but he trained himself to remember. Inspired, I picked up some skills from Nishant from his book.
Allow me to also avail you the key to unlock your memory capacity.
Rule number 1: This is the most important rule of all and it is given to you as an acronym - CARR. Connect, Associate, Recall and Review. Using this rule, you will be able to remember a list of things e.g. a shopping list. However, you will first need to "connect" two items with each and another. Then "associate" through imaging some action between the two. Thereafter, you try to recall and review on which are the items which you have difficulty remembering. The latter is usually due to weak association so you may want to change the association.
Rule number 2: Building upon rule number 1, we could use the Number Shaping or Rhyme Technique to help us remember a list of 10 or more items. What's more, we can remember the items in exactly the same order!
I prefer the Number Shaping Technique which uses the shape of the number to create an image. We then connect the image with the word we want to remember. I use this technique to good effect to remember my boys' spelling list - up to 15 words and give them spot test whenever we are.
The images to the numbers 1 to 10 are:
1 - Candle
2 - Duck
3 - a pair of glasses
4 - Yacht
5 - Hook
6 - Hockey Stick
7 - Street Lamp
8 - Hourglass
9 - Balloon with a string
10 - Baseball bat and ball
Let me explain the how to by using an example. The simile/metaphor list of my boy.
1. As light as feather - Imagine a feather floating on top of the candle. The feather is very light and is buoyed by the hot air above the candle
2. As regular as clockwork - Imagine a duck carrying a clock swimming on the lake.
3. As short as two planks - Imagine a boy wearing a pair of spectacles with two planks of wood. Excruciating!
4. As beautiful as a rose - Imagine Cindella (beautiful) on an yacht holding a rose.
5. Like a bear with a sore head - Imagine a hook on a bear's head - hence it has a sore head!
6. Like a bull in a china shop - Imagine a bull holding a hockey stick and breaking all the china in the china shop.
7. Like a cat on hot bricks - Imagine a cat on a street lamp with hot bricks on top.
8. Like a sack of potatoes - Imagine a sack of potatoes on the upperpart of hourglass.
9. Like a lamb to the slaughter - Imagine a lamb in the balloon and being pulled by the string to the slaughter.
10. Like a knife through butter - Imagine the baseball bat is like a knife that cuts through the ball (butter).
The above represents the Connect and Associate portion. If you want to commit it to memory, you will have to do the Recall and Review as well.
Try it! My elder boy has used it to good effect. It may seem very difficult at first but once you master it, you will be on the way to fantastic memory. Remember, practice makes .... better!
I am now learning the Ultimate System to remember long strings of number. Basically, it is a system whereby numbers are converted into images and then we use rule number 1 again to create the association. So far, I have managed to use the system to remember those difficult to remember 8-digit telephone numbers. It is like learning a new language - only now, it is simpler and fun :)
For those with children, you can share this set of tools with your children. For me, my P3 boy is ready but not my P1 boy - in time to come, he will be ready too. This is a life skill, it will definitely be helpful to help them ace that examination without stress. Not to mention, it will also be helpful to us to up our productivity at work.
Then through my Toastmasters Meeting, I met Nishant - a world record memory holder. He was not bornt with great memory but he trained himself to remember. Inspired, I picked up some skills from Nishant from his book.
Allow me to also avail you the key to unlock your memory capacity.
Rule number 1: This is the most important rule of all and it is given to you as an acronym - CARR. Connect, Associate, Recall and Review. Using this rule, you will be able to remember a list of things e.g. a shopping list. However, you will first need to "connect" two items with each and another. Then "associate" through imaging some action between the two. Thereafter, you try to recall and review on which are the items which you have difficulty remembering. The latter is usually due to weak association so you may want to change the association.
Rule number 2: Building upon rule number 1, we could use the Number Shaping or Rhyme Technique to help us remember a list of 10 or more items. What's more, we can remember the items in exactly the same order!
I prefer the Number Shaping Technique which uses the shape of the number to create an image. We then connect the image with the word we want to remember. I use this technique to good effect to remember my boys' spelling list - up to 15 words and give them spot test whenever we are.
The images to the numbers 1 to 10 are:
1 - Candle
2 - Duck
3 - a pair of glasses
4 - Yacht
5 - Hook
6 - Hockey Stick
7 - Street Lamp
8 - Hourglass
9 - Balloon with a string
10 - Baseball bat and ball
Let me explain the how to by using an example. The simile/metaphor list of my boy.
1. As light as feather - Imagine a feather floating on top of the candle. The feather is very light and is buoyed by the hot air above the candle
2. As regular as clockwork - Imagine a duck carrying a clock swimming on the lake.
3. As short as two planks - Imagine a boy wearing a pair of spectacles with two planks of wood. Excruciating!
4. As beautiful as a rose - Imagine Cindella (beautiful) on an yacht holding a rose.
5. Like a bear with a sore head - Imagine a hook on a bear's head - hence it has a sore head!
6. Like a bull in a china shop - Imagine a bull holding a hockey stick and breaking all the china in the china shop.
7. Like a cat on hot bricks - Imagine a cat on a street lamp with hot bricks on top.
8. Like a sack of potatoes - Imagine a sack of potatoes on the upperpart of hourglass.
9. Like a lamb to the slaughter - Imagine a lamb in the balloon and being pulled by the string to the slaughter.
10. Like a knife through butter - Imagine the baseball bat is like a knife that cuts through the ball (butter).
The above represents the Connect and Associate portion. If you want to commit it to memory, you will have to do the Recall and Review as well.
Try it! My elder boy has used it to good effect. It may seem very difficult at first but once you master it, you will be on the way to fantastic memory. Remember, practice makes .... better!
I am now learning the Ultimate System to remember long strings of number. Basically, it is a system whereby numbers are converted into images and then we use rule number 1 again to create the association. So far, I have managed to use the system to remember those difficult to remember 8-digit telephone numbers. It is like learning a new language - only now, it is simpler and fun :)
For those with children, you can share this set of tools with your children. For me, my P3 boy is ready but not my P1 boy - in time to come, he will be ready too. This is a life skill, it will definitely be helpful to help them ace that examination without stress. Not to mention, it will also be helpful to us to up our productivity at work.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
My 10,000 hours Relationship
This year, I celebrate my 10,000th hour relationship with him. 10,000 hours is a mighty long time. 10,000 hours is the time needed for a small fry to shoot to catapult to a big shot, according to Malcolm Gladwell in "Outlier". And yes, our relationship has blossomed and bloomed after spending the magical 10,000 hours together.
Our relationship started off on a shaky note though. I rejected him as I was not confident of a long-distance relationship. His sincerity touched me and I was embraced into his warm, welcoming arms soon after.
Okay, I have better stopped before I get carried away further. What I mean is that this year marks the 10,000th hour of my relationship with my unit.
The Early Beginning
The year was 2005 when I knew that I was transferred to the then newly-minted unit. It was the time when I was busily gearing myself for a new phase in my life - to be a stay-at-home mum in USA. So after a few months of the establishment of the unit, I started on my personal adventure - leaving him to the good hands of the pioneers of unit - SK and HL.
Through Thick and Thin
It was only a year later in 2006 that I joined SK and HL. The initial years were challenging as the unit needed to build a niche for itself. Under the then leadership of LC and then TLC, we blazed new trails and ventured into uncharted work areas in the formative years of the unit. There was never a dull moment. Strong team spirit was forged during those trying times.
Change in Stewardship
A few years later, HY joined us as the captain of this ship. There are new crew members - EA, MF, CY, YT and TR - who joined this team of wonderful people. As the Chinese saying goes "it's difficult to start a business, tougher yet to sustain it." The results speak for itself. The unit has more than delivered what it sets out to do. It maybe a cliché but it's true - the only constant is change. Not just to our work area but also our team members. EA has since been transferred out and so will I.
A Pleasure Always
But I will always be thankful of the many marvelous memories and fabulous friendship that were formed. Not forgetting that I will still be part of the family and always round the corner. So if you have any problem with your work, you are always welcome to pop by. Afterall, two brains are better than one and work will miraculously turn from pain to pleasure. Whoever says that "No Pain No Gain" should re-word it to "No Pleasure No Gain". Guess that it what that gravitates us to look forward to coming to work everyday.
Cheerios,
AC
A Primary 3 Essay
Below is the essay which my boy wrote for his recent CA English paper. I commended him for a job well done and obtained his permission to share his little piece of work. Enjoy!
=====================
It was a sunny day. The sun-drenched morning sky promised another hot day. Tom and Jill were in high spirits as their parents were bringing them to the playground. They walked there.
When they reached their destination, it was noon. Many children were running around, playing on the slide, swinging and also riding on the see-saw. With all the excitement going on, Tom and Jill could not wait to play. They ran around like bulls in a china shop, taking and throwing things that did not belong to them.
Suddenly, something caught Jill's attention. It was a girl standing on a swing. Looking at her mischevious face, you should know what happened next. She ran towards the swing and stood on the swing and swung happily from side to side. Tom quickly came to warn her, "It's very dangerous to do that!" Unfortunately, his kind words fell into deaf ears.
All of a sudden, Jill lost her balance and fell of the swing. All the children who saw the whole incident dare not stand on the swing again. Jill started to wail very loudly. Tom told his mother what had happend. Then she came to comfort Jill.
Luckily for Jill, she was not badly injured. Jill heaved a sigh of relief as she did not need to go to the hospital. Jill had learnt her lesson - not to follow people who did the wrong things.
=====================
It was a sunny day. The sun-drenched morning sky promised another hot day. Tom and Jill were in high spirits as their parents were bringing them to the playground. They walked there.
When they reached their destination, it was noon. Many children were running around, playing on the slide, swinging and also riding on the see-saw. With all the excitement going on, Tom and Jill could not wait to play. They ran around like bulls in a china shop, taking and throwing things that did not belong to them.
Suddenly, something caught Jill's attention. It was a girl standing on a swing. Looking at her mischevious face, you should know what happened next. She ran towards the swing and stood on the swing and swung happily from side to side. Tom quickly came to warn her, "It's very dangerous to do that!" Unfortunately, his kind words fell into deaf ears.
All of a sudden, Jill lost her balance and fell of the swing. All the children who saw the whole incident dare not stand on the swing again. Jill started to wail very loudly. Tom told his mother what had happend. Then she came to comfort Jill.
Luckily for Jill, she was not badly injured. Jill heaved a sigh of relief as she did not need to go to the hospital. Jill had learnt her lesson - not to follow people who did the wrong things.
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