Russia Ukraine & Being A Better You

Russia Ukraine & Being A Better You.

After you finish work for the week, you won’t be enjoying a relaxing weekend. You won’t be going down the gym, going for a run, watching Netflix's or playing with the kids.

No, this weekend will be different.

This weekend women will be making molotov cocktails. Men will be packing away their smartphones and computers and going off to kill someone.

Can you imagine that?

I can’t.

I doubt whether people in Ukraine imagined that either.

As an individual, there is nothing much any of us can do.

We can of course sign petitions, donate food and money and join protests, but after that there’s not a lot we can do.

At times like these, it’s easy to succumb to despair but that’s not the right thing to do.

Instead of giving into depression, fear and anxiety, we should work on ourselves. Respect our bodies, feed our minds and souls. Connect with nature, connect with friends. Think more deeply and develop our minds.

Improve Yourself

By doing the inner work, we become better versions of ourselves. When we love and respect ourselves, we can make more informed decisions. We can raise our kids with higher values.

As lawyers you can use your influence for the benefit of society. And if you do that maybe, just maybe, you wont ever have to spend your weekends making bombs or killing people.

Right now you might be wondering what this has to do with you improving your English.

Simple. Let me explain more.

Most of us have been lucky enough to fly. When you are in the plane there is always the safety announcement. "In case of emergency pull the oxygen mask down and put it on yourself first before attending to others."

This applies in everyday life. Look after yourself first. make sure you put yourself in the best possible situation to succeed.

Benefits of Better English

Lawyer who work in an international environment need to grow their English skills.

The better your English the easier it is for you to:

• Understand colleagues & clients
• Deepen relationships
• Express legal concepts
• Contribute to meetings
• Have greater control over conversations
• Feel more relaxed
• Get recognised for the right reasons

English is important but only you can decide if you are going to make the effort to improve it.

Let me help you make a start. Here is some sophisticated vocabulary to talk about the Russia/Ukraine situation.

Vocabulary for Fluency

Boots on the ground. Soldiers who are present during a combat.

Russia has thousands of boots on the ground. Ukraine has very few by comparison.

Drastic action: If you have to take?drastic?action to?solve?a?problem, you have to do something extreme and?basic?to solve it.

Drastic action has to be taken against Russia to end this war.

Historic moment: Something that is?historic?is?important?in history, or likely to be thought of as important at some time in the?future.

It was an historic moment when Russia invaded the Ukraine.

Molotov cocktails: homemade petrol bombs.

Women are making molotov cocktails to help defend themselves.

Thermobaric weapons/ Vacuum bomb: Weapons that use oxygen. They create a large fireball and shockwave which sucks the air out of the atmosphere. It can vaporises humans and destroy large defensive positions.

The use of thermobaric weapons is not unlawful but in my opinion they should be because of the terrible damage they cause.

Spreading Positivity

I don't want war and I'm pretty sure you don't either. I can't change what's happening in the Ukraine but I can help you.

So come check in with me once a lunar month and let's see how we can have a more positive impact on the planet.

Why a Lunar month?

During lockdowns most of us realised how important it is to connect to nature. I'd like to help with that.

I will publish once a month at the time of the New moon. This way I'll be giving you a little reminder to touch base with nature. So you can take some time to breathe, relax, connect & grow.

In case you're wondering the next New moon is the 1st of April.

Until then:

Live Strong, Love & Prosper

P.S

Want more useful vocabulary in a Flip book? Click here to download 75 Phrases For More Proactive Meetings.