– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

[Music]

Hi everyone, I'm Aim. How are you today?

I hope that you will have a good day. In

every video, I will bring the best

things in life for you.

That is a truly wonderful article I

happened to come across on sou and I

want to share it with you guys.

Every effort you make is your way of

trying to make a choice feel more right.

I ran into Emma on a final day of the

National Book Expo. It had been more

than 6 months since we last spoke.

Honestly, I thought she was someone I

never see again.

So, when she suddenly showed up and

invited me for coffee, I was genuinely

surprised.

We found a seat by the window. As the

soft aroma of cappuccino fill the space

between us, Emma said, "Sister, I think

I'm starting to regret it. I shouldn't

have followed my mom's advice and gone

back home to work at that pink. Every

day I'm forcing myself to do something I

don't even like, pretending I'm okay

while dealing with complicated

coworkers.

I'm completely drained. What should I do

now?

Emma used to be an editor in my

department. About half a year ago,

things weren't going well for her at

work. Her mother kept urging her to

return to their hometown, promising a

safe, stable job. Slowly, that got to

her. When she handed in her resignation,

I wasn't surprised. I knew she had the

hearts for it, but not quite the

strength. Not yet. She was careful and

hardworking, but still lack behind the

other editors a bit. I saw that clearly.

But I also knew she truly loved the

work. They say passion is the best

teacher, and I believe that with enough

time, I was sure she'd go into it.

That's why I tried to convince her to

stay.

I looked into her eyes and said, "You

don't need to compare yourself to

others. Compare yourself to who you

were. Don't you see how far you've come

since you first started?" She paused,

surprised, then slowly looked up. I

continue.

You only slow at making books because

you haven't had enough experience with

co design and the standards here are

high. But your proposal writing, your

layout design, you've made real

progress. You don't need to be better

than others, just better than yesterday.

There's already something. Emma had

expected me to accept to her resignation

without hesitation.

She didn't expect me to say all that.

For a while, she didn't know what to

say. When a silence lingered, I asked,

"What did you study in university?"

"Accounting," she replied. Turns out,

just like me, she came into the writing

world from somewhere else. And maybe

that's exactly why it had to be love for

her to choose this path. Anyway,

I told Emma to set aside everything her

mother and I said and just listen to her

own hurts. After a week, she should come

back and tell me whether she stay or

leave. A week later, Emma choose to

leave. Of course, I respected her

decision. More than half a year passed

without any news from her. I figured she

must be living the life she wanted and

was purposely avoiding contact with her

former boss. So, when she suddenly

appeared before me with such a heavy

topic, I honestly didn't know how to

respond.

Outside the window, neon lights flicker

endlessly.

The colorful glow reflected on Emma's

face, which should have been radiant,

but her eyes held anxiety and

loneliness, making her look utterly

exhausted. I said to Emma, "I don't

fully know your situation, but maybe my

story can give you some inspiration.

When I was young, many of the most

important choices in my life were made

by my parents. I didn't really get a

chance to choose or maybe I didn't give

myself the rights.

During middle school exam applications,

my father made me feel in the names of a

teacher's college and a prestigious high

school. Later, when my grades qualify me

for the prestigious school, he thought

going to high school and then university

was the better path. So, I went to a top

provinial high school

in 11th grade when we had to choose

between literature and sciences. Even

though I like literature, my parents

believe if you master math and science,

you can go anywhere. So, they made me

choose sciences.

Then, I followed the university engines

exam. My scores weren't enough for a

pachulo's decree. My father crossed by

shatter hers lost his temper every day.

Now I see life as a long thick book. The

engines exam is just one page. Whether

it's good or bad, you turn it and move

on. But back then to my 18-year-old

self, the exam was a watershed moment

that defined success or failure.

Facing the co- stairs from relatives and

my father's schooling, I felt deep

defeat

when it came to choosing whether to

retake exam or go straight to a junior

college. My father chose the latter.

He worried I might not do well if I try

again. Actually, that was what I wanted

too. I fear relieving those dark days

counting down to the exam. My journey of

making life choices started the moment I

left my parents.

I studied at a junior college in Yang

Joe, a city as beautiful and gentle as a

graceful southern beauty, which sparked

a lot of creative inspiration in me.

Back in high school, writing novels was

seen as a distraction. But in college, I

finally shocked myself in books I loved,

music I enjoyed, and writing I cherish.

Compared to the dull and tough high

school days, university life was

colorful and free. The only pressure I

gave myself was this. I had to get into

Apache Pro. I set this goal for two

seasons. One, to make the most of my

college time. to improve myself and made

up for failing the engines exam. Two,

because employers prefer candidates with

higher degrees, and I wanted to avoid

being retracted just because of my

education level.

Higher education means more choices and

freedom when looking for a job. You can

pick work you truly like just like

said to her son India Andre.

I want you to study hard not to compete

with others but you will have the right

to choose meaningful work with time to

leave rather than just struggling to

survive.

In my second year, I had the opportunity

to transfer to the petrol book, but the

high tuition fees made me hesitate

partly because of my family's limited

financial situation.

I called my parents to talk about

whether I should take the transfer to

petrol exam. That said, go ahead and

try. If you pass, you can decide later

whether to attend. But if you insist on

going, you have to find a way to pay the

tuition yourself.

Mom was firmly against it. She said it

was already had enough to support me

through junior college, and my younger

brother and sister also needed money for

school.

She told me I couldn't be so selfish,

thinking only about my future and

ignoring my siblings.

In the end, my parents didn't really

support me taking the exam. Their reason

was simple. They didn't have the money

to support my further studies.

That night, after the call, I couldn't

sleep. I tossed and turned. Thought it

over again and again.

In the end, I decided to take the exam.

It was the first time I went against my

parents' wishes and the first time I

made a choice truly for myself.

I can't imagine what my life would be

like now if I hadn't taken that exam.

All I know is I have never regretted

that decision.

Later I passed the written and aura

parts of the exam and got into a

prestigious university. I solved the

tuition problem on my own through

student loans and by writing articles

for magazines to earn money. I finished

my degree smoothly and at that

university I found a rare and precious

love. It was from that moment making

that choice myself that I truly learned

independence. After that, although my

parents still gave me advice from time

to time, I treated it only as a

reference.

The final decision was always mine.

After graduating and entering the work

force, even more choices came like after

dating someone for a long time, should I

marry him and spend my life with him?

When housing prices drop, should I buy a

house then? If I wasn't happy at work,

should I quit?

For anyone in the working world, job

hopping is one of the most common

decisions. At times like that, people

around you will give you different

opinions and it's easy to lose your own

voice.

Take my last job as an example. It was

harder than any before. At that company,

I created a woman's reading brand called

Butterfly Season. From publishing the

first book under that label in January

2008 to December 2012,

I helped publish hundreds of books and

nurture many original authors. Those

five years were when my youth bloomed

during butterfly season.

My hobbies and dreams took roo and grew

there. I had a deep impreg bond with

that brand. So when a new company

repeatedly offered me a position, I

hesitated.

The salary wasn't much higher than

before. Friends and family told me to

stay. When my current boss learned I

wanted to leave, they promised a raise

next year. Only the authors who had

suffered delay payments supported me

leaving.

They said if I did well at a new

company, they would benefit too.

Honestly, I was torn and found it hard

to decide. But after weighing

everything, I chose to accept the new

offer with one condition. No mandatory

clock in, no requirement to be in the

office every day, flexible working

hours. It wasn't because I was lazy. I

wanted some time left for my family and

kids when work busy. No matter how hard

a workaholic you are, you can't ignore

your children's growth. After all,

childhood happens only once.

Though I enjoy flexible hours at a new

company, I actually work even harder

than before. I wanted those who didn't

support my decision, even those who

mocked it to see that I made the right

choice. And the facts proved it. I

delivered results I was proud of within

2 years. Emma listened quietly as if

understanding something new. Looking at

me sincerely, she said, "Sister, I get

it now. I have to make my own choices

and not be swayed by others. If I hadn't

ignored my mom's advice and returned

home, maybe I've made something of

myself by now.

To be honest, I've quit that stable but

dull job back home. I'm ready to work in

writing again. That's my passion. and

I'm willing to work hard to grow my

dreams. I believe someday I succeed just

like you. I smiled and said, "If success

means following your heart and doing

what you love, then you can count on me

as your role model. But if success means

power, money, or status, I'm still far

from that." I continue. Of course, I

wouldn't say no to those things if they

came along, but I still believe that

being your happy self wherever you are

and having the freedom to choose your

own life, that's more important than

so-cal success.

Life is like a big test filled with many

choices. How you choose is up to you.

Even though there's no perfect answer,

if you follow your heart, you regret

less later and live a life true to

yourself. And you'll find when your

choices come from your heart, you work

harder than ever because you want to

prove with your actions your choice was

right.

Thank you so much for listening to me.

[Music]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
choice /tʃɔɪs/ B1	noun - a decision when different things are possible
regret /rɪˈɡret/ B2	verb - feel sad or disappointed about something that has happened or been done noun - a feeling of sadness or disappointment over something that has happened or been done
passion /ˈpæʃn/ C1	noun - strong and barely controllable emotion
compare /kəmˈpeər/ B1	verb - estimate, measure, or note the similarity or dissimilarity between
progress /ˈprəʊɡres/ B1	noun - development towards a better state verb - move forward or onward
opportunity /ˌɒpərˈtjuːnəti/ B2	noun - a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something
hesitate /ˈhezɪteɪt/ B2	verb - pause before doing something, often because of uncertainty
independent /ˌɪndɪˈpendənt/ B2	adjective - not depending on another for livelihood or subsistence
decision /dɪˈsɪʒn/ B1	noun - the process of making choices
support /səˈpɔːt/ A2	verb - bear all or part of the weight of; hold up noun - assistance
freedom /ˈfriːdəm/ B2	noun - the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance
choice /tʃɔɪs/ B1	noun - a decision when different things are possible
publish /ˈpʌblɪʃ/ B2	verb - prepare and issue (a book, journal, etc.) for sale or distribution
benefit /ˈbenɪfɪt/ B1	verb - receive an advantage noun - an advantage or profit gained from something
grow /ɡroʊ/ A2	verb - increase in size by the addition of new cells
prove /pruːv/ B2	verb - demonstrate the truth or existence of (something) by evidence or argument

Key Grammar Structures

• That is a truly wonderful article I happened to come across on sou and I want to share it with you guys.

  ➔ Past Simple Passive (happened to come across)

  ➔ "Happened to come across" implies the speaker found the article by chance. The passive voice emphasizes that the article was found, not who found it.

• Every effort you make is your way of trying to make a choice feel more right.

  ➔ Present Simple + Infinitive with 'to' after a verb of perception ('make a choice feel')

  ➔ The construction "make + object + bare infinitive" (without 'to') is common. However, when using 'feel', the infinitive often takes 'to'. Here, it expresses the intended result of the effort.

• Honestly, I thought she was someone I never see again.

  ➔ Past Simple + Past Unreal Conditional (mixed conditional)

  ➔ The speaker is describing a past thought about the future. The "I thought she was someone I would never see again" is more grammatically correct, where "would" is used to show an idea the speaker had in the past about a future event.

• Sister, I think I'm starting to regret it. I shouldn't have followed my mom's advice and gone back home to work at that pink.

  ➔ Modal verb of regret: "shouldn't have + past participle"

  ➔ "Shouldn't have followed" expresses regret about a past action. It implies the speaker now believes it was a mistake to follow her mom's advice.

• But I also knew she truly loved the work. They say passion is the best teacher, and I believe that with enough time, I was sure she'd go into it.

  ➔ Past Continuous with future reference (was sure she'd go into it)

  ➔ "Was sure she'd go into it" expresses a past certainty about a future event. Although generally past continuous is not often used for future reference like 'was going to', this is a reasonable variation.

• You only slow at making books because you haven't had enough experience with co design and the standards here are high.

  ➔ Present Perfect Negative (haven't had)

  ➔ "Haven't had" indicates that the lack of experience extends from the past until now, contributing to the current situation.

• After a week, she should come back and tell me whether she stay or leave.

  ➔ Incorrect use of subjunctive mood/indirect question

  ➔ The correct phrasing should be "After a week, she should come back and tell me whether she *will stay* or *will leave*" or "...whether to stay or to leave". The speaker wants to know what her decision will be, so future tense or the infinitive form is appropriate.

• So, when she suddenly appeared before me with such a heavy topic, I honestly didn't know how to respond.

  ➔ Embedded question as object (how to respond)

  ➔ "How to respond" is an embedded question acting as the direct object of the verb "didn't know." It indicates the speaker's uncertainty about the appropriate action.