today is my first day in London my name is Elena I feel excited I want to find a hobby but what should I do I look around there are so many things to try cooking classes music lessons sports clubs it is hard to choose then I see a sign on a door join our painting class painting that sounds fun but I have never painted before maybe I am not good at it maybe I will make a mess I walk a little more in the park people are playing football I love football I played when I
was a child but they look professional they run fast they kick hard what if they don't want a new player what if I make a mistake next I hear music a small Cafe has a group of people singing a man plays the guitar a woman claps to the Rhythm the song is beautiful I wish I could play the guitar but I don't have one and I don't know any songs too many choices painting football music what should I try first I take a deep breath I must decide painting class I might be terrible football I
might fall music I don't even know where to start but something inside me says just try what will I do I decide to start with the painting class I open the door a woman Smiles at me welcome take a seat there are people sitting with brushes and colors the teacher gives me a blank canvas paint whatever you want she says I look at the canvas whatever I want but I don't know what to paint everyone else starts immediately some paint flowers some paint faces I hold my brush but my hand stops my mind is empty
what if my painting looks bad what if people laugh I hear a voice inside Me Maybe painting is not for you I leave the class outside I hear a whistle the football players in the park are starting a new game I walk closer a boy waves at me do you want to play I not the game Begins the ball comes to me me I kick it too soft someone takes it I try again this time I kick too hard the ball flies in the wrong direction oh no people laugh it's okay someone shouts but I
feel embarrassed maybe I should stop maybe football is not for me I hear a voice inside me you are not good at this I leave the park I walk past the cafe the music is still playing the man with the guitar sees me do you want to try he offers me his guitar I hesitate I don't know how to play I say just try he smiles I hold the guitar I press the strings I strum a terrible sound comes out someone Giggles I give the guitar back I can't do it I say I hear a
voice inside me you are bad at everything I feel small painting football music I tried but I failed maybe I am not made for hobbies maybe I should stop trying or should I I walk away from the cafe no painting no football no music maybe hobbies are not for me but then I hear a voice behind me wait I turn around it's the man from the cafe he holds the guitar nobody plays well the first time he says you just need to practice I stop practice I never thought about that I always want to be
good from the start try again he says I take a deep breath I sit down I hold the guitar I press the strings carefully I strum the sound is better this time not perfect but better see you are learning the man says I smile maybe I can learn but then I remember my painting my football game what if this is just luck what if I fail again I stand up thank you I say but I am not sure I walk away I pass the park again the football players are sitting on the grass drinking water
one of them sees me hey you played well today I shake my head no I didn't yes you did he says you just need to play more the first time is is always hard I stop the first time is always hard I remember the guitar the first sound was terrible the second was better what if football is the same come tomorrow the boy says we can practice together practice again that word I never thought about practice before I always want to be perfect I look at the painting class I see people inside the teacher is
helping a student she smiles the student tries again the painting looks better try again I take a deep breath maybe hobbies are not about being good maybe hobbies are about learning I look at the football team I look at the cafe I look at the painting class I have a choice should I try again I wake up early today I will try again but something feels different I go to the painting class first the teacher sees me you are back she says she gives me a canvas just have fun I hold the brush no pressure
no fear just fun I move the brush a little blue a little yellow the colors mix I don't know what I am painting but it looks nice the teacher walks over I wait for her to say it's bad but she smiles beautiful she says beautiful I look at my painting again maybe it's not perfect but it's mine I leave the class now football the team is waiting Elena come they shout I run to them the game starts the ball comes to me last time I was afraid this time I focus I kick the ball it
goes to the right place my teammate catches it good pass he says good pass the game continues I don't play perfectly but I play better I feel the difference I leave the field last stop the cafe the guitarist sees me I knew you would come back he says he hands me the guitar I strum the sound is clear not amazing but better he nods keep going I play again the sound is even better something inside me changes yesterday I thought Hobbies were about being perfect now I understand hobbies are about learning about trying about not
giving up I smile I am not perfect but I am getting better and that is enough I sit in the cafe F the guitar is in my hands the football team is outside waving at me the painting teacher walks by and smiles something feels different yesterday I thought I was failing I thought I was bad at everything but today I see things in a new way I strum the guitar the sound is soft but steady the guitarist nods you are learning fast fast yesterday I could not play at all today the sound is better I
remember football my first game I kicked too soft then I kicked too hard today my past was right I remember painting yesterday my canvas was empty today my painting had color I thought Hobbies were about talent but hobbies are about practice I stand up now I have a choice I could focus on one hobby I could choose football or music or painting but then another thought comes why choose just one I can paint on Mondays play football on Wednesdays practice guitar on Fridays I can try everything I don't have to be perfect I just have
to enjoy it I smile yesterday I was afraid to fail today I know the truth trying is the most important part I pick up my guitar again I strum with confidence and this time the sound is beautiful one week later my life feels different on Monday I go to the painting class the teacher smiles when she sees me welcome back she says I sit down and start painting this time I don't worry I just enjoy mixing colors on Wednesday I play football the ball comes to me I kick it perfect PA my teammates cheer nice
one Elena on Friday I visit the cafe the guitarist waves at me ready he asks I nod I take the guitar and play a simple song the sound is not perfect but it's real I stop I listen to my own music it feels good I laugh one week ago I thought I was terrible at everything thing now I know the truth I don't need to be perfect I just need to try I look at my painting it is full of colors I look at my football shoes they are full of grass I look at my
hands they hold a guitar one week ago I had no Hobbies now I have three maybe I will find more maybe I will try dancing or writing or learning a new language the world is full of things to learn and now I am not afraid to try I pick up my guitar I take a deep breath and I play I used to think I had to be good from the start if I wasn't good I wanted to stop but now I know the truth nobody is perfect the first time painting football music I wasn't great
at any of them at first but I practiced I tried again and I got better learning English is the same maybe your first sentence is not perfect maybe your pronunciation feels strange maybe you forget words but that doesn't mean you should stop every word you say is like a brush stroke on a painting every conversation is like a football game you get stronger each time every mistake is like a wrong guitar note just part of learning I used to be afraid of trying now I am not afraid anymore so don't be afraid to speak English
don't be afraid to make mistakes don't be afraid to practice because one day you will look back and see how much you have improved and that day just like me you will smile
