Pat: You look depressed. Are you feeling blue? I’ve come to cheer you up.

Ted: But there’s nothing that can cheer me up. I’m down in the dumps. Life’s miserable

Pat: You have to try to get your mind off things.

Ted: But I can’t. I just feel there’s too much pressure on me sometimes!

Pat: You can’t let things get you down. Learn to relax and stop worrying all the time. What’s your problem?

Ted: I failed my last exam, and another exam is coming, I get bored.

Pat: If I were you, I’d start working hard. If you work hard for a long time, you’re bound to get better grades. You see, “no pain, no gain”.

Ted: It’s easier said than done! If I read for fifteen minutes, I get bored.

Pat: You have to learn some self-discipline.

But how can I stay cheerful all the time?

Ted: Worse than that! If I read for half an hour, I get a headache. Then I start to worry about passing the next exam.

Pat: It’s all in your mind. If you stay cheerful like me, everything will soon be OK.

Ted: But how can I stay cheerful all the time?

Pat: Try to look on the bright side of things.

Ted: But what if there isn’t a bright side?

Pat: You know the saying: Every cloud has a silver lining. It means there’re always tow sides to everything—both the dark and the bright sides. So, try to identify your strengths and bring then into full play.

Ted: Oh, no! Your corny old sayings are making me even more depressed.

Keys: TFFTF