Shadowing Practice: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Speech Will Leave You SPEECHLESS - One of the Most Eye Opening Speeches - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Start strong, finish strong.
201 sentences
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Start strong, finish strong.
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Wolf is always scratching.
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Let's roll.
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Up at 3.45 a.m.
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Cardio by 4.45 a.m.
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Hitting the iron by 6.15 a.m.
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In my pickup truck by 7.15 a.m.
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Heading to work.
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Ready to get after it.
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Ready to shoot.
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There's no substitute for hard work.
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I'm going to make something out of myself, but it's going to be so good it's bad.
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Instead of telling you what I think you should be doing or how you could be better, I thought, well, let me just speak from the heart,
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speak from my gut, and really not have anything prepared, but just tell you what's worked for me.
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And maybe some of the stuff that's worked for me might work for you now, currently, presently, as you guys have your goals and ambitions.
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But then further on down the line as you guys continue to live your life
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This idea and this notion that you could be anything you want you can accomplish anything you want right?
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We hear that you've heard that from the time you were little boys You hear that now you're already incredibly accomplished.
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You guys know that The thing that has worked for me is to remember
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The hard times So and I'm sure you guys all have your processes and again, I'm going to tell you what to work for me so before a
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Big movie comes out before back in the days when I was wrestling with WWE a WrestleMania match
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Anything big that would happen.
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I would always take a moment and I just remind myself All right.
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I was evicted when I was 14.
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We were kicked off the island.
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We couldn't live in Hawaii Had no place to live A lot of happened then when I moved to Nashville.
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I was arrested multiple times by the time I was 16 years old.
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I would remember that and it allows me then to be present in the moment
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and understand holy the stuff I have around me right now.
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This is the that I dreamed of when I was a kid.
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I am here.
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I played for University of Miami.
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Played great teams.
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Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, they were my teammates.
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They were ballin'.
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Warren Sapp was playing tight end that time.
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I was starting defensive tackle.
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Yeah.
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They moved him over to D-line.
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And he looked at me, he's like, yo, dude, I'm going to take your spot.
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And I said, you ain't taking my spot.
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He said, I'm going to take your spot.
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I said, no, you ain't.
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We battled, and he took my spot.
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You can imagine how that with me, because there goes my opportunity.
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He went in, switched to defensive tackle, lit the world on fire.
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Well, what that did, it crushed me, and it crushed my dreams.
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I had a piss poor senior year.
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Zero production, no NFL, no combine invite, nothing.
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Finally went to the CFL, Calgary Stampeders, making $250 a week Canadian.
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Canadian.
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I had to send that s**t home to my wife at that time.
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Had no money.
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So I remember that.
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I got cut from Canada.
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My dad in his pickup truck came down 4 o'clock in the morning, picked me up in Miami from Tampa.
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We lived in a little apartment in Tampa.
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He drove down in his little pickup truck to Miami to get me when I was cut from the CFL.
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And I thought, well, I leave home like you guys left home.
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I'm ready to tackle the world, to get after it, achieve my dreams and goals.
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Crushed by 22, 23 years old.
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Now I gotta move back in with my mom and dad.
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I played on great teams though.
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Wait a second, this is not supposed to be my future.
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I'm supposed to be in the NFL right now.
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I'm supposed to be making a lot of coin and buying my parents .
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Buying me , taking care of my wife, but it never happened.
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So I pulled out my wallet.
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I thought, well, let me see how much money I have.
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I opened it up.
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I had a five, a one, and change.
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Well, at least I rounded up to seven bucks.
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But I thought, God, ain't this a bitch?
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I got seven bucks in my pocket.
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Where the do I go now?
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What do I do?
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I can't go back to CFL.
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The point comes where you hear that voice, the big run's over.
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I'm like, you're done.
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Right, so I heard that voice.
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So as Coach was saying, man, I hold onto that.
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I'm telling you, I keep, my back is up against this mother.
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We laugh, we joke, we have a good time, but my back is still up against this mother.
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Do not forget it.
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What this also helps me do, and again, it works for me, is at some point, you gotta be tired of not being number one.
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You have to be, and you gotta play angry, and I play angry.
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Now, I'm cool and calm with my approach, and when I step out on my field, which is a set, or,
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you know, like, there's some, and you're always gonna have haters, and haters are like, well, god damn, man, How many movies are you going to make or how much shit are you going to do?
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Like, you do a lot of shit.
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I say, yes.
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It's my ambition. Of course.
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Why not?
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I could do it.
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Yeah.
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I love what I do.
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And not only that, but in what world do we not work every day?
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My back is up against this thing, you know?
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And I started to play angry, by the way.
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And I still play angry.
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My last match, Brock Lesnar, transitioned.
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And I realized if I had to be great at something, I wanted to be great in this world of Hollywood and movie making and producing and entertainment, I had to commit.
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And like, you guys have to commit.
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Obviously, you commit to something, commit to the goal. So I quietly retired.
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Two years later, I thought, what did I do with my career?
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Because my movies were not doing well.
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I was written off.
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I was like, it was around 2006, 2007.
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I was like, I left.
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I pulled a Jim Brown.
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I left when I was on top.
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Like, number one in the wrestling business.
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And I left.
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It was a ballsy, gutsy, some call it stupid move But I had to commit and I had to follow it was in my gut
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What helps me is to keep the hard times in the front of my mind
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Because it allows me to go into these big moments
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that I've worked my ass off
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and you guys have worked your ass off It allows me to go into these big moments with a different perspective
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What it also does for me and again this just this is what works for me like
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My back is up against this mother
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Every day It's against this wall
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But it's up against this mother because it's what I believe in and when my back is against this month
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Then there's nowhere to go
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But that way That's it Doesn't mean you don't smile doesn't mean a laughing joke quote right happy.
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I'm happy.
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I'm a happy guy But when it comes to business and when it comes to executing, it's up against this.
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And I got to go that way.
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And I don't give a who is in front of me.
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They're not going to stop me.
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The key for me was, where does it start?
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What's the anchor?
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What's the anchor?
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So I could have all these ambitions and you guys have all these ambitions, which is great.
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It's important.
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I'll play this role.
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play that role.
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I'll execute this thing and it'll come out this summer.
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You guys will execute this thing during the summer, right?
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When it's time to really put in a lot more work.
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But the key with me is just always finding what the anchor is.
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And the anchor is getting up at four o'clock in the morning every day before anybody else
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and grounding my thought process is in the no one will outwork me.
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No one.
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I love and I respect you guys.
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Motherf***er will not work me.
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It all starts with this.
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Two hands.
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Putting it to work.
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My last match in WWE, I'll share this with you guys too, is that, again, because there's a little bit of takeaway here from all this sh**, is I wrestled John Cena.
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And I went in, I think it was 2013, I went in WWE Champion, And we went and met Life Stadium.
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We had a record breaking attendance which was amazing that night.
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We accomplished our goal.
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So I wrestled with John Cena.
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We had 45 minutes planned for the match.
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It's non-stop, go.
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Right?
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So your conditioning is tested.
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And at that time, I wasn't full time in WWE.
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I was just doing these spot matches where I was still shooting G.I.
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Joe, I think, or Pain and Gain at that time.
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Oh no, it was Fast and Furious 6 in London.
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Had to travel in the ring, get all my ring work in, travel back to shoot Fast and Furious, then back, WWE Raw, doing those shows.
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The big build up to WrestleMania against John.
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We get to MetLife Stadium, it's a big night, this is it.
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It's game night, right?
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It's championship night for me.
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45 minute match planned out.
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There's no cut, there's no, alright, let's pick it back up tomorrow.
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You know, it's go time, it's just like you guys in a game.
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I'm getting scared because I'm thinking, man, well what happens if I pinch something or something like, Like, you know, I don't know, your mind starts with you in the moment.
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There's 85,000 people, your adrenaline's rushing.
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I'm thinking, man, what happens if I'm going to lose my leg or some like this, if I've just done something to my artery?
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Final move of the match is his big finishing move.
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And I remember I'm getting up and I'm turning like this because I have to fall into him.
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He's going to hit me with his big finisher.
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I remember turning into John and he says, and I remember thinking to myself, God, please don't let this be too bad.
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Just take care of me.
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Take care of me.
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Bang!
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Comes in the back, I get to the back, I can't move.
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Now I'm getting a little nervous.
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Get on a jet, rushed home to my doctors down in Florida. And get an MRI.
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Find out that I have completely torn my adductor, the top of my, my adductor and my top of my quad off my pelvis.
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What I was proud of was to walk out on my own.
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I got on my own, but not only that, but in this moment where the odds are against you, people are watching, your team's depending on you, you either say I'm done,
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or this sh**, whatever the f**k is going on,
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it's temporary, and it may f**k me up at some point down the road.
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But I'm not going to let this opportunity go by without giving it my all.
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As you guys know, there's nothing you can't accomplish.
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You're gonna go on, you're gonna become world champions.
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The key for me, what I think one of the keys is, remember where you came from, keep that shit in the front of your mind, and when shit goes bad and it goes sideways,
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a lot of shit does, you're getting booed out of the building, or you're coming through this injury, or people are writing you off.
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You guys ain't gonna make it, you know, any of that.
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You gotta keep it in here.
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And it really has to, it should drive you, it should.
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It works for me.
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It should drive you.
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You get all the talent in the world.
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It's all here.
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Really the two things I want to say are you gotta be the hardest workers in the room
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and don't the opportunity up.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson’s empowering speech is a fantastic resource for English learners aiming to enhance their speaking skills. The context of his motivational message not only captivates but also provides a relatable understanding of resilience and ambition. As he narrates his journey from challenging beginnings to achieving greatness, learners can tap into a wealth of vocabulary and expressions that are useful in both casual and formal conversations. By practicing with this video, you can learn English with YouTube, making your study sessions interactive and inspiring.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Several key structures in Johnson's speech offer valuable lessons for English learners:
- Imperative Verbs: Phrases like "Start strong, finish strong," emphasize action and motivation. This structure is common in motivational contexts and can help learners with powerful expression.
- Past Simple Tense: Johnson reflects on his past experiences using the past simple tense, e.g., "I was evicted," which is essential for discussing life events. This tense helps in building narratives and storytelling.
- Conditional Phrases: The construction of sentences like "If you remember the hard times, it allows you to be present" introduces conditional expressions, useful for discussing hypothetical scenarios.
- Direct Speech: Quotes like, "You can be anything you want," provide examples of direct speech, a vital aspect of making conversations impactful and personal.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As you practice speaking with this video, watch out for certain pronunciation challenges:
- Evicted: The 'v' sound can be tricky, so ensure you pronounce it clearly to avoid confusion with similar-sounding words.
- Wrestling: Be aware of the American pronunciation; ensure the 'wrest' is clear and the 'ling' is soft.
- Ambitions: This word can trip up many learners; practice breaking it down into syllables (am-bitions) to master its pronunciation.
Incorporating the shadowing technique with this video allows for immersive learning, as you can replicate Johnson's intonation and rhythm. By using this shadowing site, you'll enhance your speaking abilities while absorbing motivational content that can inspire your language journey.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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