Shadowing Practice: English Podcast For Learning English | How To Build Self Discipline | Easy English Conversation - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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English Leap Podcast from Speak English with Class.
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English Leap Podcast from Speak English with Class.
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Hey, English learners.
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Welcome back to the English Leap Podcast,
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the place where you learn real English through real conversations.
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I'm Kate.
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And I'm Ben.
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It feels so good to be here again.
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You know, Kate, today's topic, it's a big one.
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Oh, totally.
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We're talking about something that everyone dreams about, but not everyone does.
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It's called How to Push Yourself to Success.
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Yeah, success.
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Everyone wants it, right?
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But sometimes we just wait for it to happen.
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We wait for the perfect time,
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or more motivation, or a better mood.
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Yeah, and while we wait,
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days turn into weeks, and dreams just sit there,
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waiting for us to move.
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This episode is about that moment.
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The moment when you stop waiting and you start moving,
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even when it's hard, even when you don't feel ready.
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And we'll talk about how small steps,
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mindset shifts, and even tiny pushes can completely change your path.
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In English, in life, in everything.
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So if you've ever felt lazy,
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tired, scared, or just stuck, stay with us.
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You're not alone.
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Yeah, we've been there too.
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But today, we're going to help you push through it.
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One honest story, one real conversation at a time.
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And hey, if you're new here,
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don't forget to subscribe, like,
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and download the free PDF guide for this episode.
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It's got today's vocabulary, quizzes,
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and reflection questions to help you grow faster.
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Alright, take a deep breath,
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my friend, because today, you're about to take your next step forward.
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Yeah, let's begin.
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You know, success sounds beautiful when we talk about it, right?
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Everyone says, I want to be successful.
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I want to change my life.
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Yeah, we love the idea of success,
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the celebration, the results, the praise,
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but not the part before that,
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the work, the pain, the discomfort.
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Right.
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Everyone wants the view from the mountain, but not the climb. So true.
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And that climb, it's not always pretty.
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It's tiring, sometimes lonely, sometimes painful.
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But if you stop because it's hard,
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you'll never reach the top.
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You know what this reminds me of?
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When I started working out last year,
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I wanted to feel strong,
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look better, have more energy.
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But when my alarm went off at 6 a.m.,
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my brain went, Ben, sleep is also part of health.
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Oh, that's so me!
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Every time I plan to go for a run,
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suddenly the bed feels extra comfortable,
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and I tell myself, tomorrow.
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Definitely tomorrow.
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And that's where most people stop.
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Not because they can't do it,
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but because they don't want to feel uncomfortable.
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But growth lives in that discomfort.
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It's like jumping into cold water.
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The first few seconds shock you,
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but then it feels refreshing.
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Hmm, yes.
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And once you push through that uncomfortable moment,
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it starts to change you.
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Not just outside, but inside too.
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That's the real test.
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Doing what you said you'd do even when it's not easy.
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And that leads perfectly to our next point.
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You don't need to feel ready.
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You just need to start.
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I love this one.
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Because I think most of us keep waiting for that right moment.
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You know, when we'll feel confident or have more time or when everything feels perfect.
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Oh, totally.
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I used to do that all the time.
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Actually, remember when Aaron and Evan first asked us to host this podcast?
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Oh, yeah.
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How could I forget?
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You were like, me?
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No way.
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I don't think I'm ready for that.
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I really said that.
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I was so nervous.
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I kept thinking, what if I mess up?
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What if my accent sounds weird?
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What if people don't like my voice?
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Yeah, you were overthinking everything.
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And I remember telling you,
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Kate, nobody ever feels ready the first time.
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Yeah, and you were right.
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I finally said yes, even though my hands were shaking when we recorded the first episode.
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But once we finished, I felt this wave of pride,
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like I actually did it.
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That's the thing.
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Courage doesn't show up before you start.
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It shows up because you start.
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You just have to push yourself past that first wave of fear.
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Mmm, yeah.
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You don't wait for confidence to magically appear.
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You build it, step by step.
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And look at us now.
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This is only our second episode.
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But already, it feels easier, smoother.
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Right?
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That's proof that confidence grows with action.
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You don't wait for it.
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You earn it.
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So if you're listening right now, maybe you're waiting too.
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Waiting to start learning English.
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or chasing a dream or changing your life.
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Here's the truth.
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You'll never feel completely ready.
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But if you start now,
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you'll be ready sooner than you think.
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Don't wait for the perfect time.
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The right time is the moment you decide to move.
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That's it.
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Just start and everything else will follow.
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Speaking of starting small, that brings us to our next point.
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Because once you take that first step,
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what really matters is what you do next.
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You know, people often think success means making some huge dramatic change.
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Like, I'll quit everything and start fresh.
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But real success doesn't work that way.
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It's built quietly, slowly, one small push at a time.
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Yeah, so true.
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I remember when I was trying to improve my English years ago.
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I thought I had to study for hours to make progress,
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but I'd just get tired and give up.
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Then one day, I started writing short notes every night,
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tiny ones like three sentences about my day.
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And over time, my writing got so much better.
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That's perfect.
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Because small steps don't scare you, they're doable.
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When I was learning guitar,
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I told myself just 10 minutes a day
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and at first I laughed 10 minutes felt useless but after a month I could play full songs.
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I love that it's like pushing a heavy train the first few pushes feel impossible
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but once it starts moving it becomes unstoppable exactly small pushes build momentum
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and momentum builds belief and every time you show up,
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even when you don't feel like it,
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you teach your brain that you're serious.
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Yeah, it's not about perfection, it's about presence.
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Showing up for yourself, even for five minutes,
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makes you stronger than the version of you who did nothing.
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That's how success is built.
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One small promise kept every day.
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Beautifully said.
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And that brings us to something important.
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Because when you keep pushing,
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sometimes things still don't go the way you expect.
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Right.
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Sometimes you fail.
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And it hurts.
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But that doesn't mean it's over.
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It means you're learning.
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And that's exactly what we'll talk about next.
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You know, Ben, failure used to scare me.
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I thought if I failed,
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it meant I wasn't good enough.
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Same here.
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I used to think success meant no mistakes.
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But now I see the truth.
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Success needs mistakes.
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Yeah, because mistakes show you what doesn't work.
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And that's powerful.
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When I failed my first job interview,
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I cried the whole day.
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I felt embarrassed, like I wasn't smart enough.
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But a week later, I realized I didn't fail because I was bad.
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I failed because I wasn't prepared yet.
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That's such a big shift.
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You didn't lose, you just got feedback.
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When I started a little YouTube channel years ago,
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my first video got like 10 views.
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I deleted it.
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Oh no, you didn't.
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I did.
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But now I wish I hadn't.
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Those 10 people actually watched me.
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I could have learned and improved.
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But I gave up too early.
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Yeah.
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Failing doesn't mean you're finished.
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It means you're in training.
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It's like a GPS.
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When you take a wrong turn,
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it doesn't say trip over.
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It says recalculating.
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I love that.
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Recalculating.
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So next time you fail, don't quit.
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Just adjust.
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That's what pushing yourself really means.
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Not doing everything right, but not giving up when it goes wrong.
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Mmm, yes.
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Every failure carries a lesson,
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if you're brave enough to listen.
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And that connects perfectly to the next one.
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Because when we fail, we often start looking around and thinking,
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they're doing better than me.
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Let's talk about that.
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Oh, this one hits hard.
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I still do it sometimes.
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I scroll through social media and see people doing amazing things,
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and suddenly, I feel small.
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Me too.
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You see someone fluent in three languages,
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someone with a perfect body,
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someone always traveling, and you think, ugh, I'm so behind.
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Yeah, but what we forget is,
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people only show their best moments.
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They don't post the days they felt tired or scared or lost.
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Exactly.
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We see the highlight reel, not the full movie.
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And when you compare your behind-the-scenes to someone else's highlight,
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you'll always feel like you're losing.
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That's such a good way to say it.
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Because success is personal.
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You can't copy someone's path.
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Your road might be longer, slower, or completely different.
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And that's okay.
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Right.
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It's like running in your own lane.
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If you keep looking at the person next to you,
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you'll trip on your own path.
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Mm, so true.
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Keep your eyes on your journey.
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Even if you move slowly, you're still moving.
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And who knows, maybe someone else is looking at you and feeling inspired.
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Yeah, so if you're listening right now and thinking,
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everyone's ahead of me, remember, you're not behind.
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You're just on your timeline.
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Once you stop comparing, everything feels lighter.
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Your journey gets quieter, more peaceful, more you.
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Because pushing yourself isn't about going faster.
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It's about moving right for you.
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And part of that is knowing when to rest, not quit.
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You know, Kate, people forget that rest is not the opposite of hard work.
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It's part of it.
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Totally.
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I used to feel guilty every time I took a break.
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Like, if I wasn't busy, I wasn't serious.
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But I learned something.
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Burnout doesn't mean you're strong.
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It means you ignored your limits.
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Yes.
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Even athletes rest.
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Even the sun sets.
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Rest doesn't mean you stopped shining.
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It means you're recharging to shine again.
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That's beautiful.
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And the same goes for small wins.
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We're so focused on the big goals that we forget the little victories.
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Finishing a lesson, improving pronunciation,
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or even showing up to listen to this podcast today.
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Exactly.
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Every little win deserves a moment of pride,
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because those small victories keep your motivation alive.
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It's like climbing a mountain.
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If you never stop to rest or look at how far you've come,
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you'll lose the joy of the climb. So true.
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Pushing yourself isn't only about moving forward.
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It's about pausing, smiling, and saying, I'm doing it. Because you are.
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If you're still trying, you're already succeeding.
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And that's what this whole episode is really about.
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Not being perfect, but being persistent.
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Um, yeah.
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Take a deep breath.
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You've come far.
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And the best part?
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You're still climbing.
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You know, Kate, I think that's the real meaning of success.
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It's not one big win.
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It's all the small moments you say, I'll try again.
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Yeah, those quiet moments when no one's watching.
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But you still decide to keep going.
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That's where real growth happens.
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Right.
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And if you think about everything today, it all connects.
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You step out of your comfort zone.
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You take action even when you're not ready.
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You push a little every day.
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You learn from failure, you stop comparing,
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and you rest when you need to.
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That's such a beautiful cycle.
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A real, human one.
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Because success isn't just about reaching the top,
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it's about who you become on the way there.
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And remember, pushing yourself doesn't mean being hard on yourself.
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It means believing you can grow, even when it's hard.
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You're stronger than you think.
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So keep climbing.
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Keep learning.
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pushing yourself to success.
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This is Ben and I'm Kate.
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See you next time on the English Leap Podcast.
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Your progress doesn't end here.
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To continue advancing your English skills,
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click on the next video or explore the additional videos we've thoughtfully selected for you.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will focus on enhancing your English speaking skills through the practice of "shadowspeaking." This technique involves listening to authentic conversations, such as those found in our English podcast, and then mimicking the speech patterns, intonation, and pronunciation of the speakers. By doing so, you will not only improve your English pronunciation but also gain confidence in your conversational abilities. Today's episode centers around the theme of self-discipline and pushing yourself toward success, which provides an excellent context for expanding your vocabulary and speaking fluency.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Success: The accomplishment of an aim or purpose.
- Push yourself: To make a strong effort to achieve something.
- Motivation: The process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors.
- Mindset: The established set of attitudes held by someone.
- Small steps: Taking gradual actions toward achieving a larger goal.
- Reflection: Serious thought or consideration.
- Climb: The act of moving upward, often implying effort or struggle.
Practice Tips
To make the most of your shadowspeaking practice, follow these tips:
- Start Slowly: Begin by watching or listening to the podcast episode at a slower speed. This will help you catch every word and phrase accurately.
- Chunking: Break down sentences into smaller parts. Listen to a phrase, pause, and then repeat it aloud. This approach makes it easier to focus on pronunciation and rhythm.
- Emotional Expression: Pay attention to the speakers’ tone and emotions. Mimic not just the words but also the feelings behind them to add depth to your shadowspeak practice.
- Record Yourself: After practicing, record your voice and play it back. Compare it with the original audio to identify areas for improvement.
- Daily Practice: Incorporate short sessions of shadowspeaking into your daily routine. Regular exposure to native speakers will significantly enhance your English skills, especially for IELTS speaking practice.
By consistently applying these techniques, you will notice substantial improvements in your English speaking abilities, making conversations more natural and fluid. So grab your headphones, listen closely, and start your journey toward mastering English through shadowspeaks!
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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