Shadowing Practice: How to Get Unstuck | MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH - Learn English Speaking with Video
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I will never, ever, ever forget the time somebody actually said to me, Amy, you are not stuck.
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You are never stuck.
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Because I looked at him and I was like, you wrong, I'm feeling real stuck.
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So I'm not gonna pretend like I am unfamiliar with the fact that when you are in that position,
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it really truly does feel like there are no other alternatives and that you are a victim of your circumstance.
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It can be difficult to change that.
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I am no stranger to that feeling.
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But if I have to think back on that moment
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and how crazy I thought that person was for telling me
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that I wasn't stuck when I was the only one in that situation, I look back on that and I know for sure that they were right.
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I completely understand if you feel like there's something happening right now that you hate, that you want out of, that you need to progress from,
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but you feel like you are not actually being given the choice to do so because of other things going on.
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So maybe it's that you have a job and you hate that job, but you have to pay rent, right?
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You may feel like you're stuck.
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There's no guarantee that if you leave and found something else
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that you would be able to pay bills as efficiently as you do right now.
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But when we say those words out loud, does it sound a little silly?
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Sometimes it really pays to actually say these things out loud
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so that we can actually hear in real words and breath and voice the crazy things that we are limiting of ourselves.
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And still, you may say, it's not crazy, Amy.
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It is my reality.
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I don't make enough money.
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I hate my job.
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I have these things going on.
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I am stuck.
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I'd like for you to potentially reframe this.
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Just because you decided to watch this video, I want you to at least be willing to say, what if I wasn't?
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What if I wasn't stuck?
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What if I'm thinking about this the wrong way?
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Your back probably feels like it's against a wall.
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It may only feel like you're suffocating because your back's against the wall
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and you have already architecturally designed with your brain three other walls, putting you in a box.
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I'm in a box, Amy, I'm stuck.
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I am absolutely stuck, I am in this box.
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I know something better exists, but I don't see my way out of it.
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In the meantime, you are not looking at every other one of those walls to see
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if they are real because in fact, you have created them.
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In that situation where someone said to me, you are not stuck, you are never stuck, my back was against the wall, but I mistook it for a box.
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There is no box.
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Those three walls are only made up of your own excuses.
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Sorry to break it to you, probably hard to hear.
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My excuses at the time, I can't change my life because my finances would be unknown.
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I can't change my life because I don't know if anyone would want me.
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I can't change my life
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because this is a sure thing I can wake up to tomorrow
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and my enemy that I know is better than the one that I don't.
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So we really use plaster on those fake walls when the only one that actually exists is the one behind us.
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So how is it that we're able to progress with such a mindset issue?
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Since you're willing to reframe the stuckness that is your life right now,
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I'm gonna tell you exactly how to get out of it And that is with the power of will, not willpower.
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You know how everybody says, oh, it's just a little bit of willpower or that person just has a lot of willpower and I don't.
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That is the easiest excuse in the world.
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Therefore the word willpower really annoys the crap out of me
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because it does not actually explain what is going on if something progresses or if someone says they cannot progress.
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I'm not talking about willpower.
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I'm talking about the power of will.
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And I'm gonna break it down for you.
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W, what is your why?
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We talk about this a lot here because it's really, really, really, really, really hard to go after the life you want
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if you don't know why you give a crap about it.
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That's it, like, that's the story.
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And it's also important because we mistake our why for something that is just beautiful and lovely,
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could be turned into a song, certainly looks good in an Instagram bio.
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Your why is not dependent on what the world thinks of it.
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Your why is yours and yours alone.
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Your why may sound a little selfish.
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Your why may not be aesthetically pleasing.
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Your why is for you so that when you open your eyes and you see the ceiling every morning,
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which in our little box situation is a clear blue sky of opportunity.
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We want to see it as that and we wanna have a good reason to know that when we get up, we are not going to be surrounded by four walls.
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We are going to be able to move forward.
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And so we have to see why that sounds so appealing.
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If we don't know why we wanna go after the life we want, We don't do it.
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And then we are a victim of circumstance, all to our own fault.
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You need to know why you want a better position in your career.
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You need to know why you wanna start a business.
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You need to know why you wanna have kids.
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You need to know why you wanna get married.
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You need to know why you're going to change anything going on in your life.
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And you need to be really honest with yourself about it.
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Most people are not.
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Most people will choose a why when they're scrolling Instagram.
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Oh, well I'd really like to visit Bali someday.
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That's a good why.
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Okay, good for you.
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Is it like baked into your soul that your life will not be complete until you go there?
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Sick.
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That's it.
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Then that's it.
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But if it's just so that you can add it to the list of things
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that everybody seems to be able to do on their highlight reel and you haven't done yet, that's not enough.
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Why you do what you do needs to be all yours.
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There was a time where my why was just so that I could
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work from home and snuggle with my dog all day.
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That's it.
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I just didn't wanna leave because I liked hanging out with her.
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If that's good enough for me and that got me to leave my job
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and work for myself and I haven't turned back in a decade, that worked.
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Why do you want this?
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And if you struggle with your why, it's because you will not even allow yourself to make a decision as simple as why you want something.
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You continue to look out at what everybody's telling you to do
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and you're hoping somebody will tell you what that why should be.
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I can't tell you what your why should be.
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That's yours and yours alone.
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I stands for initiative.
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You can't just wish for a why and then wish for the results to come.
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You need to know you have to do something in order for that to happen.
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An initiative is what you need to get there.
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When you take action, even something so small as waking up 15 minutes earlier, or starting the first sentence of that book you wanna write,
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you are taking initiative.
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You are saying, I am willing to accept all the responsibility of the result of this situation.
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Even if a million other things have to happen in order for it to be a success, and I do need other people to support me on the way there,
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I will do whatever I can on my own, or connect myself to the people who can help me move the needle.
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I will take initiative.
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This is a major, major missing component for most people.
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Even if they are lucky enough to know exactly what their why is, even if they're lucky enough to have a clear vision,
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if they never take initiative, it cannot happen.
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It doesn't matter what family you're born into or how lovely your silver platters have been.
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If you don't take initiative, even the greatest things that are gifted to us aren't worth anything.
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You have to take action.
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If you cannot start, it's because you continue to wait for someone to tell you what to do and hold your hand.
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Do you wanna live a life on your own terms?
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It involves a lot of walking with no hand holding.
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Do not wait for someone to grab on and take you.
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You've got to go first.
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Initiative, that step, that plan, writing down your ideas, starting something.
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That's the initiative.
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When you do that, everyone's wondering where they get the momentum.
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Where do I get the momentum to do the rest?
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Amy, I gotta finish.
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I gotta be a finisher if I wanna think.
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Yes, you do.
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If you start, you will feel the effects of that momentum.
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You will feel the effects of taking initiative.
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It will take you further.
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You do have to keep going.
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It never gets easier.
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So if you can't come to terms with that from the jump, then you can keep staring up at that blue sky.
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Cause that's it.
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Once you have your why and you have your initiative, you need your two L's, your low and your loo.
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We're already super familiar with your low.
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That's the life that's over with.
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That's the back against the wall.
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What has your back against the wall?
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Or when do you remember a time when your back was against the wall?
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Did your credit card get declined when you were trying to check out with groceries?
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Were you in an abusive relationship verbally, physically, doesn't matter?
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Are you in a dead end job where your boss treats you like garbage?
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When your back is against the wall, you know it, but be self-aware enough to say, this is the situation right now.
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It does not define me.
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And it is a place I never want to return.
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That is hopefully not your starting point, but a previous point in your journey.
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A previous point in your journey where we are going to ride this vehicle away from as much as possible.
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The why is our vehicle, the initiative is our gas.
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We are pedal to the metal away from the low because we're on our way to the loo.
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Not that loo, friends in the UK.
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I just put that together.
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We're not going there.
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Those are pit stops, okay?
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The loo, you're probably very familiar with around here is the life you want.
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Your why and your loo may feel very, very similar to you, but I want you to think of your Lou as your legacy.
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When you think about the life you want, what has happened during your time?
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If you've done all your things and you've lived all those missions
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and you've delivered and you've gotten away from the low and you took your initiative to the next level, how has that benefited the life of yourself,
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the life of others, the life that you leave behind?
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You can even break it down as simply as, what does a great day look like for you?
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Just that short-term vision can help us get to the long-term.
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That's often what I like to think of even with my why, is I just wanna wake up and do this every day.
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And if I did that, it would be amazing.
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And I could get through all of the challenging times.
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I could get through all of the moments where I can't get my ideas out
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or I can't come up with something new to create.
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I can push through all of that.
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I can push through making more money and making sure my team gets paid.
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And I can push through all that if I can just have my dream scenario.
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You can't keep looking outward for these answers that are inside of you.
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You have to quiet all of the voices, put the phone away, turn off the negativity around you.
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Yes, they're probably human with heartbeats, okay?
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We don't have to tell them that they're the negativity, but we can walk away and have a conversation with ourselves
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and be honest and be able to say that my why may not be nice to anyone else, but it is the reason that I will keep going.
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I promise you that if you feel stuck right now, if you keep going, if you notice
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that the other three walls are a fabrication of a really messed up mind
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that likes to penalize you as much as possible, more than anyone else on earth,
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and you go past where those theoretical walls are to get away from the one
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that is actually making you feel this way, You will get through it, period.
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You will have a moment where me telling you right now that you are not stuck is like, oh yeah, she was right, I wasn't stuck.
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Believe me, I didn't think that day was going to come for me either. Be patient.
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Things are not easy for a reason.
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If they were easy, everyone would do it.
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You are going to do it because you believe
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that you can earn it and you will earn it with the power of will.
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That's all for today, thank you so much for tuning in.
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I appreciate it as always.
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Remember, subscribe for good vibes, kiss the ones you love, and go after the life you want.
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Cheers.
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In case you need a little bit more motivation, I made some more videos for you to check out.
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Click here, or click here.
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There's probably other things to click on too.
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I just like waving my hands around like I know exactly what's going on.
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I don't.
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Why This Video Is Perfect for Speaking Practice
This motivational clip is a goldmine for IELTS speaking practice and improving conversational fluency. Its natural, conversational tone—filled with pauses, emphasis, and relatable anecdotes—mimics real-life dialogue, making it ideal for mastering how native speakers express emotion and logic. The speaker’s use of contractions (“you’re,” “I’m”) and colloquial phrases (“you wrong,” “break it to you”) adds authenticity, helping learners sound less scripted. Plus, the thematic focus on overcoming challenges keeps practice engaging, ensuring you stay motivated while honing your skills.
Breaking Down Natural Speech Patterns
Let’s dissect a few lines to see why they sound so natural:
- “You wrong, I'm feeling real stuck.” This informal correction (“you wrong” instead of “you’re wrong”) and the adverb “real” (instead of “really”) reflect how people speak quickly in casual settings. It teaches learners to prioritize flow over strict grammar in conversational contexts.
- “Sorry to break it to you, probably hard to hear.” The phrase “break it to you” is a common idiom for delivering bad news, and the trailing “probably hard to hear” shows how speakers adjust their tone mid-sentence to soften a point—key for sounding empathetic.
- “My enemy that I know is better than the one that I don't.” This parallel structure (“the one that I know” vs. “the one that I don’t”) creates rhythm, making complex ideas easy to follow. It’s a great example of how repetition improves clarity in speech.
A Simple Shadowing Routine to Master the Dialogue
Use the shadowing technique (or “shadowspeak”) to internalize the speaker’s rhythm and intonation. Here’s a step-by-step plan:
- Listen and repeat: Play a 5-second clip, pause, and repeat it aloud, mimicking the speaker’s pace, stress, and tone. Focus on matching their emphasis—for example, when they say “you are never stuck,” stress “never” to convey conviction.
- Record yourself: After practicing a clip, record your version. Compare it to the original to spot differences in pronunciation (e.g., the short “i” in “stuck”) or pauses. Apps like a shadowing app can help sync your recording with the video for easy comparison.
- Expand to longer segments: Once 5-second clips feel easy, try 10-15 seconds. Focus on maintaining natural flow, even if you stumble—native speakers pause and correct themselves too!
This routine builds muscle memory for natural speech, making it easier to replicate in real conversations—whether for IELTS speaking practice or daily interactions. Remember: the goal isn’t perfection, but to sound confident and connected, just like the speaker in the video.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | If you start, you will feel · if I did that, it would be · If they were easy, everyone would do |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are not stuck · are never stuck · wasn't stuck |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have created · haven't done · haven't turned |
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.