Shadowing Practice: I can’t help but want to be everything at once - Learn English Speaking with Video
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I can't help but want to be everything at once.
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I saw this video on Instagram and it said something along the lines of like, I hate that I'll never get to be everything.
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And that hit so hard because it's like...
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for some reason, I want to be so much.
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Not just overall in my lifetime, but right now.
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And it's almost like being young Like there's this thing about age wanting to be young and wanting to, you know, be this person that is capable.
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that is impressive, that is able to do a lot of things who You know, it's not that old.
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And all that is vanity.
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It is.
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I've realized that But I used to be so hung up on that.
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wanting, to be this very successful young person.
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And what is essential to that is the young part.
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It's so weird how How age can get in your head.
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of like this comparison like this person's young this person's old When really, It shouldn't be about age.
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And it should be about maturity.
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Wisdom.
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Growth.
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experience these things.
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And, you know, age doesn't automatically correlate to these things.
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And, you know, in many cases it does.
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But not always.
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and There's so many things that I'm interested in.
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You know, I want to get good at piano.
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I want to read more books.
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I wanna Start getting good at guitar.
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I want to I don't know, I want to build a business.
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I want to build up this channel.
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I want to do calisthenics.
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I want to learn all the languages.
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I want to travel the entire world.
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And it's like, Feeling this, It's...
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It's coming from the sense of like...
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Not having.
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and wanting to like continuously go for it and Also, the sense of comparison, especially with social media,
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like you see people online who are your age or younger than you or slightly older than you or whatever, And they're living these insane lives.
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And obviously, social media isn't an accurate representation.
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or at least not an accurate representation of what everyone's life is like.
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But still, like there's this sense of either like FOMO or desire.
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to experience those things. And...
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Ultimately for me, I don't feel this as much anymore.
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But seeing that that post on Instagram it reminded me of how how I used to feel so often Like...
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I wasn't doing enough.
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And I had to become everything at once I had to Do all this stuff just so I could feel fulfilled.
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or feel worth something. And honestly...
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That's - it's not a good - it's not a good - I don't know.
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Way to think.
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And even now, I still want to be ambitious.
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I still want to do all these things.
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I haven't lost that interest or desire.
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But it's become less about First of all, it's become less about having to do it all now.
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and also has become Less about.. proving something.
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trying to prove something to someone else, or trying to have this certain title.
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or trying to be seen as someone who is young and successful or something like that. And...
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That's great.
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Sounds fun.
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Sounds awesome.
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but also It's not...
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Thank you.
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It's not the thing to chase.
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You don't chase the title.
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or the ideal or that thought of being that thing But it's something that like...
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If you happen to become that, It wasn't from...
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Wanting that identity, but it's from the genuine desire to become something or to learn or that curiosity You know? And...
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What's weird is...
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Even though I'm young It feels like you're running out of time. And that sounds dumb.
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It sounds silly.
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Like, okay, Like from someone's perspective, who's older and who has more life experience, they look at you and think,
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"Okay, you're silly." Like, how could you be worried about running out of time?
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You're so young.
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And I've talked about this before, but still, you feel like this sense...
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of scarcity in your life.
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Like...
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You've been waiting.
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Maybe it's because you're so young.
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that like when you're a kid you're growing up but then once you get to this age
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where you have a shot at doing something interesting or different
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but you haven't done it yet or you're waiting or you're not sure what to do You feel this sense of worry.
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or like you need to rush into something so you can feel like you're fulfilling your life, or you're doing something worthwhile.
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Thank you.
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Maybe that's why maybe that's like the pinpoint feeling because you're at this point where
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where you feel like you should be doing something because you're young but you're not.
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So you feel like You need to...
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Do everything or you feel like you need to like overcompensate
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for past years or past things that you haven't done or that you just want to do.
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and you know, thinking from his perspective of scarcity is not good, you know?
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You want to be...
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Content with what you have and where you are.
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and not too much, not 100 % in the sense that you don't want better, But you can't.
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Get too caught up.
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in the in the idealization of some...
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perfect life.
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or some life that is full of excitement and new experience constantly.
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And really that life doesn't It doesn't really exist.
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At least Not.
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Not forever, you know?
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No life is like that all the time. But...
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It's just interesting.
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I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way.
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You know, like...
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Surely everyone has, at least young people, have this sense of of desire to, you know, Do something.
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You know, be ambitious.
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or try to accomplish something interesting. And there's this...
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Pressure that you feel Because you're young. Because like...
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It's that point where you feel like if you are successful when you're young, that is when it's the most impressive.
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But also, weirdly enough, there shouldn't be pressure.
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Because if you fail when you're young, then that's like...
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literally the best time to fail because you have so much time ahead of you or at least supposedly.
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Of course, we don't really know, how much time we have, but that's also another factor to consider.
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But Wanting to do everything at once, wanting to become everything at once, wanting to, you know, be of skill.
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And You know, having all these desires but not acting on it. is the worst thing.
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And that is what kind of...
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brings upon the negative feeling. Because...
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You want so much.
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out of yourself or out of your life but you don't see it, or you're not trying to get it.
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And It kind of.. creates this cycle of despair.
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where you see what you want But.
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You can't Get yourself.
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to try and get it.
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And because you want so much, you don't end up getting any of it because you spread yourself too thin.
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Or you think about all these things And you end up ultimately not making progress in any of those sections of
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the way I guess you desire your life to be.
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So And I guess what I've learned is more so...
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that first of all, There's time.
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There is time.
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And not everything should or has to be done at once.
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and the timing probably isn't right.
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You know?
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Like for me, I've realized that more and more among God's timing.
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I'm trying to trust in that and see See what that is and tune into that.
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And realizing that certain things will work out better If you don't start now,
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and if you start later.
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And you can't time that But it's just this idea of...
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knowing that certain things that I wanted After time passed, I realized I didn't want it where I realized that starting at that time was probably the better decision.
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or the better outcome.
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And you can't know for sure.
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but it's sort of just this feeling. of...
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of kind of.. comfort in knowing that.
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And that doesn't mean you shouldn't start.
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That doesn't mean you should just continue to wait.
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because you don't know when the perfect time is.
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Right? But...
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It's also like you shouldn't worry.
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so much about the fact that you haven't started So, It's kind of like...
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This weird loop that you have to get yourself out of where You know, you haven't quite started. But...
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The time, there is going to be a time.
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You don't want to wait for that time.
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You don't want to try to predict that time. But you kind of...
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Can't be Trying to force it or wait for it.
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It's weird.
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It's hard to describe.
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But for me, I think I'm in this sort of golden stage of my life. where things...
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They're coming together.
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And It's slow and it's fast.
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And it's everything in between.
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And I just have to really genuinely take it one day at a time.
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because So many things switch just in one day.
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And I don't even remember yesterday.
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What happened yesterday?
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I don't know.
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So much stuff happened today.
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So much stuff happened yesterday.
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I can't recall it.
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And all of it was important, all of it was necessary.
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But Because it was so much, I just have to go right to the next day.
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And there's a lot of things like I didn't do today.
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Like I wanted to read today, but I didn't.
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I probably should have practiced piano more.
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probably should have, you know, done more exercise or something like that, But...
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It's this idea of like, okay, You can organize your time.
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There is enough time. But.
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It's not worth...
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always Thinking, thinking about doing it.
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You know, not worth trying to plan to do it.
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It's like, There's this...
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This is sort of weird.
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kind of kind of block...
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Or you have to...
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You have to find this sort of...
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I don't know if I would call it a balance.
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But you have to find this clarity.
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or this trust There's things that you're doing right now and there's things that you want to do.
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And you can't Try and force everything.
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But you have to.. in some way let it flow.
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and You don't want to forget about it either, because then you'll regret it. But...
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I guess that's where I'm at trying to figure that part out.
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You know?
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juggling, wanting to be everything, Versus realizing I don't have to be.
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And there's enough time to be everything that I want.
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And also, there's enough time to realize that maybe the things that I want to be now
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isn't what I want for the future.
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Of course, I can't predict that.
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But I've realized that That's what happens. So...
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It's more about Like.. you can Be everything you want.
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Really, you can. But...
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It doesn't have to happen all at once.
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And also, You don't...
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It's less about thinking about it.
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It's more just about...
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Seeing what comes to you and flowing with that
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and sometimes it's also like waste the wasted time and all that wasted time is also Kind of...
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makes you...
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there's like this threshold where you can only waste so much time before you just kind of like You know, you slap yourself in the face and you're just like,
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"Okay, I gotta do something." And I think I've passed that point.
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And it's just like building up this...
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this sort of progress of like Continuously starting to work harder and harder and doing more and more.
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and making more and more progress.
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And really, it's an exponential curve.
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you know, At the start, it looks like nothing's happening.
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And towards the end everything increases.
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And That's not always the case, but...
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think for me That's certainly What's happened?
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in many different areas and I don't know what the future holds. But...
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What I can say is...
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I do believe that I can become everything that I want to become. And...
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I don't have to do it all now. But...
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so long as it is in God's will.
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then It will happen.
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Thank you.
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Context & Background
The video titled "I can’t help but want to be everything at once" explores the speaker's thoughts on ambition, age, and self-fulfillment. The speaker expresses a deep desire to excel in multiple areas of life, which is a common sentiment among young adults today. Influenced by social media and societal expectations, this longing often leads to feelings of inadequacy and comparison. The speaker highlights the importance of maturity and personal growth over age and encourages a more balanced approach to ambition and self-worth. This video resonates with many English learners who may feel similarly pressured to achieve various goals, making it an excellent resource for practice.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- I can’t help but want to be everything at once. - A phrase that expresses a desire to achieve many things in life.
- It’s almost like being young… - Reflects the feelings and challenges faced during youth.
- Age doesn’t automatically correlate to maturity. - A reminder that experience and growth matter more than just years lived.
- I want to build a business. - A common aspiration that demonstrates ambition.
- It shouldn’t be about age. - A crucial understanding that emphasizes the value of personal development over societal norms.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively practice English speaking skills using this video, follow the shadowing method, a powerful technique to enhance language proficiency. Here's how you can use this video for your English speaking practice:
- Watch the video once. Familiarize yourself with the content and the speaker's tone. Pay attention to their enthusiasm and emotions.
- Listen closely. As you watch, listen to the pronunciation and rhythm of the sentences. This is important before you start shadowspeaking.
- Repeat phrases aloud. After hearing a phrase, pause and mimic the speaker. This form of shadow speech helps with intonation and natural speech flow.
- Use a shadowing app if available. Many apps designed for language learners can help track your progress and give you immediate feedback on your pronunciation.
- Create variations. Change the sentences to reflect your own thoughts and ambitions. For example, instead of saying, "I want to learn guitar," try "I want to master photography." This personal connection will help reinforce memory and engagement.
By consistently using this approach, you’ll not only improve your English speaking practice but also gain confidence in expressing complex ideas and emotions.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to be · used to feel |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've realized · haven't lost · has become |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be seen · be done |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who is · one who feels |
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.