Shadowing Practice: KILL YOUR EXCUSES - Motivational Speech - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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What gets you out of bed? What gets you off the couch?
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What gets you in the gym? It's not your alarm.
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It's not your parents. It's not your friends.
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It's you. The only one that can make it happen for you is you. It's really hard to be lead by your but. But I'm not qualified.
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But I'm not good enough. But I'm not smart enough.
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But I didn't go to the right school. But I don't have enough money.
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But, but, but, but, but. If you're ever going to step into your future, if you're ever going to step into your destiny, you're going to have to get over your but.
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And that's what a pity party is, when you have an undisciplined mind and you mediate on the wrong thing over and over and over again.
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If you're gonna throw a pity party, I give you 3 days and that's it.
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And after 3 days, you cut off your record player, your iPod, your MP3, and you come up with a plan.
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Do I just sit there and settle? No, I don't.
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I say enough is enough, man, and I'm gonna make a change, and I'm gonna keep going until I get it. You chase something that you believe you deserve until you get it. And it doesn't matter what happens to you, doesn't matter how many times you've been fired, doesn't matter how many people don't believe in you, you just go until you get it.
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That's the point. Are you tired yet?
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Some of you need to get tired. You need to be tired of what's going on in your life. Get tired of your habits, get tired of the actions that  you're putting in every day.
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You gotta change, man, or nothing changes.
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I woke up one day and stopped making excuses.
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I woke up one day and stopped  playing the blame game.
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I woke up one day and looked at the  man in the mirror and was like, yo bruh, what are you doing? Wake up, it's showtime.
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Let's go. Get up.
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Go to class, get up. Do your homework.
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You wake up earlier than people, you stay later than people, you stay humble, you work harder than anyone when no one's there.
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I guarantee, someone that feels  bad about themselves soon will label you as "He's built different." "He's built different" should be your label because people feel bad about themselves. Your life is exactly what you wanted.
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Because every day you've had choices to make.
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You're responsible and credible  for every single choice.
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You've made the choices. And what I need you to do for me is, why are you here? And then take ownership of why you're here.
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So you control you. This world ain't gonna give you what you deserve.
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This world gonna give you what you work for. I put that work in every single day.
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And when you wake up every single  day, and you put that work in, and yes, for some of us, it  might be harder than others, man, whatever, we do whatever it is we gotta do.
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Especially when we're desperate. Winning's not loyal to you, it doesn't care about you. Winning doesn't care how sore you are.
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Winning doesn't care how much sleep you get. Winning doesn't care how hard you work at times.
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Winning requires all of you and then more, and it promises you nothing.
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It's a mastermind of creating  fear and doubt in your mind.
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It causes setback after setback. So the question isn't about winning, are you willing to sprint  when the distance is unknown?
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And why chase this thing called winning? Because the only thing that's guaranteed in life if you don't chase it, is losing.
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Now is the time to grind. Now is the time to show the world that I was placed here for a purpose. Work for it.
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Fight for it. It begins today, it continues tomorrow, and it never f*cking dies.

Motivational Speeches: A Dynamic Tool for English Learning

Speeches like the one in this video are goldmines for improving English fluency. They blend powerful vocabulary, conversational rhythm, and emotional tone—perfect for practicing pronunciation, intonation, and confidence. Whether you’re prepping for IELTS speaking practice or just want to sound more natural, dissecting such content helps you master real-world communication.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "Get over your but": A catchy way to say "stop making excuses." Use it to encourage action: "You need to get over your but and apply for that job."
  • "Throw a pity party": To wallow in self-pity. Example: "I threw a pity party after failing, but then I made a plan."
  • "Built different": Describes someone exceptional. "She works 16 hours a day—she’s built different."
  • "Grind": To work hard consistently. "I’m grinding to finish my degree by next year."
  • "Take ownership": To accept responsibility. "It’s time to take ownership of your mistakes."

Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video

Shadowing—repeating speech in real time—is key to mastering rhythm. Here’s how to use this video with a shadowing app like shadowspeaks:

  1. Listen first: Watch the video twice to grasp the message. Note pauses and emphasis (e.g., "It’s YOU" is stressed).
  2. Break it down: Use the app to split the audio into 5-10 second clips. Focus on phrases with strong emotion, like "Winning requires all of you."
  3. Repeat immediately: Hit play, then pause, and repeat. Match the speaker’s tone—raise your voice for "Wake up!" and slow down for "It never f*cking dies."
  4. Record yourself: Compare your recording to the original. Check if you’re using the same intonation for questions like "Are you tired yet?"
  5. Practice daily: Spend 10 minutes a day on 3-5 clips. Over time, you’ll notice smoother speech and better confidence—critical for IELTS speaking practice.

Learning English with YouTube doesn’t have to be boring. Use motivational speeches to fuel your progress—you’ll improve your skills and your mindset at the same time. Start shadowing today, and remember: "It begins today, and it never f*cking dies."

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowyou've been fired · You've made
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does ityou've been fired · was placed

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →