Shadowing Practice: That “What Am I Doing With My Life ” Feeling Explained - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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There are moments when you wake up,
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There are moments when you wake up,
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and the world is so quiet that you can hear your own heart beating.
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And in that silence, a profound sadness washes over you.
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Some call it the 3am curse.
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You wake up in the middle of the night,
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and suddenly, you're in the middle of an existential crisis.
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You start thinking about everything,
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your job, your future, if any of it actually matters.
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I grabbed a pen and started journaling,
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which led me to write this script.
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I wondered, what if there are others who feel this too?
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This isn't a night terror, it's something deeper.
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It's the moment you wake up and question the entire simulation.
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So what is this feeling?
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In psychology, this is a brush with existentialism.
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At its core, existentialism isn't about being depressed.
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It's the confrontation with four fundamental anxieties.
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Death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness.
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It's the realization that the universe doesn't come from a pre-written instruction manual.
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You are born.
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You are free to make choices.
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You are fundamentally alone in your consciousness.
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And one day, you'll die.
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And in between all that,
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you have to create your own meaning.
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It's terrifying.
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But it's also the foundation of modern psychology.
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Many therapies like logotherapy and existential therapy are built entirely around helping people navigate these very questions.
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We'll expand on that a bit later.
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This is a universal human experience.
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It's the moment you stop being a character in someone else's story and start asking who is writing your script.
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Think of Light Yagami from Death Note.
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Before he found the Death Note,
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he was a brilliant student who saw the world as rotten and meaningless.
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He was completely unplugged, yearning for a purpose, even a dark one.
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Or consider Mob from Mob Psycho 100.
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His entire character arc is about an existential struggle.
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He has immense psychic power but feels empty and wants to be normal.
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Because he believes his powers don't give him inherent worth,
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he's constantly searching for a meaning and identity beyond his abilities.
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That feeling of, is that all there is,
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is the first step on any existential journey.
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It's uncomfortable, but it's also a sign that you are waking up.
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I still remember the last time I had this feeling.
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It was late at night after reviewing and studying for my final exams.
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I was in my fourth year of my psychology major degree.
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I was so close.
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All I had left were a few electives and I would get my degree.
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And suddenly it dawned on me.
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What comes after this?
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What if I graduate?
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It's not when you're so far from the finish line that you panic,
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it's when you're so close that you start wondering what's next?
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What was this all about?
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In that quiet yet painful awakening moment,
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I realized that after this is just graduate school.
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Another three years, maybe four,
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and what of next after that?
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The future felt so uncertain.
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But what I had right then was a community on Tumblr.
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A group of people who were actually benefiting from the materials I was producing and sharing.
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It was a very gratifying feeling.
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One that was immediate and certain.
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So I thought, after these finals, I'm dropping out.
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After the exams, I said it to one of my professors.
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She was the greatest psychology professor I ever had.
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A special shout out to Dr. Asinand from UBC.
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Not only was she dedicated to her craftsmanship,
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her Rate My Professor reviews definitely stood up to her reputation
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and she further inspired me to take more courses that she taught.
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She made psychology so interesting and her lectures so engaging.
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You could feel the passion she consistently demonstrates,
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along with her thoughtful responses and emails to your curiosity.
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Of course, along the path,
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many reasons inspire us to pursue psychology,
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and that's a story for another time.
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But it makes me wonder,
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have you been inspired by someone to pursue psychology or whatever you're doing now?
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If so, give them a shout out in the comments.
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We'd love to read your stories and celebrate the people who have shaped our journeys.
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When I told my professor I would be dropping out, she was shocked.
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I was the top student in almost all her classes,
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but in that moment, I felt a sense of deep relief.
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Like it was finally over.
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A few days after, it felt surreal.
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I still remember laying in the tub thinking, this can't be real.
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And there I lay, for what was the longest hour of my life.
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And it's perhaps during these 3am hours,
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these glitches in the matrix,
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when you suddenly have those realizations that you don't need to do whatever you're doing anymore.
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It's okay to stop, to rest,
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to cease, and start anew.
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And though, during this moment,
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when you have people, your cheerleaders who supported you,
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you know that you'll be letting them down,
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and for me it was my parents.
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At the same time, somewhere deep in this profound moment of quietness,
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I knew that it was right for me.
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Everything just felt so quiet, so clear.
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Let's expand on those therapies we mentioned earlier.
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How do professionals help with this?
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Logotherapy, developed by Viktor Frankl,
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is literally therapy through meaning.
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Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, believed that the primary human drive is not pleasure,
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but the pursuit of what we find meaningful.
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A logotherapist would not give you answers.
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They'd help you find them.
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They ask questions like, if you knew where you were going to live forever,
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how would you live differently?
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Or, when do you feel most yourself?
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The goal is to help you discover your unique purpose.
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Existential therapy, on the other hand,
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is more about facing the givens of existence head-on.
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It helps you confront the ultimate concerns,
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death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness,
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not as a problem to be solved,
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but as realities to be accepted.
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It helps you take responsibility for your choices and live authentically,
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even in the face of life's inherent absurdity.
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Both of these therapies are built on the idea that the answer to your existential crisis isn't to escape the questions,
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but to live your way into the answers.
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And though I never want that feeling of what's next to be the case with Psych2Go,
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we have such an amazing community and team,
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and okay, tie, thank you,
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including the Amanda Silvera who is narrating this script.
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Part of me always wondered, what if we expanded?
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What if we opened wellness coffee shops or workshops around the world?
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What if we just stopped all this content stuff and expanded beyond.
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And that's what's been on my mind for so long.
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And though today's video is supposed to be on existentialism and these deeply gratifying moments,
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I wanted to share a bit of my story.
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And if you're one of the few who actually watched this far, thank you.
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You have unlocked the founder's backstory.
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Thank you for being here.
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So much more amazing content to come.
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Waking up at 3am and feeling lost is not a curse.
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It's an invitation.
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It's your soul asking you to live a more intentional life.
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It's the universe giving you a chance to choose your own path.
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It's scary.
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It's confusing, but it's also the greatest gift that you can receive.
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It's the moment you stop just existing and start truly living.
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If this video resonated, you might find our video on how to find your purpose in life really helpful.
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And for those 3am moments,
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try our guided meditation for calming an anxious mind.
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We are more than a mental health channel.
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We're here to provide a message when the timing is just right.
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If you have any comments or questions you would like us to address,
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please leave them down below.
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We're listening.
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You've got this.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice speaking English through the exploration of existential themes as discussed in the video titled "That 'What Am I Doing With My Life' Feeling Explained". This thought-provoking content delves into the feelings of existential crises and self-discovery. By focusing on these rich themes, learners will not only enhance their vocabulary but also improve their pronunciation and fluency. You will engage in shadowing exercises where you mimic the speaker’s tone and pacing, deepening your understanding of the emotional nuances behind the words. This practice is particularly effective for improving English pronunciation and conversational skills.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Existentialism - A philosophical concept addressing life's meaning.
  • Confrontation - The act of facing or challenging something, especially deeply held beliefs.
  • Meaninglessness - A state where one feels life lacks significance.
  • Journaling - The act of writing down thoughts and feelings to gain clarity.
  • Isolation - A feeling of being separate or alone in one's consciousness.
  • Fundamental anxieties - Core fears including death, freedom, and isolation.
  • Psychological journey - The exploration of one’s thoughts and emotions to understand oneself better.
  • Identity - The qualities, beliefs, and personality that make a person unique.

Practice Tips

When shadowing the video, pay close attention to the emotional tone of the speaker. The content is contemplative and slightly somber, so it’s important to match this tone in your practice. Here are some specific tips to optimize your experience:

  • Start Slow: Begin by playing the video at a lower speed to catch every word. This will help you understand the emotional weight behind the phrases.
  • Focus on Expression: Pay particular attention to how the speaker inflects their voice when discussing existential questions. Try to imitate their emotional delivery.
  • Repeat and Refresh: Pause after key phrases and practice speaking out loud. Repeat several times until you feel comfortable with pronunciation and tone.
  • Utilize Shadowspeak: Use the shadowspeak technique by echoing phrases right after you hear them. This synchrony improves fluency and helps you internalize the structures used.
  • Record Yourself: After shadowing, record yourself speaking the same lines. Playback will help you assess your pronunciation and emotional delivery.

This lesson is perfect for anyone looking to learn English with YouTube and improve their English pronunciation through genuine, relatable content. By engaging thoughtfully with the subject matter, you will not only enhance your language skills but also gain insights into these universal human experiences.

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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