Shadowing Practice: The Mindset That Will Change Your Life | Cristiano Ronaldo - Learn English Speaking with Video
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180 sentences
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The only reason I became Ronaldo is because I changed one thing, my mind.
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Most people think success starts with talent, with luck, with opportunity.
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No, it starts in your head.
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If your mind weak, your life weak.
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If your mind strong, you can survive anything.
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Do you ever wake up and you're saying, I don't want to do it today?
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I fight against my mind.
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Yes, sometimes it's happened.
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We are all human beings.
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We are not happy every day.
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We are, you know, not in a good mood every day every day it's normal
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it's part of it's part of us you like to go
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to the gym every day of course no it's not true nobody likes to go to the gym every day
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but you have to do it because your mental strength is coming from
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that from that moments that in a hard moments you know you should do it
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and I do it because after
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that maybe in the beginning you feel hard to start
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but after when you finish the gym or cold lunch or
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or even the training you will feel better now you've had time to reflect
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when you was in there in that tournament and you were crying was
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that like that you got some people saying oh why is he crying eyes his ego
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when you have passion for what you're doing you cannot be worried about about how you're feeling.
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When I cry, it's not because I cry, because I felt that if I don't score that penalty and if Portugal will be eliminated,
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the world will collapse on me.
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Not because of that, Rio, no. It's people that don't know, they don't know me.
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People who come to the stadium, your kids, your mom, your girlfriend, everyone, I felt sad because of that.
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You think I'm real thinking, I missed the penalty, but Portugal is going to fall down on me, they're going to say that we failed because Cristiano missed it.
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But I didn't even think about that, I swear to God.
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I failed because I make pressure to myself, you know me.
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Since we're 11 years old, I always make pressure to me.
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Cristiano, you are the best player in the world.
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In my mind, I'm always thinking in that way.
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And I put a lot of pressure to myself.
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You have good sides when things go good, okay?
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But when the things go wrong, you feel that too because you make too much pressure to me.
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I make pressure to me.
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But I love that.
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I know to deal with that.
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But when I miss the penalty, I feel bad with myself, the fans, the family.
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Not because of other stuff that people say that I...
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It's not that to criticize that, appreciate what you really have, you know.
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We know as the press how it works.
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If you speak good, don't fail.
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You have to speak bad.
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It's normal.
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If you speak about Cristiano, you're coming in the first page.
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It's normal because I'm the most follow guy in the world.
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Most people say, why they follow?
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Because they, in some way, they like me.
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You understand?
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I think.
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And they criticize all is going to exist and it's part of the business.
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For me, this is not a problem.
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How much pressure did you feel being the first real big star to come around and say, and then say to everybody, come on, follow me.
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When I moved with 11, 12 years old there was really, really hard for me without my family,
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my mom, my daddy, my brothers and sisters.
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Imagine your kid with 11 years old to go to London to other country.
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It's difficult, but my mom and my dad always support me to say, listen, Cristiano, if you want to follow your dream, it will be hard for us, it will be hard for you,
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But we don't, we give you opportunity.
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And I left and it was tough.
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And I'm blessed and I'm happy.
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Because to pass in that moment with that difficult situation, now I'm capable to, you know,
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another chapter of my life to deal with all pressures that we still have.
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Because pain, you're going to have all the time uncertainty and constant war, constant war, constant war.
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It doesn't matter what's happening.
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It's going to happen in your life.
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You have to continue.
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This is the way I see the life.
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If you lost in the game, you have to show during this period that you are pissed.
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It's part of.
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But next day, I'm very capable and I learned that, listen, Cristiano, let's go.
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Life continues.
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Passes pasts.
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It's never come again.
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The present, it's the best gift that we have in our life.
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The present.
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Because you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow.
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You don't know.
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I don't know, he don't know, so live the present.
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In some games and some moments you're getting a little bit more upset.
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But that's it.
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Listen, third day, go back to the gym, work, because you have more to show.
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As I said, life continues.
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You cannot live it in the past.
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I'm really good on that, you understand?
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Me, I train my mind like I train my legs every day.
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When I was young I see players better than me quit, not because they're bad, but because their minds give up before their body.
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What for you in your life was a wake-up call where you said, you know, I have this opportunity to be great?
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The moment it's difficult to tell you.
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But I think the wake-up call is important, but it's not the key.
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I think you have to take care a little bit of your body, but without obsession.
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If you start today, you're going to have benefits in the future.
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It doesn't matter the time.
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What is important is what you want to achieve.
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Yeah.
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What you want.
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You want to live a good life?
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Yes.
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I like to drink.
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I like to eat a burger.
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Okay.
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You're gonna pay the bill in the future.
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I think the most important is to find the balance.
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Sometimes I'm gonna eat a burger or chips It doesn't matter.
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It's important too, for your mind too.
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Sometimes I sleep at 2 o'clock in the morning
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because last night I was in UFC here in Saudi and the main event is 2 o'clock.
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Yes, it's quality of life too.
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But the most important thing is the consistency.
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If you have consistency, you're going to be good in the future
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or you're going to be better than the other ones in the future.
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The most important thing is to have a routine, consistency.
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It's not obsession.
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Good.
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Don't be like Cristiano.
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Because Cristiano is crazy.
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Okay.
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But 20%, 25% is so much.
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It's not a big deal in my opinion.
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It's quality of life for your body, for your mental strength.
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And it's worth it.
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Consistency and the discipline is what takes someone who's high talent and makes them truly great.
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What do you think any sports?
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Yeah any job?
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I think it's part of the life it's Like that who told you the opposite?
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They are not part of this world in my opinion if you want to achieve successful
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It's the only way everything
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Everything not only sports any any job any guy is the same way
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the same if you are not consistent more than other ones
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if you don't do it at something more than other ones you're never gonna be number one like me
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so you're never gonna be you're never gonna be an eye level
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so many years can be one two years okay 20 years 13 years for is impossible forget it
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if someone tell you the opposite in my opinion they like and if someone is having trouble with
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consistency or discipline what do you think are techniques
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or what what kind of encouragement would you give them yesterday I see one thing
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that make me wake up call like sometimes we give
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so much energy for situations who don't go well in your life
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but you just stop when you have a problem healthy problem and
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And your priority is the cure to resolve the sickness that you problem.
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The other things are not important.
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And you make, we make everything in the same package to solve so many problems.
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What sometimes is this is not a problem.
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This is situations of the life, the daily things.
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And we focus so many things and we forgot to focus the main thing.
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And I give you the bad example is like, When you are sick, you only focus the cure of this problem.
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Focus on your priorities.
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You understand?
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Don't focus on so many things.
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And this is what I learned by the time.
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And I'm going well with my life.
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To be honest, I enjoy so much, so much more than before,
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that you start to see the life in a different way.
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You know, and people, they will find out better soon than late,
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you know, to try to make the life more interesting.
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You say to be like me, maybe in your opinion, or the opinion of the old people, even my friends say that I'm sick to live that life.
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For me is not a big deal.
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I do it in a comfortable way in an happy way for me Is it not sacrifice you say yeah?
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Sometimes you don't want to go to the gym of course.
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No Sometimes I don't go to do like that.
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I go because I have a compromise With myself, but I'm not go happy every day
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You think I'm wake up off the bed every day happy
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or with my wife or with my kids sometimes I'm not
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but it's part of the other side we are both the
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same we feel this every time The biggest enemy in your
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life is not people it's your own mind your mind lie to you every day
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It tell you stop it tell you rest it tell you not ready and most people listen
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That's why most people stay average when I feel tired my mind say enough
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But I don't listen because
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if I listen to my mind I lose mindset is simple you tell yourself I can even
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when everything say you can't you keep going when it's hard you stay calm when it pressure
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This is what make you different most people stop
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when they feel tired But your mind your mind has more power than you know
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when you control your thoughts you control your life I say
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all the time the game is not one on the pitch
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first It's one in your mind the night before you must
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see the ball before you score it You must believe in the dream before the world believe in you
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and listen to me the moment you change your mindset You change your future, stronger mind, stronger life.
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Because when your mind locked in, nothing can stop you.
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Stay till the end of your path.
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Your mind will take you places your talent never could.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 180 sentences and 1874 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:04. The speaker talks at a natural 169 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 91% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- consistency /kənˈsɪs.tən.si/ (noun) — Local coherence.
- penalty /ˈpɛn.əl.ti/ (noun) — A legal sentence.
- priority /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/ (noun) — An item's relative importance.
- cure /kjɔː/ (verb) — To restore to health.
- discipline /ˈdɪsəplɪn/ (noun) — A controlled behaviour; self-control.
- burger /ˈbɝ.ɡɚ/ (noun) — A hamburger.
- obsession /əbˈsɛʃən/ (noun) — The quality of being obsessed; an unshakeable feeling that one topic or activity must be pursued above other interests.
- mindset /ˈmaɪn(d)ˌsɛt/ (noun) — A way of thinking; an attitude or opinion, especially a habitual one.
- criticize /ˈkɹɪtɪsaɪz/ (verb) — To find fault (with something).
- consistent /kənˈsɪs.tənt/ (adjective) — Of a regularly occurring, dependable nature.
- technique /tɛkˈniːk/ (noun) — The practical aspects of a given art, occupation etc.; formal requirements.
- package /ˈpæk.ɪd͡ʒ/ (noun) — Something which is packed, a parcel, a box, an envelope.
- mood /muːd/ (noun) — A mental or emotional state, composure.
- passion /ˈpæʃən/ (noun) — A true desire sustained or prolonged.
- pitch /pɪt͡ʃ/ (noun) — A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- wake up /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ (verb) — To stop sleeping; to awake.
- deal with (verb) — To handle verbally or in some form of artistic expression; to address or discuss as a subject.
- come around /kʌ.məˈɹaʊnd/ (verb) — To change one's mind, especially to begin to agree or appreciate what one was reluctant to accept at first.
- come from (verb) — To have as one's origin, birthplace or nationality.
- come in /ˌkʌm ˈɪn/ (verb) — To enter.
- come on /ˌkʌm ˈɒn/ — Come along with me; join me in going.
- deal in (verb) — To deal cards to someone entering a game; to enter someone into a game by dealing cards to that person.
- fall down on (verb) — To fail at or leave incomplete.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 58 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: obsession /əbˈsɛʃən/, passion /ˈpæʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: consistency /kənˈsɪs.tən.si/, priority /pɹaɪˈɒɹɪti/, eliminate /ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/, uncertainty /ʌnˈsɜːtənti/, encouragement [ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt]
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like consistency, penalty, priority.
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.