Shadowing Practice: YOU VS YOU - Best Motivational Video - Learn English Speaking with Video
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48 sentences
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People have this reoccurring nightmare that there's some thing,
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some force that's got a hold of them and it's holding them down and they can't break free.
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No matter what they do, they can't break free from that force.
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Well, I'm here to tell you that that thing in your nightmare, that thing that's holding you back,
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that thing that's dragging you down, that thing is you.
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there are two fundamental attitudes toward life and its sorrows.
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Those with the first attitude blame the world.
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Those with the second ask what they could do differently.
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It's much easier and much more gratifying to your basis desires to blame someone else for your misery.
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You know what's so funny?
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We want people to make guarantees to us, but we're not willing to make guarantees to ourselves.
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That's the problem with some of you.
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You always want to blame other people.
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You owe you an explanation.
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You need to look at yourself in the mirror and say, why are you only giving 50 %?
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What's wrong with you?
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You need to put yourself on punishment.
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You need to tell you no more TV, no more snacks, no more desserts.
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No, we working out now.
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You need to tell you that you owe you something.
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Every day I demand more from myself than anybody else could humanly expect.
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I'm not competing with somebody else, I'm competing with what I'm capable of.
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My number one competition is me.
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It's always you versus you.
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You've got to be the one to get up every morning, be disciplined, put in the consistent daily hard work.
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Because that gains success.
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No coach, no trainer, no mentor, no boss can do it.
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You versus you.
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I value myself enough to give 120 % or don't do it.
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There is no excuse for not living up to the fullest potential.
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No excuse.
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You walk out of this room, you owe yourself.
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I didn't get here making excuses.
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What changed?
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I changed.
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And I stopped being a victim.
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I stopped saying I've got to wait for good things to happen to me.
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And I said I'm going to grind.
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I'm going to fight.
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I'm going to work.
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I'm going to press toward.
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I'm going to learn.
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I'm going to do everything in my power every single day
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To become a victor and not a victim.
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Why?
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Because I owe it to myself.
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Can't nobody stop me but me
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “YOU VS YOU - Best Motivational Video”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: owe, excuse, blame. This video has 48 sentences and 406 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:49. The speaker talks at a steady 144 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| guarantee noun | /ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/ | Anything that assures a certain outcome. |
| compete verb | /kəmˈpiːt/ | To be in battle or in a rivalry with another for the same thing, position, or reward; to contend. |
| versus | /ˈvɝsəs/ | Against; in opposition to. |
| nightmare noun | /ˈnaɪt.mɛɚ/ | A very unpleasant or frightening dream. |
| consistent adjective | /kənˈsɪs.tənt/ | Of a regularly occurring, dependable nature. |
| mirror noun | /ˈmiɹɚ/ | A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it. |
| explanation noun | /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/ | The act or process of explaining. |
| punishment noun | /ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/ | The act (action) or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction, typically by an authority or a person in authority (for example: a parent or… |
| fundamental adjective | /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/ | Related to a foundation, base, or basis; serving as a foundation. |
| drag verb | /dɹæɡ/ | To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty. |
| differently adverb | /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/ | In a different way. |
| discipline noun | /ˈdɪsəplɪn/ | A controlled behaviour; self-control. |
| victor noun | /ˈvɪk.tə(ɹ)/ | The winner in a fight or contest. |
| trainer noun | /ˈtɹeɪnɚ/ | A person who trains another; a coach. |
| grind verb | /ˈɡɹaɪnd/ | To reduce to smaller pieces by crushing with lateral motion. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. | |
| work out verb | /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/ | To calculate. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You know what's so funny?
- That's the problem with some of you.
- What's wrong with you?
- It's always you versus you.
- I didn't get here making excuses.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 18 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, can't, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/, punishment /ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/
- Long words — get the stress right: explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/, fundamental /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/, differently /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like guarantee, compete, versus.
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.