Motivation and inspiration can strike in the most unlikely times, in the strangest of places.
Sometimes you’ll find yourself listening to TED talks and nothing connects, at other times you’ll hear someone on the bus say something that changes your entire trajectory.
The stories of other people, their hard-won lessons and defeats, allow us to reflect on our own experience and desires.
The commencement speech has been known to offer up gems of wisdom from people who’ve lead the pathways you wish to follow.
Whether you’re ready to change careers, learn a new skill or step up in your current role, we’re sharing some of the most powerful commencement speeches to give you a dose of inspiration.
Jim Carrey
Professional goofball, Jim Carrey, spoke at Maharishi University of Management in 2014 with some profound advice.
“Fear is going to be a player in your life, but you get to decide how much. You can spend your whole life imagining ghosts, worrying about your pathway to the future, but all there will ever be is what’s happening here, and the decisions we make in this moment, which are based in either love or fear…
My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that was possible for him, and so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant, and when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job and our family had to do whatever we could to survive.
I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”
What we can take away: Nothing is truly guaranteed in this world so you may as well go after the things you want.
Michelle Obama
First lady extraordinaire, Michelle Obama, spoke at Eastern Kentucky University in 2013 making a point about openness.
“If you’re a Democrat, spend some time talking to a Republican. And if you’re a Republican, have a chat with a Democrat. Maybe you’ll find some common ground, maybe you won’t. But if you honestly engage with an open mind and an open heart, I guarantee you’ll learn something. And goodness knows we need more of that, because we know what happens when we only talk to people who think like we do — we just get more stuck in our ways, more divided, and it gets harder to come together for a common purpose.”
What we can take away: Growth is about the experience and understanding something different or new.
David Foster Wallace
Non-fiction author, David Foster Wallace, spoke at Kenyon College in 2005 about the nature of thoughts.
“As I’m sure you guys know by now, it is extremely difficult to stay alert and attentive, instead of getting hypnotised by the constant monologue inside your own head (may be happening right now). Twenty years after my own graduation, I have gradually come to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. Think of the old cliché about the mind being an excellent servant but a terrible master.”
What we can take away: Your mind can be your greatest enemy, so be aware of your thoughts and be kind to yourself.
J.K Rowling
Harry Potter author, J.K Rowling, spoke at Harvard University in 2008 about the benefits of failure.
“I am not dull enough to suppose that because you are young, gifted and well-educated, you have never known hardship or heartbreak. Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the Fates…
Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged.”
What we can take away: Failure is not the end. It is the beginning.
Which speech inspired you? What actions are you going to take? Let us know in the comments below.
