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16 Most Life-Changing Motivational Speeches & What You’ll Gain from Them

It’s all very well reading about ways to get ahead in life, but no account will ever reach you in quite the same way as hearing someone speak about their own experiences. While these people may be household names now, it wasn’t always that way, and this collection of some of the best motivational speeches will move you and inspire you to make your own dreams come true.

From Arnold Schwarzenneger talking about how he filled every moment of every day with steps to fulfil his ambition of becoming Mr. Universe, to J.K. Rowling’s life as an impoverished single mother, these speeches will fill you with the drive and determination to reach your full potential, and not let anything stand in your way.

Some are long, and some last just a few minutes, but each one will make you want to grab life with both hands and go for what you want, whatever it is.

“Most people have done all that they’re ever going to do – they raise a family, they earn a living, and then they die.”

That’s what we’re supposed to do, right? Wrong! Life is made for greater things, and you are meant for greater things.

When Les Brown was a child, he was labeled ‘educable mentally retarded’, and until a chance encounter with another teacher, he believed that he would amount to nothing. But this one teacher planted the seeds in Les’ head which would blossom and grow, and eventually make him one of the best motivational speakers of all time.

This speech will give you permission to rise above other people’s opinions, to break free of their prejudices, and make a success of whatever you do. Watch ‘It’s Not Over Until You Win! Your Dream is Possible’ and take those first steps towards following your passion and making your dream come true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f0nIhDpXuU

“Stress doesn’t come from the facts, stress comes from the meaning that we give the facts.”

Life is about choices. Every day we’re faced with hundreds of choices, and this speech by Tony Robbins will help you see that it’s the choices, not the conditions, which shape our lives.

Take a moment during this speech to pause and reflect on some choices you have made in the past, and really think about the direction your life took because of them, both good and bad. Tony Robbins explains in his inimitable way that we have the choice to focus on what we want, and that when we focus, we can achieve whatever we want.

Part of Tony’s speech explains how, when the economy is down, some people thrive and some people crash and burn, and the COVID 19 pandemic is the perfect example. Small businesses took a huge hit, and while some of them threw up their hands in despair and said ‘that’s it, it’s over for us’, others adapted, and saw it as an opportunity to expand, diversify, and turn the situation to their advantage.

And that’s the cornerstone of this video – how we react, how we adapt, and how we choose is the difference between success and failure.

“So every rep that I do gets me closer to accomplishing the goal to make this goal – this vision – into reality.”

Be inspired by Arnold Schwarzenneger as he talks about his goal of becoming Mr. Universe. Never wasting a second of his day, Arnie worked in construction, spent 5 hours in the gym, and went to acting classes, all of which took him further along his journey to making his dream come true.

We all have a propensity to waste time, but if you have a goal, if you have a passion that smolders away, take a leaf out of Arnie’s book and make sure that everything you do propels you forward.

And don’t be afraid to fail.

“Your conviction and your convenience don’t live on the same block.”

If you are a fan of The Secret, you will be familiar with Lisa Nicholls. In this video, Lisa tells Tom Bilyeu how she was willing to leave everything and everyone behind in order to grow into the version of herself that she knew she wanted.

Lisa explains how, as a young mother, she was forced to wrap her baby in a towel for two days because she had no money for diapers, and how it was at that moment that she vowed never to be that broke or that broken again.

Change, success, drive…they’re all inconvenient and disruptive, and Lisa Nicholls demonstrates that wonderfully in this emotional and highly motivating interview in which she declares “your story is not meant to be your fortress, your story is meant to be your fuel.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toQmqLwNtho

Eric Thomas had a dream, a goal, and that goal was to be the best motivational speaker in the world. He didn’t achieve this by giving 70%, or 80%…he didn’t achieve it by staying in bed late in the mornings. He achieved it by giving 100% every minute of every day.

Listen to Eric’s words, hear the passion in his voice, and feel the lessons he is giving to you if you want to be the best at whatever you do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtuHZC-ObA8

“If we don’t take control of our environment, it takes control of us.”

This short piece by Tony Robbins has been designed to show you that you are in control of your own environment. Whether you realize it or not, what goes on around you has a massive influence on the way you feel and the way you act.

By taking leadership of your own life, you can defy outside influences and set your own tone for the day ahead, regardless of whatever or whoever is exerting pressure from the outside.

Follow Tony’s example of taking 10 minutes for yourself at the start of every day – for gratitude, prayer or wishes for family and friends, and a recap of what you want to accomplish that day, and your day will continue on that same path of thankfulness, hope, and goals.

“Your mind doesn’t know the difference between something you vividly imagined and something that’s real, literally!”

If you want to emulate the way successful people behave, take these 10 billionaires’ habits and adopt them yourself for 21 days.

Billed by Jim Kwik as being ‘like a magic pill’, these habits will rewire your brain into thinking and behaving like some of the world’s most successful people.

In this 8 minute clip, Jim shares how, for instance, your brain reacts the same way when you imagine your dog walking in as it does when your dog actually walks in, and this can apply to anything. What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

As much as this applies to positive things, it also can be applied to negative things, so if you imagine failure, that’s what you will get. Fill your mind with thoughts of success and that’s what will happen.

None of these habits are difficult to accomplish, but in doing so you will change your entire mindset into one of a hugely successful person, no matter what you want to achieve in life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fzGPwY40Cw

“Don’t leave crumbs.”

If this sounds more like a housekeeping hint and less like a motivational affirmation, you’re 50% right. Our lives do need housekeeping, and not leaving crumbs – i.e. regrets – which will come back and rob your tomorrow of joy, is one of the chores you need to do on a daily basis.

Matthew McConaughey delivers a powerful speech in a gentle way at the University of Houston Commencement Address.

Discussing the five rules he lives by, he will show you how to avoid falling into a trap of entitlement, and why ‘Unbelievable’ is the stupidest word in the dictionary.

With some invaluable life lessons contained inside a highly watchable speech, Matthew McConaughey is an unlikely but very inspiring speaker who has stayed humble despite all his successes.

“There are a lot of sharks in the world; if you hope to complete the swim, you will have to deal with them. So if you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.”

Spoken with eloquence and quiet assuredness, this six-minute speech draws on US Navy Admiral William McRaven’s experience of survival in the Navy Seals.

He explains how making your bed, while seemingly insignificant and even pointless, will set a series of tasks in motion which will ensure that at best, the first job of the day is done, and at worst, you have a neat, tidy bed to fall into at the end of a trying day.

The world is full of people who want to bring you down (the sharks) but if you stand your ground, they will eventually swim away, leaving you to go on to bigger and better things.

“Sometimes life’s gonna hit you in the face with a brick…don’t lose faith.”

Steve Jobs, chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Apple Inc. was hit in the face with more than one brick during his 56 years on earth. From being given up for adoption as a baby, to being fired from the very company which he founded, he never let anything get in his way.

In this commencement speech at Stamford University in 2005, Steve explained how his love for what he did spurred him on to rebuild his life in spectacular fashion.

Life dealt a further blow when, in 2003, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

This speech focuses on three stories which, when combined, show how life offers opportunities for change and growth, no matter how dire the circumstances.

Steve Jobs never graduated college, but when he died in 2011, aged just 56, he had a net worth of US$7 billion. He achieved this by doing what he loved, and in this speech he will inspire you to do the same.

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously than you might as well not have lived at all. In which case, you fail by default.”

Let J. K. Rowling inspire you with this 2008 commencement speech at Harvard University. Extolling the virtues of failure and imagination, she tells the graduates how being at rock bottom set her free to pursue her dreams of being an author.

As poor as it is possible to be without being homeless, she created the world of Harry Potter and went on to amass a fortune of £795 million, but that without her failures in life, she would never have had the opportunity to do so.

Let her words become your own mantra, and view every failure in your life as a future success.

“We shine, because baby you just can’t dim the sun.”

A beautiful antidote for anyone who has ever felt or been told that they are ‘too much’, Gina Hatzis’ winning Speaker Slam speech of 2018 will give you permission to be unashamedly you.

Although written by a woman for women, this powerful and sometimes humorous speech about being your own authentic self will inspire anyone – man or woman – to shine and never dim their own light to suit other people.

“The first step you need to take is just that…step.”

If you are in need of a short, sharp burst of motivation, listen to this speech by ex Navy Seal, Jocko Willink.

Running for less than three minutes, this recording will inspire you to take a step into whatever you want to achieve. Awarded both the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for service, Jocko Willink is no stranger to taking those brave steps, having come face to face with Iraqu insurgents in Ramadi. He will spur you on to put one metaphorical foot in front of the other, and will leave you in no doubt as to what you need to do to achieve your goals.

“On the other side of your maximum fear are all of the best things in life.”

If you like your motivation with a side order of laughter, watch Will Smith as he talks about fear. Agreeing to skydive on a night out with friends, Will realizes that he actually has to go through with it.

Discussing how fear ruins things (he couldn’t sleep or eat before the jump), Will also discloses that beyond fear was the most blissful experience of his life, and how that principle can be applied to anything in life.

“Only those that can see the invisible, can do the impossible.”

Tyrese Gibson knows success, and in this speech he talks about how it can be achieved, by anyone who wants it.

Actor, singer, author, model…Tyrese seems to have the Midas touch, but he didn’t get it by luck. Follow his words as he gently but passionately guides you along the path you need to take if you have goals and dreams in life.

“I refuse to be another man who lived and died, and wasn’t significant’”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzl3CQXMRVo

“If it is written, so shall it be.”

When Steve Harvey’s teacher crushed his dreams of being on TV, the one person who believed in him was his father. He told him to put a piece of paper with his dreams on in his drawer, and to read it every morning and every night.

His dreams came true.

It didn’t always come easy for Steve Harvey though – he spent years living in his car when he had nowhere else to go, but the one thing he never lost was his ambition and determination to see his dreams through to fruition.

A firm believer in the Law of Attraction, Steve still has vision boards and still commits his dreams to writing, and encourages you to do the same in this speech that made Obama cry.

These motivational speeches, and many more like them, show how having guts, determination, and a vision will get you anywhere you want to go, no matter your beginnings in life. These inspirational speakers have suffered loss, sickness, and unbelievable hardships, but the one thing that got them through was their desire to win and their belief that they could.

Immerse yourself in their words of wisdom, and take that next step into your best life.

More on Motivation

• 8 Rituals to Cultivating True Self-Motivation That Lasts
• 10 Monday Morning Habits for a Successful Week
• Motivational Quotes

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The 24 Best Motivational Speeches Our Employees Have Ever Heard

Published: July 19, 2023

It was halftime during one of my 7th-grade football games. And we were losing 14 - 0. With our knees planted in the grass, my team was quietly huddled, drenched in sweat and defeat. Suddenly, it was game over.

That's when our assistant coach burst into our circle and shattered our pity party, delivering one of the best motivational speeches I've heard to this day.

I can't directly quote him because he said some inappropriate things for a blog post (and, in hindsight, probably for a bunch of 13-year-olds too).

The point is he harnessed the power of words to rejuvenate a physically and emotionally drained team. And we came back clawing to win the game.

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Motivational Speech

A motivational speech can come from anywhere or anyone, but it usually has a specific audience in mind.

Whether it's a graduation speech, an all-company meeting, a championship sporting event, or a conference keynote, these speeches are designed to change how their listeners see the challenges facing them in the future.

Like in sports, being motivated at work is crucial for your performance. This rings especially true when you have a looming deadline, an important meeting, or colleagues or customers depending on your performance.

Think about the last time you felt generally unmotivated. What brought you out of that feeling? Sometimes all it takes to get you going is a good night's sleep or witnessing the benefits of your labor.

Still, other times, you might listen to someone say something that resonates with you — that alters how you've been looking at a particular task or problem.

Motivational speeches and speakers can come in all different forms, but this is the one thing they have in common — resonance. They resonate with the right listener at the right time and in the right way.

Who knows, this article is doing some for you right now. (I can dream, can't I?)

We selected 24 of the best motivational speeches from business, sports, entertainment, and other fields to help you stay motivated no matter what your work throws at you. Watch these videos if you want to feel inspired by a project.

Trust me, I was wiping my eyes after I saw them. And while the messages vary from speech to speech, they can put you in the optimal frame of mind for tackling and crushing your next big challenge.

(Disclaimer: Some speeches may contain NSFW language.)

Elon Musk: "The Importance of Never Giving Up" (2020)

Angela Ahrendts: "Leading with Empathy" (2023)

Arianna Huffington: "The Power of Sleep" (2023)

Tim Cook: "Inclusion and Diversity" (2023)

J.K. Rowling: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” (2008)

Sheryl Sandberg: "Lean In" (2021)

Jim Carrey: Commencement Speech at Maharishi University of Management (2014)

Steve Jobs: "How to Live Before You Die" (2005)

Matthew McConaughey: "The Pursuit of Happiness" (2022)

Denzel Washington: "Fall Forward" (2011)

Vera Jones: “But the Blind Can Lead the Blind…” (2016)

Oprah Winfrey: "The Power of Self-Belief" (2020)

Charlie Day: Merrimack College Commencement Speech (2014)

Brené Brown: "The Power of Vulnerability" (2013)

Kobe Bryant: “The Path to Greatness" (2020)

David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (2005)

Carol Dweck: "The Growth Mindset" (2020)

Al Pacino: "Inch by Inch" (1999)

Satya Nadella: "Empowering Others" (2023)

Sylvester Stallone: Speech from Rocky Balboa (2006)

Will Smith: Speech from The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Mel Robbins: "The 5 Second Rule" (2020)

Angela Duckworth: "The Power of Grit" (2020)

Kurt Russell: “This is Your Time” (2004)

The Best Motivational Speeches of All Time

1. elon musk: "the importance of never giving up" (2020), theme of speech: perseverance and resilience.

Elon Musk's "The Importance of Never Giving Up" speech about perseverance and determination is decisive.

In this speech, Musk emphasizes failing and learning from failures as keys to success. He recounts his life and career, demonstrating how he overcame challenges.

One key takeaway from Musk's speech is his advice to adopt a growth mindset.

Musk encourages listeners to view setbacks as learning experiences. He also highlights the value of perseverance, persistence, and taking risks.

Elon Musk's word serves as an upbeat reminder that perseverance, patience, and the desire to attempt things repeatedly in the face of difficulty are essential for success.

"If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it."

2. Angela Ahrendts: "Leading with Empathy" (2023)

Theme of the speech: empathetic leadership....

The "Leading with Empathy" talk by Angela Ahrendts emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and compassion in leadership.

According to Ahrendts, leaders must view their employees as whole people with lives outside of work. Leaders can instill trust, respect, and mutual support in their employees and organizations.

Ahrendts emphasizes the importance of team mission as well. Leaders can inspire their teams by connecting them to a greater goal.

She believes that working together fosters creativity, innovation, and growth.

"Leading with Empathy" is a powerful reminder that leadership requires more than technical knowledge. To truly inspire and motivate their employees, leaders must understand their emotional needs and create a supportive, inclusive environment.

"Empathy is the glue that holds relationships together, whether they are personal or professional."

3. Arianna Huffington: "The Power of Sleep" (2023)

Theme of the speech: sleep and productivity.

The Huffington Post's founder, Arianna Huffington, emphasized the importance of sleep to overall health. In her 2023 speech, "The Power of Sleep," she discusses how sleep deprivation affects our health, productivity, and happiness.

Huffington observes that we have been taught to sacrifice sleep for success. She also mentions that well-rested employees are more creative, efficient, and effective.

To address these issues, Huffington proposes a cultural shift that recognizes sleep as essential to health and wellness.

She advises individuals and organizations to prioritize sleep, avoid technology before bedtime, and create a restful sleep environment. Sleep, according to Huffington, is a necessity, not a luxury.

By recognizing the importance of sleep, people and businesses can enhance their health, productivity, and general well-being.

Arianna Huffington's "The Power of Sleep" speech in 2023 emphasizes the importance of sleep and the dangers of sleep deprivation.

It promotes a culture where getting enough sleep is essential for health and well-being.

"Sleep is the Swiss Army knife of health, it does everything."

4. Tim Cook: "Inclusion and Diversity" (2023)

Theme of the speech: inclusion and diversity.

Apple CEO Tim Cook advocates for inclusion and diversity. He has been instrumental in the company's initiatives to advance fairness and equality inside its ranks and across the technology sector.

Cook has prioritized diversity and inclusion at Apple because he believes it is proper and necessary for innovation and business success.

Unconscious bias training, diverse recruitment, and employee resource groups contributed to his success.

Outside of Apple, Cook has advocated for LGBTQ+ rights and immigration reform. He has raised awareness of these issues and advocated for social change as a business leader.

Tech leaders and others have lauded Cook's commitment to diversity and inclusion. He has raised awareness of these issues, leading to significant change at Apple and elsewhere.

"Inclusion and diversity are not just buzzwords, they are fundamental values that drive innovation and creativity."

5. J.K. Rowling: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” (2008)

Theme of speech: failure.

In J.K. Rowling's 2008 Harvard commencement speech, the Harry Potter author explored how two phenomena -- failure and imagination -- can be crucial to success.

While failure can help you understand where your true passion lies, and where you should focus your energy moving forward, imagination is what will allow you to empathize with other people so you can use your influence to do good.

“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”

"You have to understand your own personal DNA. Don't do things because I do them or Steve Jobs or Mark Cuban tried it. You need to know your personal brand and stay true to it."

6. Sheryl Sandberg: "Lean In" (2021)

Theme of the speech: gender equality and leadership.

Sheryl Sandberg's 2021 talk, "Lean In," encourages women to lean into their careers and leadership roles. She urges women to stand up for one another and themselves to overcome societal and cultural hurdles.

Sandberg highlights the need to have distinct objectives and goals and be prepared to take calculated risks to achieve them.

She also underlines how crucial it is for more female leaders to advance diversity and gender equality across all industries.

Sandberg's speech also emphasizes collaboration. She urges women to mentor other women and look for sponsors and mentors themselves.

The "Lean In" talk by Sheryl Sandberg emphasizes women's voices and perspectives in all aspects of society.

To remove barriers and foster more inclusive and varied workplaces and communities, Sandberg urges women to pursue their professional ambitions with confidence and with the help of their communities.

"We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women's voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored."

7. Jim Carrey: Commencement Speech at Maharishi University of Management (2014)

Theme of speech: taking risks.

Jim Carrey might make a living as the goofiest comedian around, but in 2014, he combined classic Carrey humor with unforgettable insight at Maharishi University of Management's graduation ceremony.

Jim Carrey opened his speech dishing punchlines, but he eventually opened up about his upbringing and the role fear plays in our lives. You can actually hear the amazement in the students' reactions in the video above.

“I learned many great lessons from my father -- not the least of which is that you can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

8. Steve Jobs: "How to Live Before You Die" (2005)

Theme of speech: life and career.

Considering the YouTube video of Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement speech has 24 million views, it's likely that you've seen this one already.

In the speech, Jobs plays on two themes: connecting the dots (anecdote: how taking a calligraphy class helped inspire the design of the Mac) and love & loss (anecdote: how getting fired from Apple helped inspire his greatest innovations).

Perhaps the most memorable part his speech comes at the end, when he quotes the (now-famous) lines from the final issue of his favorite publication, The Whole Earth Catalog:

“Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

9. Matthew McConaughey: "The Pursuit of Happiness" (2022)

Theme of the speech: discovering true happiness and fulfillment in life..

In "The Pursuit of Happiness," famed actor and motivational speaker Matthew McConaughey provides his enlightened viewpoint on obtaining true happiness and fulfillment.

McConaughey presents a genuine and approachable study of what it means to live a fulfilling life through sincere storytelling and personal anecdotes.

The speech discusses the significance of authenticity and remaining true to oneself. McConaughey encourages people to define their success rather than succumb to social pressures or external expectations.

He stresses aligning our behaviors and decisions with our fundamental values and passions.

McConaughey expresses his conviction in the power of thankfulness and the importance of living in the present moment. He encourages people to create a grateful mindset, recognizing the blessings and possibilities surrounding them.

By appreciating the present and finding joy in the journey, individuals can experience more profound happiness and fulfillment.

"Happiness is not a destination. It's a state of mind, a journey, and a choice we make every day."

10. Denzel Washington: "Fall Forward" (2011)

In his 2011 UPenn commencement speech, Denzel Washington highlighted three reasons why we need to embrace failure in order to be successful. First, everybody will fail at something at some point, so you better get used to it.

Second, if you never fail, take that as a sign that you're not really trying. And third, at the end of the day, failure will help you figure out what path you want to be on.

“Fall forward. Here's what I mean: Reggie Jackson struck out twenty-six-hundred times in his career — the most in the history of baseball. But you don't hear about the strikeouts. People remember the home runs.

Fall forward.

Thomas Edison conducted 1,000 failed experiments. Did you know that? I didn't know that—because #1,001 was the light bulb. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.”

11. Vera Jones: “But the Blind Can Lead the Blind…” (2016)

Theme of speech: perseverance.

Last year at INBOUND, Vera Jones told a moving story about the life lessons she's learned from raising her blind son.

She explains how having faith in your future and letting it lead you toward your true purpose will help you overcome blinding obstacles.

She also discusses how following your passion and trusting your vision develops empathy, which is a critical leadership skill.

“Passionately play your position no matter how bad things get. You are significant. Why we are here is not for our own glory. Ultimately, we're here to lead and serve everybody else. By doing that, we encourage others to do the same.”

12. Oprah Winfrey: "The Power of Self-Belief" (2020)

Theme of Speech: Self-Belief and Confidence

Oprah Winfrey's 2020 speech "The Power of Self-Belief" emphasized the importance of self-assurance. She attributed her success to her unwavering self-assurance.

According to Oprah, self-belief is not about being arrogant or overconfident. She stresses the significance of overcoming self-doubt and fear, which can prevent people from reaching their goals.

Oprah used personal stories to demonstrate how self-confidence has aided her in life and work. She encouraged her audience to believe in themselves and to embrace their inner strength.

The Power of Self-Belief" reminded us how important it is to have faith in ourselves and our ability to succeed.

"The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams."

13. Charlie Day: Merrimack College Commencement Speech (2014)

Best known for his role in the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, actor Charlie Day had lots of wisdom to share during the 2014 commencement speech at his alma mater, Merrimack College.

Day explained to the audience how college degrees are inherently valueless, since you can't trade them in for cash. Instead, it's you, your hard work, and the risks you take that provide real value in life.

“You cannot let a fear of failure or a fear of comparison or a fear of judgment stop you from doing the things that will make you great. You cannot succeed without the risk of failure.

You cannot have a voice without the risk of criticism. You cannot love without the risk of loss. You must take these risks.”

14. Brené Brown: "The Power of Vulnerability" (2013)

The video above is an animated excerpt from researcher Brené Brown's speech, " The Power of Vulnerability ." In the speech, Brown explores how our fear of not being good enough (among other fears) drives us to shield ourselves from our own vulnerabilities.

The alternative to wearing this emotional suit of armor: Embrace vulnerability through empathizing with others.

"Empathy is a choice, and it's a vulnerable choice. Because in order to connect with you, I have to connect with something in myself that knows that feeling."

15. Kobe Bryant: “The Path to Greatness" (2020)

Theme of the speech: embracing dedication, perseverance, and a relentless pursuit of greatness..

Bryant emphasizes setting ambitious goals and working tirelessly to achieve them. Through captivating storytelling and personal anecdotes, he reveals the sacrifices and relentless effort required to excel at the highest level.

Bryant's speech is a testament to the power of hard work, discipline, and a growth mindset in attaining greatness.

The speech also explores embracing failure as a stepping stone to success. Bryant shares how setbacks and challenges can fuel personal growth and resilience.

He encourages individuals to embrace failure, learn from it, and use it as motivation to push beyond their limits.

Bryant's speech goes beyond the realm of sports, offering valuable insights and life lessons applicable to all areas of life.

His relentless pursuit of greatness and unwavering commitment to excellence inspires individuals striving to achieve their goals and dreams.

"I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.'

We all have self-doubt. You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it."

16. David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (2005)

From the opening minutes of David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon College commencement speech , in which he questions commencement speech conventions, it's clear that Wallace has some serious wisdom to share.

The crux of his speech: Many of us are oblivious to our own close-mindedness. We picture ourselves as the centers of our own, individual universes, instead of seeing the bigger, more interconnected picture.

“If you're automatically sure that you know what reality is and who and what is really important, if you want to operate on your default setting, then you, like me, probably won't consider possibilities that aren't annoying and miserable.

But if you've really learned how to think, how to pay attention, then you'll know you have other options.

It will actually be within your power to experience a crowded, hot, slow, consumer hell-type situation as not only meaningful, but sacred — on fire with the same force that lit the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down.”

17. Carol Dweck: "The Growth Mindset" (2020)

Theme of the speech: cultivating a growth mindset for personal and professional development..

In "The Growth Mindset," Carol Dweck, a renowned psychologist, and author, delivers an enlightening speech on the power of adopting a growth mindset for personal and professional growth.

Dweck's extensive research on mindset and achievement provides the foundation for her impactful message.

Dweck explains the difference between a fixed mindset, where individuals believe their abilities are fixed traits, and a growth mindset, where individuals believe their abilities can be developed through effort and learning.

She demonstrates how a growth mindset fosters resilience, learning, and innovation through relatable stories and compelling examples.

Dweck's speech resonates with individuals seeking personal and professional development, as she provides insights into how adopting a growth mindset can positively impact all areas of life.

Her research-based approach and engaging speaking style make "The Growth Mindset" an inspiring resource for individuals striving for continuous growth and improvement.

"The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even when it's not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset."

Famous Short Speeches With Inspirational Takeaways

18. al pacino: "inch by inch" (1999), theme of speech: teamwork.

Yes, this speech is from a football movie (Any Given Sunday), but trust me: This isn't your stereotypical rah-rah-go-get-'em sports speech. It's deeper than that. It's about life, and loss, and ... gosh darn it just listen to Al Pacino.

He's pouring his soul out!

“Either we heal as a team or we're gonna crumble, inch by inch, play by play, till we're finished. We're in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me.

And we can stay here and get the $&#@ kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell, one inch at a time.”

19. Satya Nadella: "Empowering Others" (2023)

Theme of the Speech: Empowerment and Collaboration

Satya Nadella's 2023 lecture, "Empowering Others," emphasizes the importance of leadership that empowers others rather than focusing on personal success.

He emphasizes the importance of leaders cultivating a culture of inclusion and belonging in which everyone feels respected and able to accomplish their best work.

Nadella also discusses the significance of technology in positive development. Some of society's most important issues may be resolved by technology, but proper development and application are required.

According to Nadella, empathy and emotional intelligence are essential for outstanding leadership. He suggests that Leaders listen to and understand. their team members' needs and motivations.

Leaders can develop a culture of trust and collaboration that will help the team flourish.

Satya Nadella's "Empowering Others" provides a special message about leadership in the current day. By emphasizing diversity, empathy, and responsible innovation, Nadella encourages audiences to strive for excellence while being mindful of their impact on others and the world.

"Success is not just about what we achieve individually, but what we enable others to achieve."

20. Sylvester Stallone: Speech from Rocky Balboa (2006)

Theme of speech: never give up.

I had to put this one next since it plays along the same themes as Denzel Washington's UPenn speech. In the scene above, from the 2006 film Rocky Balboa, the title character (played by Sylvester Stallone) is having a heart-to-heart with his son.

The advice he gives him: Don't let your failures or the adversity you face slow you down. Keep. Moving. Forward.

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.

You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!”

21. Will Smith: Speech from The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Theme of speech: don’t let them bring you down.

Here's another speech from the big screen, this time from the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness.

In the scene above, Will Smith's character explains to his son why he shouldn't pursue basketball (because he'll end up being "below average") before having a major change of heart.

“Don't ever let somebody tell you ... you can't do something. Not even me. All right? You got a dream. You gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they want to tell you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”

22. Mel Robbins: "The 5 Second Rule" (2020)

Theme of the Speech: Action and Overcoming Self-Doubt

The "The 5 Second Rule" speech by Mel Robbins promotes action to achieve goals and overcome concerns and doubts.

When confronted with a decision or action that needs to be completed but you are hesitating or procrastinating, countdown from 5, and then act. According to Robbins, this method breaks habit loops that keep us unhealthy.

Counting down and taking action may assist us in overcoming uncertainty and self-doubt and moving toward our objectives. For success, Robbins also promotes mentality and self-talk.

She believes that to realize our potential, we must consciously reframe negative thoughts and limiting beliefs.

Mel Robbins' presentation "The 5 Second Rule" is a practical and efficient technique to overcome procrastination and achieve goals.

Robbins inspires listeners to take command of their lives and achieve by emphasizing attitude, self-talk, and positive actions.

"You are never going to feel like doing the things that are tough, difficult, or uncertain, but you have a choice."

23. Angela Duckworth: "The Power of Grit" (2020)

Theme of the Speech: Spirit and Perseverance

Angela Duckworth examines the significance of perseverance and resilience in achievement in her book "The Power of Grit." According to Duckworth, grit—passion and determination—is essential for long-term success and overcoming obstacles.

Duckworth addresses grit and mentality, believing that people who view challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than threats will develop resilience and determination over time.

She advocates for a growth mindset, which believes people can acquire intelligence and other qualities through hard work. Duckworth places a premium on rigorous practice to achieve skill and mastery.

She recommends soliciting feedback, setting challenging goals, and intentionally improving abilities and succeeding. Angela Duckworth's "The Power of Grit" illuminates long-term achievement.

Duckworth emphasizes attitude, focused practice, and resilience to urge listeners to acquire grit and pursue their passions with tenacity.

"Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality."

24. Kurt Russell: “This is Your Time” (2004)

Theme of speech: inspiring and believing in your team.

The Miracle on Ice is still considered the biggest upset in Olympic hockey history. And for good reason. The Soviet Union won six of the last seven Olympic gold medals, and the U.S. team consisted only of amateur players.

It was obvious the Soviets were better. But, in the movie Miracle, which told the incredible story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, Kurt Russell's character — Coach Herb Brooks — knew that this game was different.

The U.S. was better than the Soviets that day. And his speech conveyed such a strong belief in his team that they pulled off one of the greatest sports moments of the 20th century.

“If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game… Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can!

Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players, every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time.”

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16 Inspirational Speeches for Career and Life Lessons (+ Speaker Traits)

Erika Giles | July 9, 2020 | Inspiration | 11 min read

The Most Inspirational Speeches of All Time

• 1.  J.K. Rowling – Harvard University
• 2.  Jim Carrey – Maharishi University
• 3.  Steve Jobs – Stanford University
• 4.  Al Pacino – Any Given Sunday
• 5.  Tony Robbins – TED Talk
• 6.  Will Smith – The Pursuit of Happiness
• 7.  Matthew McConaughey – University of Houston
• 8.  Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa
• 9.  Denzel Washington – University of Pennsylvania
• 10.  Yoda – The Empire Strikes Back
• 11.   Elizabeth Gilbert – TED Talk, 2009
• 12.   Michelle Obama – Eastern Kentucky University
• 13.   David Goggins – Driven
• 14.   Peter Dinklage – Bennington College
• 15.   John Roberts – Cardigan Mountain School
• 16.  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - LA Lakers

Being motivated at work and in life is crucial for your performance. This is true when you have an approaching deadline, an important meeting, or customers depending on you.

The power of words can physically and emotionally rejuvenate you. Inspirational speeches can guide you to keep performing at your best and drive your team to achieve their goals . The right words at the right time can change you and challenge you.

No matter what is thrown at you in life, you can use these speeches to stay motivated. 

How Inspiration Impacts People

Inspiration helps propel people forward. It pushes apathy away and awakens people to new and exciting possibilities. They're able to transcend their limitations and mundane lives. 

It can help all people to become more creative and help them to progress toward their goals if they are open to it. 

Although inspiration impacts people in several meaningful and often magical ways, it is not something as elusive as it seems. Inspiration is everywhere, and it can be captured, activated, and manipulated. 

Most often, inspiration is found in others who say something or do something thought provoking and meaningful. 

What Makes a Speech Inspirational?

Great inspirational speeches all include one key thing – emotions . Emotions motivate actions and beliefs in any given aspect of life. Inspirational speeches are often loaded with tales of struggle, resilience, trials, endurance, and breakthroughs. All things that most people can relate to.

The philosopher, Aristotle, once said that people tend to believe in people who can be perceived as trustworthy or in those who have proper values and morals. This means that speakers who understand the concerns their audience has and empathizes with them are more likely to connect with their audience and gain their trust. 

Speakers who select emotional themes and talking points that people can relate to are more likely to inspire those in the audience with their stories. 

The key to this is making others feel as though they aren’t alone, and that they too can overcome the roadblocks in their way because someone else has. Hope is one of the most powerful emotions that sparks inspiration. 

Next, comes an excellent oral delivery. Facial expressions, tone of voice, and appropriate pausing all help to make a speech that much more effective and inspirational. 

7 Qualities of the Best Motivational Speakers

Here are seven traits, qualities, and characteristics that some of the best motivational speakers have.

1. They Tell Great Stories.

The ability to tell a great story is one of the core qualities that a motivational speaker needs to help add value to the lives of listeners. Motivational speakers tell original stories to provide the audience with fresh and relevant information. 

More importantly, the best motivational speakers paint a picture that lets the audience put themselves into the story so they can feel the emotions to understand the lesson better. 

2. They Are Passionate About What They Do.

Great speakers are often passionate about wanting to change others for the better, and the amount of passion a speaker has translates into their presentation. The audience can tell when a speaker is passionate about their subject matter because it will reflect in the speaker’s enthusiasm and excitement when they perform. 

Passion is infectious, and when a great speaker is passionate, it inspires the audience to cultivate passion as well. 

3. They Are Confident.

It is essential that motivational speakers have confidence in themselves and in their message.

Audience members can tell when speakers are nervous or unsure about what they are doing or saying. This automatically causes the audience to doubt the speaker, and it may invalidate the message. 

Great speakers have confidence that reflects in their speech and gestures while they are on stage, which in turn inspires confidence in the audience. It helps to engage them and makes them believe in what the speaker is saying. 

4. They Are Self-Aware.

A great motivational speaker understands who they are and knows exactly what they stand for. They are also aware of their strengths and weaknesses.

They use their strengths to make a speech more effective, and they work on improving their weaknesses.

5. They Show Empathy.

A defining mark of a great motivational speaker is their ability to put themselves in the shoes of those in their audience. They do their best to understand their audience’s motivation, fears, hopes, challenges, and worries. 

This helps them tailor their speech to appeal to and inspire their audience. Empathetic speakers are also individuals who have gone through what they talk about. 

They have been where the audience is, and they understand what that is like, which helps make a pure connection with them.

6. They Possess Knowledge.

Any motivational speaker must remain up to date and knowledgeable in their area of expertise. Motivational speakers aren’t born; they are made.

This means that they must grow and learn to become an expert with great knowledge and insight to share with others. 

7. They Have a Sense of Humor.

Motivational speeches tend to discuss serious topics, and great speakers know how to add fun anecdotes or jokes when it is appropriate to do so. 

Humor often makes a speech more memorable. Plus, it enthralls listeners, and everyone likes someone with a good sense of humor. 

16 of the Best Inspirational Speeches of All Time

We all need some inspiration from time to time. If you are in need of inspiration, look no further than these 16 best inspirational speeches of all time. 

1. J.K. Rowling – Harvard University

It's well known that J.K. Rowling's famous Harry Potter series was turned down by several publishers before it was finally accepted. But before her success, she was in a dire situation and was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Despite constant rejection, she kept trying and finally her efforts paid off. Her Harvard speech delivered some valuable life lessons about not fearing failure and persevering no matter how bad things get.

2. Jim Carrey – Maharishi University 

Actor/comedian Jim Carrey gave one of the most unique and emotional commencement speeches ever at Maharishi University in Iowa.

In his speech , he offered the students powerful and inspiring words about life, the future, and urged them never to settle for anything less than what they want. His message: Never give up and follow your dreams!

3. Steve Jobs – Stanford University 

This is one of the greatest inspirational speeches! In his commencement speech , Jobs discussed how he dropped out of college after six months, then took another 18 months to figure out what his life's work would be.

He quit college because his parents were struggling financially, and he couldn't see the value in an education that was draining his parents life savings.

His speech talked of the setbacks in life, including death, and how being aware of death can help you make better choices in life. At the time, Jobs was dying of pancreatic cancer, and his inspirational words on the importance of acquiring knowledge and following your dreams was the best life lesson he could bestow upon the graduates.

4. Al Pacino – Any Given Sunday

This movie features an inspirational speech about how even the simplest things can inch you closer to your dream.

Pacino's speech motivated the players on his football team to do whatever it takes to win. The takeaway? The little things you do every day will lead you to success.

5. Tony Robbins – TED Talk

Tony Robbins is one of the most famous motivational speakers around. This TED talk is particularly inspirational. It's topic, “Why We Do What We Do,” asks two key questions: What drives you? What motivates you to do your daily tasks?

By asking these questions, we're able to explore ourselves and appreciate others. The takeaway? We are our own path to success!

6. Will Smith – The Pursuit of Happiness

Considered one of the best motivational speeches in film, this scene starts with Smith and his son playing basketball. When his son shouts “I'm going pro,” Smith decides to try and temper his son's expectations, telling him he never excelled at basketball, so he shouldn't expect to.

His son is visibly disappointed, and Smith launches into his speech proclaiming, “Don't ever let somebody tell you that you can't do something, not even me.” He tells his son, “You got a dream, you gotta protect it. You want something, go get it. Period.”

The takeaway? Only you can decide to chase a dream. No one can stop you besides yourself. 

7. Matthew McConaughey – University of Houston

McConaughey delivered some pertinent points in his speech to the graduating class, but the one that really stuck out was "joy being a constant approach." He said, ”Joy is always in process; it's always under construction."

He spoke of how he takes everything one step at a time when he's making a film, and how when he truly enjoys his craft, things just fall into place. The takeaway? “Define success for yourself.” Figure out what you want to achieve and enjoy the entire journey.

8. Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa

In the sixth film in the Rocky franchise, Stallone gives one of the most inspirational speeches of all time. He starts with, “The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows,” and goes on to talk about the value of hard work and commitment.

“It ain't about how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” The takeaway? Even when your back is up against the wall, winners never give up!

9. Denzel Washington – University of Pennsylvania

In this commencement speech, Denzel Washington speaks about how nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks, adding that when you fall in life, fall forward . He speaks of embracing failure and using it as a chance to learn.

This is especially true when it comes to being an entrepreneur. The most important thing isn't winning or losing, it's getting out there and giving it everything you've got!

10. Yoda – The Empire Strikes Back

Ok, you can't have a list of inspirational speeches without at least one offering from Yoda!

In this speech from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back , Yoda is teaching Luke about the ways of the force. The key teaching? Whether or not something can or can't be done is all in your head and your heart. If you believe in yourself, anything is possible!

The takeaway? In the words of Yoda, “Do or do not. There is no try.”

11. Elizabeth Gilbert – Ted Talk

Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the bestselling book Eat, Pray, Love , gave an inspiring Ted Talk about the "genius" in all of us.

In her speech, she mentions that everyone can be a creative genius in their work and that the best years of our work and creativity are never behind us if we think of creative genius as something we borrow. 

The key takeaways from Gilbert's speech are to not be daunted or afraid of success. Just keep showing up and doing the work that you love without the anguish of what it will turn into. 

12. Michelle Obama – Eastern Kentucky University

In 2013, Michelle Obama addressed the graduating class of Eastern Kentucky University. She encouraged them to continue learning to challenge their perspectives, and she told them to find a way to turn their weaknesses into strengths. 

The key takeaway from her speech is that the defining moments in your life will not be the moment you get the promotion or breakthrough to a classroom. They will be the days that you have to claw through to keep going.

As long as you keep working and pick yourself up when you fall down, then you will develop skills to apply to anything you do in life. And your resilience can be used in service to others. 

13. David Goggins – Driven

David Goggins is a former Navy Seal and Army Ranger who participates in ultra-marathons. In his talk, he discusses suffering and how you can turn hurt into strength. He talks about how you can still be successful and happy without guidance if you just stay true to who you are because you define greatness. 

The takeaway from Goggins' talk is that we all have greatness no matter what. You just have to find the courage through hard work and discipline. 

14. Peter Dinklage – Bennington College

Peter Dinklage is an actor who is known for his role as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones . He gave the 2012 commencement address at Bennington College.

In his address to the graduates, he discusses persistence and doing whatever it takes to get to where you want to be. He also mentions that you shouldn't wait until you are ready to do what you love. 

The key lesson from his speech was to give yourself permission to fail early instead of waiting for permission. Show the world you're ready by doing it. 

15. John Roberts – Cardigan Mountain School

John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States, gave the commencement address at his son's high school in 2017. In his speech, he wishes the graduates bad luck instead of good luck.

He tells them that he hopes they will be lonely, fail, and lose from time to time. He says all of this to say that these things are the greatest teachers of compassion, true friendship, and sportsmanship. 

The key takeaway from Roberts' speech is that there is always a message in your misfortunes, and you should not be afraid to fail. If you fail, you should get up and try again. 

16. Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson - LA Lakers

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, tenured WWE superstar & mega Hollywood performer, gave an incredible speech to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019.

He speaks from the heart, about remembering where you came from, and letting that fuel the hard work you will put in to become successful. 

Per usual, pure gold from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

These 16 inspirational speeches touch on three main themes. It's important to love what you're doing. Failure is only bad if you don't learn and continue to move forward. And finally, you need to want it!

Life is hard. If you want something bad enough, whether it's a job, a relationship, or a successful business, you need to prove it!

General FAQ

An inspirational speech will create a positive emotional experience for the audience that will resonate with them. Similarly, a motivational speech can inspire an audience by motivating them to take action on something.

What Are the Qualities of an Inspirational Speaker?

To be a great inspirational speaker, you should have:

• A strong speaking voice
• A good story to tell

How Do You Write an Inspirational Speech?

It's important to know who your audience is and what your message is going to be when writing an inspirational speech. Use should also employ storytelling techniques to evoke emotion into your speech.

Who Is the Most Motivational Speaker in the World?

It is often said that Tony Robbins is the most motivational speaker. Tony Robbins is known best for his TED talks and self-help books.

Erika Giles

Erika is a Marketing Copywriter at Bluleadz. She is a huge fan of houseplants and podcasts about conspiracy theories. She spends most of her free time reading, writing, and enjoying the outdoors.

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30 Motivational Speeches To Get You Moving Forward Now

I like building and growing simple yet powerful products for the world and the worldwide web.

Published Date : October 29, 2021

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A sense of purpose in your professional and personal life is critical to success. It is useful advice for an impending deadline, an important presentation, or when clients rely on your performance.

Words can revitalize you on both a physical and emotional level. Motivational speeches may help you focus on your objectives and motivate your team. Having the right words to say the right thing at the right moment can transform and challenge your thinking.

You can use these motivational speeches to stay inspired and fulfilled no matter what life throws at you. These speeches will remind you why you do what you do and how much you enjoy doing it.

How Motivational Speeches Move People

People are propelled ahead by motivation. It rouses individuals from their complacency and opens their eyes to the thrilling possibilities . It is where motivational speeches help people to rise beyond the shackles of their ordinary existence.

Although motivation has a profound and even mystical effect on individuals, it is not as elusive as it first seems. The best motivational speeches are those that provoke thinking and meaning.

What Makes The Best Motivational Speeches

Best motivational speeches all have one thing in common: they’re filled with emotion . Emotions influence our decisions, behaviors, and viewpoints in every area of our lives. Motivational speeches are often filled with: 

• Anecdotes about overcoming adversity
• Perseverance
• Achieving success

Speakers who use emotive topics and talking points that the audience can connect to are more likely to motivate the audience.

Plus, make them believe that they can overcome whatever obstacles stand in their way. The feeling of hope often sparks inspiration.

Qualities of Good Motivational Speakers

A few of the most effective motivational speakers share the characteristics listed below.

For more knowledge in delivering a motivational speech , here are some tips:

• Initiate mobility . Speakers begin with a speech , but concentrating the audience on various elements leads to a specific outcome. 
• Straight to the point . Speakers convince the audience of their credibility while giving their speeches.
• Make it interesting . An effective motivational speaker knows that standing before an audience and blathering is never appreciated.

Practice your speech with Orai. Get feedback on your tone, tempo, confidence , and conciseness .

Motivational Speeches From Universities

Motivational speeches from well-known people are given during graduation each year to encourage students. Here are the best motivational speeches during the commencement exercises of different universities:

1. Denzel Washington – University of Pennsylvania

Denzel Washington’s motivational speech discusses the importance of taking chances in life and how. It is among the finest motivational speeches that are valid for business owners. He stated that when you fail, you should fall forward to his graduation address. Also, he encourages people to embrace failure and grow from it. 

2. Steve Jobs – Stanford University

Definitely among the finest motivational speeches ever! His motivational speech discussed life’s setbacks, such as death, and how understanding death may help people make better life decisions. His comments to the graduating class on the value of learning and pursuing goals were the most valuable advice he could give them.

3. Jim Carrey – Maharishi University

At Maharishi University in Iowa, actor and comedian Jim Carrey delivered one of the most original graduation addresses ever. His takeaway from his motivational speech is: Never give up on your goals and never give up on yourself. Indeed, it is one of the best motivational speeches.

4. J.K. Rowling – Harvard University

Several publishers rejected J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series before it was finally accepted, as is well known. However, before she became successful, she was in a desperate position and was about to become bankrupt. In her Harvard address, she stressed the importance of not being afraid of failure and persisting in adversity.

5. Matthew McConaughey – University of Houston

Next on our list is Matthew McConaughey’s motivational speech . His speech has various excellent ideas. But, the one that stood out was when he said we should approach happiness constantly.

Ultimately, he discovered that everything came into place when he approached things step by step. After everything was said and done, Matthew McConaughey gave one of the best motivational speeches in recent years.

6. Michelle Obama – Eastern Kentucky University

Michelle Obama delivered a commencement speech to the Eastern Kentucky University class in 2013. She urged them to keep challenging their assumptions and find a way to make their flaws work for them. Her speech focused on giving the students motivation about life. 

When it comes to defining moments in your life, it won’t be when you receive a promotion or have a breakthrough in your career.

7. Peter Dinklage – Bennington College

Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage is well-known for portraying Tyrion Lannister in the show. He delivered the Bennington College graduating speech in 2012. His message to the graduating class focused on perseverance and doing everything it takes to succeed. 

8. John Roberts – Cardigan Mountain School

US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts addressed his son’s graduating high school class in 2017. It’s not good luck; he wishes the grads in his address. He expresses his want for kids to experience loneliness, failure, and defeat from time to time. 

9. Natalie Portman – Harvard University

Actress Natalie Portman addressed Harvard University’s 2015 graduating class during their graduation ceremony. She uses wide brushstrokes from all periods of her life to build a picture in her compelling speech . Also, she claims to have discovered that taking measured risks may result in life-altering benefits, as she has done it herself.

10. Meryl Streep – Barnard College

Meryl Streep is most recognized as a 16-time nominee and 2-time winner at the Academy Awards. While at Barnard College, she made a memorable graduating address in 2010 that inspired the audience. However, in her address, she emphasized the importance of her relationships with family and friends. 

Become an excellent speaker with the perfect Motivational speech .

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Motivational Speeches From Ted Talk

Reaffirming your confidence in humanity is one of the most powerful benefits of listening to motivational speeches. Next time you need a little additional energy, have this list handy.

1. Elizabeth Gilbert

Famous author and TED speaker Elizabeth Gilbert spoke about how we all have a “genius” that we may unleash. She is the author of the best-selling book Eat, Pray, Love. Gilbert’s motivational speech emphasized the importance of not being intimidated or scared of success. 

2. Tony Robbins

One of the most well-known motivational speakers today is Tony Robbins. This TED lecture, in particular, profoundly affects the listener. It addresses two major issues in its title, “Why We Do What We Do.”

We learn about ourselves and others by asking these kinds of inquiries. What should you remember? You are the only person who can decide whether or not you succeed.

3. Richard St. John

Next on our list of motivational speeches is Richard St. John’s TED Talk from 2005, given by the author, marketer, and analyst. St. John’s address, which was based on his book “8 To Be Great,” gets to the point in a manner that most speeches don’t

The remainder of St. John’s discourse quickly transitions from one intriguing topic to the next without wasting time or words. There are also a few well-placed jokes in there. As a result, even though he covers a lot of subjects, his audience retains what he says.

4. Dan Pink

As a writer, Dan Pink’s reputation is supported by many “legs,” such as his writings and accolades. Also, in the late 1990s, he was the primary speechwriter for former US Vice President Al Gore.

Pink’s TED Talk is a role model for everyone who wants to convert a dull subject into motivating. He started his speech by examining how most economists see performance, stating, “If you want people to perform better, you reward them. Right? That’s how business works.”

5. Mel Robbins

Regarding speakers, Mel Robbins has a solid reputation for taking a direct and honest stance on even the most emotional subjects. Due to this, she’s not scared to speak her mind regarding difficult issues. She only chooses a person from her audience to underscore her speech ’s enormous chances of being born.

6. Simon Sinek

First seen in his 2009 TED Talk “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” Simon Sinek is a best-selling author. Sinek proves he’s not just switching from one stereotyped issue to another. In addition, he encourages audiences to let go of their preconceived notions about the subject to approach it with a fresh perspective.

7. Tali Sharot

Dr. Tali Sharot is dedicated to helping people realize their personal and professional dreams. She works to increase awareness of the impact of emotions on our decisions and behavior. In this TED talk, she talks about how to motivate yourself to change your behavior.

8. Brene Brown

Brene Brown, a Texan with a penchant for ranting and raving, is an authority on shame and vulnerability. A key focus of Brown’s research is human connection. Over 16 million people have seen her motivational TED presentation in which she offers a profound discovery from her studies. It launched her on a personal mission to understand both herself and humankind.

9. Malcolm Gladwell

It wouldn’t be a list of motivational speeches without Malcolm Gladwell’s inclusion. Gladwell tells the tale of a guy who refused to believe in the existence of a ‘perfect’ spaghetti sauce. It contains important insights for executives who want to create work environments where their employees are pleased.

10. Sam Berns

It is one of the best motivational speeches you’ll ever see. A 17-year-old Sam became a public face for Progeria, a hereditary disorder with the evocative moniker aging sickness. While some claimed Sam would never transcend the constraints others had placed on him, he refused to let his illness define him.

He led the life he wanted, ignoring his disease and the things that set him apart in favor of his goals. It’s a remarkable heirloom left by a unique young man.

Best Motivational Speeches From Movies

While narrative and actors are important in movies, speeches leave an impression on audiences. So, here are the best motivational speeches from movies to help you out:

Given Sunday

To prepare for a rough day, hear this inspiring lecture from a well-known motivational speaker. It focuses on the importance of inches in American Football, even though we prefer to disregard them. He speaks about how his team may gain an inch on their competition by focusing on the little details of winning.

Irrespective of whether or not you saw the film, it provided cinemagoers with one of the most motivational speeches ever. You don’t have to yell or curse a lot. Depending on your personality, it may cause you to enter what we refer to as “the zone.” Speeches in earlier films have included theatrical components; this one does not.

3. Hoosiers

Even though we’re still in college, we’ve already gained enough life experience to realize that working hard doesn’t guarantee a W. Even if we give it our all, dozing off in the library at 3 a.m. on top of our books, that doesn’t guarantee an A. Isn’t it enough if you’re giving it your all?

4. Friday Night Lights

Is it possible for you to speak the truth to your friends while looking them in the eye? That you put out all of your efforts? In this film, Coach Gaines says that if you can accomplish it with love in your heart, you’ve achieved perfection. His message inspires honesty, camaraderie, and love among his team members in this scenario.

5. Rocky Balboa

Rocky Balboa reminds his kid that life isn’t fair in this scene since he is a father figure in the Rocky franchise. It is like boxing in that how hard you punch back is immaterial. According to him, what matters is how much you can absorb and how quickly you can advance.

6. The Pursuit of Happiness

It’s worth mentioning that the whole picture is moving since it depicts father-son relationships. In this speech , a father instructs his kid never to give up on his dreams, no matter how unlikely they may seem to others. If someone tells you you can’t attain your objectives, don’t believe them.

7. Wolf of Wall Street

The main hero’s speech in Wolf of Wall Street is encouraging because it takes achievement into account. Seeing examples of people who rose from poverty to riches might encourage others to take risks when an opportunity arises. Since his speech , having a decent standard of life has become more important.

8. Braveheart

In this scene, William Wallace gives a speech on the importance of freedom to a human being. For him, independence trumps the monotony of everyday existence. The speech can motivate listeners to take action instead of just producing food.

9. The Shawshank Redemption

Motivational speeches like this one demonstrate confidence in an optimistic future. You can still use it, even if you have to put in a lot of work to get there while another guy gives up. It would help if you always had an optimistic outlook on life’s prospects.

10. Independence Day

In this film, the president discusses the importance of humanism and goodwill among all countries. His message is motivational because he discusses uniting against common adversaries and preserving lives. If you’re considering international relations, this speech is a gold mine.

What event did Greta Thunberg speak at in 2019, and what was the focus of her speech?

In 2019, Greta Thunberg delivered a speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit. The focus of her powerful address was to criticize world leaders for their inadequate actions toward addressing and combating climate change. Thunberg traveled by sailboat to the summit and accused these leaders of failing to take tangible steps to combat the global climate crisis.

Who is Greta Thunberg, and what is she known for?

Greta Thunberg is a prominent figure in the realm of environmental activism, hailing from Sweden. At the tender age of 20, she has gained international recognition for fearlessly challenging global leaders to address the urgent need for measures to counter the impacts of climate change. Thunberg’s passionate advocacy work centers around raising awareness about the climate crisis and urging policymakers to take concrete actions to combat it. Her inspiring efforts have made her synonymous with the fight against climate change on a global scale.

What insights were found through the analysis of Oprah Winfrey’s motivational speech?

Oprah Winfrey delivered a motivational speech without using any filler words, speaking at a conversational pace and maintaining positive body language . Her speech delivery was effective and can be an example for aspiring speakers. Yoodli is a tool that can help individuals improve their speech patterns and English proficiency.

What is the title and significance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech 1963?

Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech , delivered in 1963 at the height of the civil rights movement, remains iconic. Standing at the Lincoln Memorial, he addressed a massive crowd with a message of hope, equality, and justice. The speech ’s enduring power lies in its call to judge individuals by character, not skin color, inspiring generations to dream of a more just future.

Who gave the Nobel Peace Prize Lecture in 2014, and what was the content of the speech?

Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani champion for female education, delivered a powerful Nobel Peace Prize speech in 2014. Despite facing threats and violence, she expressed unwavering commitment to her cause, highlighting education’s role in achieving peace and leaving a lasting impact on the world.

What did Janelle Monáe discuss in her 2018 Trailblazer Award acceptance speech?

Janelle Monáe, a trailblazer, urged pushing boundaries and exploring oneself to create inclusive spaces. She highlighted self-discovery’s challenges and rewards, emphasizing authenticity’s power in empowering others.

Who is Janelle Monáe, and what awards has she received?

Janelle Monáe is a multi-talented pop artist who proudly identifies as queer and Black. Known for her powerful voice and dynamic performances, she has garnered recognition for her artistic contributions across various award ceremonies. Some of the awards and nominations she has received come from distinguished organizations such as BET, Billboard Music, ASCAP, and AICE. These accolades celebrate her exceptional talent and artistic achievements in the music industry.

Parting Words

That concludes our selection of the best motivational speeches to get you through the tough times ahead! Let’s take a look at some of the common themes that appear in all of these talks.

• It’s critical that you like your work.
• Even if you fail, that’s not the end of the world.
• It would be better if you aspired to it.

Now, consider the topics that will motivate your listeners to pay attention to your words. You may also use the Orai App to help you enhance your public speaking skills and capture your audience’s attention. Furthermore, take advantage of the free trial offer and start immediately.

Practice makes a man perfect. Start practicing and become a professional speaker.

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10 uplifting speeches from history that will inspire you in times of crisis

• Throughout history, leaders have made speeches that inspired millions and changed the course of history. Those speeches still inspire us today. 
• Famous speeches like Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address still resonate today. 
• Lesser-known speeches like Hillary Clinton's "Human Rights Are Women's Rights" and Nora Ephron's commencement address are considered inspirational. 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

While history is no stranger to crises, there are always leaders who come forward to help usher in more hopeful times by crafting and delivering impactful speeches. 

Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and Maya Angelou have all delivered speeches that inspired millions — and some even changed the course of history. 

Take a look back at some of the most famous speeches from history that still move us today. 

Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in 1863 reminds people to honor those we have lost.

President Abraham Lincoln gave a relatively short speech at the deadliest battle site during the Civil War on November 19, 1863. Although it wasn't meant to be monumental, some call it the best speech in history. In it, Lincoln tells his people that they must remember each and every person who fought and died on the battlefield, especially because every human is created equal. 

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here," Lincoln says in the address. "It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

In 1938, Lou Gehrig gave his "Luckiest Man" that celebrated the beauty of life.

On July 4, 1938, Lou Gehrig delivered a speech at Yankee Stadium after it was revealed that the baseball player had ALS. Although he was delivering devastating news to his fans in the speech, he instead focused on everything life has to offer. 

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth," he said in the speech. "I have been in ballparks for 17  years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans … So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."

Winston Churchill delivered the "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" speech in 1940, showing the strength of the human spirit.

On June 4, 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed Parliament during a particularly difficult time in World War II. Smithsonian Magazine called it "one of the most rousing and iconic addresses" of the era. In the speech, the prime minister told his people that they would fight together and use all their strength to defeat their enemies. 

"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender," Churchill says in the famous speech . 

In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave his "Quit India" speech, which encouraged peaceful protests.

The day before the Quit India movement started, Mahatma Gandhi delivered an inspiring speech, on August 8, 1942 . In the speech, he told his people to resist the British government but to do so in a peaceful, organized manner. He focused on the benefits of a nonviolent uprising, which became the cornerstone of his beliefs. 

The most famous line from the speech is: "I believe that in the history of the world, there has not been a more genuinely democratic struggle for freedom than ours."

John F. Kennedy delivered "The Decision to Go to The Moon" speech in 1961, proving humans know no bounds.

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced to Congress and the world that the US was committed to sending an American to the moon. In the inspiring speech , the president explains the ambitious goal as one of necessity. 

"Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, 'Because it is there,'" Kennedy said in his speech. "Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked."

Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream Speech" in 1963 reminds people there is always something better on the horizon.

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr., delivered what is arguably the most famous and most inspiring speech in American history. Before the historic March on Washington, King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and addressed the 250,000 attendees, calling for the end of discrimination and racism by dreaming about a brighter future. 

"I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice," he said in the speech. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today."

In 1993, Maya Angelou read her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning" at Bill Clinton's inauguration in an attempt to bring the global community together.

On the morning of President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993, poet Maya Angelou delivered a moving speech when she read out her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning." It was the first time a poem had been recited at the ceremony since 1961 . In it, Angelou touched upon topics of equality and inclusion, and she attempted to inspire the world to unite under these principles.

Part of the poem reads:

"The river sings and sings on. There is a true yearning to respond to The singing river and the wise rock. So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew, The African and Native American, the Sioux, The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek, The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh, The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher, The privileged, the homeless, the teacher. They hear. They all hear The speaking of the tree."

Hillary Clinton delivered the "Human Rights Are Women's Rights" speech in 1995, saying those who are suppressed also have a voice.

As the first lady, Hillary Clinton attended the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. She was pressured to water down her message, but instead, she delivered a moving speech that still resonates today. In it, she said women who are held back by sexist governments should be set free and heard. 

"If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights once and for all," Clinton said in the speech. "Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely — and the right to be heard."

Nora Ephron encouraged people to break the rules in her commencement address to Wellesley College in 1996.

While Nora Ephron is known for penning some of the most famous films in the '80s and '90s, she also made a legendary speech at the 1996 Wellesley College graduation ceremony . In it, she inspired women to break free of the mold placed on them. 

"Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there," Ephron said in the speech. "And I also hope you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women."

She also said, "Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim."

In 1977, Harvey Milk gave his "Give Them Hope" speech, urging people to celebrate their differences and to hold on to messages of hope.

When he was running for local office in California, Harvey Milk delivered his "Give Them Hope" remarks as a stump speech . It was meant to rally supporters behind him, but it quickly became a speech of hope and celebration for the LGBT community. 

"And the young gay people in Altoona, Pennsylvanias, and the Richmond, Minnesotas, who are coming out and hear Anita Bryant on television and her story. The only thing they have to look forward to is hope. And you have to give them hope," Milk said in his speech . "Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for a better place to come to if the pressures at home are too great. Hope that all will be all right. Without hope, not only are the gays, but the blacks, the seniors, the handicapped, the 'us-es.' The 'us-es' will give up."

• 8 inspirational speeches from Martin Luther King Jr. that aren't 'I Have a Dream'
• The most impactful event in every state that shaped US history
• 4 famous lines from legendary speeches that were made up on the spot
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• Main content

TOP 10 MOTIVATIONAL SPEECHES OF ALL-TIME

Motivational speeches are like the nuclear option for leaders. And they are typically a part of every good leaders toolkit. The motivational speech is a powerful tool that can be used to motivate and engage an audience into action and delivering a specific set of results. The motivational speech speaks directly to the hearts and minds people, cutting through the fluff and the inessential, to get right to the heart of the matter.

Having said that, chances are you’re here because you’re either looking for some good material to give your own motivational speech to fellow colleagues and team members. Or, you’re here looking to follow the path of self-leadership, by purposely listening to empowering motivational speeches to galvanize yourself into action. Despite the reason, one thing is for sure, you’re looking for the best motivational speeches of all-time, and you’ll find them here.

So, let’s dive in and see how much we can spur ourselves into action with these powerful motivational speeches:

Note: These motivational speeches are listed in order of lives touched, a.k.a. the amount of views they’ve managed to garner over the years. Our list starts from 10 and counts down to the #1 most watched speech.

10. Les Brown, “It’s Possible”

Year: 2014 – Views: 6.8 million

Setting: Les Brown is a legendary motivator, coach, author, and is considered one of the world’s most renowned motivational speakers. He’s given thousands of speeches all of the world, but this motivational speech is one of his most popular. The date for the video is the publication date of when Les added it to YouTube; however, the speech was likely given years before. That said, here’s one of our favorite quotes from his speech:

“Act on your dream as if your life depends on it. Why? Because it does.” – Les Brown

9. J.K. Rowling, “Harvard Commencement Speech”

Year: 2008 – Views: 7.5 million

Setting: J.K. Rowling is arguably one of the most popular and successful author’s in the world, who’s responsible for the famous book series; ‘Harry Potter’. Rowling gave this speech at a Harvard commencement ceremony on the benefits of failure and the importance of imagination. That said, her speech is still one of the most popular motivational speeches of all-time; which is why it’s made our list. Here’s our favorite quote from her speech:

“Rock bottom became a solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life”. – J.K. Rowling

8. Any Given Sunday, “Inches”

Year: 1999 – Views: 10.1 million

Setting: This “Inches” speech given by Al Pacino in the hit move ‘ Any Given Sunday ‘ is definitely one of the most powerful motivational speeches ever given in movie setting. Sure, there are other speeches in other movies that may give some competition, but this one hits hard, because it deals with more than just sports, it speaks to life.

Having said that, here’s our favorite motivational speech quote:

We’re in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me. And, we can stay here and get the sh** kicked out of us… or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell one inch at a time.” – Coach Tony D’Amato

7. Eric Thomas, “You Owe You”

Year: 2015 – Views: 11.7 million

Setting: Eric Thomas is an extremely popular motivational speaker, author, and educator who’s raw and no-nonsense message about what it takes to succeed in life has helped millions of people all over the world. In fact, this “You Owe You” speech, which he gave in one of his workshops in New Zealand, is his quintessential work. And it’s one of his most love speeches of all-time. Here’s our favorite quote from his speech:

“Become a victor, not a victim” – Eric Thomas

6. Rocky Balboa, “Sunshine and Rainbows”

Year: 2006 – Views: 20 million

Setting: This powerhouse speech is from “Rocky Balboa”, just one of the many great movies created as part of the inspiring Rocky series. Certainly there are other great speeches included in all of the other Rocky movies, but this one in particular is a masterpiece. that said, here’s our favorite line from this short but sweet motivational speech.

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.” – Rocky Balboa

5. Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Rules of Success”

Year: 2009 – Views: 31 million

Setting: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s classic “Rules of Success” speech was given at USC’s 2009 commencement speech. His speech is so popular, that it’s been chopped up and added to countless other motivational montages over the years, which are not included in the 31 million views Tally. That said, it is by far, one of Arnold’s greatest motivational speeches of all-time. Here’s are favorite line from his speech:

“I wanted to become a champion; I was on a mission. So rule number one is, of course, trust yourself, no matter how and what anyone else thinks.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

4. Mel Robbins, “How To Stop Screwing Yourself Over”

Year: 2011 – Views: 31.2 million

Setting: Mel Robbins  is a former lawyer who became a television host, then best-selling author, and now motivational speaker. She’s already sold millions of books, with her most famous being ‘The 5 Second Rule’. That said, this was one of her first motivational speeches which she gave at a Ted Talk, and before she became the success icon that she is today. Our favorite quote from this speech is the following:

“You wouldn’t hang out with people who talk to you the way you talk to yourself.” – Mel Robbins

3. Denzel Washington, ‘Put God First’

Year: 2015 – Views: 34 million

Setting: Denzel Washington is one of the most famous and highly respected actors in the world. With 60 different films under his belt, three Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and a Tony Award, people want to know what he has to say. So, in 2015 Denzel was invited to give a commencement speech at Dillard University. And it was a speech that would turn out to be one of best motivational speeches of all-time. Here’s our favorite line from his inspiring speech:

“Put God first in everything you do. Everything that you think you see in me. Everything that I’ve accomplished, everything that you think I have – and I have a few things. Everything that I have is by the grace of God. Understand that. It’s a gift.” – Denzel Washington

2. Steve Jobs, ‘Stanford Commencement Speech”

Year: 2005 – Views: 46 million

Setting: Steve Jobs  was the visionary founder and CEO of Apple. He pioneered the personal computer, founded a handful of other companies, and became a multi-billionaire before passing. That said, he was an inspiration to many, and in 2005 he was invited to give a commencement speech at Stanford. It was a speech that would just about break the internet. Here’s our favorite quote form this motivational speech:

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” – Steve Jobs

1. Admiral William H. McRaven, “Make Your Bed”

Year: 2014 – Views: 51 million

Setting: Admiral William H. McRaven served as the 9th commander of the United States Special Operations Command. In 2014, McRaven gave a commencement speech to UT Austin’s graduating class. His speech would go viral, leading it to become what is now one of the most viewed motivational speeches of all-time. Here’s our favorite quote from this powerful speech:

“If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power of one person, a Washington, a Lincoln, King, Mandela, and even a young girl from Pakistan, Malala, one person can change the world by giving people hope.” – Admiral William H. McRaven

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed our collection of what we believe to be (and which are supported by the numbers) the best motivational speeches of all-time. If this collection inspired you, please do us, and the world a favor, and the share the page with somebody. You never know who’s life you could touch or change with a few powerful words.

Till you reach your aims,

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The STRIVE is on a mission to inspire and uplift 1 billion people by 2032. Our primary aim is to help as many people as possible believe in the uncommon thought, that they can be more than they are, do more than they've done, and achieve more prosperity than they've ever dreamed possible. Let's achieve the impossible together.

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There’s one premise that all our efforts are based off of here at The STRIVE, and it’s that hard work pays off. We believe that going the extra mile, putting in the effort, working late nights, and grinding in those early waking hours all adds up. We believe it, because it does, and because we’ve observed this to be true in just about every success story we’ve studied.

So, to keep you inspired and faithful to the fact that hard work and maximum effort brings positive results, we’ve rounded up these powerful hard work pays off quotes. May they help you stick to the spirit that has helped created countless millionaires, success icons, pros, and superstars across the ages.

BEST HARD WORK PAYS OFF QUOTES

1. “At the end of the day, you put all the work in, and eventually it’ll pay off. It could be in a year, it could be in 30 years. Eventually, your hard work will pay off.” – Kevin Hart

2. “Hard work pays off — hard work beats talent any day, but if you’re talented and work hard, it’s hard to beat.” – Robert Griffin III

3. “Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.” – Colin Powell

4. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” – Tim Notke

5. “Hard work pays off if you’re patient enough to see it through.” – Michael Chandler

6. “The harder you work for something, the greater you’ll feel when you achieve it.” – Anonymous

7. “Your hard work might not pay off today or tomorrow, but it will eventually pay off.” – Sonya Parker

8. “ Self-belief and hard work will always earn you success.” – Virat Kohil

9. “I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true — hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.” – Ray Bradbury

10. “Hard work and determination equals success. Nothing comes easy. Put your mind to something.” – Kevin Hart

11. “Hard work pays off. The harder you work, the more people will notice.” – Sydney Sweeney

12. “The hard work definitely paid off and hard work always does.” – Gabby Douglas

13. “Hard word pays off later, laziness pays off now.’ – Anonymous

14. “The price of success: hard work, patience, and a few sacrifices.” – Edward Bok

15. “The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work.” – Harry Golden

16. “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” – Kevin Durant

17. “There is no easy way. There is only hard work, late nights, early mornings, practice, rehearsal, repetition, study, sweat, blood, toil, frustration, and discipline.” – Jocko Willink

18. “Hard work always pays off, whatever you do.” – Justin Lynch

19. “I always remind my kids that hard work pays off. That’s how I go to where I am right now because of sacrifice and the work I put into it.” – Dwayne Wade

20. “Hard work pays the best dividends.” – Atlas Rowe

21. “A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” – Colin Powell

22. “Hard work opens doors and shows the world that you are serious about being one of those rare – and special – human beings who use the fullness of their talents to do their very best.” – Robin Sharma

23. “Hard work pays off in the future but requires discomfort now. Laziness pays off now but guarantees discomfort in the future.” – Hal Elrod

24. “The road to success  is not easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive and passion, it’s possible to achieve the American dream.” – Tommy Hilfiger

25. “Work hard in silence, let success be your noise.” – Frank Ocean

26. “We are all great. No matter if you think you’re dumb, fat, been bullied, we all have greatness. You gotta find the courage. It’s going to be hard work, discipline, and the non-cognitive skills — hard work, dedication, sacrifice — that will set you apart. – David Goggins

27. “All roads that lead to success have to pass through hard work boulevard at some point.” – Eric Thomas

28. “Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God , you can live your dreams.” – Ben Carson

29. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pele

30. “Hard work works!” – Denzel Washington

31. “Product outweighs talent.’ – Master P

32. “With hard work and effort, you can achieve anything.” – Antoine Griezmann

33. “Great things come from hard work and perseverance.  No excuses. ” – Kobe Bryant

34. “If you do the work you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life.” – Michael Jordan

35. “Luck doesn’t exist, only hard work works.” – Serge Nubret

36. “If you believe hard work pays, and put in the time and effort that goes along with such a belief, success will surely follow.” – The STRIVE

37. “Nobody has the power to change the past, but we all have the power to change our future. Hard work pays off!” – Master P

38. “When you are willing to replace mundane excuses with hard work and your laziness with determination, nothing can prevent you from succeeding.” – Prem Jagyasi

39. “Hard work is the price we must pay for success.  I think you can accomplish anything if you’re willing to pay the price.” – Vince Lombardi

40. “Hard work creates champions .” – The STRIVE

41. “The road to success and greatness is always paved with consistent hard work.” – Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

42. “A lot of hard work is hidden behind nice things.” – Ralph Lauren

43. “Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds” – .Gordon B. Hinckley

44. “Preparation for tomorrow is hard work today.” – Bruce Lee

45. “Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.” – Conan O’Brien

46. “I strongly believe if you work hard, whatever you want, it will come to you.” – Beyoncé

47. “Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” – Peter Drucker

48. “Hard work increases the probability of serendipity.” – Ken Poirot

49. “If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” – Steve Jobs

50. “Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice.” – Henry Ford

51. “It takes many years to become an overnight success.” – Frank Sonnenburg

52. “People often ask me if I know the secret of success and if I could tell others how to make their dreams come true. My answer is, you do it by working.” – Walt Disney

53. “The common denominator for success is work.” – John D. Rockefeller

54.  “Work your ass off, there is no magic pill.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

55. “There is no substitute for hard work.” – Thomas Edison

56 . “Consistently doing the work while your competition takes the day off, slows down, stops and restarts is what puts you ahead by miles and millions in just a few short years.” – Bedros Keuilian

57. “You have four choices in life: 1. Wish for it. 2. Whine for it. 3. Pout about not having it. 4. Work for it. Only one give you results.” – Andy Frisella

58. “The only thing that follows work is results.” – Ray Lewis

59. “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” – Calvin Coolidge

Related: Work Hard and You Will Succeed

Bonus Hard Work Pays Quote

Bonus: Here’s one last quote related to hard work paying off. This one is without a doubt one of our favorites because it touches on the truth of hard work, which is that it does pay, but only after you’ve first made a down payment with effort.

“Life Grants Nothing To Us Mortals Without Hard Work.” – horace –

There you have it, our collection of the most motivating Hard Work Pays Off quotes. We hope they help you put your nose to the grindstone and get to work on bringing your dreams to life.

That said, if you enjoyed this collection of Hard Work Pays Off quotes, then you’ll definitely enjoy these powerful resources as well:

• Work Ethic Quotes
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• Hard Work and Success
• 10 Good Work Ethics

James Altucher  is a successful entrepreneur, savvy investor, and best-selling author who consistently inspires others to dream big, choose themselves, and aim for financial freedom. Considering the fact that he’s launched over 20 different companies and has become a multimillionaire in the process, he has much wisdom to share. As such, we’ve decided to publish the best James Altucher quotes we’ve come across that will inspire you dream big..

So, if you’re ready to see what kind of gems can be discovered from a few quotes by James Altucher, then let’s dive right in.

JAMES ALTUCHER QUOTES

1. “Anything worth getting good at is very hard and very unpleasant.” – James Altucher

2. “Insanity is trying to please the wrong people. Sanity is trying to please yourself.” – James Altucher

3. “If you try to get 1% better each day at your health, at your relationships and the way you treat people, at your creativity, and at turning despair into gratitude , then that 1% compounds into an amazing person.” – James Altucher

4. “The more mistakes you make the better you get.” – James Altucher

5. “You can’t succeed if you aren’t grateful for being given at least the chance to be something better than what you are now.” – James Altucher

6. “When the lights come on inside of you, everyone in the world can see a little better.” – James Altucher

7. “Almost every failure I know (and I know a lot) didn’t fail because they couldn’t make money. They are broke now because they couldn’t keep it.” – James Altucher

8. “Do what you do with love, and success is a natural symptom.” – James Altucher

9. “The only truly safe thing you can do is to try over and over again. To go for it, to get rejected, to repeat, to strive, to wish. Without rejection there is no frontier, there is no passion, and there is no magic.”

10. “Every day you reinvent yourself. You’re always in motion. But you decide everyday: forward or backward.” – James Altucher

11. “Luck is created by the prepared.” – James Altucher

12. “The best entrepreneurs try to take risk off the table as quickly as possible.” – James Altucher

13. “Honesty is the fastest way to prevent a mistake from turning into a failure.” – James Altucher

14. “Everything that has moved history happened because of listening instead of talking. Talking inspires. But listening creates the inspiration.” – James Altucher

15. “If we truly want to learn, we never learn when we are talking. We only learn when we are listening.” – James Altucher

16. “Being an entrepreneur, or having multiple sources of income is ultimately safer than having a job. But only if you use the job to get rid of, one by one, all the risks.” – James Altucher

17. “View a job as just one source of income among many.” – James Altucher

18. “Forget purpose. It’s okay to be happy without one. The quest for a single purpose has ruined many lives.” – James Altucher

19. “Do as many ideas as possible. The right idea will pick you.” – James Altucher

20. “Quantity and persistence will get you the outcomes you need.” – James Altucher

21. “No matter who you are, no matter what you do, no matter who your audience is: 30 percent will love it, 30 percent will hate it, and 30 percent won’t care. Stick with the people who love you and don’t spend a single second on the rest. Life will be better that way.” – James Altucher

22. “ Money you lose you can always make back. But even five minutes of time lost is gone forever.” – James Altucher

23. “Everyone is an entrepreneur. The only skills you need to be an entrepreneur: an ability to fail, an ability to have ideas, to sell those ideas, to execute on those ideas, and to be persistent so even as you fail you learn and move onto the next adventure.” – James Altucher

24. “The choices you make today will be your biography tomorrow.” – James Altucher

25. “The only predictor of a successful tomorrow is a successful today.” – James Altucher

Related: James Altucher Net Worth

Bonus James Altucher Quote

Bonus: Alright, here is one of our favorite James Altucher quotes. We believe that if you follow the wisdom in this quote, your life, business, can’t do anything but get better.

“You Only Get Better If You Lean In To The Uncomfortable.” – jameS ALTUCHER –

We hope you enjoyed these James Altucher quotes. Certainly, he has a ton more wisdom to share. So if you haven’t read any of his books or peered through his blog, do so, and you’ll be pleasantly surprise with the wealth of wisdom you find.

That said, if you liked these James Altucher quotes then you’ll probably enjoy these quotes from related influencers and success icons:

Kevin O’Leary Quotes | Codie Sanchez Quotes | Ray Dalio Quotes

Jen Sincero is an American writer, speaker, and motivational coach. She’s authored a number of New York Times bestselling books like You Are a Badass , and You Are A Badass at Making Money , as well as a few other inspiring books. No doubt, she is hellbent on helping people transform their lives, and getting motivated and rich in the process. As such, we’ve rounded up some of the best Jen Sincero quotes we could find to help you get motivated to upgrade your life and your finances.

So, if you’re ready to dive into some of Jen Sincero’s best quotes on personal transformation, living an awesome life, and becoming a money magnet, then let’s get to these quotes

BEST JEN SINCERO QUOTES TO HELP YOU UPGRADE YOUR LIFE AND YOUR MONEY

1. “You will experience whatever you believe. And you will believe whatever you repeatedly tell yourself is true.” – Jen Sincero

2. “If you’re serious about changing your life, you’ll find a way. If you’re not, you’ll find an excuse.” – Jen Sincero

3. “When we don’t master our minds, we risk building our lives on a foundation of fakakta.” – Jen Sincero

4. “Your life is your party. You get to choose how you invite people and experiences and things into it.” – Jen Sincero

5. “Love yourself.” – Jen Sincero

6. “We all have the ability, through our thoughts, to harness the power of the Universe.” – Jen Sincero

7. “You need to go from wanting to change your life to deciding to change your life.” – Jen Sincero

8. “What other people think about you has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.” – Jen Sincero

9. “Hang out with people who are kicking ass and who will make you feel like a giant loser if you’re not kicking ass, too.” – Jen Sincero

10. “Badassery comes to those who take risks.” – Jen Sincero

11. “Changing your habits and your boundaries takes courage, audacity, and a whole lot of self-love.” – Jen Sincero

12. “You will have good days, and you will have bad days; the key is to stay focused on the good and to forgive the bad.” – Jen Sincero

13. “Never apologize for who you are. It lets the whole world down.” – Jen Sincero

14. “We are all perfect in our own, magnificent, f***ed-up ways. Laugh at yourself. Love yourself and others. Rejoice in the cosmic ridiculousness.” – Jen Sincero

15. “Take care of yourself as if you’re the most awesome person you’ve ever met.” – Jen Sincero

16. “Surrendering is the free-falling backwards into the unknown and trusting that The Universe will catch you.” – Jen Sincero

17. “Trying to protect yourself from your fears protects you from experiencing a fully evolved and juicy life.” – Jen Sincero

18. “You cut yourself off from the supply of awesomeness when you are not in a state of gratitude.” – Jen Sincero

19. “Our thoughts become our words, our words become our beliefs, our beliefs become our actions, our actions become our habits, and our habits become our realities.” – Jen Sincero

20. “Deciding is freedom. Indecision is torture.” – Jen Sincero

21. “What you do in each tiny moment matters greatly. Shut up, slow down, breathe, connect to your higher self, and act with intention.” – Jen Sincero

22. “Say nice things about your body, dress it up, and take it out. Give it hot sex, luxurious baths, and massages. Move it, stretch it, nourish it, hydrate it, pay attention to it—The better our bodies feel, the happier and more productive we are.” – Jen Sincero

23. “Your reality is created by what you focus on and how you choose to interpret it.” – Jen Sincero

24. “Our emotions are the motivating kicks in the rear that alert our bodies that it’s time to take action and make a thought a physical reality.” – Jen Sincero

25. “When you love yourself enough to stand in your truth no matter what the cost, everyone benefits.” – Jen Sincero

26. “If you want to live a life you’ve never lived , you have to do things you’ve never done.” – Jen Sincero

27. “Most answers reveal themselves through doing, not thinking.” – Jen Sincero

28. “Wallowing in the pain and suffering isn’t going to help anyone, yourself included, any more than starving yourself will help the hungry.  If you want to help the world and yourself, keep your frequency high and do your work from a place of power and joy.” – Jen Sincero

29. “Your beliefs hold the key to your financial success.” – Jen Sincero

30. “Who you surround yourself with greatly affects how you see your world and how high you set the bar for yourself.” – Jen Sincero

31. “When you hang out with whiners, pessimists, tweakers, bleakers, freakers-outers and life-is-so-unfairers, it’s an uphill climb to keep yourself in a positive headspace.  Stay away from people with tiny minds and tiny thoughts and start hanging out with people who see limitless possibility as the reality.” – Jen Sincero

32. “What if you decided to do the most outrageous, most exciting thing you ever dared fantasize about, regardless of what anyone, including your terrified self, thought?  THAT would be living.” – Jen Sincero

33. “We only get to be in our bodies for a limited time, why not celebrate the journey instead of merely riding it out until it’s over?” – Jen Sincero

34. “You are a badass. You were one when you came screaming onto this planet and you are one now. The Universe wouldn’t have bothered with you otherwise. You can’t screw up so majorly that your badassery disappears. It is who you are. It’s who you always will be. It’s not up for negotiation.” – Jen Sincero

35. “You need to have a ten-ton gorilla of desire behind your decision or else you’ll wimp out the second things get hard.” – Jen Sincero

36. “You are perfect. To think anything less is as pointless as a river thinking that it’s got too many curves or that it moves too slowly or that its rapids are too rapid.” – Jen Sincero

37. “ The only failure is quitting . Everything else is just gathering information.” – Jen Sincero

38. “You faith in The Universe must be stronger than your fear of not getting what you want.” – Jen Sincero

39. “Decide to embody the identity that represents the desires in your heart.” – Jen Sincero

40. “You are responsible for what you say and do. You are not responsible for whether or not people freak out about it.” – Jen Sincero

41 . “It never ceases to amaze me the precious time we spend chasing the squirrels around our brains, playing out our dramas, worrying about unwanted facial hair, seeking adoration, justifying our actions, complaining about slow Internet connections, dissecting the lives of idiots, when we are sitting in the middle of a full-blown miracle that is happening right here, right now.” – Jen Sincero

42. “Nobody who ever accomplished anything big of new or worth raising a celebratory first in the air did it from their comfort zone.” – Jen Sincero

43. “All life is either moving forward and evolving or shrinking back and dying.  If you want to evolve in your own life, you have to push through the obstacles instead of running from them.  Obstacles and challenges are the agents of growth.” – Jen Sincero

44. “In order to kick ass you must first lift up your foot.” – Jen Sincero

45. “There’s nothing as unstoppable as a freight train full of fu**-yeah.” – Jen Sincero

46. “No one is you, that’s your superpower.” – Jen Sincero

47. “When you level-up your idea of what’s possible, and decide to really go for it, you open yourself up to the means to accomplish it as well.” – Jen Sincero

48. “One of the best things you can do to improve the world is to improve yourself.” – Jen Sincero

49. “The Universe responds to details. The Universe responds to energy. The Universe responds to badasses.” – Jen Sincero

50. “If you want to be happy, make others happy.” – Jen Sincero

51. “It’s all make-believe. Or rather, it’s all what we make ourselves believe.” – Jen Sincero

52. “Wake up in the morning and declare what it is that you’ll celebrate today.” – Jen Sincero

53. “You are loved. Massively. Ferociously. Unconditionally. The Universe is totally freaking out about how awesome you are. It’s got you wrapped in a warm gorilla hug of adoration. It wants to give you everything you desire. It wants you to be happy. It wants you to see what it sees in you.” – Jen Sincero

54. “So often, we pretend we’ve made a decision, when what we’ve really done is signed up to try until it gets too uncomfortable.” – Jen Sincero

55. “Habits define who you’re being at a certain moment in time; they’re not who you are.” – Jen Sincero

56. “ Trust your own gut , your own feelings, your own joy above all else.” – Jen Sincero

57. “What other people think about you has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.” – Jen Sincero

58. “The Universe will match whatever vibration you put out. And you can’t fool the Universe.” – Jen Sincero

59. “If you’re not excited, no one else is going to be.” – Jen Sincero

60. “When you change who you’re being, you begin seeing everything through new eyes.” – Jen Sincero

61. “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Jen Sincero

62. “Surround yourself with people who think the way you want to think.” – Jen Sincero

63. “You are responsible for what you say and do. You are not responsible for whether or not people freak out about it.” – Jen Sincero

64. “Give yourself permission and the means (yes, this includes the money ), to be who you are regardless of what anybody else thinks or believes is possible.” – Jen Sincero

65. “You’ll have to believe in things you can’t see as well as some things that you have full-on proof are impossible.” – Jen Sincero

66. “Perfectionism is just procrastination in a fancy outfit.” – Jen Sincero

67. “If you don’t invest, you’re not invested in yourself.” – Jen Sincero

68. “Taking risks is uncomfortable, but it’s the kind of discomfort that’s equal parts eeek! and hell yeah!” – Jen Sincero

69. “Relish the feeling of gratitude and the joy of being in the flow with money.” – Jen Sincero

70. “Decide to love yourself through all the trials and errors and false starts.” – Jen Sincero

71. “We’d rather do what’s expected of us that give ourselves permission to be, do, and have what feels good and right and awesome.” – Jen Sincero

72. “Boundaries are not rigid walls. They breathe and move with the complexities of life and the nuances of each situation.” – Jen Sincero

73. “Habitually setting good boundaries lays the groundwork for all other habits.” – Jen Sincero

74. “Your desires are your Universal Marching Orders, and there is no wrong outcome.” – Jen Sincero

75. “In order to truly raise your vibration, you’ve got to believe that everything you want is available to you.” – Jen Sincero

76. “If you want to get over your issues and rock your life, be grateful, look for the good and learn.” – Jen Sincero

77. “Faith is contagious.” – Jen Sincero

78. “You have to keep the faith, always, even when your ass is on the line.” – Jen Sincero

79. “All of Mother Nature’s creatures are designed to full flourish before they drop dead.” – Jen Sincero

80. “A healthy desire for wealth is not greed, it’s a desire for life.” – Jen Sincero

81. “Allow yourself to experience whatever your heart desires as if this is your one and only chance to take the ride of your life.” – Jen Sincero

82. “Your life, your choice.” – Jen Sincero

83. “Good boundaries are all about self-love.” – Jen Sincero

84. “All that matters is what’s true for you, and if you can stay connected to that without straying, you will be a mighty superhero.” – Jen Sincero

85. “One great way to make even the most ho-hum of habits something to look forward to is by attaching some sore of reward to it.” – Jen Sincero

86. “We’re so damn busy all the time we rarely take the time out to acknowledge our awesomeness.” – Jen Sincero

87. “Decisions are not up for negotiation.” – Jen Sincero

88. “It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve messed up, because your failures and face-plants are all part of your journey .” – Jen Sincero

89. “Don’t waste your precious time giving one single crap about what anybody else thinks of you.” – Jen Sincero

90. “You have the power and choice to become anybody you choose to become.” – Jen Sincero

91. “Sometimes the road to freedom lies in deciding you’d rather be happy than right.” – Jen Sincero

92. “When you succumb to fear, you are under the illusion that you can predict the future.” – Jen Sincero

93. “Our ‘realities’ are determined by how we habitually perceive ourselves and our worlds.” – Jen Sincero

94. “Habits. The easier you make it for them to show up, the more regularly they will.” – Jen Sincero

95. “Take big, audacious action in the direction of your dreams and do not let the fact that you’re wetting your pants stop you.” – Jen Sincero

96. “Own your nos.” – Jen Sincero

97. “Learn the language of no.” – Jen Sincero

98. “Being around inspired, visionary, enthusiastic people who are living their truths is one of the fastest ways to massively transform your life.” – Jen Sincero

99. “Oy the energy we waste lugging around the wet sandbag of guilt and resentment!” – Jen Sincero

100. “Trust that the Universe always delivers right on time.” – Jen Sincero

Bonus Jen Sincero Quote

Bonus: Here’s one last bonus Jen Sincero quote. We believe there is loads of truth behind this quote. So, ignore it at your own risk. Enjoy!

“On The Other Side Of Your Fear Is Freedom” – Jen Sincero – jen sincero –

Related: Jen Sincero Success Story

There you have it, the best of the best Jen Sincero quotes on success, money, habits, and having the right mindset. We hope they’ll inspire you to start living out that awesome and prosperous life that you deserve.

If you’ve yet to read any of her books, be sure to check at least one of them out. We don’t doubt that her wise words could be a game changer for you.

Note:  We’re reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission

With that said, please feel free to book mark this page, share one of her inspiring quotes, or comeback soon whenever you need a little bit of that unique inspiration and motivation that only Jen Sincero can provide.

Michael Jordan is considered by most, as the NBA’s greatest player of all-time, as a six-time NBA champion. and NBA Finals MVP. He’s also a savvy businessman who is the principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets, Nascar’s 23XI Racing, and has been a principal spokesman for iconic brands like Nike, Gatorade, Coca Cola, Wheaties, Hanes, and many others. In addition to this, he’s a billionaire. Needless to say, Jordan knows a thing or two about success and achievement; which is why we’ve pulled together this powerful collection of Michael Jordan quotes for success.

“Everybody Has Talent, But Ability Takes Hard Work.”

Our hope is that these quotes will give you more insight into the thinking process and mindset that has helped Michel Jordan become one of the most successful and popular people in history. We also hope they inspire you to dream bigger, work harder, and strive to achieve the impossible. So, if you’re ready to be inspired, let’s dive into these inspiring Michael Jordan quotes:

BEST MICHAEL JORDAN QUOTES FOR SUCCESS

1. “If you quit once it becomes a habit. Never quit !” – Michael Jordan

2. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan

3. “No matter how good you are, always keep working on your game.” – Michael Jordan

4. “Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.” – Michael Jordan

5. “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan

6. “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

7. “ Failure makes me work even harder.” – Michael Jordan

8. “If you do the work, you get rewarded. There are no shortcuts in life.” – Michael Jordan

9. “To be successful, you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don’t isolate.” – Michael Jordan 

10. “The key to success is failure.” – Michael Jordan

11. “They don’t need a ticket to watch you sitting on a bench. They can go to your house for that.” – Michael Jordan

12. “You can practice shoot eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.” – Michael Jordan

13. “My body could stand the crutches but my mind couldn’t stand the sideline.” – Michael Jordan

14. “I’ve never been afraid to fail.” – Michael Jordan

15. “It’s better to shoot and miss than to let time run out and wonder what if.” – Michael Jordan

16. “Once I made a decision, I never thought about it again.” – Michael Jordan

17. “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, and others make it happen.” – Michael Jordan

18. “The minute you get away from fundamentals–whether its proper technique, work ethic , or mental preparation–the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job, whatever you’re doing.” – Michael Jordan

19. “If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you will never change the outcome.” – Michael Jordan

20. “I’ve never lost a game. I just ran out of time.” – Michael Jordan

21. “My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.” – Michael Jordan

22. “I set another goal … a reasonable, manageable goal that I could realistically achieve if I worked hard enough. I approached everything step by step.” – Michael Jordan

23. “I hope the millions of people I’ve touched have the optimism and desire to share their goals and hard work and persevere with a positive attitude.” – Michael Jordan

24. “Work ethics eliminates fear.” – Michael Jordan

25. “If you put your mind to doing whatever it is you want to do, good things can happen.” – Michael Jordan

26. “People ask me if I could fly, I said, ‘yeah… for a little while.'” – Michael Jordan

27. “My advice is, find fuel in failure. Sometimes failure gets you closer to where you want to be.” – Michael Jordan

28. “Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.” – Michael Jordan

29. “I play to win, whether during practices or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.” – Michael Jordan

30. “ Heart is what separates the good from the great.” – Michael Jordan

31. “Winning isn’t always championships.” – Michael Jordan

32. “I built my talents on the shoulders of someone else’s talent.” – Michael Jordan

33. “My competitive drive is far greater than anyone else that I’ve met, and I thrive on that.” – Michael Jordan

34. “To learn to succeed, you must first learn to fail.” – Michael Jordan

35. “Learning is a gift, even when pain is your teacher!” – Michael Jordan

36. “There is no “I” in team but there is in win.” – Michael Jordan

37 . “I realized that if I was going to achieve anything in life I had to be aggressive. I had to get out there and go for it.” – Michael Jordan

38. “I want to be the bridge to the next generation.” – Michael Jordan

39. “Don’t let them drag you down by rumors, just go with what you believe in.” – Michael Jordan

40. “Everybody has talent, but ability takes hard work.” – Michael Jordan

41. “Be true to the game, because the game will be true to you. If you try to shortcut the game, then the game will shortcut you. if you put forth the effort, good things will be bestowed upon you. That’s truly about the game, and in some ways that’s about life too.” – Michael Jordan

42. “ Champions do not become champions when the win an event, but in the hours, weeks, and months, and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely a demonstration of their championship character.” – Michael Jordan

43. “I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.” – Michael Jordan

44. “Sometimes things may not go your way, but the effort should be there every single night.” – Michael Jordan

45. “It is easy to choose a path of anonymity and lead an empty life. But to strive hard and lead an impactful life, one needs a burning desire to realize dreams.” – Michael Jordan

46.  “You have to establish who you want to be in this life. Don’t be who they tell you you should be.” – Michael Jordan

47 . “My innate personality is to win at all costs. If I have to do it myself, I’m going to do it.” – Michael Jordan

48. “ Live the moment for the moment.” – Michael Jordan

49. “Enjoy every minute of life. Never second-guess life.” – Michael Jordan

50. “A loss is not a failure until you make an excuse.” – Michael Jordan

51. “My father used to say that it’s never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said you never know what you can accomplish until you try.” – Michael Jordan

52. “I’ve always been taught that to reach a goal in life that you want you have to work hard to get to it.” – Michael Jordan

53. “I had to start from the bottom and work my way up.” – Michael Jordan

54. “What motivates me is the unknown. Know one knows, they can all speculate but no one really knows and when you look at my career from high school all the way up through the pros. Know one knew what Michael was capable of you know? Myself, I didn’t know you know? But I didn’t let that stop me, and let that motivate me more so than anything. As long as it’s unknown, that means I have a chance, you know and that’s the way I pursued my whole career.” – Michael Jordan

55. “I’ve really set a standard for myself, which is normal, but then, you have to step it up another level to be above normal.” – Michael Jordan

56. “For a competitive junkie like me, Golf is a great solution because it smacks you in the face every time you think you’ve accomplished something.” – Michael Jordan

57. “When I play I play hard all the time, you know? There’s no turning on here and turning it off here, it’s just 110% at all times.” – Michael Jordan

58. “I never feel that I am at my best. I feel I still have room to improve, I still set goals for myself to strive for. I am never complacent with what I have achieved.” – Michael Jordan

59. “Sometimes you need to get hit in the head to realize that you’re in a fight.” – Michael Jordan

60. “If nobody will help you do it, do it alone.” – Michael Jordan

61. “I cannot accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan

62. “I practice as if I am playing the game.” – Michael Jordan

63. “Don’t be afraid to try. The worst thing that can happen, is it doesn’t pan out the way you envision it, but at least you know that by giving it a shot.’ – Michael Jordan

64. “Everything I’ve done in my life I’ve taken a chance at either succeeding at it or failing at it, but I’ve taken that chance. And I will not let the opportunity of failure stop me from doing something that I truly truly enjoy doing.” – Michael Jordan

65. “Sports is a tool that teaches.” – Michael Jordan

66. “Let your game be your promotion and marketing tool.” – Michael Jordan

67. “ Success doesn’t stop when you get there.” – Michael Jordan

68. “My best skill as that I was coachable. I was a sponge and aggressive to learn.” – Michael Jordan

69. “I play for the love of the game, not for the love of money.” – Michael Jordan

70. “The best come from the worst.” – Michael Jordan

71. “If I had been playing for money I would have complained a long time ago that I was underpaid.” – Michael Jordan

72. “It’s about work before glory, and what’s inside of you.” – Michael Jordan

73. “I’m a firm believer in goal setting. Step by step. I can’t see any other way of accomplishing anything.” – Michael Jordan

74. “No brain, no gain. Stay in school.” – Michael Jordan

75. “I believe greatness is an evolutionary process that changes and evolves era to era.” – Michael Jordan

Bonus Michael Jordan Quote

Bonus: Alright, here is one of our favorite Michael Jordan quotes. We added it as bonus, because we 100% stand behind it, and because we believe more people could achieve the success they are after if they’d just full embrace it. Enjoy!

“You Must Expect Great Things Of Yourself Before You Can Do Them.” – michael jordan –

Related: Michael Jordan Success Story

FINAL THOUGHTS

There you have it, the best of the best Michael Jordan quotes to help you find more success in life. If you wan to be like Mike, you have try and think like Mike, and more importantly, strive like Mike.

That said, we hope these quotes fired you up to want to push harder to achieve your goals and dreams.

Till you reach those aims,

PS – If you enjoyed these motivational Michael Jordan quotes, then you’ll definitely enjoy these inspiring Kobe Bryant quotes .

INSPIRING CALVIN COOLIDGE QUOTE ON PERSISTENCE TO HELP YOU PRESS ON

In honor of President’s Day, we thought we’d publish something about one of our favorite presidetns, Calvin Coolidge . Coolidge was the 30th President of the United States, and has been referred to as the best president you didn’t know about.

He has come to be known by his effective and fair governing while serving as President. Yet, he’s gained even more popularity in these modern times from his uttering of some of the most inspiring words about what it takes to succeed in the world. In fact, one of his most enduring and best known phrases has come to be known as the Coolidge Quote on Persistence.

Truth be told, Calvin Coolidge’s quote is so well known, that for many people, his name has just about become synonymous with the word, persistence.

So, what’s this quote all about? Well, the quote is about winning, it’s about what it takes to stay on the one true path to success. It’s about embracing the idea, that with enough persistence, anybody can, in due time, reach an astonishing level of success.

The Calvin Coolidge Quote

With that being said, here’s the famous Calvin Coolidge quote:

“Nothing In The World Can Take The Place Of Persistence. Talent Will Not; Nothing Is More Common Than Unsuccessful Men With Talent. Genius Will Not; Unrewarded Genius Is Almost A Proverb. Education Will Not; The World Is Full Of Educated Derelicts. Persistence And Determination Alone Are Omnipotent. The Slogan “Press On” Has Solved And Always Will Solve The Problems Of The Human Race.” – Calvin Coolidge

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.” – Calvin Coolidge

Printable Version: Calvin Coolidge Quote on Persistence

We believe this quote is extremely powerful and if embraced, can help just about anyone get their mind right about success . We know there are existing quote cards and canvas that can be purchased with this great quote on it, but we know not everyone has the budget to pay for them. So, we decided to create something that you that you can download as a screen saver or print off for free.

Once you’ve saved a version, you can simply print one off at home and put it next to your desk. Or you can take one to work. You can also save one and print it off at Walgreens or use Google photos to create a canvas. The options are endless.

The most important thing, is just getting a copy of one in front of you to give you a nudge when you need it. Once you’ve done that, feel free to set the image as your wallpaper for daily motivation .

With that being said, here is a great printable/downloadable Coolidge Quote on Persistence:

Hopefully this download will keep you motivated to stick to your dreams and lofty goals long enough to realize them.

Lastly, if you like this quote as much as we do, and you believe it speaks truth, and can help others, please consider sharing this page.

Alright, there you have it, the extremely popular Calvin Coolidge Quote on Persistence, and a free printable and downloadable version you can use to remind yourself of the importance of this ultimate key to success.

We hope you take this quote to heart, like we do. But more importantly we hope you come to appreciate the power of persistence and apply it daily until you reach your aims.

Until then,

PS – If you enjoyed this resource on the famous Calvin Coolidge Quote on Persistence, then you’ll love these powerful collection of Persistence Quotes .

Motivation is that driving force that helps us achieve our goals, and when we insert a bit of boldness into that drive; watch out world! So, if you’re looking for some powerful words to fire you up to be fearless for what you want, words that will move you into taking bold action, then this page is for you.

We’ve rounded up the most empowering fearless motivation quotes to embolden to be brave, take more action, and pounce on those with the savagery they deserve. With that being said, if you’re ready for some fearless motivation let’s dive in:

Best Fearless Motivation Quotes

1. “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan

2. “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it ; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

3. “Fortune favors the bold.” – Virgil

4. “The greatest fear in the world is of the opinions of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd you are no longer a sheep. You become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart. The roar of freedom.” – Osho

5. “You don’t have to be fast. But you’d better be fearless.” – Christopher McDougall

6. “Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack.” – Seneca

7. “Don’t focus on what you think you deserve. Take aim at what you are willing to earn.” – David Goggins

8. “Do one thing everyday that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

9. “Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action.” – Benjamin Disraeli

10. “A lion sleeps in the heart of every brave man.” – Turkish Proverb

11. “Your largest fear, carries you greatest growth.” – James Allen

12. “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” – Roy T. Bennett

13. “If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it.” – Elon Musk

14. “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”  –  Dale Carnegie

15. “Whatever you want to do, go do it.” – Ray Lewis

16. “Fate loves the fearless.” – James Russell Lowell

17. “He who is brave is free.” – Seneca

18. “The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.” – Tacitus

19. “The devil whispers, “You can’t withstand the storm.” The Warrior replied, “I am the storm.” – Unknown

20. “Don’t limit your challenges; challenge your limits.” – Tony Robbins

21. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin

22. “The secret to happiness is freedom…  And the secret to freedom is courage .” – Thucydides

23. “Become fearless, and the world becomes your oyster.” – Atlas Rowe

24. “The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.” – Tacitus

25. “Don’t fear failure. — Not failure, but low aim is the crime. In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail.”  – Bruce Lee

26. “Follow your bliss, and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” – Joseph Campbell

27. “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” –  Steve Jobs

28. “Risk little, Receive little.  Risk much, receive much!” – The STRIVE

29. “I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” – Fearless Motivation Quote

30. “Your doubts create mountains. Your actions move them.”  –  Mel Robbins

31. “Real lions like to hunt. They love the process just as much as they love the prize.” – Eric Thomas

32. “Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

33. “Mental toughness is spartanism with qualities of sacrifice, self-denial, dedication. It is fearlessness, and it is love.” – Vince Lombardi

34. “I’m not afraid of dying, I’m afraid of not trying.” – Jay Z

35. “Dreams are for the dreamers, goals are for achievers.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

Bonus Fearless Motivation Quote

Bonus Quote: All right, out of all of these fearless motivation quotes, this one says it all. It conveys the one truth that we must all come to embrace if we want to reach our goals and make meaningful change….

“Words Can Inspire But Only Action Creates Change.” – simon sinek –

There you have it, the best of the best motivational quotes to inspire the fearlessness that resides within you. We hope these quotes move you to take some bold new steps towards achieving your true potential.

PS – If you enjoyed this collection of fearless motivation quotes, then you’ll likely also enjoy these empoweriing quotes to help you become fearless .

50+ MOTIVATIONAL ZIG ZIGLAR QUOTES TO HELP YOU REACH THE TOP

Zig Ziglar was one of America’s most renowned public figures in the science of human potential. He was especially sought after in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s as a highly influential author and motivational speaker. And his timeless success insights and wise anecdotes encouraging people to take responsibility for positively transforming their lives has made him extremely popular amongst high achievers the world over.

“If You Can Dream It, You Can Achieve It.”

Thus, to honor the relentless encouragement and belief that Zig Ziglar had in everyone’s potential, we’ve pulled together these powerful Zig Ziglar quotes. May they help you realize, and believe , as Zig Ziglar intended, that if you can dream it, you can achieve it.

50+ Best Zig Ziglar Quotes to Help You Get to The Top

1. “Regardless of your “lot” in life you can build something solid on it.” – Zig Ziglar

2. “Man was designed for accomplishment, engineered for success and endowed with the seeds of greatness .” – Zig Ziglar

3. “In your hands you hold the seeds of failure – or the potential for greatness.” – Zig Ziglar

4. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar

5. “ Action is the manifestation of learning. Just as “faith” without works is dead, learning without action isn’t learning.” – Zig Ziglar

6. “The person who won’t read is no better off than the person who can’t read.” – Zig Ziglar

7. “If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re scarce. If you go out to  be  a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.” – Zig Ziglar

8. “ Success is not a destination, it’s a journey, it’s the direction in which you are traveling.” – Zig Ziglar

9. “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” – Zig Ziglar

10. “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar

11. “You can get everything in life you want, if you help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar

12. “It’s true, you can get what you want instead of having to want what you have. Success is easy if you believe .” – Zig Ziglar

13. “People often say motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar

14. “It’s all right to get money – lots of it – as long as you get it the right way and you don’t let the money get you.” – Zig Ziglar

15. “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.” – Zig Ziglar

16. “No one on the face of this earth can make you feel inferior without your permission.” – Zig Ziglar

17. “People don’t buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons.” – Zig Ziglar

18. “The major difference between the big shot and the little shot is – the big shot is just a little shot who kept on shooting.” – Zig Ziglar

19. “Your rewards in life are due more to your behavior than to your birth.” – Zig Ziglar

20. “Success is easy – once you believe.” – Zig Ziglar

21. “There has never been a statue erected to honor a critic.” – Zig Ziglar

22. “When you are tough on yourself , life is going to be infinitely easier on you.” – Zig Ziglar

23. “The most practical, beautiful, workable philosophy in the world won’t work – if you won’t.” – Zig Ziglar

24. “The more you are grateful for what you have the more you will have to be grateful for.” – Zig Ziglar

25. “ No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else.” – Zig Ziglar

26. “A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.” – Zig Ziglar

27. “You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” – Zig Ziglar

28. “ Confidence is the hand-maiden of success.” – Zig Ziglar

29. “A goal casually set and lightly taken is freely abandoned at the first obstacle.” – Zig Ziglar

30. “A goal properly set is halfway reached.” – Zig Ziglar

31. “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” – Zig Ziglar

32. “The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want right now.” – Zig Ziglar

33. “Rich people have small TVs and big libraries, and poor people have small libraries and big TVs.” – Zig Ziglar

34. “What you get by reaching your goals is not nearly as important as what you become by reaching them.” – Zig Ziglar

35. “What we can and must do is learn the rules well and then play them to the best of our ability.” – Zig Ziglar

36. “Time can be an ally or an enemy. What it becomes depends entirely upon you, your goals, and your determination to use every available minute.” – Zig Ziglar

37. “Your business is never really good or bad ‘out there’. Your business is either good or bad right between your own two ears.” – Zig Ziglar

38. “The greatest source of happiness is the ability to be grateful at all times.” – Zig Ziglar

39. “If you don’t plan your time, someone else will help you waste it.” – Zig Ziglar

40. “Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation.” – Zig Ziglar

41. “Be helpful when you see a person without a smile, give them yours.” – Zig Ziglar

42. “There will always be people in your life who treat you wrong. Be sure to thank them for making you strong.” – Zig Ziglar

43. “Money isn’t the most important thing in life, but it’s reasonably close to oxygen on the ‘gotta have it’ scale.” – Zig Ziglar

44. “F-E-A-R has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise.’ The choice is yours.” – Zig Ziglar

45. “ Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.” – Zig Ziglar

46. “If you are not willing to learn, no on can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.” – Zig Ziglar

47. “When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there.” – Zig Ziglar

48. “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” – Zig Ziglar

49. “Stop selling. Start helping.” – Zig Ziglar

50. “If you want to earn more, learn more.” – Zig Ziglar

51. It makes no difference where you go, there you are. And it makes no difference what you have, there’s always more to want. Until you are happy with who you are, you will never be happy because of what you have.” – Zig Ziglar

52. Look back in forgiveness, forward in hope, down in compassion, and up with gratitude.” – Zig Ziglar

53. “The greatest of all mistakes is to do nothing because you think you can only do a little.” – Zig Ziglar

54. “When your image improves, your performance improves.” – Zig Ziglar

55. Put all excuses aside and remember this: You are capable.” – Zig Ziglar

Bonus Zig Ziglar Quote

Bonus: Here is our last and final bonus quote. We saved it for last, as it is our favorite among all of these Zig Ziglar quotes. Why? Because if more people believed this one little thing, more people would push through the temporary failures everyone faces on the the road to success.

“Remember That Failure Is An Event, Not A Person.” – zig ziglar –

There you have it, the best of the best Zig Ziglar motivational quotes to help you live a little better and find a lot more success in life. We hope at they very least, they help you believe once and for all that you can be, do, and have more in this life.

So, embrace these words, and use them to create your own philosophy of success. And when you do, we’re sure, we’ll see you… at the top.

Till next time,

PS – Zig Ziglar influenced an estimated quarter of a billion individuals through his 33 published books, including his best selling book  See You at the Top , which sold millions of copies. If you’ve yet to read his book See You at the Top , we highly recommend it .

Note: We are reader supported, as such, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you decided to buy any products through the link above.

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30 Famous and Short Inspirational Speeches (5 minutes or less)

• December 13, 2023

This post is all about the best short inspirational speeches.

If you are in need of a quick boost of inspiration and motivation, you will find that in this post. I am one of those people who loves to get motivated. That sounds weird, right?

Well, a lot of people these days tend to give motivation a hard time because they don’t believe that it has lasting effects. In other words, they believe that what’s most important is your own self-discipline, because that’s what you have to rely on when motivation isn’t there.

And while I do agree with that sentiment in general, I will never pass up a great motivational podcast or YouTube video! 😀 There’s just something about them that even if they might not have lasting effects, they do truly help pump me up in the moment to get work done. And that’s usually what matters to me the most when I am looking for them in the first place.

So, here are the very best short motivational speeches so you can get that quick fix of motivation that you’re looking for, and ultimately move closer to your goals and dreams.

Short Inspirational Speeches

Believe in yourself speeches.

If you lack confidence or you are doubting yourself, these short motivational speeches will help you to believe in yourself again.

1. Rocky’s Inspirational Speech to His Son | ROCKY BALBOA

In less than 5 minutes, you’ll watch Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) explain to his son that if he wants to have the life he desires, he needs to believe in himself. He needs to stop listening to the people that tell him who he is, and instead go be his own person, and stop looking for someone to blame when things aren’t working out for him because ultimately it’s on HIM. This is one of the greatest inspirational speeches of all time.

2. Find Your Purpose | David Goggins – Motivational Speech

David Goggins is truly incredible. A former Navy SEAL, he has broken records and ran more races than you’d imagine. But the one thing that really stands out about him is his mindset.

Listen to this video if you want to be great. He tells you exactly what you need to do to get there.

Also, if you’ve never read David Goggins’ book “Can’t Hurt Me” , I highly recommend it. He talks about his rough upbringing, and how he was able to essentially become an entirely new person to become a Navy SEAL.

3. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF – Motivational Video (ft. Jaret Grossman & Eric Thomas)

This video is all about how important it is to have the proper belief system. If you truly believe that you are one of the best, you will start acting that you are one of the best, and eventually you may just be one of the best.

4. DON’T LET YOUR DREAMS DIE – Motivational Speech

This YouTube short by Mel Robbins is so good, I had to share it. A light bulb went on in my head when I first watched this. If there is something that is always on your mind, don’t let it haunt you forever because you never put yourself out there to try it. Go and DO!

Motivational Speeches About Not Giving Up

The following short motivational speeches are all about not giving up on your dreams. If you are losing hope, these short motivational speeches will inspire you to keep going.

5. Brené Brown It’s Not The Critic Who Counts

This speech will give you chills, and it is packed with great lessons about life. Brené Brown is a researcher who went viral for a Ted Talk, and here she talks about how to overcome critics and to keep believing in yourself no matter what. If you are worried about what people think of you, you NEED to watch this.

6. Amazing Motivational Speech by Denzel Washington 

This is another video that gave me chills. The main theme of this famous speech is “ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship”. Stay consistent even when it’s hard. Easy task after easy task won’t get you to where you want to be.

7. Steve Harvey – Inspirational Speech | Motivational Short Video | Incredible You

This short motivational speech by Steve Harvey is short but impactful. If you are someone who stepped out of your comfort zone to pursue something really difficult, and you’re thinking about giving up, this speech may just prevent you from doing so.

8. Ed Mylett on The Power of One More

Ed Mylett shares the story of how his father stayed sober until his dying day, and how Ed himself uses that same philosophy to never give up. Personal stories like these are always the most inspiring.

By the way, if you REALLY want to push yourself and become the best, read Ed Mylett’s most recent book on this same topic, “The Power Of One More” .

Motivational Speeches If You’re Feeling Behind

Are you feeling behind in life? If so, let’s change that. Watch these videos to be reminded that you are on your own unique path. You have no competition other than your past self. These short motivational videos will help you believe that.

9. Before You Feel Pressure – WATCH THIS | by Jay Shetty

Jay Shetty talks to a school class about how there’s no one “perfect” life timeline to follow, and that we are all on our own clock. 

10. Kevin Hart Motivational Speech

If you’ve made mistakes in your life (haven’t we all) this is a great story from Kevin Hart (famous comedian and actor) that will remind you of the power of making mistakes and pushing through hard times.

11. Oprah Winfrey | 5 Minutes For The NEXT 50 Years of Your LIFE

In this video, Oprah talks about the importance of really knowing who you are and what you want in your life. She talks about surrounding yourself with great people, and how to have enormous success. “Let excellence be your brand.”

Listen To These If You Need Perspective

Sometimes in life, we get so caught up in the day to day that we forget what truly matters – the people we love. If you are having trouble with something in life, give these videos a listen, because they just might help you realize what is really important.

12. Arnold Schwarzenegger – Organize Your Day | 1 MINUTE MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO

Are you the kind of person who always complains that you don’t have enough time to do something? If so, you’re not alone. We are all busy humans, running around doing a million things. But if you aren’t prioritizing what you know you should be doing, listen to this video.

13. How to Judge Your Life Using 3 Simple Questions | Brendon Burchard Speech| Goalcast

Have you ever heard of Mortality Motivation? It’s essentially what it sounds like… being motivated by the impending reality of your death. It sounds a little morbid, but it’s actually quite beautiful and it can be really beneficial if you harness it for good.

In this video by motivational speaker Brendon Burchard, he shares how a car accident when he was 19 gave him mortality motivation and changed everything for him.

14. FALL, SUFFER AND LEARN | MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH BY OPRAH WINFREY

This speech by Oprah was given to Harvard graduates, and it’s a unique speech because she talks about failing, even after the major success of her television show for over 20 years.

It’s refreshing to hear that even the most successful people fail. What really matters, though, is what you do with your failure. Do you learn from it and move on? Or do you give up?

15. YOU VS YOU – Best Motivational Video

This is a pretty intense video about competition. If your #1 competition is someone else, you need to change your perspective. Your only competition is YOU. The only thing preventing you from moving forward is you.

16. The Speech That Brought This Entire School To Tears

This is a speech about a man who never really paid much attention to his mother, until she passed away. It’s an emotional reminder to cherish the time you have with your loved ones, because you never know if the next time you see them will be the last time.

In my opinion, this speaker embodies many qualities of the best motivational speakers because he really knows how to capture the audience’s attention and pull on their heart strings.

17. 5 Minutes to Start Your Day Right! – MORNING MOTIVATION

This motivational speech is by a Navy SEAL who will remind you to start each day with a task completed, respect everyone, take risks, step up during tough times, and never give up. If you do these things, the next generation, and the generations that follow, will live better lives than we live today.

18. The Real You – Jim Carrey

This video is one of the best motivational speech examples because it reminds you of something so important: sometimes we can be so focused on earning more money, gaining fame, and becoming admired that we lose ourselves or we lose sight of what’s really important to us in the process.

Jim Carrey talks about how he is a great example of that. He got all of the money, fame, and admiration, and admits that that wasn’t really who he was. Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded that money and fame, or even getting to the top of the corporate ladder, while nice, aren’t going to be the thing that brings you fulfillment when it’s all said and done.

19. Ed Mylett Motivational Speech

I posted another motivational video by Ed Mylett above, but if you don’t know much about him, prepare to have your world rocked. He’s probably my absolute favorite motivational speaker because he is successful and he works hard, but he’s also (seemingly) a kind, family guy who’s been through a few things.

In this video, he talks about being “the one” that changed his family tree. Take a listen because I’m sure it’ll get you thinking on whether or not you can be “the one” in YOUR family.

P.S. If you love personal growth content, you should check out Ed Mylett’s podcast . I listen to it every week and it is one of my favorites.

20. If You Feel LOST, LAZY & UNMOTIVATED In Life, WATCH THIS! | Tony Robbins Motivation

If you are someone who is constantly blaming others or your circumstances for your unhappiness, you need to listen to this video by Tony Robbins . Bad things happen to us all, it’s up to you to focus on what you can control.

Great Inspirational Speeches About Hard Work

How hard do you think you work? Could you be doing more? If there’s a little voice inside of your heart that knows you could be doing more and better, these motivational videos about the value of hard work will help you push yourself.

And a side note: your chances of having good luck increase the harder and longer you work.

21. You’re Not Tired, You’re Just Weak – David Goggins Motivation

If you’re feeling lazy or like you don’t want to do something, watch this video til 2:25 . It will give you the push you need to put your head down and do the work. It’ll remind you to keep pursuing your goals and to keep challenging yourself. Key takeaway: push yourself beyond your perceived limits.

22. Hard Work & Patience – A Gary Vaynerchuk Original Film

If you want to be motivated to work hard, listen to Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary Vaynerchuk is a creative genius known for his marketing tactics. This famous motivational speech is all about playing “the long game”, as in, working for a long time and having patience instead of working hard for a short period of time and expecting to win quickly.

23. OBSESSION – Best Motivational Speech

This is one of my favorite short motivational speeches because it makes me feel a little more normal for being “weird”. I’m the kind of person who chooses to work on the weekends instead of hanging out with people. Crazy, right? But it’s because I’m working toward a dream of mine and it’s something that’s really important to me. The most important thing to remember: it’s okay to devote yourself to something. It’s the only way to get what you want in life.

24. WORK LIKE HELL – Best Motivational Video

This is a series of motivational speeches about doing a little bit more and outworking your competition. I’m not going to lie – I’m up late writing this post and listening to this very video is what’s motivating me to keep going.

25. The video EVERY woman should watch!

Whether or not you’re a Rachel Hollis fan may be up for debate (and that’s okay!) but I happen to think she’s a great motivational speaker. This entire speech will inspire you to work hard and take massive action – today.

26. NEVER SURRENDER – Powerful Motivational Speech (by Kobe Bryant)

This one minute video by the late Kobe Bryant is one of the most famous short speeches. I read a book recently by his former personal trainer and I learned that Kobe really outworked everyone. He talks about a quote in this video that really stuck with him, and I think it’s great advice if you’re the kind of person who needs motivation to keep working hard.

Motivational Speeches About Working Smart

Have you ever heard the saying “work smarter, not harder”? That saying is all about ensuring that the work you are doing is actually efficient. Are you getting to where you want to go with all of the work that you are putting in? Are you getting closer to your goals and your dreams? Or are you sprinting like a hamster on a wheel and just running in circles?

Here are great videos on the importance of working hard but also working intentionally.

27. SET SYSTEMS RATHER THAN GOALS – Motivational Speech – James Clear

A goal gives you a sense of direction, but if you don’t spell out precisely how you are going to get to a goal, it is useless. You must develop systems. Listen to this James Clear video to gain valuable life lessons.

By the way, James Clear is an author who wrote perhaps my favorite book of all time: “Atomic Habits” . It’s life-changing if you haven’t read it yet.

28. Matthew McConaughey | 5 Minutes for the NEXT 50 Years of Your LIFE

This is one of the best motivational speeches of all time about how to live a great life for YOU. It’s filled with little pieces of wisdom that’ll really get you thinking about how you live your life and in what direction you want to go.

29. Visualization is the key – Bob Proctor

Do you believe in the Law of Attraction? If not, I have to say I’m surprised! I’ve experienced it in my own life more than once, and it is incredibly powerful. Here’s a great video that sums up the power of visualization, and if you want to learn more about the Law of Attraction or manifestation in general, read this post .

This video shows the true power of words, thoughts, and feelings that you have.

30. How to Stay Motivated – Carla Harris

Here is a YouTube short with very practical advice from Carla Harris on HOW to stay motivated. It’s all about having a vision!

This post was all about short inspirational speeches. Which one was your favorite?

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About Taylor

A few years after graduating college, Taylor made it her mission to become debt free. After paying off all $60k of debt, she began to blog about what she's really passionate about: personal development. Nowadays, Taylor blogs about the topics of Mindset, Money, Health, and Career for women.

"It's Per$onal" is a super popular and anonymous blog series about the personal lives and finances of women all over the world. Check it out!

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Crafting a Message That Inspires: 7 Tips for Giving a Motivational Speech

• Carolyn Manion Kinnie
• March 16, 2024

Table of Contents

We talk a lot about the business side of speaking on The Speaker Lab blog. That’s because the business side is really important–and something you won’t get a lot elsewhere. But we’re here to help you with all aspects of professional speaking–not just marketing, lead generation, and building your speaker website . Do you need some tips for how to give a motivational speech ? Not just any motivational speech, but a great motivational speech? We’ve got those for you. 

Here are seven tips for how to give a motivational speech that you can start applying right now. As you get ready to deliver your next talk, you can use these tips as a checklist to help your words make the greatest impact. As always, we’ve linked other resources to dig deeper into each of these topics. You can also check out our founder Grant Baldwin’s book The Successful Speaker which has a whole section on preparing and delivering your talk! 

1. Practice

Practicing your speech might seem obvious. All the same, in case you trust too much in your ability to improv a motivational keynote we’re going to chat a bit about it. You may have heard the phrase “practice makes perfect,” but we’re not about that. Don’t worry about practice making perfect–your talk does not, in fact, need to be perfect. We like to say practice makes peaceful instead. Being well-prepared is one of the best ways to calm your nerves and keep any last minute panic from interfering with your talk. 

Practicing is key, but memorizing your speech down to the letter shouldn’t be the goal. Instead, focus on internalizing your key arguments. Once you’re comfortable with those, you can change up the “filler” content with each delivery. This kind of non-memorization practice is really helpful when you deliver the same talk to different audiences. Imminent circumstances or different contexts might make it necessary to adjust your talk slightly to suit your audience. When you know all your main points through and through, you can rearrange them more easily, and if inspiration strikes you in the moment you don’t have to worry about messing up the flow of your talk. 

The best way to practice is to read your talk out loud. Start by reading it all the way through start to finish a few times to get a sense for the flow of your argument. Make changes as necessary if you notice any confusing transitions, non-sequiturs, or too much extraneous info. Then, go through your talk section by section, paragraph by paragraph. This is where you exhaustively internalize work of every point, story, joke, and transition. Once you feel prepared to deliver the talk from memory, try to video record yourself rehearsing so you can analyze your facial expressions, gestures, and pacing.

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2. Tell Stories

We harp on this one a lot. But storytelling is just that important. Stories are one of the most powerful ways to connect with your audience and make your point come alive. 

There are five storytelling strategies you can follow to help you master how to give a motivational speech. These strategies come straight from a podcast episode we did with speaker and coach Mike Pacchione.  

• Prime your audience. Storytelling is most effective when you have your audience’s full attention. Before you dive in, tell your audience that’s what’s about to happen. This could mean simply saying: “hey, I’ve got a story!” Or you can use a longer lead-in, like “something crazy happened to me once that illustrates this point. I’m going to tell you about it.” Once you say that, people pay attention. You don’t want to get started on your story while your audience is still trying to catch up to what you were talking about a minute before. 
• Use vivid details. Telling a story in itself doesn’t make your talk interesting. Use vivid details to help the story come alive for your audience. Try to keep them relevant though. If a detail doesn’t matter, your audience will fixate on it and be distracted from what matters. 
• Describe one of your characters in a sentence. This is really important for helping your audience really visualize what you’re talking about. Describe one character with one sentence about one trait. (You can describe more if the story calls for it, but only one is really necessary for helping your audience follow along). 
• Have a “tension” that gets released. Working backwards from the point you want to make, look at how your story fits into your overall message. Then, build up suspense, introduce a problem in need of solving, or utilize other “tension” in the story. This strategy serves a twofold goal. First of all, it keeps your audience on the edge of their seat waiting for what happens next! Secondly, the resolution should illuminate why the story is relevant to your talk. You want an “aha” moment– now they see what it’s all about!
• Declare the lesson learned in ten words or less. Whether you’re talking to 50 or 5,000, someone will inevitably zone out during your story. Wrap things up with a quick recap of what your listeners should take away before you move on with your talk. That way, if they missed the interesting part, they still get the requisite information. 

We have a few other podcast episodes about how to master storytelling here , here , and here . There’s no way out of it–storytelling is key when it comes to giving a motivational speech. 

3. Use humor 

Audiences love funny speakers. Humor is one of the easiest ways to draw your audience back into your talk. If you lose their attention, cracking a joke will often capture it again. Humor breaks the ice, defuses tension, and endears you to your audience. Unfunny speakers often come across as boring. Humor is a great fallback if you trip onstage or the mic stops working. If you’re not good at coming up with jokes, try to find ways to incorporate humorous side remarks, facial expressions, or gestures that make your audience laugh without demanding too much energy from you. 

It’s important to use humor that is well-fitted both to your niche and your audience. If you travel a lot for speaking engagements, that means doing some research about where you’re speaking and what they’re known for. Cracking a joke about Old Bay will go over well in Maryland but might leave a West Coast audience perplexed if not yawning. And we cannot stress this enough–avoid anything that might be considered offensive. If you have any doubt as to whether your audience will find something funny or inappropriate, go with a “safe” joke instead.

4. Close and open loops

This is one of our founder Grant Baldwin’s strategies for how to give a motivational speech that keeps your audience really engaged. Closing and opening loops helps your audience follow your argument and stay attentive. If you just rush into your talk making point after point, your audience might forget what you’ve already said or fail to make connections between parts of your speech. 

When you open a loop, you raise a question to which your audience wants to stick around and hear the answer. Closing that loop gives your audience closure, reminds them of what you’ve said already, and helps them connect the dots. Telling a story of which the meaning only becomes clear later on, for example, opens and closes a loop. So does saying “remember this–it will come in handy!” when you introduce a statistic, graph, or data point. Or you can hype up something that hasn’t happened yet: “in a few minutes, I’ll tell you _____.” Just make sure you close every loop you open!  

5. Involve your audience

Some of the best motivational speakers are those who use unorthodox but memorable means to engage with their listeners. Some ideas we have discussed on our podcast include magic, games, or using props in unexpected ways. Since your audience wants to make sure they catch what happens next, they’ll start paying attention (like when you start a joke, they listen for the punchline). Asking for a show of hands, leading a (serious or humorous) mental or physical exercise, and encouraging your audience to talk to those around them are all ideas for interaction.  

Involving your audience is a fun chance to think outside the box and do things that other speakers don’t do. Ideally, your audience will have a good time, really engage with the content of your talk, and remember what you have to say. We’ve had successful speakers come onto our podcast to share how they use everything from magic tricks to pop quizzes to interact with their audience in meaningful ways. 

6. Excel at your Q&A

Learning how to give a motivational speech goes beyond the speech itself. As we’ve discussed many times, you are the brand of your motivational speaking business. That means that how you handle your Q&A can affect the impact of your talk. 

Many motivational speakers dread the Q&A period. You can prepare, practice, and even perfect your speech to the best of your ability, but lose your presence of mind when someone asks a weird question. Though it’s tempting, you can’t count on planting allies at intervals in the auditorium who promise to ask questions that you give them in advance. Figuring out how to deal with questions of all kinds on the fly is part of becoming a good motivational speaker . 

Keep all your answers short and ask audience members to raise their hands before they say anything. This will start things off in an orderly and timely fashion. If an audience member rambles or gets off track, don’t feel shy about interrupting! You’re the one getting paid to speak. Gently redirect or restate the question, give your answer, and move on. It’s never a bad idea to say “I don’t know off the top of my head, but you can email me later” and share an easy way to contact you. 

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7. Win over your audience off the stage.

Interacting with people before and after your talk can make them more agreeable to what you say onstage. At big conferences, there are usually built-in opportunities like cocktail hours or welcome receptions that fulfill this purpose. In the absence of those events, small tweaks to your schedule can go a long way toward winning over your audience. You might be able to hang out during the half hour before your talk, introducing yourself and chatting with people as they walk in. By the time you go onstage, you’ll have a few friends and allies in the audience already. 

We recommend when possible to make yourself available for questions and conversations after your talk. Is that too late to make an impression on your audience? We don’t think so! Being there to address their questions and help them put your talk into action makes a huge impact. And if you announce that you will be available before you start your talk, you have already established your brand as a helpful speaker who really cares about their audience. These conversations are a great opportunity to direct audience members to other products and resources you offer, like an email list or course . It’s a win-win! 

Speakers who are very introverted or travel from gig to gig won’t want to spend much time on this so they can preserve their energy. (We have a podcast episode about speaking as an introvert right here .) If that describes you, that’s totally fine! Just find another area of your speechcraft or marketing to pour some of that effort into. Remember, while giving a great speech is the best marketing for your speaking business, it shouldn’t be the only thing you do. building a good rapport with clients and audience members helps a lot too!

These are our top seven tips for how to give a motivational speech, but it doesn’t stop here! Many other factors contribute to preparing and delivering a great talk. Becoming a great speaker is all about finding the strategies that suit your message and your mission. 

• Last Updated: March 16, 2024

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Motivational Speech Quotes That Hook Your Audience

Many speakers start with inspirational quotes and include quotes throughout their presentations. If you use them correctly, motivational speech quotes can be an effective technique. so long as you appropriately attribute them to the author.

One of the most important things to assure you have a powerful motivational speech is getting your audience engaged and listening from the beginning. An excellent way to hook the audience is through  motivational speech quotes.

Table of Contents

Choosing A Good Quote To Start A Speech

Many people love using a relevant quote to kick off a stellar speech. The quote you use early in your speech should grab attention and interest immediately. Stay away from passages that are lengthy and difficult to understand. Something brief and catchy is often precisely what you want.

Some speech professionals believe starting an address with your own works is preferable to using a motivational quote. While there is no harm in starting with a quote, make sure that most of what you have to say comes from your thoughts.

Hints on Using Quotes In Speeches

There is a right and a wrong way to use a quote in a speech.

• Use the quote correctly.  Sometimes we hear a quote, think we remember it accurately, and then inadvertently misquote it. Look into the selection to be confident you have it right.
•   Please cite the source   and be sure you are citing it accurately.  The only thing worse than not stating the derivation of a quote is giving credit to the wrong person.
•   Use quotes sparingly.  If you add too many quotes to your speech, they can take over. Remember that it is your speech, not someone else’s.

How Do Quotes Offer Credibility To A Speech?

Using a quote  can offer credibility to a speech , particularly if you are using it to further expound upon a point or support a claim or assertion you are making. Finding a quote from someone considered an authority on the topic is an excellent way to bring listeners to share your opinions in a  persuasive speech  – especially if you are quoting a well-known person or someone renowned in their field.

Well-chosen and perfectly placed quotes can make a speech stand out.

How Do You Attribute The Author In Speeches?

When using a quote in a speech,  giving the person credit for their words is always appropriate.  There are different ways to do so. Note that when you see quotation marks at the beginning of the quote, you say the word  quote  in the speech. When you are at the end of the quote and see the quote marks, say  end quote .

• As Michael Jordan said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships.”
• “What you lack in talent can be made up with desire, hustle, and giving 110% all the time.” These words were immortalized by Major League Baseball great Don Zimmer.
•  You may put the quote and source on the visual aid when using a visual aid. Using italics, you can distinguish the quote from the information you have put together and include the attribution in writing.

Famous Motivational Speech Quotes On Different Topics

When seeking the best motivational quotes, there are so many out there you might have difficulty picking just a few! On any subject, you can find well-known  popular speakers  like Tony Evans or Brene Brown or impressive local talent.

What Are 10 Positive Quotes?

• “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
•  “Magic is believing in yourself. If you can make that happen, you can make anything happen.” — Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
•  “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” ―Napoleon Hill
•  “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” — Will Rogers
•  “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” ―Theodore Roosevelt
•  “Motivation comes from working on things that we care about.” — Sheryl Sandberg
•  “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ―Thomas A. Edison
•  “Do what is easy, and your life will be hard. Do what is hard, and your life will become easy.” – Les Brown
•  “I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” — Thomas Jefferson
•  “What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.” –Oscar Wilde

What Are 10 Motivational Quotes?

• “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” – Zig Ziglar
•  “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney
•  “The big secret in life is that there is no secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” ―Oprah Winfrey
•  “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ―Aristotle
•  “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.” — William James
•  “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” ―Vincent Van Gogh
•  “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” ―Ayn Rand
•  “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
•  “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” – Wayne Dyer
•  “Winning means you’re willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else.” ―Vince Lombardi

What Are 10 Quotes About Success?

• “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm” ―Winston Churchill
•  “Nothing will work unless you do.” ―Maya Angelou
•  “Try not to become a man of success, but rather become a man of value.” ―Albert Einstein
•  “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain
•  “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” ―Jim Rohn
•  “Unsuccessful people make their decisions based on their current situations. Successful people make their decisions based on where they want to be.” ―Benjamin Hardy
•  “If you talk about it, it’s a dream. If you envision it, it’s possible. If you schedule it, it’s real.” ―Tony Robbins
•  “Success usually comes to those who are too busy looking for it.” — Henry David Thoreau
•  “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ―C.S. Lewis
•  “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” ―Bill Gates

What Are Some Good Inspirational Sayings?

• “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” — Steve Jobs
•  “If something is important enough, even if the odds are stacked against you, you should still do it.” — Elon Musk
•  “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” — George Lorimer
•  “I never lose. Either I win or learn.” ―Nelson Mandela
•  “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
•  “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” -Benjamin Franklin
•  “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” — Babe Ruth
•  “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is a success.” — Henry Ford
•  “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” ―Abraham Lincoln
•  “Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat is accepted as a reality.” ―Bruce Lee

What 10 Good Quotes For Someone Who Is Feeling Down?

• “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” ―Confucius
•  “Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.” —Walt Whitman
•  “Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” —Martin Luther King, Jr. “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss
•  “You do not find a happy life. You make it.” —Thomas S. Monson
•  “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” —Roald Dahl
•  “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss
•  “Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.” — Dalai Lama
•  “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” —Helen Keller
•  “Do the best you can. No one can do more than that.” ―John Wooden
•  “We become what we think about all day long.” – Earl Nightingale

A former English teacher and currently an elementary principal in a rural school, Pam has honed her speaking skills in the classroom and before professional groups. Pam enjoys sharing her insights about public speaking almost as much as she enjoys running, which she does daily.

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The 4 Types of Motivational Speeches & When to Use them

Did you ever think about how by just talking with someone, you get some energy, inspiration, or idea that motivates you in a way that you couldn’t have expected? After that talk, you get up and quickly start working on that GOAL that you never did.

There are four different types of motivational speeches, and I will be addressing in this article how each one works and how you can use them depending on the occasion. 

The 4 Types of Motivational Speeches

• Persuasive Speech
• Entertaining Speech
• Oratorical Speech
• Inspirational Speech

The art of giving a motivational speech can be listed in 4, such as :

1. Persuasive Speech

This type of motivational speech aims to convince the audience by using arguments that persuade them to adopt the speaker’s point of view.

An example of a persuasive speech is a political speech, which tends to bring pragmatic and emotional arguments mentioning solutions to topics that shake a community’s day to day life.

A sales pitch can also be an example; here, the salesperson convinces the audience to buy his products showing them how useful his services can be. 

Here is a list of 7 persuasive speech characteristics:

• Must have a reason
• Changes people’s mind
• Use an emotive language
• Urges to make someone do something
• Use rhetorical questions
• Encourages people
• Include compliments and goals

If you want to improve your knowledge in persuasive speech, I highly recommend that you check out these two posts about Rhetorical Questions definition : 3 Types and examples and 120 persuasive speech topics for some enlightenment.

2. Entertaining Speech

The entertaining speech is used to amuse the audience by appealing to their emotions, whether by drama or humor. 

Since it occurs in events of great social significance, it is also known as special occasions speech.

Such as weddings while giving toasts to the grooms, theaters when presenting pieces that intend to teach a lesson or portray a reality.

Are you having doubts about how to entertain your audience during your speech? Here you have 6 Tips for Amusing your Audience .

3. Oratorical Speech

The oratorical speech is used to deliver any message in ceremonies as long as you do it passionately and powerfully. 

It is usually written before the day of the event; the orator is someone who had first-hand experience or knowledge about what is being lived.

It can also be a special occasion speech because it is generally given in circumstances, such as a graduation, a eulogy, or even a retirement party.

When giving the speech here, the orator shares a lesson that results from an experience that the audience you are briefing has gone through or aspires to. 

You can give an oratorical speech to embrace different kinds of people, in a situation that they are going to need guidance, for example, when they graduate and now need to find a job.

Alternatively, when you just lost a very special person in your family, by doing the eulogy, you can praise the being’s life by setting a real example to attain a dream, for example.

4. Inspirational Speech

If you want to motivate and inspire people, this is the right speech type to use. Here the speaker gives techniques tips that can be used to help the audience grow emotionally and or professionally.

The mind is often where everything starts, so the public speaker uplifts his public to do better by mental exercising.

Ted x talks are examples of inspirational speeches; people go there by invite to talk about a certain discovery and how that can be life-changing.

Here is a link with the list of the most life-changing motivational speeches if you want

https://www.bluleadz.com/blog/top-inspirational-speeches

Here’s a table with a summary of the types of motivational speeches , so you can quickly recall them.

We could address a motivational speech in so many ways, even though they all have one and only one purpose that it is to inspire all kinds of people to do better.

Everybody needs someone to hold them in a moment where we think they lack strength and you can be one of them.

I hope you found what you were looking for, and thank you for reading this article.

References and Further Reading

Alchin, L. (2017). Consulted in Motivational Speech , October 14th 2020.

Sela, E (2015). Consulted in Slideshare Website , October 15 th 2020.

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IPL 2024: Rohit Sharma gives inspirational speech after MI's 1st win of the season

M umbai batter Rohit Sharma gave an inspirational speech in the dressing room following their first win of the IPL 2024 season. MI beat DC by 29 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to post their first points of the new season. Rohit was one of MI's star-performers on the night, scoring a 27-ball 49 to get his side off to a flying start. His effort helped MI post their third-highest total in the history of the Indian Premier League. Rohit stepped down from his role as MI captain following the historic trade move of Hardik Pandya from GT.

In a video posted by MI on social media platform 'X', Rohit is given a medal by former MI all-rounder turned batting coach Keiron Pollard before giving a rousing speech in the dressing room, hailing the team's batting performance. Rohit missed out on a well-deserved half-century, being dismissed after scoring 49 runs off 27 balls, smashing six boundaries and three sixes against Delhi.

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"It was a wonderful batting performance. It's something that we've all been striving for from game one. It goes to show that individual performances don't matter if the whole batting group can stand up put their hand up and take a look at the team's goal, we can achieve that kind of total," said Rohit.

"So I think that is something that we have been talking about for a long time. It's something that the batting coach (Pollard), Mark (Boucher), and the captain (Pandya) want. So it is wonderful to see and long may it continue," Rohit added.

With his knock on Sunday, Rohit became just the second batter after RCB's Virat Kohli to score 1000 runs against DC. He also became just the third batter after Kohli (vs DC), and David Warner (vs PBKS and DC) to hit 1000 or more runs against a single franchise in the IPL.

The former MI skipper also became the fourth player to take 100 or more catches as a fielder in the IPL, following in the footsteps of Kohli (110), Suresh Raina (109) and Pollard (103).

Following their win over DC, the five-time IPL champions will turn their focus towards RCB, with the two sides set to lock horns at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, April 11.