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[Big Boy]

6 Motivational Commencement Speeches

In the happy points of our lives—graduation, a new job, a promotion, the birth of a child, a marriage, new-found independence—it’s easy to dream of a brighter future and actually believe it possible. But in the low points, and even the average ones, it’s even easier to lose sight of those dreams. To let the daily stressors diminish the future we know we can accomplish.

So grab hold of the moments of clarity when you see them. Let these seven inspirational commencement speeches push you toward those moments and dare to dream bigger.

Sheryl Sandberg - UC Berkley, 2016 "But I am also aware that I am walking without pain. For the first time, I am grateful for each breath in and out—grateful for the gift of life itself. I used to celebrate my birthday every five years and friends’ birthdays sometimes. Now I celebrate always. I used to go to sleep worrying about all the things I messed up that day—and trust me that list was often quite long. Now I try really hard to focus on each day’s moments of joy.

It is the greatest irony of my life that losing my husband helped me find deeper gratitude—gratitude for the kindness of my friends, the love of my family, the laughter of my children. My hope for you is that you can find that gratitude—not just on the good days, like today, but on the hard ones, when you will really need it."

Mindy Kaling - Harvard University, 2014 "I'm supposed to give you advice and I thought, What advice could I give you guys? … So then I was thinking, Well then, who should be giving advice? The answer is people like you. You're better educated and you're going to go out there in the world and people are going to listen to what you say... I look at all of you and see America's future… Understand that one day you will have the power to make a difference, so use it well."

President Barack Obama - Howard University, 2016
“If you had to choose one moment in history in which you could be born, and you didn’t know ahead of time who you were going to be — what nationality, what gender, what race, whether you’d be rich or poor, gay or straight, what faith you’d be born into — you wouldn’t choose 100 years ago. You wouldn’t choose the fifties, or the sixties, or the seventies. You’d choose right now. If you had to choose a time to be, in the words of Lorraine Hansberry, ‘young, gifted and black’ in America, you would choose right now.”

“It’s important to note progress. Because to deny how far we’ve come would do a disservice to the cause of justice, to the legions of foot soldiers; to not only the incredibly accomplished individuals who have already been mentioned, but your mothers and your dads, and grandparents and great grandparents, who marched and toiled and suffered and overcame to make this day possible. I tell you this not to lull you into complacency, but to spur you into action — because there’s still so much more work to do, so many more miles to travel."

Stephen Colbert - Wake Forest University, 2015
“No one has any idea what’s going to happen. Not even Elon Musk. That’s why he’s building those rockets. He wants a ‘Plan B’ on another world. But whatever happens, I think it’s entirely appropriate that I’m the one talking to you right now. Because I just spent many years learning to do one thing really well. I got so comfortable with that place, that role, those responsibilities that it came to define how I saw myself. But now that part of my life is over. It’s time to say goodbye to the person we’ve become, we’ve worked so hard to perfect, and to make some crucial decisions about who we’re going to be. For me, I’ll have to figure out how to do an hour-long show every night. And you, at some point, will have to sleep. I am told the Adderall wears off eventually. Good luck.”

Shonda Rhimes - Dartmouth, 2014
"Dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It's hard work that makes things happen, it's hard work that creates change... Ditch the dream and be a doer, not a dreamer. My dreams did not come true. But I worked really hard. And I ended up building an empire out of my imagination.

Bill and Melinda Gates - Stanford University, 2014
"Bill worked incredibly hard and took risks and made sacrifices for success. But there is another essential ingredient of success, and that ingredient is luck—absolute and total luck. When were you born? Who were your parents? Where did you grow up? None of us earned these things. They were given to us. When we strip away our luck and privilege and consider where we’d be without them, it becomes easier to see someone who’s poor and sick and say ‘That could be me.’ This is empathy; it tears down barriers and opens up new frontiers for optimism.

So here is our appeal to you: As you leave Stanford, take your genius and your optimism and your empathy and go change the world in ways that will make millions of others optimistic as well."

[Big Boy]

Change What Isn't Working


We have all had the experience of realizing that something in our lives is not working. This knowledge can come as a sudden realization or a nagging feeling of doubt that grows stronger, waking us up to the fact that something needs to change. Some people have a tendency to act rashly and make sweeping changes before even understanding what the problem is. Other people fear change, so they live with the uncomfortable awareness that something needs to shift but won’t do anything about it. Between these two extreme responses lies a middle way that can help us powerfully and gracefully change what isn’t working in our lives.

The first step is remembering that your life is made up of parts that belong to an interconnected whole. Changing one thing can change everything. Because of this, small changes often have a big effect. Sometimes much bigger changes are necessary, but the only way to know for sure is to take the time to really understand the problem. Examine your life as an entirety—your work, your relationships, where you live—and determine what specifically is not functioning the way you would like. Once you have figured out the problem, write it down on a piece of paper. For example, “I am not happy with my relationship” or “I don’t like my apartment.” The next step is to figure out the adjustment you would like to make and how you can go about making this change. If you are unhappy with your relationship because you spend too much or not enough time with your partner, you may want to discuss this problem with them and come up with a compromise. On the other hand, if you realize your relationship is not working to such a degree that it needs to end, begin working through that process. Writing down the truth can be a powerful catalyst for change.

The key to making changes that work is to accept the necessity of change as part of life. As we change, we may find it necessary to fine-tune our relationships, work, and living situations. Our lives are living, breathing entities that reflect our dynamic selves.

[Big Boy]

A friend's grandfather came to America from Eastern Europe. After being processed at Ellis Island, he went into a cafeteria in lower Manhattan to get something to eat. He sat down at an empty table and waited for someone to take his order. Of course nobody did. Finally, a woman with a tray full of food sat down opposite him and informed him how a cafeteria worked.

"Start out at that end," she said. "Just go along the line and pick out what you want. At the other end they'll tell you how much you have to pay."

"I soon learned that's how everything works in America," the grandfather told a friend. "Life's a cafeteria here. You can get anything you want as long as you are willing to pay the price.
You can even get success, but you'll never get it if you wait for someone to bring it to you. You have to get up and get it yourself."

[Big Boy]

It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold.

The hedgehogs, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions.

After a while, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.

Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.

The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person’s good qualities.

[Big Boy]

Beginning today I will no longer worry about yesterday. It is in the past and the past will never change. Only I can change by choosing to do so.

Beginning today I will no longer worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will always be there, waiting for me to make the most of it. But I cannot make the most of tomorrow without first making the most of today.

Beginning today I will look in the mirror and I will see a person worthy of my respect and admiration. This capable person looking back at me is someone I enjoy spending time with and someone I would like to get to know better.

Beginning today I will cherish each moment of my life. I value this gift bestowed upon me in this world and I will unselfishly share this gift with others. I will use this gift to enhance the lives of others.

Beginning today I will take a moment to step off the beaten path and to revel in the mysteries I encounter. I will face challenges with courage and determination. I will overcome what barriers there may be which hinder my quest for growth and self-improvement.

Beginning today I will take life one day at a time, one step at a time. Discouragement will not be allowed to taint my positive self-image, my desire to succeed or my capacity to love.

Beginning today I walk with renewed faith in human kindness. Regardless of what has gone before, I believe there is hope for a brighter and better future.

Beginning today I will open my mind and my heart. I will welcome new experiences. I will meet new people. I will not expect perfection from myself nor anyone else: perfection does not exist in an imperfect world. But I will applaud the attempt to overcome human foibles.

Beginning today I am responsible for my own happiness and I will do things that make me happy . . . admire the beautiful wonders of nature, listen to my favorite music, pet a kitten or a puppy, soak in a bubble bath . . . pleasure can be found in the most simple of gestures.

Beginning today I will learn something new; I will try something different; I will savor all the various flavors life has to offer. I will change what I can and the rest I will let go. I will strive to become the best me I can possibly be.

[Big Boy]

If Shakespeare, Alexander Hamilton or Sophocles taught an MBA class today, what would they say on the subject of leadership?
Now we might know.

Here are five timeless pieces of leadership advice from a few of those masterminds:

1. Machiavelli: Make big changes stick. “It should be considered that nothing is more difficult to handle, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage, than to put oneself at the head of introducing new orders.”
That statement sits at the heart of Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince, one the most infamous leadership books ever written. For several hundred years after its 1513 publication, it was regarded as a how-to book for tyrants, dripping with sinister advice. In recent decades, however, it has been defended as a steadfastly practical examination of what does and doesn’t work for a leader who wants to make big changes. Machiavelli knew cultivating change is one thing, while sustaining it another. He tells us, “Better to be feared than loved,” but when it comes to making change stick, this tough leader advises us to pay attention to the soft stuff: how people feel about the changes in question. Force may work in the short term, but in the long run, an effective leader knows it’s a matter of winning over hearts and minds. “For a prince it is necessary to have the people friendly,” says Machiavelli, “otherwise he has no remedy in adversity.”

2. Shakespeare: Stay in the learning zone.

Shakespeare’s Henry V, known for his inspiring speeches, is also the most self-reflective leader. But he never falls prey to analysis paralysis. In a crisis he moves forward, listening and course-correcting as he goes, transforming hatred and violence into lessons for a better future. He brings the same spirit of learning to his team members. On the eve of his make-or-break battle with the French at Agincourt (Act IV, Scene i), a disguised King Henry roams through the army camps to discover the soldiers’ mood and what they think of him. The overheard conversations, not all of which are flattering, lead him to consider what it means to be a king. His musings reveal a leader in the learning zone—where our mistakes, my mistakes and their mistakes are pondered as one interconnected whole. Later, right before the battle, he motivates his vastly outnumbered troops with a speech that, far from inciting fear or anger, appeals to their sense of pride and unity: This day’s anniversary “shall ne’er go by,” he says, “but we in it shall be remembered—We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”

3. Jane Austen: Help people achieve their own greatness. Jane Austen’s Emma features a heroine who loves to develop talent but takes the wrong approach. Emma Woodhouse’s excitement about one of her mentoring projects is reminiscent of some present-day managers’ misplaced enthusiasm for talent development. Watch how the “handsome, clever and rich” Emma pictures herself coaching her protégé: “She would notice her; she would improve her… she would form her opinions and her manners. It would be an interesting and certainly a very kind undertaking.” Emma’s coaching efforts are well meant, but here’s the problem: Instead of cultivating people’s strengths, she tries to fix their weaknesses. The results are terrible. Her mistake is the same as that of the manager who writes employee development plans citing “opportunities for improvement,” or the supervisor who conducts “coaching sessions” telling you exactly how to do your job (which usually means exactly how they do it). Leaders, Austen suggests, should spend less time trying to mold their team in their own image and more time helping them become better, stronger versions of themselves.

4. Plato: Be fair; be flexible.

Plato’s The Republic (featuring his famous teacher, Socrates) explores the surprisingly complex idea of what is due to groups, individuals and even parts of us. The central question of the dialogue is, “What is justice?” Up front, someone says justice means being truthful and paying one’s debts—following the rules, one might say. But Socrates rejects this definition, citing the example of someone who borrows weapons from a friend only to find later that the friend has gone violently insane and wants the weapons back. Do you hand them over? Of course not. This seemingly trivial example is actually quite serious: Justice can’t mean following the letter of the law, because we can always think of special circumstances, often having to do with a person’s intent or character, which would call for a different approach. Rules and policies are well and good, but if we don’t show appropriate flexibility—giving people their due diligence based on their role and the circumstances—we’ll be seen as unjust. Conversely, leaders who know when to bend the rules can be exemplars of justice.

5. Mary Shelley: Face your monsters.

Imagine making a bold move: an investment in critical new software, or a bet on an innovative product. Soon after rollout, you realize all’s not well. The software isn’t working. The product is flopping. It’s a nightmare. What do you do? Do you run from the “monster” you’ve created? Or step forward and see how you can help? In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a cowardly leader runs from his scary creation. In one scene from the book, Dr. Frankenstein and his creature meet in a lonely forest. Frankenstein thinks he’s a dead man, but all the monster wants is to be heard. “I ask you not to spare me,” he says, “Listen to me, and then… if you will, destroy the work of your hands.” Leaders show courage when they face their adversaries, but they show greater courage when they face up to their responsibilities. Often, that means standing calmly in front of your “monster” and listening to what it has to say.

[Big Boy]

Our capacity to cope successfully with life's challenges far outstrips our capacity to feel nervousness. Yet in the weeks, days, and hours leading up to an event that we believe will test our limits, we can become nervous. While we may have previously regarded ourselves as equal to the trials that lie ahead, we reach a point at which they near and our anxiety begins to mount. We then become increasingly worked up, until the moment of truth arrives and we discover that our worry was all for nothing. We are almost always stronger and more capable than we believe ourselves to be. But anxiety is not rational in nature, which means that in most cases we cannot work through it using logic as our only tool. Reason can help us recognize the relative futility of unwarranted worry but, more often than not, we will find more comfort in patterns of thought and activity that redirect our attention to practical or engaging matters.

Most of us find it remarkably difficult to focus on two distinct thoughts or emotions at once, and we can use this natural human limitation to our advantage when trying to stay centered in the period leading up to a potentially tricky experience. When we concentrate on something unrelated to our worry—such as deep breathing, visualizations of success, pleasurable pursuits, or exercise—anxiety dissipates naturally. Meditation is also a useful coping mechanism as it provides us with a means to ground ourselves in the moment. Our guides can aid us by providing us with a focal point wholly outside of our own sphere.

The intense emotional flare-up you experience just before you are set to challenge yourself is often a mixture of both excitement and fear. When you take steps to eliminate the fear, you can more fully enjoy the excitement. Though you may find it difficult to avoid getting worked up, your awareness of the forces acting on your feelings will help you return to your center and accept that few hurdles you will face will be as high as they at first appear.

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