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These are truly inspirational graduation speeches worth reading from the beginning to the end. The entries will change as I add more speeches. If you are in the mood for quick sound bites you may want to visit the favorite quotes section.

1. Steve Jobs
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."



Commencement Address at Stanford University, 2005

2. Jerry Zucker
"Ask yourself one question: If I didn't have to do it perfectly, what would I try? "

"It doesn't matter that your dream came true if you spent your whole life sleeping. So get out there and go for it, but don't be caught waiting. It's great to plan for your future. Just don't live there, because really nothing ever happens in the future. Whatever happens happens now, so live your life where the action is — now."

Commencement Address at University of Wisconsin, 2003

3. Mark Lewis
"The way to be happy is to like yourself and the way to like yourself is to do only things that make you proud."

"The person who you’re with most in life is yourself and if you don’t like yourself you’re always with somebody you don’t like."

Commencement Address at University of Texas Austin, 2000

4. David Foster Wallace
"It is unimaginably hard to do this, to stay conscious and alive in the adult world day in and day out." "

Commencement Address at Kenyon Collge 2005

5. John Walsh
" Put the alarm clock in the bathroom. (And keep the door open). This can be ignored by those of you whose irrepressible need to get going in the morning make it unnecessary. Others - I promise! - will find it the most important thing I have to say this afternoon."

"Do one thing at a time. Give each experience all your attention. Try to resist being distracted by other sights and sounds, other thoughts and tasks, and when it is, guide your mind back to what you're doing."

Commencement Address at Wheaton College, 2000

6. Michael Uslan
" You see the point --- don’t believe them when they tell you how bad you are and how terrible your ideas are, but also, don’t believe them when they start telling you how wonderful you are and how great your ideas are. Just believe in yourself and believe in your work and you’ll do just fine. And, don’t then forget to market yourself. Use both sides of your brain. "

"You must have a high threshold for frustration. Take it from the guy who was turned down by every studio in Hollywood. You must knock on doors until your knuckles bleed. Doors will slam in your face. You must pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and knock again. It’s the only way to achieve your goals in life."

Commencement Address at Indiana University, 2006

7. David Calhoun
"The lust for learning is age-independent."

"Understand that whatever else may fail you, whatever bad luck or failure may befall you, your personal integrity is always in your own hands and can never be taken from you."

Commencement Address at Virginia Tech, 2005

8. Ellen DeGeneres
"Follow your passion, stay true to yourself, never follow someone else's path unless you're in the woods and you're lost and you see a path then by all means you should follow that. "

 

Commencement Address at Tulane University, 2009

9. Bradley Withford
"Take action. Every story you've ever connected with, every leader you've ever admired, every puny little thing that you've ever accomplished is the result of taking action. You have a choice. You can either be a passive victim of circumstance or you can be the active hero of your own life."

Commencement Address at University of Wisconsin, 2006

10. Woody Hayes
"...you'll find out that nothing that comes easy is worth a dime. As a matter of fact, I never saw a football player make a tackle with a smile on his face. Never. "

"In football we always said that the other team couldn't beat us. We had to be sure that we didn't beat ourselves. And that's what people have to do too -- make sure they don't beat themselves."

Commencement Address at Ohio State University, 1986

Not finding your favorite address in the top ten speeches or in the commencement archive? Please email me at: gradwisdom@gmail.com