Graduation is the day when after two decades of your existence and 16 years of education you finally receive the achievement award. Four years of your college life end with the graduation day as you step into a new phase in life. The transition from a student to a professional takes place which marks an important lifetime event. With convocations around the corner, let us have a look at some of the most motivating graduation day speeches by some of the greats.
1. J.K.Rowling-
“I hope that even if you remember not a single word of mine, you remember those of Seneca, another of those Romans I met when I fled down the classics corridor, in retreat from career ladders, in search of ancient wisdom: As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.”
During her commencement speech at Harvard University in 2008, the author of worldwide bestseller Harry Potter series reminded the students to understand the meaning of life. Comparing it to a classic tale, she emphasized on the value of quality of life rather than how long it is. Just like a tale is remembered for its storyline and not the number of words or pages, life is supposed to create such memories and storylines rather than days and years.
“I hope that even if you remember not a single word of mine, you remember those of Seneca, another of those Romans I met when I fled down the classics corridor, in retreat from career ladders, in search of ancient wisdom: As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.”
During her commencement speech at Harvard University in 2008, the author of worldwide bestseller Harry Potter series reminded the students to understand the meaning of life. Comparing it to a classic tale, she emphasized on the value of quality of life rather than how long it is. Just like a tale is remembered for its storyline and not the number of words or pages, life is supposed to create such memories and storylines rather than days and years.
2. 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.”
The founder of Apple Inc., Steve jobs addressed the students at Stanford University in 2005 emphasizing on the importance of time and how it is important to believe in oneself and to pursue your ambitions with pride and confidence without letting the views of others affect you. Standing up for your goals requires courage and determination.
“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.”
The founder of Apple Inc., Steve jobs addressed the students at Stanford University in 2005 emphasizing on the importance of time and how it is important to believe in oneself and to pursue your ambitions with pride and confidence without letting the views of others affect you. Standing up for your goals requires courage and determination.
3. Jim Carrey-
“Fear is going to be a player in your life, but you get to decide how much. You can spend your whole life imagining ghosts, worrying about your pathway to the future, but all there will ever be is what’s happening here, and the decisions we make in this moment, which are based in either love or fear.
So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. What we really want seems impossibly out of reach and ridiculous to expect, so we never dare to ask the universe for it.”
At Maharishi University of Management in 2014, during their convocation, Jim Carrey took out a few minutes to address the students and talk about the role of fear and how it affected their decisions. He mentioned the fact that it was the students who decided how much role would fear play in their lives and their decision making abilities. One could either live in the present and work fearlessly or keeping in mind the future effects, take decisions under the influence of fear, but what actually happens is in the present and so one needs to get out of the box, stand up to the odds and achieve what they really want.
“Fear is going to be a player in your life, but you get to decide how much. You can spend your whole life imagining ghosts, worrying about your pathway to the future, but all there will ever be is what’s happening here, and the decisions we make in this moment, which are based in either love or fear.
So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. What we really want seems impossibly out of reach and ridiculous to expect, so we never dare to ask the universe for it.”
At Maharishi University of Management in 2014, during their convocation, Jim Carrey took out a few minutes to address the students and talk about the role of fear and how it affected their decisions. He mentioned the fact that it was the students who decided how much role would fear play in their lives and their decision making abilities. One could either live in the present and work fearlessly or keeping in mind the future effects, take decisions under the influence of fear, but what actually happens is in the present and so one needs to get out of the box, stand up to the odds and achieve what they really want.
4. Mark Lewis-
“The person who you’re with most in your life is yourself and if you don’t like yourself you’re always with somebody you don’t like.”
At University of Texas, Austin in 2000, Mark Lewis spoke about the most important person in anyone’s life and that person is him/herself. If one cannot appreciate and love their own self, they cannot expect anyone else to appreciate them, no matter how talented or nice you are. It is very important to understand yourself inside out before expecting anyone else to do the same. Also, if you do not like yourself, you will have a hard time surviving and staying happy because you’ll always be in your own company which you do not like.
“The person who you’re with most in your life is yourself and if you don’t like yourself you’re always with somebody you don’t like.”
At University of Texas, Austin in 2000, Mark Lewis spoke about the most important person in anyone’s life and that person is him/herself. If one cannot appreciate and love their own self, they cannot expect anyone else to appreciate them, no matter how talented or nice you are. It is very important to understand yourself inside out before expecting anyone else to do the same. Also, if you do not like yourself, you will have a hard time surviving and staying happy because you’ll always be in your own company which you do not like.
5. 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.”
In 2009, at Tulane University, Ellen asked the students to look for a path rather than following someone else’s. She spoke highly of passion and how it was the need of the hour for the students to follow the path they love rather than jumping onto a path just because more people followed it. For those who were yet to find their path, were not lost but still looking. She urged them to jump onto the path they find viable as soon as they found it.
“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.”
In 2009, at Tulane University, Ellen asked the students to look for a path rather than following someone else’s. She spoke highly of passion and how it was the need of the hour for the students to follow the path they love rather than jumping onto a path just because more people followed it. For those who were yet to find their path, were not lost but still looking. She urged them to jump onto the path they find viable as soon as they found it.
These were some amazing words of wisdom and just like the students present in attendance; these should motivate you too! So, the time has come for you to peek into your inner self and pursue your passion!
