The last person to hold you accountable is you yourself. If you allow others to tell you your worth, you will have given up on yourself.
speech graduation discipline
Rita Dove
University of Virginia Commencement 2016, 2016
We have no rules, only standards: communication, truth, support, enthusiasm, and to win and lose together.
speech graduation leadership
Mike Krzyzewski
Duke University Commencement 2016, 2016
The life lessons that I learned at Cushing Academy, I carry with me every single day like you'd carry a cell phone, and I use them every single day like you use Instagram.
speech graduation education
John Cena
Cushing Academy Commencement 2015, 2015
Hold on to your old friends. Kiss your Mama. Admit what your dreams are. Don't beat yourself up if you don't know what you're gonna do tomorrow. But work hard and don't be lazy.
speech graduation relationships
Maya Rudolph
Tulane University Commencement 2015, 2015
The way we spend our days is the way we spend our lives.
speech graduation discipline
Ari Weinzweig
University of Michigan Commencement 2015, 2015
Be afraid to fail. You should be so afraid of failure that you're willing to do anything to succeed.
speech graduation failure
Cody Keenan
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service Convocation 2015, 2015
Don't choose anything that will jeopardize your soul. Prioritize who you are, who you want to be, and don't spend time with anything that antagonizes your character. Don't drink the Kool-Aid — it tastes sweet today but it will give you cavities tomorrow.
speech graduation authenticity
Matthew McConaughey
University of Houston Commencement 2015, 2015
The road to success is a long, winding road that is littered with wreckages of promising careers that crashed and burned. It's not a pretty thing to see talent wasted, it's even sadder to waste it yourself.
speech graduation discipline
Jimmy Buffett
University of Miami Commencement 2015, 2015
You can't control how smart you are, how funny you are, how good-looking you are. The one thing you can control in your life is how hard you work.
speech graduation discipline
Ian Brennan
Loyola University Chicago Commencement 2015, 2015
Don't be afraid to fail big, to dream big, but remember, dreams without goals are just dreams. And they ultimately fuel disappointment.
speech graduation failure
Denzel Washington
Dillard University Commencement 2015, 2015
In this text, tweet, twerk world that you've grown up in, remember that just because you're doing a lot more doesn't mean you're getting a lot more done. Don't confuse movement with progress.
speech graduation discipline
Denzel Washington
Dillard University Commencement 2015, 2015
People often say find your passion. But there's more to it than that. Not all passions are enough. Just existing for your desires feels empty and insufficient, because our desires are fleeting and insatiable. You need a loyalty.
speech graduation purpose
Atul Gawande
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Commencement 2014, 2014