Learn to trust yourself. That's very vital. Just stand with yourself. Remember, in his lifetime, Van Gogh sold only two paintings. I personally sold even fewer.
speech graduation authenticity
Eric Idle
Whitman College Commencement 2013, 2013
Be hard on your opinions. A famous bon mot asserts opinions are like assholes in that everyone has one. There is great wisdom in this but I would add that opinions differ significantly from assholes in that yours should be constantly and thoroughly examined.
speech graduation wisdom
Tim Minchin
University of Western Australia Commencement, 2013, 2013
Don't buy society's definition of success. Because it's not working for anyone. It's not working for women, it's not working for men, it's not working for polar bears.
speech graduation authenticity
Arianna Huffington
Smith College Commencement 2013, 2013
Develop your own compass, and trust it. Take risks. Dare to fail. Remember the first person through the wall always gets hurt.
speech graduation courage
Aaron Sorkin
Syracuse University Commencement 2012, 2012
Don't ever feel boxed into a single career or pursuit. Remain curious. Explore every axis, on every front, in the battle to make a difference.
speech graduation curiosity
Ronan Farrow
Dominican University of California Commencement 2012, 2012
Develop your own compass, and trust it. Take risks. Dare to fail. Remember, the first person through the wall always gets bloody.
speech graduation courage
Aaron Sorkin
Syracuse University Commencement 2012, 2012
You leave this school as well-armed for battle as anyone is. Nobody really knows anything more than you do. Everyone is just making it up as they go along. Figure it out.
speech graduation courage
Ira Glass
Goucher College Commencement 2012, 2012
Think about not waiting your turn. Instead, think about getting together with friends that you admire, people you envy. Think about not waiting for a company to call you up.
speech graduation courage
Robert Krulwich
UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Commencement 2011, 2011
Be you. Be unique. Be prepared to be alone sometimes when you're unique. It's not a bad thing. You could travel with the sheep, follow everybody else's stuff, but then you're not you.
speech graduation authenticity
Whoopi Goldberg
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Commencement 2011, 2011
Don't let your fears overwhelm your desire. Let the barriers you face — and there will be barriers — be external, not internal. Fortune does favor the bold, and I promise that you will never know what you're capable of unless you try.
speech graduation courage
Sheryl Sandberg
Barnard College Commencement 2011, 2011
Opportunity can be manufactured. You can wait around for the right set of circumstances to fall into place and then leap into action, but you can also create those set of circumstances on your own.
speech graduation entrepreneurship
Biz Stone
Babson College Commencement 2011, 2011
Stop waiting on others to solve the problems and right the wrongs of our times. Turn to the leader in the mirror.
speech graduation leadership
Arianna Huffington
Sarah Lawrence College Commencement 2011, 2011