12 Best Commencement Speeches from Millionaires – Week-long Motivation Series Part 6

During graduation periods, commencement speeches are always very popular and it’s no wonder.  They can be very inspirational and give the graduates a chance to listen to the experiences, values and advice of notable figures.  Today’s post is about celebrating the new and the old.

List of 12 Best Commencement Speeches from Millionaires in this video:

1. Oprah Winfrey, Howard University, 2007
2. Denzel Washington, University of Pennsylvania, 2011
3. Arnold Schwarzenegger, USC, 2009
4. Steve Jobs, Stanford, 2005
5. Jon Stewart, William and Mary, 2004
6. Amy Poehler, Harvard, 2011
7. Dolly Parton, University of Tennessee, 2009
8. Ellen DeGeneres, Tulane University, 2009
9. Meryl Streep, Barnard College, 2010
10. Stephen Colbert, Northwestern University, 2011
11. Bill Gates, Harvard, 2007
12. Tom Hanks, Yale, 2011

Here are some great quotes from this year’s commencement speeches:

First Lady Michelle Obama, Oberlin College
“It is absolutely still possible to make a difference. The great moments of our history are not the decades in our past; they’re happening right now, today, in our lifetimes.”

Matthew McConaughey, University of Houston
“Too many options makes tyrants of us all. So get rid of the excess, the wasted time, decrease your options… and you will have accidentally, almost innocently, put in front of you, what is important to you by process of elimination.”

Ed Helms, University of Virginia
“As you go out in the world, you’ll find that people are always quick to define you, to pigeonhole you, to whittle you down to their preconceived notions– which brings me to my point: Never let others define you. Define yourselves.”

Natalie Portman, Harvard University
“Your inexperience is an asset and will allow you to think in original, unconventional ways. Accept your lack of knowledge and use it as your asset.

Meredith Vieira, Boston University 
“Don’t ever lose your enthusiasm, don’t suddenly become self-conscious.”

Robin Roberts, Emerson College
“Don’t have a cameo in your life story… have the leading role in your life story.”

Denzel Washington, Dillard University
“Don’t be afraid to go outside the box. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big. But remember, dreams without goals are just dreams and they ultimately fuel disappointment. Have dreams, but have goals.”

Judge Judy, Shiprock High School, New Mexico
“Never let anyone or anything define your value or limit your dream.”

I hope you agree that this post ties a nice ribbon to my week-long motivation series.

If you missed parts 1-5 of the series, you can catch up with the following links:

8 Motivational Speeches from Movies that Teach an Important Message – Week-long motivation series part 1

Motivational Picture Quotes – Week-long Motivation series part 2

Les Brown’s 11 Keys to Motivation – Week-long motivation series Part 3

30 Inspirational Jim Rohn Quotes – Week-long Motivation Series Part 4

Chris Gardner’s Top Ten Rules for Success:  week-long motivation series part 5

What is your favorite commencement speech?  Share your thoughts below.