Motivational speeches always work like a game changer in a lot of people’s life. Most people when feeling stuck and depressed in life always prefer to lesson to a speech that can help them feel good and confident about themselves.
I know that motivation is a short time and it will not help you achieve your goal but when you feel down in your life, you need some powerful words that can reenergize you and push you towards your goal. That is where motivational speeches help you bounce back from the down phase in your life.
In this article, I am going to share the list of the top 12 best motivational speeches given by great personalities in the world. These speeches motivated so many people to take action toward their goals and I am also one of them. Let’s see the list of speeches one by one –
Table of Contents
Top 12 Best Motivational Speeches
Motivation is very important for every individual on this planet whether you are in sports, politics, an actor, a businessman, doing a job, a student, etc. Whatever might be your field there is a time when you feel demotivated and stuck because you can’t get the expected results.
Everyone on this planet goes through such down phases in life where they feel completely lost and demotivated. How do most people come out of such phases? either they talk with their family members/friends or listen to motivational speeches on the internet.
We love motivational speeches because the story in the speech resonates with our own struggles in life. The speaker talks about their life experiences and how they overcome different challenges in their life to achieve their goal.
Their life experiences resonate with us which gives us clarity in our life. Ultimately these speeches give us the motivation to perform better in our professional and personal life. It gives us the energy to bounce back from failure and down phases in life.
So, It doesn’t matter in which field you are working being motivated is super important to give your best performance at work and to face difficult challenges in life.
Now let me share the list of the best 12 motivational speeches given by extraordinary people from different fields that will change your life forever.
1. Steve Jobs
This is one of the most loved motivational speeches of all time. In his 2005 commencement speech at Standford university, Steve Jobs shared three inspiring stories from his life that made him successful in life.
The first story was about connecting the dots where he talks about after dropping out of college how he took a calligraphy class which later influenced the design of the macintosh computer (1st popular product from apple).
The second story was about failure. How he was fired from his own company and how he felt like a failure. The lesson he learned from this is failure is never the end of life. It is the chance to learn something new, build something new and lead to new opportunities in life.
In the third story, he was talking about his battle with cancer and how that made him appreciate the time he had left. He motivated the graduates that don’t waste their time by doing things they don’t like to do. Find your passion and follow it because life is too short.
Watch this speech here – Steve Jobs (2005 Standford Commencement)
2. J.K Rowling
J.k. Rowlings world’s first millionaire author of harry potter books. In her 2008 commencement speech at Harvard, she discusses the importance of failure and the power of imagination for success.
She shares her personal failure experience in life when she got rejected multiple times from different publication houses for her harry potter series and after so many rejections and struggles later she became a millionaire author.
Rowling encouraged the entire audience that embraces failure, face it and not let it define them. In her speech, she also emphasized the importance of imagination and the power it has to change the world.
Throughout the speech, she encouraged the audience to never give up on their dreams and to believe that they can achieve anything in life with determination and resilience.
Watch this speech here – J.K. Rowling (2008 Harvard Commencement speech)
3. Sandip Maheshwari
Sandip Maheshwari is India’s one of most popular motivational speakers and holds a Guinness book of world record for the highest watched motivational speech on youtube. He delivered one of the best transformative and motivational speeches of all time in 2013.
Through his captivating storytelling, he delved into the depths of the human mind and revealed the secrets to unlocking our full potential. He emphasized the importance of taking control of our thoughts and emotions and how doing that can lead to a life of fulfillment and success.
Sandip urged the audience to let go of limiting beliefs, pursue their passions, as well as never give up on themselves and embrace a mindset of unlimited possibilities. With his dynamic and passionate delivery, Sandip inspired the audience to take action and make positive changes in their lives.
He reminded everyone that true freedom and happiness can only be found within ourselves. His words were a powerful reminder to break free from our fears and limitations and to live life to the fullest.
Watch this speech here – Sandip Maheshwari (Last life-changing seminar)
4. Denzel Washington
In his speech at the University of Pennsylvania, Denzel Washington spoke about the importance of education and hard work in achieving long-term success in life. Denzel emphasized the importance of setting goals, making a plan to achieve them, and not giving up when faced with obstacles.
He also spoke about the importance of having a strong work ethic, being dedicated to one’s craft, and staying true to oneself. Denzel also shared the personal experiences and life lessons he has learned throughout his career.
He encouraged the entire audience to always focus on learning and to never stop pursuing their dreams, as success is not guaranteed and must be earned through hard work, determination and perseverance.
Watch this speech here – Denzel Washington (University of Pennsylvania speech)
5. Will Smith
This speech is actually a scene from the movie ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ starring Hollywood star Will smith. In this movie, Will smith’s character Chris Gardner delivers a powerful message to his son about the importance of perseverance and determination in the face of adversity.
He speaks about his struggle as a single father trying to make ends meet and how he never gave up hope despite the many challenges he faced. Will Smith encourages his son to never give up on dreams and to always strive for happiness, no matter how difficult the Journey is.
He concludes the conversation with his son by saying “Don’t ever let somebody tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me All right? you got a dream, you gotta protect it. When people can’t do something themselves, they are going to tell you that you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”
Watch this powerful message here – Will Smith (Pursuit of Happiness)
6. Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey one of the most loved comedians/actors around the world gave a super inspiring commencement speech at Maharishi University of Management in 2014.
He urged graduates to embrace their fears and pursue their passions, telling them “You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”
Jim shared his own life journey of following his dreams, and how he faced rejection and failure before achieving success. He also talked about the importance of living in the present moment and the power of positive thinking in life.
Jim encouraged the audience to not let fear and uncertainty hold them back and to trust in their own abilities to achieve their goals. He ended one of the best motivational speeches with the powerful message “You can not be really alive until you are living on the edge.”
Watch this speech here – Jim Carrey (Maharishi University of Management)
7. Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek is a New York Times best-selling author and Leadership coach, he always talks about Leadership in business. He gave one of the best motivational speeches on leadership and that speech is available on his youtube channel.
In his speech, he emphasizes the importance of understanding the game you are playing as a leader. He argues that too many leaders are operating without a clear understanding of their role and the rules of the leadership game they are playing.
Simon Sinek highlights the point that in order to be an effective leader, you must understand the game you are in and be able to communicate that to your team. He also highlights the importance of having a clear vision and purpose for your team, which will help your team understand their roles.
Sinek concludes the speech by urging leaders to take the time to understand the game they are in and to be clear and consistent in communicating that understanding to their team.
Watch this speech here – Simon Sinek (Leadership speech)
8. Les Brown
Les Brown is considered one of the greatest motivational speakers of all time. His motivational speech on Goalcast’s youtube channel is so inspiring, in which Les brown encourages listeners to push through difficult times in life and never give up on their dreams.
He reminds all the listeners that hard times are a natural part of life and everyone goes through them at some point of time in their life. However, it’s important to remember that these challenges are opportunities for growth and development.
He emphasizes that the key to getting through hard times is to have a positive attitude, be resilient, and stay focused on your goals. Les Brown also highlights the importance of a support system in life like friends, family, and mentor to help you through the tough times.
He concludes his powerful speech by reminding everyone that we all are capable of overcoming any obstacle in life and achieving our dreams with a strong belief and with never give up attitude.
Watch this speech here – Les Brown (Motivational speech)
9. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold is considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. He shared his amazing journey on the motivation hub youtube channel where he encourages the viewers to never give up on their dreams and to always strive for success.
He stresses the importance of setting goals, working hard, and believing in oneself. He also shares his personal journey in which how he overcomes all the obstacles and setbacks in life to become a successful bodybuilder and actor.
Arnold encourages the viewers to be persistent and to never, let anyone tell them they can’t achieve their goals. He reminds them that they have the power to create their own destiny and to never give up on their dreams.
Overall this is one of the best motivational speeches that tell you why you should never give up on your dreams and you should always strive for success.
Watch this speech here – Arnold’s speech on Motivationhub
10. Admiral McRaven
Admiral McRaven is a retired Navy seal who gave an amazing speech 4 years back and that speech is available on Goalcast’s youtube channel. This speech is a complete experience of Admiral McRaven learning as a Navy Seal.
It is the most powerful and motivational speech that encourages individuals to start their day with a small task like making their bed in the morning because such small tasks set the tone for a productive and successful day.
He explains how completing small tasks can lead to a sense of accomplishment and how that sense of accomplishment can build momentum and lead to bigger and more meaningful achievements.
Admiral uses his own experiences from basic training in the Navy seal to illustrate how small actions can lead to greater success, and how developing discipline and a strong work ethic can help one overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.
This is one of the most practical motivational speeches I have ever seen that gives you a powerful reminder of focusing on taking small steps toward your goal creates a big positive impact on your life in the long term.
Watch this speech here – Admiral McRaven (Make Your Bed)
11. Jay Shetty
Jay Shetty is one of the most popular self-help authors and motivational speakers. 2 years back he gave a thought-provoking speech in which he encourages the audience to find their purpose in life and to pursue it with passion and determination.
He reminds the audience that life is not just about going through the motions, but about making a real impact and leaving a lasting legacy. Jay explains that purpose is not something that is given to us, it is something that we have to discover for ourselves.
It is our own responsibility to look inside to explore passion and interest and be open to new life experiences. He also emphasizes the importance of taking action toward our purpose and not just dreaming about it.
Jay encourages the audience to set goals, work hard and be persistent in the face of challenges and obstacles. He also encourages everyone to be of service to others and use their purpose to make a positive impact on the world. Because by living a purposeful life, we can find true happiness in life.
Watch this speech here – Jay Shetty (Find your purpose)
12. Muniba Mazari
Muniba Mazari is a social activist and motivational speaker who delivered a powerful speech on the topic of ‘perfectly imperfect’. She spoke about society puts pressure on individuals to be perfect in every aspect of life and how this pressure can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.
Muniba shared her own personal story of overcoming this fad of being perfect. She spoke about her car accident incident that left her paralyzed and how that experience taught her the true beauty and strengths that come from embracing her own imperfections and using them to become the best version of herself.
Through her powerful words, Muniba reminded the audience that it’s okay to be imperfect and it’s through our imperfection that we can find true meaning and purpose in life. She urged everyone to embrace their own unique journey no matter what challenges they may face.
Watch this speech here – Muniba Mazari (You are all perfectly imperfect)
Conclusion
Whether you are looking to overcome fear and self-doubt, achieve your goals, or find your purpose, these top 12 motivational speeches will inspire you to take action and make positive changes in your life.
Each of these speakers shared a unique perspective with the common belief that ‘you have the power to shape your own destiny’. So take time to listen to these motivational speeches and let them be your sources of motivation for you as you work toward your goals.
If you found this article useful then please share it in your network and subscribe to get more such articles every week.
