a good speech about life

Words at Ease

6 Speech Examples About Life

Life is a beautiful tapestry woven with threads of joy, sorrow, triumph, and growth.

It’s a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns, where every experience shapes us into the individuals we are meant to become.

Speech Examples About Life

In moments of uncertainty or doubt, we often seek wisdom and inspiration from those who have navigated the path before us.

Through the power of speech, we can connect with others, share our stories, and ignite the spark of motivation within ourselves and those around us.

So sit back, relax, and let these heartfelt speeches about life guide you on your own extraordinary journey.

Speech 1: Embracing Change

Change is inevitable. It’s the one constant in this ever-evolving world we live in. Sometimes, change comes knocking on our door uninvited, catching us off guard and leaving us feeling unsettled. Other times, we actively seek change, driven by an insatiable desire for growth and transformation.

Regardless of how change enters our lives, it is up to us to decide how we will respond. Will we resist it, clinging desperately to the familiarity of the past? Or will we embrace it, recognizing that change is the catalyst for personal development and new opportunities?

The truth is, change can be frightening. It pushes us out of our comfort zones and forces us to confront the unknown. But it is in these moments of discomfort that we discover our true strength and resilience. By embracing change, we open ourselves up to a world of possibilities and unlock our potential for greatness.

So when change comes knocking, don’t hide from it. Answer the call with courage and curiosity. Trust in your ability to adapt and grow. Embrace the journey, even when the path ahead is uncertain. For it is through change that we become the best versions of ourselves and create the lives we truly desire.

— END OF SPEECH —

Commentary: This inspirational speech encourages the audience to embrace change as a catalyst for personal growth and new opportunities. It acknowledges the fear and discomfort that often accompanies change but emphasizes the importance of facing it with courage and curiosity. This speech is suitable for audiences facing significant life transitions, such as graduations, career changes, or personal milestones.

Speech 2: The Power of Perseverance

Life is not always easy. There will be times when you feel like giving up, when the challenges before you seem insurmountable, and the road ahead appears endless. In these moments, it’s crucial to remember the power of perseverance.

Perseverance is the unwavering determination to keep moving forward, even in the face of adversity. It’s the inner strength that pushes you to take one more step, even when your legs are tired and your spirit is weary. It’s the voice inside your head that whispers, “Keep going,” when everything else is telling you to quit.

The journey to success is rarely a straight line. It’s filled with detours, obstacles, and setbacks. But it is through these challenges that we grow, learn, and become stronger. Every failure is an opportunity to learn, every setback is a chance to reassess and pivot, and every victory is a testament to your resilience and determination.

So when life gets tough, remember the power of perseverance. Embrace the challenges, learn from the setbacks, and keep pushing forward. Success is not about perfection; it’s about progress. And with perseverance as your guiding light, there is no limit to what you can achieve.

Commentary: This motivational speech highlights the importance of perseverance in the face of life’s challenges. It encourages the audience to view obstacles as opportunities for growth and to keep pushing forward, even when the road ahead seems daunting. This speech is suitable for audiences facing significant challenges or setbacks, such as students, entrepreneurs, or individuals pursuing personal goals.

Speech 3: Finding Your Purpose

In this vast and complex world, it’s easy to feel lost and uncertain about our place in it. We often find ourselves wandering through life, searching for meaning and purpose, wondering what our true calling might be.

But here’s the truth: your purpose is not some elusive, mystical concept that you must spend your entire life seeking. It’s not a hidden treasure that only a select few are lucky enough to find. Your purpose is something that already exists within you, waiting to be discovered and nurtured.

Your purpose is the unique combination of your passions, skills, and experiences. It’s the way in which you choose to make a positive impact on the world around you. It’s the legacy you leave behind through the lives you touch and the difference you make.

Finding your purpose is not always easy. It requires introspection, self-awareness, and a willingness to step outside of your comfort zone. It may involve trying new things, taking risks, and facing your fears. But the journey of self-discovery is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences you will ever have.

So take the time to explore your interests and passions. Reflect on the moments in your life when you have felt most alive and inspired. Surround yourself with people who encourage and support your growth. And trust in the journey, knowing that every step you take is bringing you closer to your true purpose.

Remember, your purpose is not a destination to be reached but a lifelong journey of self-discovery and impact. Embrace it with open arms, and watch as your life unfolds in ways you never could have imagined.

Commentary: This introspective speech encourages the audience to embark on a journey of self-discovery to find their unique purpose in life. It emphasizes that one’s purpose is not an elusive concept but rather a combination of their passions, skills, and experiences. This speech is suitable for audiences seeking direction and meaning in their lives, such as recent graduates, individuals at a career crossroads, or those experiencing a mid-life crisis.

Speech 4: The Gift of Failure

Failure. It’s a word that strikes fear into the hearts of many, a concept that we’ve been taught to avoid at all costs. From a young age, we’re conditioned to believe that failure is a sign of weakness, a mark of inadequacy, and a reflection of our worth as individuals.

But what if I told you that failure is not something to be feared but rather a gift to be embraced? What if I said that failure is not the opposite of success but a necessary step on the path towards it?

You see, failure is not the end of the story. It’s a chapter in the book of your life, a plot twist that adds depth and dimension to your journey. Failure is a teacher, a mentor, and a guide. It shows you what doesn’t work so that you can discover what does. It reveals your weaknesses so that you can strengthen them and your strengths so that you can leverage them.

Failure is not a permanent state but a temporary setback. It’s an opportunity to learn, grow, and adapt. It’s a chance to reassess your goals, your strategies, and your priorities. It’s a reminder that success is not a destination but a journey, and that every obstacle you encounter along the way is an opportunity to become a better version of yourself.

So the next time you experience failure, don’t run from it. Embrace it. Learn from it. Grow from it. Use it as a stepping stone to propel you towards your dreams. Remember that every successful person you admire has failed countless times before achieving their goals. They didn’t let failure define them; they let it refine them.

In the end, failure is not something to be ashamed of but something to be proud of. It’s a badge of honor, a testament to your courage, resilience, and determination. It’s proof that you’re willing to take risks, to step outside of your comfort zone, and to pursue your passions with every fiber of your being.

So embrace the gift of failure. Let it shape you, mold you, and transform you into the person you were always meant to become. And know that every failure brings you one step closer to the success you so deeply desire.

Commentary: This thought-provoking speech challenges the common perception of failure as something to be avoided and instead presents it as a valuable learning experience and a necessary step on the path to success. It encourages the audience to embrace failure, learn from it, and use it as a tool for personal growth and development. This speech is suitable for audiences facing setbacks or disappointments, such as entrepreneurs, athletes, or individuals pursuing ambitious goals.

Speech 5: The Beauty of Vulnerability

In a world that often equates vulnerability with weakness, it’s easy to believe that we must always project an image of strength and perfection. We hide our flaws, mask our insecurities, and present a carefully curated version of ourselves to the world, afraid that revealing our true selves will lead to judgment, rejection, or ridicule.

But what if I told you that vulnerability is not a weakness but a strength? What if I said that by embracing our vulnerabilities, we open ourselves up to deeper connections, greater empathy, and more meaningful relationships?

You see, vulnerability is the courage to be ourselves, fully and authentically, without fear of judgment or rejection. It’s the willingness to share our stories, our struggles, and our successes with others, knowing that in doing so, we create space for them to do the same. It’s the recognition that we are all imperfect beings, navigating this complex and sometimes messy journey of life together.

When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we create a bridge of understanding and compassion between ourselves and others. We invite them to see us as we truly are, flaws and all, and in doing so, we give them permission to do the same. We foster a sense of belonging, a feeling of being seen, heard, and valued for who we are, not just for what we achieve.

Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness but a mark of courage. It takes immense strength to be open and honest about our fears, our doubts, and our insecurities. It requires a willingness to step outside of our comfort zones and risk being hurt or rejected. But in doing so, we create the opportunity for growth, healing, and transformation.

So embrace your vulnerability. Share your stories, your struggles, and your triumphs with others. Be open and honest about who you are and what you’re going through. Know that in doing so, you are not only helping yourself but also inspiring others to do the same.

Remember, vulnerability is not a weakness but a strength. It’s the key to unlocking deeper connections, greater empathy, and more meaningful relationships. It’s the path to a more authentic and fulfilling life.

Commentary: This powerful speech challenges the notion that vulnerability is a weakness and instead presents it as a strength and a path to deeper connections and personal growth. It encourages the audience to embrace their vulnerabilities, share their stories, and foster a sense of belonging and understanding with others. This speech is suitable for audiences seeking to build more authentic relationships, overcome fears of judgment or rejection, or cultivate greater self-acceptance and empathy.

Speech 6: The Power of Gratitude

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s easy to get caught up in the pursuit of more – more success, more wealth, more recognition, more achievements. We often focus so intently on what we lack that we forget to appreciate all that we already have.

But what if I told you that the key to a happier, more fulfilling life lies not in the constant pursuit of more but in the simple practice of gratitude? What if I said that by cultivating a deep sense of appreciation for the blessings in your life, you can transform your outlook, your relationships, and your overall well-being?

Gratitude is the act of acknowledging and appreciating the good things in your life, no matter how big or small they may seem. It’s the practice of focusing on what you have rather than what you lack, of counting your blessings rather than your burdens.

When you make gratitude a daily habit, you begin to shift your perspective from one of scarcity to one of abundance. You start to notice the little things that bring joy and meaning to your life – a beautiful sunset, a warm hug from a loved one, a kind word from a stranger. You become more present in the moment, more attuned to the beauty and wonder that surrounds you.

Gratitude also has the power to transform your relationships with others. When you express appreciation and thanks to the people in your life, you strengthen your connections and foster a sense of positivity and goodwill. You create a ripple effect of kindness and compassion that extends far beyond your immediate circle.

But gratitude is not just about feeling good in the moment. It’s also a powerful tool for resilience and growth. When you face challenges or setbacks, gratitude can help you maintain a sense of perspective and hope. It can remind you of the strengths and resources you have to draw upon, the people who support and believe in you, and the lessons and opportunities that lie ahead.

So make gratitude a daily practice. Take a few moments each day to reflect on the things you’re thankful for, no matter how small they may seem. Express your appreciation to others through words and actions. Cultivate a mindset of abundance and positivity, even in the face of adversity.

Remember, gratitude is not just a feeling but a choice. It’s a powerful tool for transforming your life and the lives of those around you. By embracing gratitude, you open yourself up to greater joy, connection, and fulfillment. You become a force for good in the world, spreading light and positivity wherever you go.

Commentary: This uplifting speech highlights the transformative power of gratitude in fostering happiness, strengthening relationships, and building resilience. It encourages the audience to make gratitude a daily practice, focusing on the blessings in their lives and expressing appreciation to others. This speech is suitable for a wide range of audiences, from corporate teams seeking to boost morale and positivity to individuals looking to cultivate a more fulfilling and joyful life.

Life is a tapestry woven with threads of joy, sorrow, growth, and change.

These six speech examples about life offer a glimpse into the many facets of the human experience – from embracing change and persevering through challenges to finding purpose, learning from failure, embracing vulnerability, and cultivating gratitude.

As you navigate your own journey through life, may these speeches serve as a source of inspiration, comfort, and guidance.

Remember that you are not alone in your struggles and that every challenge you face is an opportunity for growth and transformation.

So embrace the journey, trust in the process, and know that with courage, resilience, and a grateful heart, there is no limit to what you can achieve.

18 Short Speeches About Life

At first, I set out to craft a speech about life . But as I delved deeper into the topic, I realized that summing up the vast tapestry of life in a single speech is a tall order. Life is not just one color or a single note; it’s a vibrant spectrum, a rainbow of experiences, moments, highs, lows, lessons, and memories. Each hue represents a different chapter, emotion, or milestone that contributes to our unique stories.

I also recognize that high school students might come across these words. I fondly recall my own school days when teachers would challenge us to pen down our thoughts on life. Such assignments, seemingly simple on the surface, often pushed us to self-reflection and growth.

With these memories and audiences in mind, I present to you not just one, but multiple speeches on life. Through these, I aim to touch upon the myriad facets of our existence, hoping that each reader, regardless of their age or journey, finds a sliver of resonance, a hint of inspiration, or a moment of reflection.

Speeches About Life

Speeches about life resonate with all of us because life, in its vastness and complexity, is the shared journey we all navigate. It’s filled with rainbows of experiences, highs and lows, and tales of courage, fear, triumphs, and setbacks.

Through these speeches, we get a window into the varied perspectives, learnings, and stories of others. They offer a mirror to our own experiences, sometimes teaching us, sometimes validating our feelings, and often inspiring us to see our path in a new light.

Moreover, life speeches bridge the gap between generations.

From a teenager in high school to a professional in their prime, everyone can find a piece of wisdom or an echo of their own story in these words.

By discussing life, we unite in our shared human experience, finding solace in the thought that we’re not alone in our struggles or joys. This universality, this binding thread, is what makes speeches about life timeless and impactful.

I have delivered these speeches in Toastmasters . I share these speeches when I teach about life and leadership. I have written them in the hope that you too will be inspired to write your speech about life and be an inspiration to others.

The Persuasive Speaker Bootcamp

Amplify & Influence: Mastering Persuasive Presentations

The CEO Speaker Bootcamp: Craft Impactful Executive Speeches

The Informative Speaker Bootcamp: Crafting Captivating Educational Talks

• Improve your motivation skills. Subscribe to 21 Breakthrough Motivation Secrets.

About The Author

Jef Menguin

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

--> Get 3M: Monday Morning Motivation (Short Notes to Start Your Week)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Start typing and press enter to search

16 Most Life-Changing Motivational Speeches & What You’ll Gain from Them

It’s all very well reading about ways to get ahead in life, but no account will ever reach you in quite the same way as hearing someone speak about their own experiences. While these people may be household names now, it wasn’t always that way, and this collection of some of the best motivational speeches will move you and inspire you to make your own dreams come true.

From Arnold Schwarzenneger talking about how he filled every moment of every day with steps to fulfil his ambition of becoming Mr. Universe, to J.K. Rowling’s life as an impoverished single mother, these speeches will fill you with the drive and determination to reach your full potential, and not let anything stand in your way.

Some are long, and some last just a few minutes, but each one will make you want to grab life with both hands and go for what you want, whatever it is.

“Most people have done all that they’re ever going to do – they raise a family, they earn a living, and then they die.”

That’s what we’re supposed to do, right? Wrong! Life is made for greater things, and you are meant for greater things.

When Les Brown was a child, he was labeled ‘educable mentally retarded’, and until a chance encounter with another teacher, he believed that he would amount to nothing. But this one teacher planted the seeds in Les’ head which would blossom and grow, and eventually make him one of the best motivational speakers of all time.

This speech will give you permission to rise above other people’s opinions, to break free of their prejudices, and make a success of whatever you do. Watch ‘It’s Not Over Until You Win! Your Dream is Possible’ and take those first steps towards following your passion and making your dream come true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f0nIhDpXuU

“Stress doesn’t come from the facts, stress comes from the meaning that we give the facts.”

Life is about choices. Every day we’re faced with hundreds of choices, and this speech by Tony Robbins will help you see that it’s the choices, not the conditions, which shape our lives.

Take a moment during this speech to pause and reflect on some choices you have made in the past, and really think about the direction your life took because of them, both good and bad. Tony Robbins explains in his inimitable way that we have the choice to focus on what we want, and that when we focus, we can achieve whatever we want.

Part of Tony’s speech explains how, when the economy is down, some people thrive and some people crash and burn, and the COVID 19 pandemic is the perfect example. Small businesses took a huge hit, and while some of them threw up their hands in despair and said ‘that’s it, it’s over for us’, others adapted, and saw it as an opportunity to expand, diversify, and turn the situation to their advantage.

And that’s the cornerstone of this video – how we react, how we adapt, and how we choose is the difference between success and failure.

“So every rep that I do gets me closer to accomplishing the goal to make this goal – this vision – into reality.”

Be inspired by Arnold Schwarzenneger as he talks about his goal of becoming Mr. Universe. Never wasting a second of his day, Arnie worked in construction, spent 5 hours in the gym, and went to acting classes, all of which took him further along his journey to making his dream come true.

We all have a propensity to waste time, but if you have a goal, if you have a passion that smolders away, take a leaf out of Arnie’s book and make sure that everything you do propels you forward.

And don’t be afraid to fail.

“Your conviction and your convenience don’t live on the same block.”

If you are a fan of The Secret, you will be familiar with Lisa Nicholls. In this video, Lisa tells Tom Bilyeu how she was willing to leave everything and everyone behind in order to grow into the version of herself that she knew she wanted.

Lisa explains how, as a young mother, she was forced to wrap her baby in a towel for two days because she had no money for diapers, and how it was at that moment that she vowed never to be that broke or that broken again.

Change, success, drive…they’re all inconvenient and disruptive, and Lisa Nicholls demonstrates that wonderfully in this emotional and highly motivating interview in which she declares “your story is not meant to be your fortress, your story is meant to be your fuel.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toQmqLwNtho

Eric Thomas had a dream, a goal, and that goal was to be the best motivational speaker in the world. He didn’t achieve this by giving 70%, or 80%…he didn’t achieve it by staying in bed late in the mornings. He achieved it by giving 100% every minute of every day.

Listen to Eric’s words, hear the passion in his voice, and feel the lessons he is giving to you if you want to be the best at whatever you do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtuHZC-ObA8

“If we don’t take control of our environment, it takes control of us.”

This short piece by Tony Robbins has been designed to show you that you are in control of your own environment. Whether you realize it or not, what goes on around you has a massive influence on the way you feel and the way you act.

By taking leadership of your own life, you can defy outside influences and set your own tone for the day ahead, regardless of whatever or whoever is exerting pressure from the outside.

Follow Tony’s example of taking 10 minutes for yourself at the start of every day – for gratitude, prayer or wishes for family and friends, and a recap of what you want to accomplish that day, and your day will continue on that same path of thankfulness, hope, and goals.

“Your mind doesn’t know the difference between something you vividly imagined and something that’s real, literally!”

If you want to emulate the way successful people behave, take these 10 billionaires’ habits and adopt them yourself for 21 days.

Billed by Jim Kwik as being ‘like a magic pill’, these habits will rewire your brain into thinking and behaving like some of the world’s most successful people.

In this 8 minute clip, Jim shares how, for instance, your brain reacts the same way when you imagine your dog walking in as it does when your dog actually walks in, and this can apply to anything. What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

As much as this applies to positive things, it also can be applied to negative things, so if you imagine failure, that’s what you will get. Fill your mind with thoughts of success and that’s what will happen.

None of these habits are difficult to accomplish, but in doing so you will change your entire mindset into one of a hugely successful person, no matter what you want to achieve in life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fzGPwY40Cw

“Don’t leave crumbs.”

If this sounds more like a housekeeping hint and less like a motivational affirmation, you’re 50% right. Our lives do need housekeeping, and not leaving crumbs – i.e. regrets – which will come back and rob your tomorrow of joy, is one of the chores you need to do on a daily basis.

Matthew McConaughey delivers a powerful speech in a gentle way at the University of Houston Commencement Address.

Discussing the five rules he lives by, he will show you how to avoid falling into a trap of entitlement, and why ‘Unbelievable’ is the stupidest word in the dictionary.

With some invaluable life lessons contained inside a highly watchable speech, Matthew McConaughey is an unlikely but very inspiring speaker who has stayed humble despite all his successes.

“There are a lot of sharks in the world; if you hope to complete the swim, you will have to deal with them. So if you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.”

Spoken with eloquence and quiet assuredness, this six-minute speech draws on US Navy Admiral William McRaven’s experience of survival in the Navy Seals.

He explains how making your bed, while seemingly insignificant and even pointless, will set a series of tasks in motion which will ensure that at best, the first job of the day is done, and at worst, you have a neat, tidy bed to fall into at the end of a trying day.

The world is full of people who want to bring you down (the sharks) but if you stand your ground, they will eventually swim away, leaving you to go on to bigger and better things.

“Sometimes life’s gonna hit you in the face with a brick…don’t lose faith.”

Steve Jobs, chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Apple Inc. was hit in the face with more than one brick during his 56 years on earth. From being given up for adoption as a baby, to being fired from the very company which he founded, he never let anything get in his way.

In this commencement speech at Stamford University in 2005, Steve explained how his love for what he did spurred him on to rebuild his life in spectacular fashion.

Life dealt a further blow when, in 2003, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

This speech focuses on three stories which, when combined, show how life offers opportunities for change and growth, no matter how dire the circumstances.

Steve Jobs never graduated college, but when he died in 2011, aged just 56, he had a net worth of US$7 billion. He achieved this by doing what he loved, and in this speech he will inspire you to do the same.

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously than you might as well not have lived at all. In which case, you fail by default.”

Let J. K. Rowling inspire you with this 2008 commencement speech at Harvard University. Extolling the virtues of failure and imagination, she tells the graduates how being at rock bottom set her free to pursue her dreams of being an author.

As poor as it is possible to be without being homeless, she created the world of Harry Potter and went on to amass a fortune of £795 million, but that without her failures in life, she would never have had the opportunity to do so.

Let her words become your own mantra, and view every failure in your life as a future success.

“We shine, because baby you just can’t dim the sun.”

A beautiful antidote for anyone who has ever felt or been told that they are ‘too much’, Gina Hatzis’ winning Speaker Slam speech of 2018 will give you permission to be unashamedly you.

Although written by a woman for women, this powerful and sometimes humorous speech about being your own authentic self will inspire anyone – man or woman – to shine and never dim their own light to suit other people.

“The first step you need to take is just that…step.”

If you are in need of a short, sharp burst of motivation, listen to this speech by ex Navy Seal, Jocko Willink.

Running for less than three minutes, this recording will inspire you to take a step into whatever you want to achieve. Awarded both the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for service, Jocko Willink is no stranger to taking those brave steps, having come face to face with Iraqu insurgents in Ramadi. He will spur you on to put one metaphorical foot in front of the other, and will leave you in no doubt as to what you need to do to achieve your goals.

“On the other side of your maximum fear are all of the best things in life.”

If you like your motivation with a side order of laughter, watch Will Smith as he talks about fear. Agreeing to skydive on a night out with friends, Will realizes that he actually has to go through with it.

Discussing how fear ruins things (he couldn’t sleep or eat before the jump), Will also discloses that beyond fear was the most blissful experience of his life, and how that principle can be applied to anything in life.

“Only those that can see the invisible, can do the impossible.”

Tyrese Gibson knows success, and in this speech he talks about how it can be achieved, by anyone who wants it.

Actor, singer, author, model…Tyrese seems to have the Midas touch, but he didn’t get it by luck. Follow his words as he gently but passionately guides you along the path you need to take if you have goals and dreams in life.

“I refuse to be another man who lived and died, and wasn’t significant’”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzl3CQXMRVo

“If it is written, so shall it be.”

When Steve Harvey’s teacher crushed his dreams of being on TV, the one person who believed in him was his father. He told him to put a piece of paper with his dreams on in his drawer, and to read it every morning and every night.

His dreams came true.

It didn’t always come easy for Steve Harvey though – he spent years living in his car when he had nowhere else to go, but the one thing he never lost was his ambition and determination to see his dreams through to fruition.

A firm believer in the Law of Attraction, Steve still has vision boards and still commits his dreams to writing, and encourages you to do the same in this speech that made Obama cry.

These motivational speeches, and many more like them, show how having guts, determination, and a vision will get you anywhere you want to go, no matter your beginnings in life. These inspirational speakers have suffered loss, sickness, and unbelievable hardships, but the one thing that got them through was their desire to win and their belief that they could.

Immerse yourself in their words of wisdom, and take that next step into your best life.

More on Motivation

• 8 Rituals to Cultivating True Self-Motivation That Lasts
• 10 Monday Morning Habits for a Successful Week
• Motivational Quotes

Submit a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

30 Famous and Short Inspirational Speeches (5 minutes or less)

• December 13, 2023

This post is all about the best short inspirational speeches.

If you are in need of a quick boost of inspiration and motivation, you will find that in this post. I am one of those people who loves to get motivated. That sounds weird, right?

Well, a lot of people these days tend to give motivation a hard time because they don’t believe that it has lasting effects. In other words, they believe that what’s most important is your own self-discipline, because that’s what you have to rely on when motivation isn’t there.

And while I do agree with that sentiment in general, I will never pass up a great motivational podcast or YouTube video! 😀 There’s just something about them that even if they might not have lasting effects, they do truly help pump me up in the moment to get work done. And that’s usually what matters to me the most when I am looking for them in the first place.

So, here are the very best short motivational speeches so you can get that quick fix of motivation that you’re looking for, and ultimately move closer to your goals and dreams.

Short Inspirational Speeches

Believe in yourself speeches.

If you lack confidence or you are doubting yourself, these short motivational speeches will help you to believe in yourself again.

1. Rocky’s Inspirational Speech to His Son | ROCKY BALBOA

In less than 5 minutes, you’ll watch Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) explain to his son that if he wants to have the life he desires, he needs to believe in himself. He needs to stop listening to the people that tell him who he is, and instead go be his own person, and stop looking for someone to blame when things aren’t working out for him because ultimately it’s on HIM. This is one of the greatest inspirational speeches of all time.

2. Find Your Purpose | David Goggins – Motivational Speech

David Goggins is truly incredible. A former Navy SEAL, he has broken records and ran more races than you’d imagine. But the one thing that really stands out about him is his mindset.

Listen to this video if you want to be great. He tells you exactly what you need to do to get there.

Also, if you’ve never read David Goggins’ book “Can’t Hurt Me” , I highly recommend it. He talks about his rough upbringing, and how he was able to essentially become an entirely new person to become a Navy SEAL.

3. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF – Motivational Video (ft. Jaret Grossman & Eric Thomas)

This video is all about how important it is to have the proper belief system. If you truly believe that you are one of the best, you will start acting that you are one of the best, and eventually you may just be one of the best.

4. DON’T LET YOUR DREAMS DIE – Motivational Speech

This YouTube short by Mel Robbins is so good, I had to share it. A light bulb went on in my head when I first watched this. If there is something that is always on your mind, don’t let it haunt you forever because you never put yourself out there to try it. Go and DO!

Motivational Speeches About Not Giving Up

The following short motivational speeches are all about not giving up on your dreams. If you are losing hope, these short motivational speeches will inspire you to keep going.

5. Brené Brown It’s Not The Critic Who Counts

This speech will give you chills, and it is packed with great lessons about life. Brené Brown is a researcher who went viral for a Ted Talk, and here she talks about how to overcome critics and to keep believing in yourself no matter what. If you are worried about what people think of you, you NEED to watch this.

6. Amazing Motivational Speech by Denzel Washington 

This is another video that gave me chills. The main theme of this famous speech is “ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship”. Stay consistent even when it’s hard. Easy task after easy task won’t get you to where you want to be.

7. Steve Harvey – Inspirational Speech | Motivational Short Video | Incredible You

This short motivational speech by Steve Harvey is short but impactful. If you are someone who stepped out of your comfort zone to pursue something really difficult, and you’re thinking about giving up, this speech may just prevent you from doing so.

8. Ed Mylett on The Power of One More

Ed Mylett shares the story of how his father stayed sober until his dying day, and how Ed himself uses that same philosophy to never give up. Personal stories like these are always the most inspiring.

By the way, if you REALLY want to push yourself and become the best, read Ed Mylett’s most recent book on this same topic, “The Power Of One More” .

Motivational Speeches If You’re Feeling Behind

Are you feeling behind in life? If so, let’s change that. Watch these videos to be reminded that you are on your own unique path. You have no competition other than your past self. These short motivational videos will help you believe that.

9. Before You Feel Pressure – WATCH THIS | by Jay Shetty

Jay Shetty talks to a school class about how there’s no one “perfect” life timeline to follow, and that we are all on our own clock. 

10. Kevin Hart Motivational Speech

If you’ve made mistakes in your life (haven’t we all) this is a great story from Kevin Hart (famous comedian and actor) that will remind you of the power of making mistakes and pushing through hard times.

11. Oprah Winfrey | 5 Minutes For The NEXT 50 Years of Your LIFE

In this video, Oprah talks about the importance of really knowing who you are and what you want in your life. She talks about surrounding yourself with great people, and how to have enormous success. “Let excellence be your brand.”

Listen To These If You Need Perspective

Sometimes in life, we get so caught up in the day to day that we forget what truly matters – the people we love. If you are having trouble with something in life, give these videos a listen, because they just might help you realize what is really important.

12. Arnold Schwarzenegger – Organize Your Day | 1 MINUTE MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO

Are you the kind of person who always complains that you don’t have enough time to do something? If so, you’re not alone. We are all busy humans, running around doing a million things. But if you aren’t prioritizing what you know you should be doing, listen to this video.

13. How to Judge Your Life Using 3 Simple Questions | Brendon Burchard Speech| Goalcast

Have you ever heard of Mortality Motivation? It’s essentially what it sounds like… being motivated by the impending reality of your death. It sounds a little morbid, but it’s actually quite beautiful and it can be really beneficial if you harness it for good.

In this video by motivational speaker Brendon Burchard, he shares how a car accident when he was 19 gave him mortality motivation and changed everything for him.

14. FALL, SUFFER AND LEARN | MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH BY OPRAH WINFREY

This speech by Oprah was given to Harvard graduates, and it’s a unique speech because she talks about failing, even after the major success of her television show for over 20 years.

It’s refreshing to hear that even the most successful people fail. What really matters, though, is what you do with your failure. Do you learn from it and move on? Or do you give up?

15. YOU VS YOU – Best Motivational Video

This is a pretty intense video about competition. If your #1 competition is someone else, you need to change your perspective. Your only competition is YOU. The only thing preventing you from moving forward is you.

16. The Speech That Brought This Entire School To Tears

This is a speech about a man who never really paid much attention to his mother, until she passed away. It’s an emotional reminder to cherish the time you have with your loved ones, because you never know if the next time you see them will be the last time.

In my opinion, this speaker embodies many qualities of the best motivational speakers because he really knows how to capture the audience’s attention and pull on their heart strings.

17. 5 Minutes to Start Your Day Right! – MORNING MOTIVATION

This motivational speech is by a Navy SEAL who will remind you to start each day with a task completed, respect everyone, take risks, step up during tough times, and never give up. If you do these things, the next generation, and the generations that follow, will live better lives than we live today.

18. The Real You – Jim Carrey

This video is one of the best motivational speech examples because it reminds you of something so important: sometimes we can be so focused on earning more money, gaining fame, and becoming admired that we lose ourselves or we lose sight of what’s really important to us in the process.

Jim Carrey talks about how he is a great example of that. He got all of the money, fame, and admiration, and admits that that wasn’t really who he was. Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded that money and fame, or even getting to the top of the corporate ladder, while nice, aren’t going to be the thing that brings you fulfillment when it’s all said and done.

19. Ed Mylett Motivational Speech

I posted another motivational video by Ed Mylett above, but if you don’t know much about him, prepare to have your world rocked. He’s probably my absolute favorite motivational speaker because he is successful and he works hard, but he’s also (seemingly) a kind, family guy who’s been through a few things.

In this video, he talks about being “the one” that changed his family tree. Take a listen because I’m sure it’ll get you thinking on whether or not you can be “the one” in YOUR family.

P.S. If you love personal growth content, you should check out Ed Mylett’s podcast . I listen to it every week and it is one of my favorites.

20. If You Feel LOST, LAZY & UNMOTIVATED In Life, WATCH THIS! | Tony Robbins Motivation

If you are someone who is constantly blaming others or your circumstances for your unhappiness, you need to listen to this video by Tony Robbins . Bad things happen to us all, it’s up to you to focus on what you can control.

Great Inspirational Speeches About Hard Work

How hard do you think you work? Could you be doing more? If there’s a little voice inside of your heart that knows you could be doing more and better, these motivational videos about the value of hard work will help you push yourself.

And a side note: your chances of having good luck increase the harder and longer you work.

21. You’re Not Tired, You’re Just Weak – David Goggins Motivation

If you’re feeling lazy or like you don’t want to do something, watch this video til 2:25 . It will give you the push you need to put your head down and do the work. It’ll remind you to keep pursuing your goals and to keep challenging yourself. Key takeaway: push yourself beyond your perceived limits.

22. Hard Work & Patience – A Gary Vaynerchuk Original Film

If you want to be motivated to work hard, listen to Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary Vaynerchuk is a creative genius known for his marketing tactics. This famous motivational speech is all about playing “the long game”, as in, working for a long time and having patience instead of working hard for a short period of time and expecting to win quickly.

23. OBSESSION – Best Motivational Speech

This is one of my favorite short motivational speeches because it makes me feel a little more normal for being “weird”. I’m the kind of person who chooses to work on the weekends instead of hanging out with people. Crazy, right? But it’s because I’m working toward a dream of mine and it’s something that’s really important to me. The most important thing to remember: it’s okay to devote yourself to something. It’s the only way to get what you want in life.

24. WORK LIKE HELL – Best Motivational Video

This is a series of motivational speeches about doing a little bit more and outworking your competition. I’m not going to lie – I’m up late writing this post and listening to this very video is what’s motivating me to keep going.

25. The video EVERY woman should watch!

Whether or not you’re a Rachel Hollis fan may be up for debate (and that’s okay!) but I happen to think she’s a great motivational speaker. This entire speech will inspire you to work hard and take massive action – today.

26. NEVER SURRENDER – Powerful Motivational Speech (by Kobe Bryant)

This one minute video by the late Kobe Bryant is one of the most famous short speeches. I read a book recently by his former personal trainer and I learned that Kobe really outworked everyone. He talks about a quote in this video that really stuck with him, and I think it’s great advice if you’re the kind of person who needs motivation to keep working hard.

Motivational Speeches About Working Smart

Have you ever heard the saying “work smarter, not harder”? That saying is all about ensuring that the work you are doing is actually efficient. Are you getting to where you want to go with all of the work that you are putting in? Are you getting closer to your goals and your dreams? Or are you sprinting like a hamster on a wheel and just running in circles?

Here are great videos on the importance of working hard but also working intentionally.

27. SET SYSTEMS RATHER THAN GOALS – Motivational Speech – James Clear

A goal gives you a sense of direction, but if you don’t spell out precisely how you are going to get to a goal, it is useless. You must develop systems. Listen to this James Clear video to gain valuable life lessons.

By the way, James Clear is an author who wrote perhaps my favorite book of all time: “Atomic Habits” . It’s life-changing if you haven’t read it yet.

28. Matthew McConaughey | 5 Minutes for the NEXT 50 Years of Your LIFE

This is one of the best motivational speeches of all time about how to live a great life for YOU. It’s filled with little pieces of wisdom that’ll really get you thinking about how you live your life and in what direction you want to go.

29. Visualization is the key – Bob Proctor

Do you believe in the Law of Attraction? If not, I have to say I’m surprised! I’ve experienced it in my own life more than once, and it is incredibly powerful. Here’s a great video that sums up the power of visualization, and if you want to learn more about the Law of Attraction or manifestation in general, read this post .

This video shows the true power of words, thoughts, and feelings that you have.

30. How to Stay Motivated – Carla Harris

Here is a YouTube short with very practical advice from Carla Harris on HOW to stay motivated. It’s all about having a vision!

This post was all about short inspirational speeches. Which one was your favorite?

Related Posts

Top 125 Inspirational Alpha Leader Quotes for Life

Here are the best alpha leader quotes if you are looking to level up your leadership or just become a better all-around person.

44 Inspirational Barbie Movie Quotes & Captions

You have found the best inspirational Barbie quotes in this post, by all your favorite characters from the movie

The 12 Best Law of Attraction Apps for Manifestation

This post is all about the 12 best law of attraction apps for manifestation. The Law of Attraction is a powerful universal principle that suggests

Join the Imperfect Taylor Newsletter!

Stay in the know! Every week you’ll receive new blog posts that help you on your personal development journey – from mindset & money to health & career – no topic’s off limits.

About Taylor

A few years after graduating college, Taylor made it her mission to become debt free. After paying off all $60k of debt, she began to blog about what she's really passionate about: personal development. Nowadays, Taylor blogs about the topics of Mindset, Money, Health, and Career for women. Read more about Taylor here.

"It's Per$onal" is a super popular and anonymous blog series about the personal lives and finances of women all over the world. Check it out!

If you like this post, you might like these, too!

25 Inspiring Quotes: Do Something Today For Future You

A Candid Convo About Imperfection with Schmooze with Suze

12 Inspirational Speeches That Teach You the Most Valuable Life Lessons

The most valuable thing an experienced person has is their experience. People make mistakes, learn from them, and adapt their life around them to become better people. Those people would then tell tales to others to help teach those lessons so that others would not have to make the same mistakes.

People still tell these stories today but in a slightly different format — they use speeches to express their experiences. Here are some valuable life lessons you can learn from some of the greatest inspirational speeches:

1. JK Rowling teaches us to not fear failure no matter how bad things become

It is a well-known fact that JK Rowling’s now-famous Harry Potter series was turned down by several publishers before it was finally picked up. Those publishers are likely kicking themselves in the pants right now. However, before that, JK Rowling was in a fairly dire situation and was on the brink of failure. Despite being turned down time and time again, she kept trying. Her efforts paid off. Harry Potter is now a ubiquitous character in today’s world culture. Despite failing over and over again, Rowling kept trying and fulfilled her dreams. You can watch her deliver some valuable life lessons in her Harvard commencement speech video above.

2. Steve Jobs teaches us to never settle

Steve Jobs had a fairly tumultuous life. He co-founded Apple, was kicked out of the company, came back, and then re-defined the mobile phone space with the iPhone. Even if iPhones aren’t the rage they once were, its iconic value is forever written in stone. One thing Jobs never did was settle. He lived life on his own terms and was rewarded for it by being dubbed one of the most revolutionary voices in technology of our time. In the Stanford commencement speech above, Jobs explains how you should never settle for what someone else wants out of your life. It’s your life and you should do what you want with it.

3. Admiral William H McRaven teaches us to make our beds every day

Anyone who has gone through the basic training of a military service will tell you it’s pretty difficult. However, every seemingly obnoxious step is actually a life lesson in disguise. This even applies to flawlessly making one’s bed every single morning. As Admiral William H McRaven teaches us, recruits are taught to make their beds every morning to remind them that even the little things in life matter. After all, how can you be expected to handle the biggest obstacles in your life if you can’t even handle the small and the mundane like making your bed every day? You can watch the entire speech in the video above.

4. Author David Foster Wallace teaches us that we’re a part of a greater existence

David Foster Wallace found fame in 1987 with his book The Broom of the System . Nearly 20 years later in 2005 he game a commencement speech at Kenyon College that is worth listening to at least once. In his speech, he reminds us that was are but a part of a huge, dynamic, ever changing interaction of life forms. In order to truly experience life, we need to leave our personal bubbles and interact with others even if it’s in an unpleasant way. Wallace states, “It will actually be within your power to experience a crowded, hot, slow, consumer-hell type situation as not only meaningful, but sacred, on fire with the same force that made the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down.” You can watch the whole speech above.

5. Stephen Colbert teaches us that life isn’t something you can plan

If there is anyone who knows about improvisation, it’s comedian Stephen Colbert. In his commencement speech at Northwestern University in 2011, Colbert reminded students that you cannot plan life. Life throws too many curve balls. There are too many unpredictable things that can happen. The most successful and happy people are not those who have a plan, but those who can roll with the punches and overcome the obstacles. He goes on to site his time as an improv comic and how all of the actors working together to create a scene out of literally nothing are all working for one another. He states that like improv comedy, you don’t know what happens next in life. You just make it up as you go along. You can watch the whole speech above.

6. Kurt Vonnegut teaches us to not sweat the small stuff

Some of our younger readers may not know Kurt Vonnegut. He is a famous author that found of of his success during the middle of last century. In 1999, Kurt Vonnegut was at Agnes Scott College giving a commencement speech. During the speech, he mentioned that in order to live a more complete life, people needed to let stuff go. He argued that you cannot reasonably expect others to forgive you for your mistakes if you cannot forgive others and that you cannot live life fostering a personal vendetta against others.

7. Neil Gaiman teaches us that success can be distracting.

Neil Gaiman is most known for his work in a number of literary mediums including journalism, comic books, and novels. In 2012, Gaiman gave a speech at the University of the Arts where he talked about success. He stated that when you become successful, you may be unintentionally swayed from performing the actions that made you successful. Gaiman recalled his early success and how he felt pressured to answer emails all day long and it actually prevented him from writing as much as he wanted. So he reminds us to keep doing what makes us successful and to not let others get in the way.

8. Barack Obama’s life lessons teaches us that you really can beat the odds

We know that not everyone likes Barack Obama but that doesn’t mean the man can’t deliver an amazing speech. In this 2004 keynote speech at the Democratic National Convenction, Obama reminds that it is possible to beat the odds and become something great. He cites his own upbringing as an example and how he was never expected to make it as far as he did. It shows that when you’re passionate about something and when you try hard enough, you can accomplish almost anything. It’s important to note that Obama talks about this in 2004 and would become the President of the United States just four years later.

9. Robin Roberts reminds us that we each have the courage to overcome challenges

Robin Roberts knows a thing or two about courage. She is a breast cancer survivor and has done battle with a rare blood disease called myelodysplastic syndrome. Her sister once had to donate bone marrow just so Robin could remain alive. She was also ESPN’s first African American broadcaster in the early 1990’s. She’s a woman who works in an industry predominately populated by men. So when Robin Roberts takes the stage at the ESPYs and delivers a short lecture on having courage, we would do well to listen!

10. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us that some things are more important than success

We all know the story of Martin Luther King Jr. So much so that we have a day of the year to celebrate him as a national holiday here in the United States. Most of us have listening to segments of his famous speech where he told the world about a dream he had. The main message of his famous speech is that racial inequalities needed to end and he was absolutely right. However, he also reminds us that there are things that are more important than success such as equal rights and treating each other with respect and kindness. If you somehow made it through school without watching the famous speech, we’ve got it linked above.

11. Jim Carrey reminds us that even if you keep it safe, you can still fail so you might as well go big

Jim Carrey delivered a commencement speech at Maharishi University recently that went absolutely viral. You may know it as the one minute video that will change your life. They weren’t lying but they weren’t telling the whole truth because the speech was actually 28 minutes long. During the speech, Carrey talks about his father who wanted to be a comedian but decided to take the safe route and become an accountant. As it turns out, his father was laid off and his family ended up poor anyway. With that, Carrey tells us that you can still end up failing even if you play it safe so you might as well swing for the fences and do what you want to do.

12. Bill Murray teaches us that it’s the hard times that determine if someone really loves you

You may have heard the story about Bill Murray crashing someone’s bachelor party and delivering a speech. It turns out the speech was both short and fairly epic. During the speech, Bill Murray challenged the bachelors to travel around the world with the women they love and go to places that are difficult to go to and deal with. He says if you can get back to the United States and you still love each other, then you should get married right then and there. It’s a great message. It’s easy to love one another when times are good but do you still love each other when the times are bad? If so, that’s true love according to Bill Murray.

Final thoughts

Inspiration comes from everywhere and from anyone. There are a countless number of speeches and stories that can teach us an incalculable number of life lessons.

All these speeches almost share the same message: Don’t be afraid to fail and keep trying.

If you also want to live your best life like the above successful people, this is what you should start doing:

You’ll Only Live Your Best Life Once You Step Out

At the end of the day, everything is inspirational. It’s just a matter of finding the message that we need to hear to change our lives.

Featured photo credit: Miguel Henriques via unsplash.com

How to Use a Planner Effectively

How to Be a Better Planner: Avoid the Planning Fallacy

5 Best Apps to Help You Delegate Tasks Easily

Delegating Leadership Style: What Is It & When To Use It?

The Fear of Delegating Work To Others

Why Is Delegation Important in Leadership?

7 Best Tools for Prioritizing Work

How to Deal with Competing Priorities Effectively

What Is the RICE Prioritization Model And How Does It Work?

4 Exercises to Improve Your Focus

What Is Chronic Procrastination and How To Deal with It

How to Snap Out of Procrastination With ADHD

Are Depression And Procrastination Connected?

Procrastination And Laziness: Their Differences & Connections

Bedtime Procrastination: Why You Do It And How To Break It

15 Books on Procrastination To Help You Start Taking Action

Productive Procrastination: Is It Good or Bad?

The Impact of Procrastination on Productivity

How to Cope With Anxiety-Induced Procrastination

How to Break the Perfectionism-Procrastination Loop

15 Work-Life Balance Books to Help You Take Control of Life

Work Life Balance for Women: What It Means & How to Find It

6 Essential Mindsets For Continuous Career Growth

How to Discover Your Next Career Move Amid the Great Resignation

The Key to Creating a Vibrant (And Magical Life) by Lee Cockerell

9 Tips on How To Disconnect From Work And Stay Present

Work-Life Integration vs Work-Life Balance: Is One Better Than the Other?

How To Practice Self-Advocacy in the Workplace (Go-to Guide)

How to Boost Your Focus And Attention Span

What Are Distractions in a Nutshell?

What Is Procrastination And How To End It

Prioritization — Using Your Time & Energy Effectively

Delegation — Leveraging Your Time & Resources

Your Guide to Effective Planning & Scheduling

The Ultimate Guide to Achieving Goals

How to Find Lasting Motivation

Complete Guide to Getting Back Your Energy

How to Have a Good Life Balance

Explore the time flow system.

About the Time Flow System

Key Philosophy I: Fluid Progress, Like Water

Key Philosophy II: Pragmatic Priorities

Key Philosophy III: Sustainable Momentum

Key Philosophy IV: Three Goal Focus

How the Time Flow System Works

Inspire Your Success

Top 25 Best Motivational Speeches About Life: Short Motivational Speeches to Take Massive Action

• Facebook 41
• Pinterest 573

These are the top 15  best motivational speeches  about life to help motivate and inspire you!

Every day our motivational levels will waiver but if you can figure out how to stay motivated you will set yourself for an incredible amount of success in life.

Tony Robbins talks about this as push vs. pull motivation . Push motivation is usually where you have to push yourself to do something and oftentimes include a lot of willpower. Pull motivation is much easier, more natural, and flows easily as you want to do the specific event.

In this Psychology Today article it says that “Pull-based motivation is about tapping the desire to achieve something. It’s about establishing a quest and taking action not to remove a current pain, but to bring yourself closer to a deeply desired end. Maybe it’s completing a marathon or learning to play guitar.”

Ultimately you want to find activities in life that have you being pulled to do them. That usually happens when you begin to align your life with your goals, values, and daily routines. 

Motivation will determine how great your life ends up being. If you want to change your life you have to get moving, change your physiology, and create powerful habits. I listen to one of the videos as morning motivation every single day!

Here are the 15  best motivational speeches to help you get inspired!

Table of Contents

Top 15 Best Motivational Speeches

1.) tony robbins – why we do what we do (tedx speech).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpc-t-Uwv1I&list=PL3JDCD84BjcJv0_bOMqejyCBBz8JCZ_Ks&index=5

Imagine speaking in front of the most wealthy and successful individuals in the world — what advice could you possibly give to billionaires and CEO’s? Tony Robbins is one of the few people that can motivate and inspire them as some of his top clients are those exact people. This TedX speech will help you understand why you do what you do.

2. Steve Jobs – 2005 Standford Commencement Speech

Steve Jobs Harvard commencement speech is one of the best motivational speeches of all time, not to mention the best commencement speech ever. While many of us admire Jobs and love his work, he was often very misunderstood by the masses. This rare and candid speech will show you how to follow your passion and create a life you love.

And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever that somehow the dots will connect in the future.” — Steve Jobs

3. Les Brown – Georgia Dome Speech

Les Brown has some of the best motivational speeches ever. He is a world renown speaker, author, and trainer that has accomplished amazing feats in his life.

While his list of accolades is impressive when you learn where he came from it’s even more so. Enjoy this amazing speech live from the Georgia Dome in front of 30,000 people!

This is one of my favorites of all time. When things aren’t working, I listen to this inspirational speech about success to overcome challenges.

4. David Goggins – Driven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIrT1eHs1b0&t=1571s

David Goggins is arguably the most badass human being ever. He’s been a Navy Seal, Army Ranger, ultra-marathon runner, and holds the pull-up record for most pull-ups in a 24 hour period (4,030)! When I think of the best motivational speeches I can’t help but add David Goggins!

5. Arnold Schwarzenegger – 6 Rules of Success (Commencement Speech)

Regardless of your political views, it’s hard to admit that Arnold has not accomplished an incredible amount in his lifetime. From moving to Austria to America to becoming a bodybuilder, Mr. Olympia champion, top-grossing actor, and governor of California.

6. Tony Robbins – New Year, New You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIHmty265Us

This is probably the video that will get you to reshape your life and vision more than most. If you’ve ever set a resolution only to fail while it’s still January (who hasn’t done that?) this video is for you.

Most of all, Tony talks in-depth about how to make lasting changes in your life. Instead of focusing on resolutions or abstract goals, focus on what really matters to make the change you need!

This is one of the best motivational speeches about life I’ve ever heard. Anytime I’m in a rut or feeling stuck, I always play this and get super inspired.

7. Mel Robbins – Secret to Self-Motivation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoWnfCoFdYs

Mel Robbins is a top speaker and best-selling author after creating “ The 5-Second Rule ” and sharing it with the world. After getting to meet her in person, I can say she is incredibly inspiring and loves to help people.

8. Terry Crews Motivational Speech

Terry Crews is well known by many but his backstory & route to success is even more impressive!

9. Denzel Washington – Commencement Speech at Dillard University

Who doesn’t love Denzel Washington? His acting is incredible but his speech about succeeding in life is one of his truly epic performances. If you feel lost or disappointed with your life, this is a great video to get you motivated!

10. Admiral William H. McRaven – University of Texas At Austin

Do you make your bed each morning?

Admiral William McRaven shows why making your bed as part of your morning routine will give you discipline and start the day winning.

Let’s be honest, there are way too many amazing motivational speeches about life to only include ten. Here are some other incredible speeches that can change your life!

More Motivational Speeches About Life

11. extreme ownership with jocko willink (tedx speech).

Jocko Willink is a retired, ex-Navy Seal and also the best-selling author of “ Extreme Ownership .” If you don’t follow him on Twitter I highly recommend it as he seems like one of the most disciplined human beings alive.

After seeing him at a “ Success Live ” seminar I can say his intensity his second to none. Jocko gives one of the best motivational speeches ever with this TEDx talk!

12. J.K. Rowling – Harvard Commencement Speech

J.K. Rowling has an incredible story. From a broke waitress barely able to survive turned into one of the best-selling authors of all time. She has gone on to publish the Harry Potter series that also turned into one of the most successful movie franchises ever.

I love this quote from her epic motivational speech:

We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”

13. Inky Johnson – One of the Most Epic Speeches About Life

Inky Johnson gives one of the best speeches about life challenges ever. After working his entire life to make it to the NFL, a freak injury in college paralyzed his right arm entirely. But instead of letting this injury ruin his life he turned his pain into passion by becoming a motivational speaker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH1OFoBfDRM

14. Eric Thomas – Motivation Addicts Speech

Eric Thomas aka “ET the Hip Hop Preacher” is one of the world  best motivational speakers of all time! In fact, if you type in motivational videos on Youtube his videos almost always come up first.

He is so passionate it’s hard to not love his message. His motivational speeches have taken over and this is one of my all-time favorites!

15. Jim Carrey Commencement Speech at Maharishi University of Management

Jim Carrey is often portrayed negatively in the media as of late but I think he’s incredible. He genuinely understands what’s important in life and wants to help others find the way to success. Jim used his vision to create an epic life and shares his gift with the world in this inspirational speech about life.

This might be the best motivational quote I’ve ever heard. Never forget, always follow your passion:

I learned many great lessons from my father — not the least of which is that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you  love .”

16. Ellen DeGeneres: Tulane University Commencement Speech

Ellen DeGeneres has overcome a lot of odds in her life and created a truly epic life. I love how much wisdom, inspiration, and humor is in this amazing speech about life. She is an incredible person who continues to inspire millions of people around the globe.

Really, when I look back on it, I wouldn’t change a thing. I mean, it was so important for me to lose everything because I found out what the most important thing is … to be true to yourself. Ultimately, that’s what’s gotten me to this place. I don’t live in fear. I’m free. I have no secrets and I know I’ll always be OK, because no matter what, I know who I am.”

17. Sheryl Sandberg Commencement Speech

Sheryl Sandberg is another amazing motivational speaker and COO of Facebook. Her speeches and words have helped inspire women worldwide.

18. Oprah Winfrey – Harvard Commencement Speech

Oprah is one of my favorite inspirational stories about perseverance of all-time. She had such a difficult childhood it’s nearly impossible for most people to even believe.

Yet she went on to become one of the most successful, wealthy, and influential people the world has ever seen. I love her message of positivity and fulfilling your dreams in life.

19. Will Smith Inspirational Speech – Pursuit of Happiness

This movie is phenomenal and really invokes a ton of emotion and feelings in this particular scene. Remember, never listen to anyone telling you what’s possible!

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. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”

Best Sports Motivational Speeches

Sports have created some of the best motivational speeches ever. Fake or real, these are some of the most popular motivational speeches from Hollywood!

20. Al Pacino – Any Given Sunday Speech

As a huge movie fan, I love this speech and consider it the best sports motivational speeches of all time. Al Pacino is an amazing actor and he delivers an incredible speech to motivate his team to victory.

“ On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. We CLAW with our fingernails for that inch. Cause we know when we add up all those inches that’s going to make the fucking difference. Between WINNING and LOSING…between LIVING and DYING. ”

21. Herb Brooks – Miracle Speech

While the speech is great it’s even better because it’s based on a true story about the Olympic team in the 1980’s! This speech propelled the U.S. to beat the Soviet Union and become the gold meal champions!

As Herb said, “ Great moments are born from great opportunity .”

22. Rocky Motivational Speech

Rocky might be the best motivational video ever. While the original is a little outdated there have been so many sequels it continues to stay relevant in mainstream culture.

If you learn about the story behind the movie it’s even more inspirational. At the time Sylvester Stallone was so broke he had to sell his dog and was sleeping on park benches. After watching a boxing match he got motivated and wrote the script that would change his life.

Check out my favorite quote from the Rocky motivational speech:

The world ain’t’ all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a mean and nasty place. And I don’t care how tough you are it’ll beat to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! “

23. Ray Lewis & Eric Thomas – “Beast” Motivational Speech

This inspirational speech is from two icons – Ray Lewis and Eric Thomas. Ray is a former hall of fame NFL player who knows how to generate hype, excitement, and enthusiasm from his teammates. This was a no-brainer when selecting the best sports motivational speeches.

Remember as Eric Thomas said, “ Sleep, sleep is for people who are broke. I got an opportunity to make a dream become a reality. ”

24. Best Motivational Sports Speech 

The crazy thing about this inspirational speech is that it’s a true story!  This epic speech was delivered to a group of high school football players.

25. Tom Brady – Best Motivational Video To Prove Haters Wrong

Tom Brady is the greatest player of all time. He was doubted from the moment he walked into the NFL combine. Yet, he is still playing the game 20+ years later and is arguably the best quarterback of all time.

He’s proven the haters wrong with his relentless work ethic, consistent performance, and longevity in a physically challenging sport. I love this motivational video!

Remember what Tom Brady said, “ To me what separates good players from great players is to execute under pressure. ”

Enjoy the best motivational speeches to give you the momentum to take the next step!

Are you ready to make this the year that will change your life forever? Quit waiting and start creating success today!

Never give up, this is your year to create success! 

Do you think these are some of the best motivational speeches about life ? Which one of them is your favorite?

Did I miss a motivational or commencement speech that you love? Let me know in the comments! 

• Recent Posts

• Cold Pitching Tutorial For Freelance Writers – 5 EASY Steps to Land Clients! - March 25, 2021
• Upwork Proposal Tips For Copywriters - March 11, 2021
• Upwork Profile Tips - February 2, 2021

About Michael Leonard

My name is Michael and I'm the creator of Inspire Your Success. My goal is to give you the tools, resources, and inspiration to build an epic freelance writing business.

January 30, 2018 at 2:07 am

Love these and wanted to add 1 more from Eric Thomas, literally one of the most motivational people to so many people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vuetQSwFW8

February 7, 2018 at 7:10 am

Damn great call I totally forgot about ET — he’s one of the best!

January 30, 2018 at 3:04 am

Glad you included Jocko. Highly recommended podcast.

February 7, 2018 at 7:09 am

Thanks Drew — Jocko is the man! After seeing him live I was ready to run through a wall haha inspiring guy!

April 17, 2018 at 6:43 am

Amazingly informative and helpful post. Everything is good enough and website is very well designed. I am very glad that I have come across to your blog because you have shared a one of a kind blog which has all the things in a very pleasant manner. Basically I’m a writer I would like to share my website here and sometimes I wait for your post to get more this type of blogs. A good blog always comes-up with new and exciting information and while reading I have feel that this blog is really have all those quality that qualify a blog to be a good one. What a great post, love this education related post! Great blog you have Thanks for sharing.

December 2, 2020 at 6:31 am

All are best speeches. Many i have listed but remaining i will listen soon. It is really motivational. Arnold speech is really motivational.

December 2, 2020 at 6:33 am

JK Rowling speech is my favorite. She is a wonderful author and worked very hard to get success. Remaining all are best.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CONTACT WORK WITH ME DISCLAIMER BLOG

Share with others.

TED is supported by ads and partners 00:00

What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness

• relationships
• work-life balance

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

• 5 MUST-READ BOOKS for self-growth

Justin Bieber’s REDEMPTION story: Overcoming TROUBLED past

• 10 MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES in Marathi translated into English

Latest News:

• What, how, & why: The importance of lifelong learning in life
• 10 inspiring TAGALOG QUOTES about life translated into English

10 motivational speeches about life you need to watch

If you’re looking for something to help you get motivated for life, check out these ten fantastic inspirational speeches that are free to watch on YouTube.

Today, we’re counting down ten amazing motivational speeches about life that you need to watch. With speeches for students, speeches for entrepreneurs, and everyone in between, this list includes positive motivation for all.

From valuable life lessons covering all aspects of life to incredible stories from successful people talking about their journey to success, these amazing speeches are sure to make you feel positive and uplifted.

So, if you need a burst of motivation, let these powerful speeches act as your source of inspiration today.

10. Randy Pausch: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams 2007 – a beautiful last lecture

Kicking off our list of motivational speeches about life is this beautiful speech from American educator Randy Pausch, who knew at the time that he only had a few months left to live.

Rather than feeling hard done by due and delivering a sad speech, Pausch remains positive, delivering an inspiring speech to his listeners. He speaks of the things he values in life, making the most of our time here, achieving his childhood dreams, and offering inspiration for how we can, too.

9. David Foster Wallace: This Is Water 2005 – questioning our own perceptions

In his 2005 speech ‘This is Water’, David Foster Wallace questions conventions and encourages us to recognise our own closed-mindedness.

He says, “If you’re automatically sure that you know what reality is and who and what is really important, if you want to operate on your default setting, then you, like me, probably won’t consider possibilities that aren’t annoying and miserable.

“But if you’ve really learned how to think, how to pay attention, then you’ll know you have other options.”

8. Steve Jobs: 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech – inspiration from one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs

Steve Jobs’ inspirational speech for students at Stanford in 2005 gives an insight into the life of one of the most successful business leaders in recent history.

A pioneer of the personal computer revolution and a co-founder of Apple Inc., it is hard to imagine Jobs as anything but successful. However, this uplifting speech gives an insight into his setbacks and journey to success, including his determination to follow his passion.

Jobs encourages students to keep moving forward with what they love, despite challenges in life, rather than overthinking whether they’re on the right path.

7. ’20 Seconds of Insane Courage’ from We Bought a Zoo – amazing things will happen

In the heartwarming 2011 film, We Bought a Zoo , Matt Damon’s character Benjamin Mee tells his son that the best things come when we act with courage.

We all have fears. However, all fear does is hold us back, so his advice to his son to try a manageable “20 seconds of insane courage” is something we can all resonate with.

6. Matthew McConaughey: University of Houston Speech 2018 – finding joy in the process

The much-loved actor, known for his roles in films such as Interstellar and Dallas Buyers Club, spokeat the University of Houston back in 2018.

In the 40-minute speech for students, McConaghy talks about the importance of finding joy in the entire journey rather than focusing on reaching the next level of success.

He explains that by adopting a “constant approach” and focusing on enjoying the everyday act of creating and doing, he was able to find true success.

5. J.K. Rowling: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination 2008 – the benefits of failure

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has faced her fair share of controversy in recent years. However, there is no denying that her 2008 speech on the benefits of failure is one of the most motivational speeches about life. 

Speaking at the Harvard Commencement Ceremony in 2008, the author of the bestselling book series explained how both failure and imagination are crucial to success.

4. ‘Your Move Chief’ from Good Will Hunting – the importance of real-life experience

In the 1997 Oscar-winning film Good Will Hunting,  Dr Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) explains to Will Hunting (Matt Damon) the importance of real-life experience.

Hunting, who has proven his intelligence and has read many books , feels that he knows all there is to know about life. However, Maguire’s key teaching to the young man is that the things you learn from life experience are much more valuable than anything you can learn from a book.

3. Sheryl Sandberg: Harvard Business School Class Day Speech 2012 – wise words from one of the most successful women in America

Sheryl Sandberg is one of the most successful women in America. She is an entrepreneur, tech executive, and author who is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook.

In her 2012 Harvard Business School Class Day Speech, Sandberg offers some useful advice to graduating students. As well as offering insight into her own work, she advises students that “motivation comes from working on things that we care about.”

2. Denzel Washington: Fall Forward 2016 – reframing failure 

Speaking at the University of Pennsylvania in 2016, actor Denzel Washington talks about the importance of taking risks and accepting failure as part of the journey.

He explains that everyone fails and makes mistakes in life. So, the most important thing is that when you fall, fall forward. Make the most of every setback as a chance to learn and improve. Just get back up and try again. 

1. Brené Brown: The Power of Vulnerability 2013 – the most-watched Ted Talk on YouTube

Topping our list of motivational speeches about life is Brené Brown’s 2013 Ted Talk on the Power of Vulnerability. 

In her speech, which is now the most-watched Ted Talk on YouTube, Brown talks about the importance of allowing ourselves to be vulnerable to live life to the fullest, embrace true connection, and allow us to go through life as our most authentic selves.

Notable mentions

Elizabeth Gilbert: Your Elusive Creative Genius 2009 : Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert gave this inspiring speech about tapping into our inner creativity in 2009. Watch: HERE

Michelle Obama: EKU Commencement Address 2013 : Perhaps one of the most inspiring women in the world, former First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to the 2013 graduating class at EKU about always questioning our own perceptions and transforming our weaknesses into strengths. Watch: HERE

FAQs about the motivational speeches about life

What are some inspiring quotes.

You can find some of our favourite inspiring quotes here .

What are the best speeches for students?

Denzel Washington’s Fall Forward speech is one of our favourite speeches for students.

What to do to motivate yourself?

Some great things to do to motivate yourself are writing down your goals, setting out manageable steps to achieve them, speaking to others who inspire you, and creating a vision board.

Siân McQuillan is a writer and travel lover from County Down, Northern Ireland. With a BA in English and History and an MA in Media and Broadcast Production from Queen’s University Belfast, Siân has gained extensive knowledge and experience writing across various forms of media. A travel lover, Siân can be found either out exploring new places around Ireland and the world or writing about her experiences of travelling and visiting new places. She recently wrote her first travel guide, The Ultimate Guide to Dublin, to share her love for Ireland’s capital city and offer some insight into all the things you need to see and do, places to eat and stay, hidden gems, and more.

Related Posts

The power of saying no: celebrities’ time management, j.k. rowling’s resilience revelation: finding strength in adversity.

Comments are closed.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

• Speech about Life for Students and Children

Speech about Life

Good morning one and all present here. I am standing before you all to share my thoughts through my speech about life. Life is a continuous ongoing process that has to end someday. Life is all about adoring yourself, creating yourself. A quote for you that life can be only understood backward but it must be lived forwards. Life itself is a golden opportunity to live a meaningful life and support others to do so. It doesn’t matter how many years you live. But it matters how well you live a quality life.

Source: pixabay.com

The fear of death always threatens our lives. Every person has to face death sooner or later, but that doesn’t mean that it should discourage us from living life to the fullest or achieving our goals. A person is wise only when he/she is ready to meet destiny when it comes, but until that time enjoys every bit of it. It is a sense of readiness. It is a journey in everyone’s life wherein we have to cross the bridge of death to be able to wake up to a life eternal.

Get the Huge list of 100+ Speech Topics here

Human life – A very Precious Gift

Human life is truly a very precious gift. Each moment of human life carries us an opportunity, to act to develop and express our virtues. Every moment unlocks the path to us to receive blessings. This is the truth that life gives us both positive and negative situations. What is really important is how we react.

Life is the gift of God in the form of trust that we will make it meaningful in whatever we can. We are all unique individuals. No one is born like you and no one will ever be, so cherish your individuality. Many times, I come across people accusing God of things that they don’t have. They always cursing their lives. But, do they realize that this life itself is precious? If we make it worth living and work hard towards positivity.

Life is a Journey, not a Destination

Life is nothing but a journey with lessons, hardships, heartache and special moments. It will ultimately lead us to our destination, our purpose in life. The road will not always be a plane; in fact, throughout our travels, we will face many challenges.

These challenges will always test our courage, strengths, weaknesses, and faith. Along our way, we may encounter obstacles that will come between the paths and we are destined to take.

In order to be on the right path, we must overcome these obstacles. Sometimes these obstacles are really blessings in disguise, only we don’t understand that at the time. The secret of life is best known to those who are not attached to anything deeply so much.

Therefore, they remain out of touch with worries and shifting fortunes of their lives. They are the people who do not measure their lives in terms of materialistic possessions, but by measuring their lives in terms of people they cannot live without.

Lastly, I will conclude that we should make life worthwhile. It should be with the love of our family and friends that life can be made beautiful. Life can be more beautiful and purposeful by discharging our duties in our family, at work, society and the world at large.

Read Essays for Students and Children here !

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

Speech for Students

• Speech on India for Students and Children
• Speech on Mother for Students and Children
• Speech on Air Pollution for Students and Children
• Speech on Disaster Management for Students and Children
• Speech on Internet for Students and Children
• Speech on Generation Gap for Students and Children
• Speech on Indian Culture for Students and Children
• Speech on Sports for Students and Children
• Speech on Water for Students and Children

16 responses to “Speech on Water for Students and Children”

this was very helpful it saved my life i got this at the correct time very nice and helpful

This Helped Me With My Speech!!!

I can give it 100 stars for the speech it is amazing i love it.

Its amazing!!

Great !!!! It is an advanced definition and detail about Pollution. The word limit is also sufficient. It helped me a lot.

This is very good

Very helpful in my speech

Oh my god, this saved my life. You can just copy and paste it and change a few words. I would give this 4 out of 5 stars, because I had to research a few words. But my teacher didn’t know about this website, so amazing.

Tomorrow is my exam . This is Very helpfull

It’s really very helpful

yah it’s is very cool and helpful for me… a lot of 👍👍👍

Very much helpful and its well crafted and expressed. Thumb’s up!!!

wow so amazing it helped me that one of environment infact i was given a certificate

check it out travel and tourism voucher

thank you very much

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Subscribe to Our Blog

Stay up to date with the latest marketing, sales, and service tips.

16 Inspirational Speeches for Career (+ Life Lessons & Speaker Traits)

Bluleadz Marketing | July 9, 2020 | Inspiration | 11 min read

The Most Inspirational Speeches of All Time

• 1.  J.K. Rowling – Harvard University
• 2.  Jim Carrey – Maharishi University
• 3.  Steve Jobs – Stanford University
• 4.  Al Pacino – Any Given Sunday
• 5.  Tony Robbins – TED Talk
• 6.  Will Smith – The Pursuit of Happiness
• 7.  Matthew McConaughey – University of Houston
• 8.  Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa
• 9.  Denzel Washington – University of Pennsylvania
• 10.  Yoda – The Empire Strikes Back
• 11.   Elizabeth Gilbert – TED Talk, 2009
• 12.   Michelle Obama – Eastern Kentucky University
• 13.   David Goggins – Driven
• 14.   Peter Dinklage – Bennington College
• 15.   John Roberts – Cardigan Mountain School
• 16.  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - LA Lakers

Being motivated at work and in life is crucial for your performance. This is true when you have an approaching deadline, an important meeting, or customers depending on you.

The power of words can physically and emotionally rejuvenate you. Inspirational speeches can guide you to keep performing at your best and drive your team to achieve their goals . The right words at the right time can change you and challenge you.

No matter what is thrown at you in life, you can use these speeches to stay motivated. 

How Inspiration Impacts People

Inspiration helps propel people forward. It pushes apathy away and awakens people to new and exciting possibilities. They're able to transcend their limitations and mundane lives. 

It can help all people to become more creative and help them to progress toward their goals if they are open to it. 

Although inspiration impacts people in several meaningful and often magical ways, it is not something as elusive as it seems. Inspiration is everywhere, and it can be captured, activated, and manipulated. 

Most often, inspiration is found in others who say something or do something thought provoking and meaningful. 

What Makes a Speech Inspirational?

Great inspirational speeches all include one key thing – emotions . Emotions motivate actions and beliefs in any given aspect of life. Inspirational speeches are often loaded with tales of struggle, resilience, trials, endurance, and breakthroughs. All things that most people can relate to.

The philosopher, Aristotle, once said that people tend to believe in people who can be perceived as trustworthy or in those who have proper values and morals. This means that speakers who understand the concerns their audience has and empathizes with them are more likely to connect with their audience and gain their trust. 

Speakers who select emotional themes and talking points that people can relate to are more likely to inspire those in the audience with their stories. 

The key to this is making others feel as though they aren’t alone, and that they too can overcome the roadblocks in their way because someone else has. Hope is one of the most powerful emotions that sparks inspiration. 

Next, comes an excellent oral delivery. Facial expressions, tone of voice, and appropriate pausing all help to make a speech that much more effective and inspirational. 

7 Qualities of the Best Motivational Speakers

Here are seven traits, qualities, and characteristics that some of the best motivational speakers have.

1. They Tell Great Stories.

The ability to tell a great story is one of the core qualities that a motivational speaker needs to help add value to the lives of listeners. Motivational speakers tell original stories to provide the audience with fresh and relevant information. 

More importantly, the best motivational speakers paint a picture that lets the audience put themselves into the story so they can feel the emotions to understand the lesson better. 

2. They Are Passionate About What They Do.

Great speakers are often passionate about wanting to change others for the better, and the amount of passion a speaker has translates into their presentation. The audience can tell when a speaker is passionate about their subject matter because it will reflect in the speaker’s enthusiasm and excitement when they perform. 

Passion is infectious, and when a great speaker is passionate, it inspires the audience to cultivate passion as well. 

3. They Are Confident.

It is essential that motivational speakers have confidence in themselves and in their message.

Audience members can tell when speakers are nervous or unsure about what they are doing or saying. This automatically causes the audience to doubt the speaker, and it may invalidate the message. 

Great speakers have confidence that reflects in their speech and gestures while they are on stage, which in turn inspires confidence in the audience. It helps to engage them and makes them believe in what the speaker is saying. 

4. They Are Self-Aware.

A great motivational speaker understands who they are and knows exactly what they stand for. They are also aware of their strengths and weaknesses.

They use their strengths to make a speech more effective, and they work on improving their weaknesses.

5. They Show Empathy.

A defining mark of a great motivational speaker is their ability to put themselves in the shoes of those in their audience. They do their best to understand their audience’s motivation, fears, hopes, challenges, and worries. 

This helps them tailor their speech to appeal to and inspire their audience. Empathetic speakers are also individuals who have gone through what they talk about. 

They have been where the audience is, and they understand what that is like, which helps make a pure connection with them.

6. They Possess Knowledge.

Any motivational speaker must remain up to date and knowledgeable in their area of expertise. Motivational speakers aren’t born; they are made.

This means that they must grow and learn to become an expert with great knowledge and insight to share with others. 

7. They Have a Sense of Humor.

Motivational speeches tend to discuss serious topics, and great speakers know how to add fun anecdotes or jokes when it is appropriate to do so. 

Humor often makes a speech more memorable. Plus, it enthralls listeners, and everyone likes someone with a good sense of humor. 

16 of the Best Inspirational Speeches of All Time

We all need some inspiration from time to time. If you are in need of inspiration, look no further than these 16 best inspirational speeches of all time. 

1. J.K. Rowling – Harvard University

It's well known that J.K. Rowling's famous Harry Potter series was turned down by several publishers before it was finally accepted. But before her success, she was in a dire situation and was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Despite constant rejection, she kept trying and finally her efforts paid off. Her Harvard speech delivered some valuable life lessons about not fearing failure and persevering no matter how bad things get.

2. Jim Carrey – Maharishi University 

Actor/comedian Jim Carrey gave one of the most unique and emotional commencement speeches ever at Maharishi University in Iowa.

In his speech , he offered the students powerful and inspiring words about life, the future, and urged them never to settle for anything less than what they want. His message: Never give up and follow your dreams!

3. Steve Jobs – Stanford University 

This is one of the greatest inspirational speeches! In his commencement speech , Jobs discussed how he dropped out of college after six months, then took another 18 months to figure out what his life's work would be.

He quit college because his parents were struggling financially, and he couldn't see the value in an education that was draining his parents life savings.

His speech talked of the setbacks in life, including death, and how being aware of death can help you make better choices in life. At the time, Jobs was dying of pancreatic cancer, and his inspirational words on the importance of acquiring knowledge and following your dreams was the best life lesson he could bestow upon the graduates.

4. Al Pacino – Any Given Sunday

This movie features an inspirational speech about how even the simplest things can inch you closer to your dream.

Pacino's speech motivated the players on his football team to do whatever it takes to win. The takeaway? The little things you do every day will lead you to success.

5. Tony Robbins – TED Talk

Tony Robbins is one of the most famous motivational speakers around. This TED talk is particularly inspirational. It's topic, “Why We Do What We Do,” asks two key questions: What drives you? What motivates you to do your daily tasks?

By asking these questions, we're able to explore ourselves and appreciate others. The takeaway? We are our own path to success!

6. Will Smith – The Pursuit of Happiness

Considered one of the best motivational speeches in film, this scene starts with Smith and his son playing basketball. When his son shouts “I'm going pro,” Smith decides to try and temper his son's expectations, telling him he never excelled at basketball, so he shouldn't expect to.

His son is visibly disappointed, and Smith launches into his speech proclaiming, “Don't ever let somebody tell you that you can't do something, not even me.” He tells his son, “You got a dream, you gotta protect it. You want something, go get it. Period.”

The takeaway? Only you can decide to chase a dream. No one can stop you besides yourself. 

7. Matthew McConaughey – University of Houston

McConaughey delivered some pertinent points in his speech to the graduating class, but the one that really stuck out was "joy being a constant approach." He said, ”Joy is always in process; it's always under construction."

He spoke of how he takes everything one step at a time when he's making a film, and how when he truly enjoys his craft, things just fall into place. The takeaway? “Define success for yourself.” Figure out what you want to achieve and enjoy the entire journey.

8. Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa

In the sixth film in the Rocky franchise, Stallone gives one of the most inspirational speeches of all time. He starts with, “The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows,” and goes on to talk about the value of hard work and commitment.

“It ain't about how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” The takeaway? Even when your back is up against the wall, winners never give up!

9. Denzel Washington – University of Pennsylvania

In this commencement speech, Denzel Washington speaks about how nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks, adding that when you fall in life, fall forward . He speaks of embracing failure and using it as a chance to learn.

This is especially true when it comes to being an entrepreneur. The most important thing isn't winning or losing, it's getting out there and giving it everything you've got!

10. Yoda – The Empire Strikes Back

Ok, you can't have a list of inspirational speeches without at least one offering from Yoda!

In this speech from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back , Yoda is teaching Luke about the ways of the force. The key teaching? Whether or not something can or can't be done is all in your head and your heart. If you believe in yourself, anything is possible!

The takeaway? In the words of Yoda, “Do or do not. There is no try.”

11. Elizabeth Gilbert – Ted Talk

Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the bestselling book Eat, Pray, Love , gave an inspiring Ted Talk about the "genius" in all of us.

In her speech, she mentions that everyone can be a creative genius in their work and that the best years of our work and creativity are never behind us if we think of creative genius as something we borrow. 

The key takeaways from Gilbert's speech are to not be daunted or afraid of success. Just keep showing up and doing the work that you love without the anguish of what it will turn into. 

12. Michelle Obama – Eastern Kentucky University

In 2013, Michelle Obama addressed the graduating class of Eastern Kentucky University. She encouraged them to continue learning to challenge their perspectives, and she told them to find a way to turn their weaknesses into strengths. 

The key takeaway from her speech is that the defining moments in your life will not be the moment you get the promotion or breakthrough to a classroom. They will be the days that you have to claw through to keep going.

As long as you keep working and pick yourself up when you fall down, then you will develop skills to apply to anything you do in life. And your resilience can be used in service to others. 

13. David Goggins – Driven

David Goggins is a former Navy Seal and Army Ranger who participates in ultra-marathons. In his talk, he discusses suffering and how you can turn hurt into strength. He talks about how you can still be successful and happy without guidance if you just stay true to who you are because you define greatness. 

The takeaway from Goggins' talk is that we all have greatness no matter what. You just have to find the courage through hard work and discipline. 

14. Peter Dinklage – Bennington College

Peter Dinklage is an actor who is known for his role as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones . He gave the 2012 commencement address at Bennington College.

In his address to the graduates, he discusses persistence and doing whatever it takes to get to where you want to be. He also mentions that you shouldn't wait until you are ready to do what you love. 

The key lesson from his speech was to give yourself permission to fail early instead of waiting for permission. Show the world you're ready by doing it. 

15. John Roberts – Cardigan Mountain School

John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States, gave the commencement address at his son's high school in 2017. In his speech, he wishes the graduates bad luck instead of good luck.

He tells them that he hopes they will be lonely, fail, and lose from time to time. He says all of this to say that these things are the greatest teachers of compassion, true friendship, and sportsmanship. 

The key takeaway from Roberts' speech is that there is always a message in your misfortunes, and you should not be afraid to fail. If you fail, you should get up and try again. 

16. Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson - LA Lakers

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, tenured WWE superstar & mega Hollywood performer, gave an incredible speech to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019.

He speaks from the heart, about remembering where you came from, and letting that fuel the hard work you will put in to become successful. 

Per usual, pure gold from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

These 16 inspirational speeches touch on three main themes. It's important to love what you're doing. Failure is only bad if you don't learn and continue to move forward. And finally, you need to want it!

Life is hard. If you want something bad enough, whether it's a job, a relationship, or a successful business, you need to prove it!

General FAQ

An inspirational speech will create a positive emotional experience for the audience that will resonate with them. Similarly, a motivational speech can inspire an audience by motivating them to take action on something.

What Are the Qualities of an Inspirational Speaker?

To be a great inspirational speaker, you should have:

• A strong speaking voice
• A good story to tell

How Do You Write an Inspirational Speech?

It's important to know who your audience is and what your message is going to be when writing an inspirational speech. Use should also employ storytelling techniques to evoke emotion into your speech.

Who Is the Most Motivational Speaker in the World?

It is often said that Tony Robbins is the most motivational speaker. Tony Robbins is known best for his TED talks and self-help books.

Erika Giles

Erika is a Marketing Copywriter at Bluleadz. She is a huge fan of houseplants and podcasts about conspiracy theories. She spends most of her free time reading, writing, and enjoying the outdoors.

More Leadership Insights

Can't find what you're looking for try using a keyword..

12 Best Motivational Speech For Students And Success In Life

Positive words can build people up. Negative words can influence poor performance while positive words can inspire men and women to become exceptional in their chosen fields. This truth is timeless about words. Students need encouraging and inspiring words to do well in their studies.

In this article, you will find the best motivational speech for students and success in life. These speeches are timely and highly inspiring for anyone hungry to become successful anywhere in the world. If you have a student at home, these words will help you to be of great encouragement to him/her in their studies.

Short Motivational Speech For Success In Life

Look around you, there are great opportunities that you can take advantage of. Most people would prefer to give excuses about their poor background and other factors that limit their chances of becoming successful. Avoid that crowd mentality for your own good. You truly can be different.

You have to develop the right perspective about life. One such perspective is the belief that there are opportunities around you. What you need to start chasing your dream is not beyond your reach. No matter how big your dream is, the basic things you can start with immediately are within your reach.

I understand that it is very possible to have something you can use and not recognize the worth of that thing. This is the case for many people who are running to different places searching for favorable opportunities. I know you are one of such people, you should take a moment and think about your immediate environment and what you might be missing.

You do not want to see others make the most of what you should have explored that you ignored within your reach. Start today to do the needful as you maximize all your privileges.

If successful people avoid excuses you should avoid excuses if you want to also become successful. Those who have achieved success repeatedly did not do so by living a life that has excuses if they were always giving excuses they would not have achieved anything worthwhile in life by any means.

The basic way to rise to the top is by learning from those who are already at the top in their respective industries, fields, and careers. You have some successful people that you admire, right? Listen to them, read their books, and check their posts on social media, do they make excuses for failure?

It is so easy to make excuses your bosom friend. There are a thousand and more excuses to give for underperforming and not even performing at all. At the end of the day, you will realize that they were people who had worse situations that they could have used as excuses for leaving a life of mediocrity.

Those who become successful go all out to break barriers in other to become great and achieve their dreams. They made sacrifices and kept routines to grow and improve their capacity to embody greatness in ways that inspire others.

To become successful, avoid excuses with everything in you. Do all you can every time and improve your capacity to do more so that you can expand your influence.

Short Motivational Speech For Students

3. A Successful Student

Education is important that is why your parents/guardians are doing all they can to help you get the best education they can afford. Many young people don’t have the privilege of going to school like you. You should not take this privilege you have for granted if you want to become significant in society tomorrow.

What you are doing now that you are a student will prove who you will become after you are done with school. If you are playing now rather than learning and getting good grades, you will most likely not turn out to become a great person in the future. The law of cause and effect states that our rewards in life will always be in exact proportion to our contribution.

You will not always be a student. At some point, you will be required to graduate. When that time comes, you will be proud of yourself if you have been a very good student. The future depends on how well you are preparing for it now .

Everyone around you might not be good for you. People are different but some people are not going to help you achieve good grades and become what you want to be in life. Those types of people should be avoided for the sake of your beautiful future.

When you stay around the wrong company, you will be influenced negatively. Before long, you will start doing the things they do that them a bad influence on society. Protect your academics, protect your life, and protect your dreams by staying away from bad company.

A friend who gives you the wrong advice is not a good friend. Think logically so that you can analyze all your friendships with your fellow students. If any of them is not doing things rightly, you should avoid being close to that person for your own good.

The seeds you sow today will reap the fruits in the future. The company you keep will either make you or mar you. You might not see any bad effect of keeping the wrong people around you now. But I assure you that the effects will be obvious with time. To avoid regrets, only build friendships with those who can help you succeed in your academic and life at large.

The future belongs to you if you prepare for it with the right company daily.

Written Motivational Speeches For Students

5. You Can Be Better

The more improve your capacity, the more you will be able to do for yourself, your family, your colleagues, and humanity at large. People are waiting for you but this version of you has to give way to the next better version of you that is currently locked up inside you. As you continue to work hard and work smartly you will be unleashing your greatness in phases. Your good will get better and the cycle will continue .

Never forget what I have shared with you today. Being a student is not all there is. One day you will be done with your studies. Keep getting better in your chosen course. The sky will be one of the many heights you will reach if you keep improving yourself.

Here you are as of today. Shortly, you, will graduate and leave this place for good. That is the prayers of your parents and well-wishers. I know you desire to grow and make adequate progress as you make the right sacrifices. If you can dream it, you can have it.

Regardless of how large your dream is, you can achieve it. allow anyone around you to tell you that you won’t be able to accomplish your set goals daily towards reaching your dreams. Anyone who tells you that is a liar. Don’t believe him/her. Believe in God who has given you the limitless potential to accomplish your dreams and believe in yourself.

Look around you, some people were once students but now they are highly respected individuals winning big in their respective industries. If they could rise from different backgrounds to the top, you can rise from your background to the top of your dream life. If you ever doubt yourself, read the stories of great people like Bill Gates, Nelson Mandela, Lebron James, and the like.

Quit thinking that your dreams are too big for you to achieve. Allow your imagination to soar. Reach for the sky in your mind and exceed it. Remove every mental barrier that might make you doubt if you will ever do what you want to do with your amazing life. Until you can dream big without any limitations in your mind, you are denying your true strength as a human. Every human is made up of superpowers.

Let today be a new beginning in your life. Start dreaming if you have not started. If you already have big dreams, you can hold on to your dream. Work on it every single day of your life until you reach your desired destination.

1 Minute Motivational Speech For Students

7. Choose Carefully

Decisions are what determines what we become eventually. Most people don’t pay attention to all their daily decisions which is why they are not becoming the best versions of themselves. You must think differently if you will become everything that you want to be even as a student.

Sometimes you might have good and right options. If you don’t know the difference between what is good and what is right, you might end up picking the wrong option. That something is good does not mean it is right for you at that particular time in your life. For example: While it is good to wear expensive clothes, as a student who is still depending on parental support to go through school, that should not be your priority. Every money you get should be to empower yourself to become a better student.

Buying more needed textbooks and paying for extra classes would transform your life more than how expensive clothes bought with the same funds will make you feel. People will admire your expensive clothes but they won’t value you the way they would if you had great intellectual capacity as a student. Your priorities must be right if you want to lead a great life.

8. Think and Grow Big

Some of them that are big in different organizations today started when they were students like you. They could have given excuses like some of you are already making excuses for limiting yourselves. Rather than allow where they were to define them as students, they broke free in their minds and saw the life they now live. You too can break free from limited thinking into big thinking that is limitless.

If you think big and put in the work, nothing is strong enough to limit your growth and success stories. You will be able to do a lot with your life repeatedly just by thinking big and making sure you accomplish the great goals you set for yourself over time. I will amaze you how much your life and perspective can change radically when you start thinking big.

The collective growth of humanity is dependent on all humans. I know we all dream big, we will grow big. This allows us to create businesses, structures, and technologies that will protect lives, foster great relationships, and keep us all on the right path.

Relevant topic : final exam wishes for students

2 Minute Motivational Speech For Students

Let them inspire you to greatness. Learn all you can from them while you still have the privilege of being their students. You will not always remain a student under the same teacher in your educational journey. At some point, you will have the leave one phase for another. Make each phase of your learning a great experience by listening to your teaching.

As you listen, give it your all. A rapt attention shows you know why you’re in school. It shows you are not joking with the resources your parents have committed to ensure you get a quality education. Some parent did not get a good education but that has only inspired them to do all they can for their children to go to schools

You are not learning if you are not listening. As you listen take note of the key points. Those are likely the answers to exam questions. I would not advise you to listen to your teachers so that you can pass your exams, that is a small part of the benefits. The best practice to imbibe is to listen to learn how things are. If you understand the subject you will pass your exam and still apply what you have learned outside your school environment.

The time you have to be in school, use it wisely. Your teachers are your instructors, mentors, and knowledge bank. Listen to them attentively every time they come before you and other students in your class to teach. Listen to them, they are helping you prepare for your great future.

10. Listen to Your Parents

It is priceless to have parents who are doing so much for you to have the resource that enables you to go to school. So many children are not in day-to-day because of either a lack of parents or a lack of financial capacity for those who have parents. You are privileged to be getting the quality of education you need because of the hard work of your parents.

Your parent might not be as informed as you are in the tech revolution. They might not know how to use social media like you. They might not even know who the leading club footballers are around the world but they have experiences that they have learnt valuable lessons from. Those lessons have made them wiser and in the affairs of life.

As you listen to them, you will learn powerful life-changing lessons that will increase the speed of your success. You will be able to avoid mistakes that they made. Your time, energy, and other resources will be channeled better into meaningful projects and activities.

This is one of the reasons you have to be a good child at home. By being obedient and hard-working, you make it easy for your parents to share valuable wisdom with you that will propel you to great heights in life.

Choose to listen to your parents. You will be great. They will guide you with their words, funds, wisdom, and every other in their possession. Be that child that makes his/her parents proud all the time by listening to them and allowing them to help you through life. Your life will certainly be better for it.

5 Minute Motivational Speech For Students

Time is valuable. Time is not a joke. It is a gift that must be handled with care. If you are not using it well it will pass you by. It has no respect for your excuses even if they are genuine excuses for not doing what you were supposed to do.

You have to quickly make up your mind that you will make the most of your time no matter the challenges that come your way. Life will always try to put you in a box where you will find legitimate reasons to slow down or give up, don’t give in to that deception. No matter the situation you can move forward using your time to create great values for yourself and the world at large.

Time does not organize your life by itself. You use time to organize your life for good. Look at the things you want to achieve at different times in your life. Sit down with a pen and notebook. Write down how you will manage your hours, days, weeks, months, and years. Feel free to adjust the plans as you go forward.

Yes, the plans are subject to change as the need arises. The only thing that is not acceptable for a great future is a life that mismanages time effortlessly. As long as you have a plan for what you will do after lectures each day if you keep to them, you won’t be roaming around places like other students who are still ignorant of how valuable time is

Before going to bed every night, plan the productive activities you will do the next day and allocate time to every single one of them. As you wake up every morning look at these plans and be determined to ensure your day goes as planned. There might be days you would need to attend to urgent ab important tasks that might not be on your list. Go ahead! Attend to those tasks and quickly get back to work each day with a plan.

You are a big superstar that the world is waiting for. By properly using your time you will become what you are passionate about becoming. Unleash your greatness daily with a good plan for your precious time.

Failing is not an end but a means if you refuse to give up. A man/woman can fail 99 times and achieve success when he/she tries again. That is remarkable. It takes a lot of faith to keep doing what you are failing at. If Michael Jordan gave up because of how badly he performed when he started playing basketball then he would not be globally celebrating today.

After failing, try again. If it does not work, try again. Keep trying until you triumph. Refuse to give up when you can try one more time. If it still does not work, try again. You can change strategy but don’t give up on your worthy pursuit because you are failing at it.

Doing the same thing will most likely lead to the same result. As you rise after falling, look for what to do differently. You might need to change your cycle of friends for you to get through to the next phase of your life. Don’t be sentimental about it if you truly want to become successful. Taking your life seriously is your primary duty.

Have you failed before? Rise above your past failure and try again. You can start a new project. Avoid thinking it would look like the previous one. However, if it fails again, start again. Pick yourself up and implement your ideas better than you did the last time

If you handle a faker with the right mindset, you will become successful at the end of the day. Think forward regardless of the challenge you are faced with. Failure is not final, success is not far. Keep pushing, greatness beacon.

Share this:

Similar posts, 80 prayers and final exam wishes and quotes for final year student, 70 finally i am graduated quotes for myself on my graduation day, 85 emotional quotes and tribute to a retiring teacher by students and principal, 70 negative and positive feedback about teacher from students examples, 40 long and short welcome speech for new students or freshers, 60 miracle examination prayer for students to succeed, leave a reply cancel reply.

Speech on Life Is Beautiful

Life is a beautiful journey, filled with unending surprises and lessons. Every day, you encounter new experiences, each adding a unique hue to your existence.

Life’s beauty doesn’t just lie in joyous moments, but also in the challenging ones. They shape you, making your life’s painting even more vibrant.

1-minute Speech on Life Is Beautiful

Good day, everyone! When we say “Life is Beautiful”, what does it mean? It means to find joy in the small things, to feel hope in tough times, and to believe in the power of dreams.

Life is beautiful because it’s full of surprises. Imagine if everything was predictable, wouldn’t it be boring? It’s the unexpected moments that add excitement to our lives. It’s like opening a surprise gift every day!

Life is beautiful because it’s full of love. Love is not just about hearts and roses. It’s about caring for each other, helping each other, and sharing happiness and pain together. It’s the warmth of love that makes life beautiful.

Life is beautiful because it’s full of dreams. Dreams give us a reason to wake up every morning, a reason to try something new, and a reason to keep going. It’s the pursuit of dreams that makes life interesting and beautiful.

In conclusion, life is a beautiful journey. It’s a journey of colors, surprises, love, and dreams. It’s not always easy, but it’s always beautiful. So let’s celebrate this beautiful journey and remember, no matter how tough the path is, always keep believing that life is beautiful!

Also check:

2-minute Speech on Life Is Beautiful

Good day everyone! I am here to talk about a simple, yet profound idea – Life is beautiful. I truly believe that if we stop for a moment, look around us and breathe in the world, we will see how wonderful life really is.

Let’s begin by thinking about nature. Picture a sunrise, the way the sky changes colors from dark to light, the warmth of the sun touching your skin, and the peaceful sound of birds singing. Isn’t that beautiful? Or imagine the sight of an open field, filled with flowers of every color, swaying gently in the breeze. These are the simple things around us that show us the beauty of life.

Finally, think about love and kindness. Imagine a world where everyone helps each other, where everyone shares and cares. Isn’t that a beautiful thought? And the best part is, you can help make that world a reality. By being kind to others, by showing love and compassion in all that you do, you can make life beautiful not just for yourself, but for others as well.

In conclusion, life is beautiful in so many ways – through the natural world around us, the people who love us, the experiences that help us grow, and the love and kindness we can spread. So, let’s celebrate the beauty of life. Let’s appreciate the simple joys. Let’s cherish the love we receive and give love in return. Let’s be grateful for each day and make the most of it. Because life, my friends, is truly beautiful. Thank you!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save £500 when you enrol by 30th September!

• 11 Tips for Giving a Great Speech

Chances are you’ll be asked to give speeches or presentations in classes at school. If you get involved in volunteer groups, brief speeches to open events or thank participants are a must. Then there are the speeches at events such as weddings, as well as speeches that you might have to give in the workplace. That amounts to the average person being required to give quite a lot of speeches, even if they don’t get involved in an area such as politics where the ability to give a good speech becomes even more important. You might also have suffered through quite a number of bad speeches from other people – whether that’s at family events where the microphone squeaks the whole way through or a school presentation where the headteacher can’t quite make the jokes work. If you don’t want to inflict the same sort of experience on others, here are our top tips for giving a great speech.

1. Practise your microphone technique

2. Keep it short

Particularly at something like a party or a wedding, no one will be unhappy if your speech runs a little short; it’ll just give them more time to investigate the canapés. If you are giving a speech for a class in school, and it’ll be assessed, you need to prioritise keeping it within the required time limits. But even under these circumstances, if you’ve been tasked – say – with giving a 10-15 minute speech, it’s usually better to come in nearer the 10 than the 15 minute mark. Put simply, even if your speech is terrible, your audience can probably tolerate it for 10 minutes. Much longer, and they’ll be struggling. This shouldn’t limit what you can cover; in the film Up , the whole of Carl and Ellie’s heartbreaking love story is told in under 12 minutes. Do you really need longer to make your points? Achieve brevity by writing out the speech you would give if you had all the time in the world, and then cut anything that seems extraneous or boring.

3. Consider what your audience wants to hear

If you are giving a speech in class because it’s your assignment, what your audience wants to hear is likely to be “the bell ringing for lunch”; you can’t help them there. But under other circumstances, consider what your audience wants to hear and what you want to say, and strive for there to be as much overlap as possible. In the context of a political speech, for instance, what you want to say might be why your party should receive votes; what your audience wants to hear is what your party would do for them, if they won power. Hopefully it should be possible to write a speech that meets both sets of needs, rather than focusing solely on whatever it is that you want to say and leaving your audience disappointed.

4. Pick a theme and stick to it

Here’s a goal for giving a speech: someone sitting near the back, who’s messing around on their phone for at least two-thirds of it and focusing mainly on how long it will be until lunch, should nonetheless be able to give a reasonably accurate answer to the question, “what was it about?” If you’re supposed to be giving a speech in defence of the nuclear deterrent, for example, both the topic and your position on it should be clearly identifiable. This means – to stick with the nuclear deterrent example – not talking for a while about jobs, and then the wider economy, and then the North-South divide, and then Scottish independence, and then Ukraine with a brief digression into South Ossetia before rounding off by squeaking out “and that’s why we should renew Trident!” seconds before you run out of time – no matter how relevant that cornucopia of topics may feel (and they are all relevant, albeit tenuously). It means that even if you do have to take a while to explain a more complex idea, you need to be concise, and bring it back to your theme as quickly as you can.

5. Speak slowly

Most people speak more quickly than they realise when they’re on stage, especially if they’re nervous. But no one will be able to follow your speech if you’re jabbering it out. Thankfully, this one is easy to fix with a little effort and practise. First of all, figure out how quickly you’re actually speaking: do a word count for your speech and then time yourself saying it. A fast speaker will speak at maybe 160 words per minute, a slow speaker at 100 wpm and an average speaker at 130 wpm. For a formal speech, you want to be speaking on the slow side. While this will vary by culture and environment, 120 wpm is a reasonable target to aim for; slow enough that everyone should be able to understand you, and fast enough that you hopefully won’t be sending them to sleep.

6. Tell a couple of jokes

This is a tricky tip because there are lots of pitfalls in the world of telling jokes. For instance, there’s the temptation to include an in-joke that three of your friends will understand and find hilarious, that is utterly baffling to everyone else in the room. Avoid this – if you include any jokes, witty references or anything along those lines, make sure they are accessible to everyone present. All the same, if you can manage a joke or two, it can be a useful way to break up a speech and retain the audience’s interest. A little self-deprecation (not too much!) or the use of classic joke formats such as “the scene was chaotic; it looked as if a bomb had hit and we didn’t know where to start on repairs – but that’s enough about the hen party…” work nicely even if you’re not very confident. Don’t turn it into a stand-up comedy sketch if you’re not a comedian, don’t wait for ages for laughter that’s not showing up, and don’t make jokes at the expense of anyone who you don’t know for sure can take it.

7. Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself if you need to

If you follow US or UK politics at all, you’ve probably heard some of these phrases recently: take back control, make America great again, long-term economic plan, son of a bus driver. Three of these have already led the party or people they’re associated with to electoral victory; the fourth remains to be seen. To take the ‘son of a bus driver’ as an example, this refers to Sadiq Khan, now Mayor of London. There can be hardly anyone in London who doesn’t know what their Mayor’s dad did for a living. Meanwhile, many of them probably can’t remember his rival Zac Goldsmith’s name, let alone anything he said during the campaign. The point is that repetition works. In pursuit of point 4, if you want people to remember your key theme, you’re going to have to say it more than once. Don’t assume that everyone will have paid attention to everything you’ve said, unless you’re in a classroom setting where they’ll get told off if they don’t.

8. Only use the visual aids you need

This tip applies to two things: PowerPoints and notes. If you can do without either (and your assignment allows it), then do. Every time you’re glancing over your notes or up at the screen, fiddling with the laptop to get the slide to move on, fighting with a video that isn’t working or struggling to read your own handwriting, is time that you’re not spending engaging with your audience. A well-written, clear speech delivered without notes is always going to be better than someone awkwardly reading aloud the bullet points on their PowerPoint slides. If you must do a presentation – for instance, because there are photos that need to be included – have as little text on it as possible, preferably none. That way, if there are people at the back who can’t really see the screen through the sea of heads in front of them, they’ll still be able to follow what you’re saying.

9. Get a friend to check for awkward mannerisms

Mannerisms that are entirely fine in normal life become awkward and strange when you’re speaking in public. Perhaps you’re inclined to fiddle with your hair or your cuffs, you rock back and forth on the balls of your feet, or you have a habit of reaching your hand to your cheek when you’re talking. No one would notice in everyday conversation, but when you’re on a stage, it’ll become all they’ll see. Some of this is easily avoidable – for instance, if you have long hair that you’re inclined to twirl or otherwise fiddle with, tie it up. For other mannerisms, get the critical friend who helped you sort out your microphone technique to tell you what they are, and do your best to suppress the more annoying ones.

10. Look around the room

Talking about eye contact usually has the effect of making normal eye contact a lot harder, and so does giving a speech. All of a sudden, you’re up on stage, and you have no idea what a normal way to look at a group of people is. Some speakers deal with this by picking a point in the middle distance and speaking to it; others by picking a particular person near to the back and addressing their entire speech at them. This is obviously no fun for that person, who probably spends the whole thing feeling extremely uncomfortable, but it’s not too weird for everyone else. Better still, though, if you can manage it, is to look slowly and steadily around the room, trying to make eye contact with a decent range of people, before returning to the middle distance for a while, rinse and repeat. This needs to be slow and steady, or you give the impression that you’ve just smelled smoke and are casting about for a fire exit before the stampede beings.

11. Don’t be scared of a good reaction

If your speech is genuinely engaging, funny, inspiring or any of the other things you might hope it would be, your audience will react to it. There might be laughter, or applause, or even a bit of cheering depending on the setting. This can be daunting because when you’re practising your speech in front of your bedroom mirror, there’s no way to prepare for it. And it’s where even the best speakers can go wrong, by launching straight into what they were going to say next without waiting for the laughter or applause to stop, or by looking painfully awkward while it’s going on. It’s a pitfall that’s mostly solved by being aware it might happen. If your audience is applauding you or otherwise reacting well, it’s OK to smile, look up, wait for them to stop and then keep going with your speech – it’s as simple as that. You could even throw in a “thank you” before you continue in the knowledge that it’s all going well. Image credits: microphones ; audience ; boy with microphone ; clock ; winding road ; enjoy a joke ; sticky notes ; 

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

• Speech Writing /

Speech About Life for Students in English

• Updated on  
• Jun 12, 2024

‘Life is a beautiful journey, where we see many ups and downs. Life teaches us important lessons, such as taking care of our health, focusing on our goals, spending time with family and friends, respecting everyone, etc. The most important thing is to enjoy your life, be happy and learn.’

Growth Occurs When One Goes Beyond One’s Limits With Opportunities Life Brings – Unanimous 

Life is a precious gift and each moment is equally important; whether it’s about preparing for school exams, taking care of health and family, or enjoying out with friends. Even in times of difficulty, life teaches us some important lessons. There is a famous saying, ‘Those who forget History tend to repeat it.’ A person learns from his and others’ mistakes and improves his life.

Check out our 160+ Best & Easy English Speech Topics for Students

Table of Contents

• 1.1 Meaning of Happy Life
• 1.2 Purpose of Life
• 1.3 Conclusion
• 2.1 Life is a Journey and Not a Destination
• 2.2 Conclusion
• 3 Top 10 Lines to Add in Speech About Life

2-Minute Speech About Life

‘Good morning Principal Sir, teachers, and my dear friends. Today, I stand before you to present my speech about life. We all want a successful life so that we can live a happy and material life. But, what is the meaning of life? Is life only about happiness, joy, and materialistic things?’

Meaning of Happy Life

‘Happiness and material needs are our desires offered by life as a reward for our hard work and luck. Life is a challenging journey. Sometimes there are clouds of darkness, lost in shadows. However, even in times like these, life teaches us to discover our inner strength, resilience, and the capacity to emerge into the light with newfound wisdom and growth.’

Purpose of Life

Everybody has a purpose in their lives and to fulfill them, we have to fight our own battles. We have to study hard to succeed in exams, practice deliberately to win a competition, etc. Life is challenging, but that is what makes life so special. 

Edmund Hillary and Tibetan mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, the first persons to climb the highest mountain peak, Mount Everest, failed 6 times. He, along with Edmund Hillary, finally climbed to the top of the Everest in their 7th attempt. They knew about the challenges and difficulties that would come with their mission, but they still did the impossible.

The happiness after completing a difficult task is immensely gratifying, a triumphant blend of accomplishment, relief, and the satisfaction that comes from conquering challenges. This is what life is about. With every challenge, there is an opportunity to learn something new. 

Life is a beautiful journey and we must be grateful for the precious moments life offers us. Remember, we only have one life. It’s a journey you would not want to miss, so embrace it and learn from it.

Thank you.’

Also Read: Speech on Pros and Cons of Capitalism

Speech About Life for Students

‘Good morning my teacher and dear friend. Today, I would like to share my thoughts through a speech about life. Our life is like a blank canvas, which we wish to dye in colours of our own choice. Easier said than done, right?’ 

‘Here is what I have learned about life: ‘Take up one idea, make that idea your life. Dream of it, think of it and live on that idea. Let your brain, the body, the muscles, the nerves, and every inch of your body be full of that idea and just leave everything behind. This is the way to a successful life.’

Life is a Journey and Not a Destination

We all have read the quote, ‘Life is a journey and not a destination’ . But what is the meaning of this quote? It means that life is a continuous process of growth, experience, and learning. Life is not an endpoint.

Life is a precious gift, as each moment carries an opportunity to learn and grow. There is a very popular saying: ‘ When one door closes, two others open.’ .It means that life is full of opportunities and even in times of adversity, there is a path to success and happiness.’

Being happy and feeling sad is part of life, but how we react is more important. Life is God’s blessing. God is the creator and destroyer of life. God has created everything perfectly. Therefore, we must embrace this precious life God has gifted us and make it worth living. Staying positive and working hard are the only options that can make our lives successful and happy.

Top 10 Lines to Add in Speech About Life

Also Read : Speech on If I Had A Superpower…

Ans: ‘ Life is a beautiful journey, where we see many ups and downs. Life teaches us important lessons like we all have only one life, live a life worth remembering, everything is possible, empathy, perseverance, etc. The most important thing is to enjoy your life, be happy and learn.’

Ans: Start by greeting your audience. For example; ‘Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Today I stand before you to present a speech about my life.’

Ans: Life is one of the best speech topics for students, as it helps them understand the reality of life and how they can turn their challenges into opportunities to lead a successful life. Speech about life can help you understand why there are ups and downs in life and why failure is an important part of life.

Ans: Academic achievement, personal growth, career development, health and wealth, financial responsibility, etc. are some of the life goals for students.

Related Speech Topics for Students

This was all about the speech about life. We hope we were able to provide you with all the necessary information you were looking for. For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Connect With Us

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

Don't Miss Out

How it works

Transform your enterprise with the scalable mindsets, skills, & behavior change that drive performance.

Explore how BetterUp connects to your core business systems.

We pair AI with the latest in human-centered coaching to drive powerful, lasting learning and behavior change.

Build leaders that accelerate team performance and engagement.

Unlock performance potential at scale with AI-powered curated growth journeys.

Build resilience, well-being and agility to drive performance across your entire enterprise.

Transform your business, starting with your sales leaders.

Unlock business impact from the top with executive coaching.

Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Accelerate the performance and potential of your agencies and employees.

See how innovative organizations use BetterUp to build a thriving workforce.

Discover how BetterUp measurably impacts key business outcomes for organizations like yours.

Daring Leadership Institute: a groundbreaking partnership that amplifies Brené Brown's empirically based, courage-building curriculum with BetterUp’s human transformation platform.

• What is coaching?

Learn how 1:1 coaching works, who its for, and if it's right for you.

Accelerate your personal and professional growth with the expert guidance of a BetterUp Coach.

Types of Coaching

Navigate career transitions, accelerate your professional growth, and achieve your career goals with expert coaching.

Enhance your communication skills for better personal and professional relationships, with tailored coaching that focuses on your needs.

Find balance, resilience, and well-being in all areas of your life with holistic coaching designed to empower you.

Discover your perfect match : Take our 5-minute assessment and let us pair you with one of our top Coaches tailored just for you.

Find your coach

Research, expert insights, and resources to develop courageous leaders within your organization.

Best practices, research, and tools to fuel individual and business growth.

View on-demand BetterUp events and learn about upcoming live discussions.

The latest insights and ideas for building a high-performing workplace.

• BetterUp Briefing

The online magazine that helps you understand tomorrow's workforce trends, today.

Innovative research featured in peer-reviewed journals, press, and more.

Founded in 2022 to deepen the understanding of the intersection of well-being, purpose, and performance

We're on a mission to help everyone live with clarity, purpose, and passion.

Join us and create impactful change.

Read the buzz about BetterUp.

Meet the leadership that's passionate about empowering your workforce.

For Business

For Individuals

How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

Understand Yourself Better:

Big 5 Personality Test

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

Use a personal SWOT analysis to discover your strengths and weaknesses

How to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really), is being ego driven damaging your career being purpose-driven is better, put out-of-office messages to work for you when you’re away, what’s a vocation 8 tips for finding yours, how to send a reminder email that’s professional and effective, setting goals for 2024 to ring in the new year right, create a networking plan in 7 easy steps, how long should you stay in a job this guide will help you figure it out, how to write an executive summary in 10 steps, 18 effective strategies to improve your communication skills, 8 tips to improve your public speaking skills, the importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate, how to pitch ideas: 8 tips to captivate any audience, how to give a good presentation that captivates any audience, anxious about meetings learn how to run a meeting with these 10 tips, writing an elevator pitch about yourself: a how-to plus tips, 6 presentation skills and how to improve them, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

3100 E 5th Street, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78702

• Platform Overview
• Integrations
• Powered by AI
• BetterUp Lead™
• BetterUp Manage™
• BetterUp Care®
• Sales Performance
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Case Studies
• Why BetterUp?
• About Coaching
• Find your Coach
• Career Coaching
• Communication Coaching
• Personal Coaching
• News and Press
• Leadership Team
• Become a BetterUp Coach
• BetterUp Labs
• Center for Purpose & Performance
• Leadership Training
• Business Coaching
• Contact Support
• Contact Sales
• Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Trust & Security
• Cookie Preferences

15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

Opening: “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

• Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
• The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
• Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
• Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

• Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
• Not be something that is fairly obvious
• Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage. 

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. Little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wish no one would ever know but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

Level up your public speaking in 15 minutes!

Get the exclusive Masterclass video delivered to your inbox to see immediate speaking results.

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking. 

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking. 

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

Enroll in our transformative 1:1 Coaching Program

Schedule a call with our expert communication coach to know if this program would be the right fit for you

How to Brag Like a Pro as a Speaker

Less is More! Tips to Avoid Overwhelming Your Audience 

What does it mean to Resonate with the Audience- Agreement, Acceptance, Approval

• [email protected]
• +91 98203 57888

Get our latest tips and tricks in your inbox always

Copyright © 2023 Frantically Speaking All rights reserved

More From Forbes

How to give a great speech.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Giving a speech

It's the season of speeches.

Every four years, Americans are treated to oratory by speakers of both parties who address their national party conventions. The purpose of such oratory is less to persuade than to fire up the attendees who will sally forth from their respective conventions determined to mobilize forces for their candidates up and down the ballot.

Some of the speeches are downright scary, while others are joyous and uplifting. Regardless, the focus on so many speeches in such a condensed period of time emphasizes the power of the spoken word.

As a former speechwriter turned executive coach, I have helped many women and men hone their messages. I want to share a few things I have learned, mainly through trial and error.

Know Your Audience

People want to hear what you say, but you need to do your homework before you can connect. Understand what the audience expects of you and tailor your remarks to resonate with their needs.

Netflix’s Best New Mystery Crime Show Has A Perfect 100% Critic Score

Apple iphone 16 pro: new design echoed in latest leak, forget the fed—china could be about to drop a $420 billion bitcoin and crypto price bombshell, acknowledge your limitations.

Many times, what a leader has to say is what they must say. That is, the situation is challenging and presents problems. A leader can only accomplish so much. Failure to acknowledge what you can do and what the organization must do is asking for trouble. People will simply tune out.

Address Objections

Everyone wants to give an uplifting speech that resonates with harmony and joy. Unfortunately, life is not like that. Leaders need to paint a realistic picture, citing the pluses and minuses. What the leader must do may conflict with what the organization wants to do. It is the leader's responsibility to be honest about the decisions and set the course forward.

Tell Stories

Reveal yourself through stories. Cite examples of individuals in organizations who are making positive contributions. No leader succeeds alone. Every leader needs the team's buy-in. So, make that clear.

Issue The Call To Action

Not every speech may need a formal call to action, but every public utterance needs to be understood as a call for unity, a coming together to achieve the mission. However, if there is a call to action, learn from the politicians—ask for their support. Simultaneously, include your commitment to supporting the individuals and teams that make up the organization.

Uplift Your Audience

Knowing, acknowledging, addressing and challenging are just the basics of speechmaking. Each speaker must craft a message that reveals who they are and what they want to accomplish. Give people a reason to believe in you because you believe in them.

One thing I have yet to emphasize in this little essay is delivery. So let me quote the legendary film director, John Ford , who famously said “You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” In short, relax. If you have a good message, speak directly. Show people how you feel with the words you deliver. Doing so will encourage listeners to have faith in you and your leadership.

So often, it is said that a leader's job is to elevate followers and enable them to do their best. If that is the case, a good speech—well-honed or off-the-cuff remarks—is an excellent way to begin the uplifting process.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

• Games, topic printables & more
• The 4 main speech types
• Example speeches
• Commemorative
• Declamation
• Demonstration
• Informative
• Introduction
• Student Council
• Speech topics
• Poems to read aloud
• How to write a speech
• Using props/visual aids
• Acute anxiety help
• Breathing exercises
• Letting go - free e-course
• Using self-hypnosis
• Delivery overview
• 4 modes of delivery
• How to make cue cards
• How to read a speech
• 9 vocal aspects
• Vocal variety
• Diction/articulation
• Pronunciation
• Speaking rate
• How to use pauses
• Eye contact
• Body language
• Voice image
• Voice health
• Public speaking activities and games
• Blogging Aloud
• About me/contact

How to write a good speech in 7 steps

By:  Susan Dugdale  

- an easily followed format for writing a great speech

Did you know writing a speech doesn't have be an anxious, nail biting experience?

Unsure? Don't be.

You may have lived with the idea you were never good with words for a long time. Or perhaps giving speeches at school brought you out in cold sweats.

However learning how to write a speech is relatively straight forward when you learn to write out loud.

And that's the journey I am offering to take you on: step by step.

To learn quickly, go slow

Take all the time you need. This speech format has 7 steps, each building on the next.

Walk, rather than run, your way through all of them. Don't be tempted to rush. Familiarize yourself with the ideas. Try them out.

I know there are well-advertised short cuts and promises of 'write a speech in 5 minutes'. However in reality they only truly work for somebody who already has the basic foundations of speech writing in place.

The foundation of good speech writing 

These steps are the backbone of sound speech preparation. Learn and follow them well at the outset and yes, given more experience and practice you could probably flick something together quickly. Like any skill, the more it's used, the easier it gets.

In the meantime...

Step 1: Begin with a speech overview or outline

Are you in a hurry? Without time to read a whole page? Grab ... The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist And come back to get the details later.

• WHO you are writing your speech for (your target audience)
• WHY you are preparing this speech. What's the main purpose of your speech? Is it to inform or tell your audience about something? To teach them a new skill or demonstrate something? To persuade or to entertain? (See 4 types of speeches: informative, demonstrative, persuasive and special occasion or entertaining for more.) What do you want them to think, feel or do as a result of listening the speech?
• WHAT your speech is going to be about (its topic) - You'll want to have thought through your main points and have ranked them in order of importance. And have sorted the supporting research you need to make those points effectively.
• HOW much time you have for your speech eg. 3 minutes, 5 minutes... The amount of time you've been allocated dictates how much content you need. If you're unsure check this page: how many words per minute in a speech: a quick reference guide . You'll find estimates of the number of words required for 1 - 10 minute speeches by slow, medium and fast talkers.

Use an outline

The best way to make sure you deliver a perfect speech is to start by carefully completing a speech outline covering the essentials: WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW.

Beginning to write without thinking your speech through is a bit like heading off on a journey not knowing why you're traveling or where you're going to end up. You can find yourself lost in a deep, dark, murky muddle of ideas very quickly!

Pulling together a speech overview or outline is a much safer option. It's the map you'll follow to get where you want to go.

Get a blank speech outline template to complete

Click the link to find out a whole lot more about preparing a speech outline . ☺ You'll also find a free printable blank speech outline template.  I recommend using it!

Understanding speech construction

Before you begin to write, using your completed outline as a guide, let's briefly look at what you're aiming to prepare.

• an opening or introduction
• the body where the bulk of the information is given
• and an ending (or summary).

Imagine your speech as a sandwich

If you think of a speech as a sandwich you'll get the idea.

The opening and ending are the slices of bread holding the filling (the major points or the body of your speech) together.

You can build yourself a simple sandwich with one filling (one big idea) or you could go gourmet and add up to three or, even five. The choice is yours.

But whatever you choose to serve, as a good cook, you need to consider who is going to eat it! And that's your audience.

So let's find out who they are before we do anything else. 

Step 2: Know who you are talking to

Understanding your audience.

Did you know a  good speech is never written from the speaker's point of view?  ( If you need to know more about why check out this page on  building rapport .)

Begin with the most important idea/point on your outline.

Consider HOW you can explain (show, tell) that to your audience in the most effective way for them to easily understand it.   

Writing from the audience's point of view

To help you write from an audience point of view, it's a good idea to identify either a real person or the type of person who is most likely to be listening to you.

Make sure you select someone who represents the "majority" of the people who will be in your audience. That is they are neither struggling to comprehend you at the bottom of your scale or light-years ahead at the top.

Now imagine they are sitting next to you eagerly waiting to hear what you're going to say. Give them a name, for example, Joe, to help make them real.

Ask yourself

• How do I need to tailor my information to meet Joe's needs? For example, do you tell personal stories to illustrate your main points? Absolutely! Yes. This is a very powerful technique. (Click storytelling in speeches to find out more.)
• What type or level of language is right for Joe as well as my topic? For example if I use jargon (activity, industry or profession specific vocabulary) will it be understood?

Step 3: Writing as you speak

Writing oral language.

Write down what you want to say about your first main point as if you were talking directly to Joe.

If it helps, say it all out loud before you write it down and/or record it.

Use the information below as a guide

(Click to download The Characteristics of Spoken Language  as a pdf.) 

You do not have to write absolutely everything you're going to say down * but you do need to write down, or outline, the sequence of ideas to ensure they are logical and easily followed.

Remember too, to explain or illustrate your point with examples from your research. 

( * Tip: If this is your first speech the safety net of having everything written down could be just what you need. It's easier to recover from a patch of jitters when you have a word by word manuscript than if you have either none, or a bare outline. Your call!)

Step 4: Checking tone and language

The focus of this step is re-working what you've done in Step 2 and 3.

You identified who you were talking to (Step 2) and in Step 3, wrote up your first main point.  Is it right? Have you made yourself clear?  Check it.

How well you complete this step depends on how well you understand the needs of the people who are going to listen to your speech.

Please do not assume because you know what you're talking about the person (Joe) you've chosen to represent your audience will too. Joe is not a mind-reader!

How to check what you've prepared

• Check the "tone" of your language . Is it right for the occasion, subject matter and your audience?
• Check the length of your sentences. You need short sentences. If they're too long or complicated you risk losing your listeners.

Check for jargon too. These are industry, activity or group exclusive words.

For instance take the phrase: authentic learning . This comes from teaching and refers to connecting lessons to the daily life of students. Authentic learning is learning that is relevant and meaningful for students. If you're not a teacher you may not understand the phrase.

The use of any vocabulary requiring insider knowledge needs to be thought through from the audience perspective. Jargon can close people out.

• Read what you've written out loud. If it flows naturally, in a logical manner, continue the process with your next main idea. If it doesn't, rework.

We use whole sentences and part ones, and we mix them up with asides or appeals e.g. "Did you get that? Of course you did. Right...Let's move it along. I was saying ..."

Click for more about the differences between spoken and written language .

And now repeat the process

Repeat this process for the remainder of your main ideas.

Because you've done the first one carefully, the rest should follow fairly easily.

Step 5: Use transitions

Providing links or transitions between main ideas.

Between each of your main ideas you need to provide a bridge or pathway for your audience. The clearer the pathway or bridge, the easier it is for them to make the transition from one idea to the next.

If your speech contains more than three main ideas and each is building on the last, then consider using a "catch-up" or summary as part of your transitions.

Is your speech being evaluated? Find out exactly what aspects you're being assessed on using this standard speech evaluation form

Link/transition examples

A link can be as simple as:

"We've explored one scenario for the ending of Block Buster 111, but let's consider another. This time..."

What follows this transition is the introduction of Main Idea Two.

Here's a summarizing link/transition example:

"We've ended Blockbuster 111 four ways so far. In the first, everybody died. In the second, everybody died BUT their ghosts remained to haunt the area. In the third, one villain died. His partner reformed and after a fight-out with the hero, they both strode off into the sunset, friends forever. In the fourth, the hero dies in a major battle but is reborn sometime in the future.

And now what about one more? What if nobody died? The fifth possibility..."

Go back through your main ideas checking the links. Remember Joe as you go. Try each transition or link out loud and really listen to yourself. Is it obvious? Easily followed?

Keep them if they are clear and concise.

For more about transitions (with examples) see Andrew Dlugan's excellent article, Speech Transitions: Magical words and Phrases .

Step 6: The end of your speech

The ideal ending is highly memorable . You want it to live on in the minds of your listeners long after your speech is finished. Often it combines a call to action with a summary of major points.

Example speech endings

Example 1: The desired outcome of a speech persuading people to vote for you in an upcoming election is that they get out there on voting day and do so. You can help that outcome along by calling them to register their support by signing a prepared pledge statement as they leave.

"We're agreed we want change. You can help us give it to you by signing this pledge statement as you leave. Be part of the change you want to see!

Example 2: The desired outcome is increased sales figures. The call to action is made urgent with the introduction of time specific incentives.

"You have three weeks from the time you leave this hall to make that dream family holiday in New Zealand yours. Can you do it? Will you do it? The kids will love it. Your wife will love it. Do it now!"

How to figure out the right call to action

A clue for working out what the most appropriate call to action might be, is to go back to your original purpose for giving the speech.

• Was it to motivate or inspire?
• Was it to persuade to a particular point of view?
• Was it to share specialist information?
• Was it to celebrate a person, a place, time or event?

Ask yourself what you want people to do as a result of having listened to your speech.

For more about ending speeches

Visit this page for more about how to end a speech effectively . You'll find two additional types of speech endings with examples.

Write and test

Write your ending and test it out loud. Try it out on a friend, or two. Is it good? Does it work?

Step 7: The introduction

Once you've got the filling (main ideas) the linking and the ending in place, it's time to focus on the introduction.

The introduction comes last as it's the most important part of your speech. This is the bit that either has people sitting up alert or slumped and waiting for you to end. It's the tone setter!

What makes a great speech opening?

Ideally you want an opening that makes listening to you the only thing the 'Joes' in the audience want to do.

You want them to forget they're hungry or that their chair is hard or that their bills need paying.

The way to do that is to capture their interest straight away. You do this with a "hook".

Hooks to catch your audience's attention

Hooks come in as many forms as there are speeches and audiences. Your task is work out what specific hook is needed to catch your audience.

Go back to the purpose. Why are you giving this speech?

Once you have your answer, consider your call to action. What do you want the audience to do, and, or take away, as a result of listening to you?

Next think about the imaginary or real person you wrote for when you were focusing on your main ideas.

Choosing the best hook

• Is it humor?
• Would shock tactics work?
• Is it a rhetorical question?
• Is it formality or informality?
• Is it an outline or overview of what you're going to cover, including the call to action?
• Or is it a mix of all these elements?

A hook example

Here's an example from a fictional political speech. The speaker is lobbying for votes. His audience are predominately workers whose future's are not secure.

"How's your imagination this morning? Good? (Pause for response from audience) Great, I'm glad. Because we're going to put it to work starting right now.

I want you to see your future. What does it look like? Are you happy? Is everything as you want it to be? No? Let's change that. We could do it. And we could do it today.

At the end of this speech you're going to be given the opportunity to change your world, for a better one ...

No, I'm not a magician. Or a simpleton with big ideas and precious little commonsense. I'm an ordinary man, just like you. And I have a plan to share!"

And then our speaker is off into his main points supported by examples. The end, which he has already foreshadowed in his opening, is the call to vote for him.

Prepare several hooks

Experiment with several openings until you've found the one that serves your audience, your subject matter and your purpose best.

For many more examples of speech openings go to: how to write a speech introduction . You'll find 12 of the very best ways to start a speech.

That completes the initial seven steps towards writing your speech. If you've followed them all the way through, congratulations, you now have the text of your speech!

Although you might have the words, you're still a couple of steps away from being ready to deliver them. Both of them are essential if you want the very best outcome possible. They are below. Please take them.

Step 8: Checking content and timing

This step pulls everything together.

Check once, check twice, check three times & then once more!

Go through your speech really carefully.

On the first read through check you've got your main points in their correct order with supporting material, plus an effective introduction and ending.

On the second read through check the linking passages or transitions making sure they are clear and easily followed.

On the third reading check your sentence structure, language use and tone.

Double, triple check the timing

Now go though once more.

This time read it aloud slowly and time yourself.

If it's too long for the time allowance you've been given make the necessary cuts.

Start by looking at your examples rather than the main ideas themselves. If you've used several examples to illustrate one principal idea, cut the least important out.

Also look to see if you've repeated yourself unnecessarily or, gone off track. If it's not relevant, cut it.

Repeat the process, condensing until your speech fits the required length, preferably coming in just under your time limit.

You can also find out how approximately long it will take you to say the words you have by using this very handy words to minutes converter . It's an excellent tool, one I frequently use. While it can't give you a precise time, it does provide a reasonable estimate.

Step 9: Rehearsing your speech

And NOW you are finished with writing the speech, and are ready for REHEARSAL .

Please don't be tempted to skip this step. It is not an extra thrown in for good measure. It's essential.

The "not-so-secret" secret of successful speeches combines good writing with practice, practice and then, practicing some more.

Go to how to practice public speaking and you'll find rehearsal techniques and suggestions to boost your speech delivery from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist

Before you begin writing you need:.

• Your speech OUTLINE with your main ideas ranked in the order you're going to present them. (If you haven't done one complete this 4 step sample speech outline . It will make the writing process much easier.)
• Your RESEARCH
• You also need to know WHO you're speaking to, the PURPOSE of the speech and HOW long you're speaking for

The basic format

• the body where you present your main ideas

Split your time allowance so that you spend approximately 70% on the body and 15% each on the introduction and ending.

How to write the speech

• Write your main ideas out incorporating your examples and research
• Link them together making sure each flows in a smooth, logical progression
• Write your ending, summarizing your main ideas briefly and end with a call for action
• Write your introduction considering the 'hook' you're going to use to get your audience listening
• An often quoted saying to explain the process is: Tell them what you're going to tell them (Introduction) Tell them (Body of your speech - the main ideas plus examples) Tell them what you told them (The ending)

TEST before presenting. Read aloud several times to check the flow of material, the suitability of language and the timing.

• Return to top

speaking out loud 

Subscribe for  FREE weekly alerts about what's new For more see  speaking out loud  

Top 10 popular pages

• Welcome speech
• Demonstration speech topics
• Impromptu speech topic cards
• Thank you quotes
• Impromptu public speaking topics
• Farewell speeches
• Phrases for welcome speeches
• Student council speeches
• Free sample eulogies

From fear to fun in 28 ways

A complete one stop resource to scuttle fear in the best of all possible ways - with laughter.

Useful pages

• Search this site
• About me & Contact
• Free e-course
• Privacy policy

©Copyright 2006-24 www.write-out-loud.com

Designed and built by Clickstream Designs

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

• Speech About Life

Speech About Life in English for Students

Long speech about life.

‘Good morning everyone’!Today I want to share my opinion about life. So what is life all about? Does life mean to have success or to have money, a great group of friends, or anything? 

To some people, success means to have all the money, to some success means to be with loved ones, to some it could be to live a luxurious life or it could be a wish to get a good life partner.

No matter what the image of success is for anyone. Success can be defined by only one word and that word is “Happiness”.Happiness is the only thing that is linked to success. It is the reason we stress over money, perfect job, good marks, admission to a good university, or trying to live up to the life that would term us as successful 

Life isn’t all about money and happiness cannot be brought with money. We see many cases around the world where people with all the luxurious suffers from depression. Money can only solve your financial problem but not all the problems. You cannot take money with you to the grave so don’t stress about it. So does that mean you should not have money? well, the answer is no. If you have money use it for the good of others and help poor people but never stress about it. Money is great but only when you use it with positive intentions. 

Life is not about being right always, it’s about always been kind. Students should remember that there will come a time in your life when you have to choose between been right or kind. Always choose kindness over being right. Kindness always follows the love with it. 

It is also important to understand that life is not about noticing the negatives. Always try to create positive around the negative that will completely solve the problem. For example, you might be not good at math. so does that mean you should stop reading math? the answer is no. The positive that could be created is to solve more problems which will help you in excelling in that subject. 

Life is not about comparing yourself to others. You have to remember that you are unique and important. It is impossible even for you to find someone who is exactly like you. So never compare yourself with others. Let every else be exactly as they are while you should focus on being the best you can be. 

To conclude I want to say that your life is not defined by any circumstances. Your life is not defined by what happens to you or not. Life is defined by how you react to all the goods and bad. Hard time helps in building a character and never lose your spirit. In the end, what you become through all those life challenges matters the most. Remember that you are a miracle and the world is a blessing. Life is a miracle and it is what you make out of it. Live every day like you are blessed. Be grateful for whatever happens in your life. Be happy no matter what happens in life. Last but not least always remind yourself that the whole purpose of life is to be happy, no matter what life throws at you. 

Short Informative Speech About Life

‘Good morning everyone’!Today I want to share my opinion about life. So what is life all about? Does life mean to have success? and what is success? is it to have money or anything ? and does success differs from one person to another.

The definition of success differs from person to person. For a few, it could be to be rich, to spend time with family, and so on. Success can be defined by only one word and that word is “Happiness”.Happiness is the only thing that is linked to success. It is the reason we stress about money, good marks and so on. 

Life isn’t all about money and happiness cannot be brought with money. There are many cases in which people are depressed even after having money. You won’t be taking money with you to the grave so don’t stress about it. 

Life is not about being right always, it’s about always been kind. Everyone should choose kindness over being right. Show kindness to everyone as love always follows kindness. 

It is also important to understand that life is not about noticing the negatives. Always try to create positive around the negative that will completely solve the problem.

Life is not about comparing yourself to others. You have to remember that you are unique and important. To conclude I want to say that your life is not defined by any circumstances.

Life is defined by how you react to all the goods and bad. Hard time helps in building a character and never lose your spirit. Remember that you are a miracle and the world is a blessing. Life is a miracle and it is what you make out of it. Live every day like you are blessed. Be grateful for whatever happens in your life. Be happy no matter what happens in life. Thank you!.

10 Lines on Speech About Life

Life is not about everyone wrong but it’s about proving yourself right. Always be kind to everyone. Ego kills a man before his death.

Happiness is the only thing that is linked to success. It is the reason we stress over money, perfect job, etc. 

Life isn’t all about money and happiness cannot be brought with money. There are many cases in which people are depressed even after having money. 

Life is not about money. You cannot take it with you to the grave so don’t ever stress about it. 

Life is not about being right always, it’s about always been kind. Always show kindness to every soul you meet. Kindness is followed by love so spread love. 

Life is not about comparing yourself to others. You have to remember that you are unique and important.

Your life is not defined by what happens to you or not. Life is defined by how you react to all the goods and bad.

Life is a miracle and it is what you make out of it. Live every day like you are blessed. Be grateful for whatever happens in your life

The whole purpose of life is to be happy, no matter what life throws at you. 

10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking — routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears — can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series,  Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

Communication Strategies: Presenting with Impact

Search all Communication programs.

2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

Find related Communication programs.

Browse all Professional & Executive Development programs.

About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

Why Gender Equity in the Workplace is Good for Business

Research indicates a correlation between gender equity and organizational success, yet it also points to obstacles for women in leadership.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

30 Iconic Shakespeare Quotes About Life

Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet returns to Broadway in Fall 2024.

Never has there lived a writer who has been better at capturing the complexities of the human condition like  William Shakespeare . Shakespeare’s writing about life resonates across time because it examines the essence of what it means to be human, and not since the Bard have the realities of existence been articulated so profoundly. Study up on some of his best with these 30 iconic Shakespeare quotes about life.

LATEST NEWS

Want more Shakespeare? Check out these 50 quotes about love!

To be, or not to be—that is the question Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles, And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1

O gentlemen, the time of life is short! To spend that shortness basely were too long, If life did ride upon a dial's point, Still ending at the arrival of an hour. Henry IV, Act 5, Scene 2

The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together. All's Well That Ends Well, Act 4, Scene 3

I cannot tell what you and other men Think of this life; but, for my single self, I had as lief not be as live to be In awe of such a thing as I myself. Julius Caesar, Act 1, Scene 2

Let me be that I am and seek not to alter me. Much Ado About Nothing, Act 1, Scene 3

O excellent! I love long life better than figs. Antony and Cleopatra, Act 1, Scene 2

Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once. Julius Caesar, Act 2, Scene 2

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts. As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7

Let life be short: else shame will be too long. Henry V, Act 4, Scene 5

Life's but a walking shadow, A poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5

So wise so young, they say, never do live long. Richard III, Act 3, Scene 1

There where my fortune lives, there my life dies. King John, Act 3, Scene 1

The sands are number'd that make up my life; Here must I stay, and here my life must end. Henry VI, Act 1, Scene 4

Thy life's a miracle. King Lear, Act 4, Scene 6

It is silliness to live when to live is torment; and then have we a prescription to die when death is our physician. Othello, Act 1, Scene 3

We are such stuff as dreams are made on and our little life is rounded with a sleep. The Tempest, Act 4, Scene 1

Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. 

Twelfth Night, Act 2, Scene 5

When we are born we cry that we are come To this great stage of fools King Lear, Act 4, Scene 6

You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will not more willingly part withal - except my life, except my life, except my life Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2

I bear a charmed life. Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 8

Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale, Vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man. King John, Act 3, Scene 4

And this our life, exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything. As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 1

This day I breathed first: time is come round, And where I did begin there shall I end; My life is run his compass. Julius Caesar, Act 5, Scene 3

And so, from hour to hour, we ripe and ripe. And then, from hour to hour, we rot and rot; And thereby hangs a tale. As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7

Why, what should be the fear? I do not set my life at a pin’s fee. Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 4

That but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We’d jump the life to come. Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7

Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass, Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron, Can be retentive to the strength of spirit; But life, being weary of these worldly bars, Never lacks power to dismiss itself. Julius Caesar, Act 1, Scene 3

Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had liv’d a blessed time; for, from this instant, There’s nothing serious in mortality: All is but toys; renown, and grace is dead; The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees Is left this vault to brag of. Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 3

Reason thus with life: If I do lose thee, I do lose a thing That none but fools would keep. Measure for Measure, Act 3, Scene 1

A man can die but once. Henry IV, Part 2, Act 3, Scene 2

Recommended For You

Members of the Kennedy family denounce RFK Jr.'s decision to endorse Trump

WASHINGTON — Multiple members of the Kennedy family denounced Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to endorse former President Donald Trump, calling the move a "betrayal."

"We want an America filled with hope and bound together by a shared vision of a brighter future, a future defined by individual freedom, economic promise and national pride," said a statement signed by five of the former independent presidential candidate's siblings.

"We believe in Harris and Walz," the statement continued. "Our brother Bobby's decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story."

The statement includes signatures from Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy and Rory Kennedy.

Joe Kennedy III, a grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, reacted to the statement, sharing it on X and writing that it was "well said."

Separately, the former candidate's cousin Jack Schlossberg said that he has "never been less surprised in my life."

"Been saying it for over a year — RFKjr is for sale, works for Trump. Bedfellows and loving it," he posted to X. "Kamala Harris is for the people — the easiest decision of all time just got easier."

Schlossberg is the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy.

Many members of the Kennedy family have been publicly critical of the independent's presidential bid, instead vocalizing their support for first President Joe Biden and now Harris.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Friday that he would withdraw from the presidential race and back Trump. However, he said that he would only remove his name from the ballot in "about 10 battleground states where my presence would be a spoiler." He encouraged voters in states where he remains on the ballot to still support him.

"These are the principled causes that persuaded me to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent, and now to throw my support to President Trump," he said during his Friday remarks. "The causes were: Free speech, the war in Ukraine, and the war on our children."

Harris campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement that the Harris campaign is for "any American out there who is tired of Donald Trump and looking for a new way forward."

"Even if we do not agree on every issue, Kamala Harris knows there is more that unites us than divides us: respect for our rights, public safety, protecting our freedoms, and opportunity for all," she said in a bid to attract Kennedy supporters.

Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Newsletters
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

DNC Says “Good Riddance” As RFK Jr. Suspends Campaign, Endorses Trump, Incurs Sibling Wrath And Prompts Wife Cheryl Hines To Write That “Vast Majority Of All Parties Are Truly Good People”

UPDATE, with response statements: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dropped out of the presidential race, sort of, leaving his rocky Independent campaign behind and aligning the iconically Democrat name with the Republican party of Donald Trump.

“In an honest system, I believe that I would have won the election,” he said today, running counter to polls but sounding very Trumpian, with talks of “sham” primaries and a “palace coup” against Joe Biden. He castigated Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris for not yet granting media interviews, a common Republican talking point in recent weeks.

More from Deadline

In The Arena: Kamala Harris’ Chicago Convention Made The Most Of The Media Moment

2024 DNC Celebrity Attendees Photo Gallery: Musicians & Actors Show Up For Kamala Harris On Night 4

Democratic National Convention Audience Grows To 26.2M Viewers On Final Night As Kamala Harris Accepts Nomination

Kennedy didn’t quite end his campaign, but says he’s merely suspending it and will remain on ballots in some battleground states. While at one point insisting quixotically that it’s still possible he might end up in the White House, he also said, “In my heart, I no longer believe I have a realistic path to an electoral victory. I am not terminating my campaign. I am simply suspending it.”

You can watch the video of his announcement above.

At another speech in Arizona, Trump said of Kennedy’s endorsement, “That’s big. He’s a great guy, respected by everybody.”

RELATED: Kamala Harris Wraps Herself In History & The Flag For Often Blistering Takedown Of Donald Trump In DNC Acceptance Speech

Kennedy’s endorsement of the Republican candidate was not unexpected: Recent reports have him shopping around for a new side to play on, reaching out to both political parties and meeting with members of the Trump team. Kennedy’s campaign recently said he would make a statement on his “path forward” at today’s speech in Phoenix, Arizona. Trump is holding a rally in Glendale, Arizona, later today.

However unsurprising the endorsement is, from a historical perspective, rather remarkable, putting a man with the famously Blue family name into the Red. Today, Kennedy said the Democratic Party “had departed so dramatically from the core values that I grew up with.” He said the causes for his switch were “free speech, the war in Ukraine and the war on our children,” the latter stemming from his debunked anti-vaccine stances.

Although Kennedy encouraged his followers to vote Trump, he said in some states they could vote for either party. The logic was, to say the least, difficult to follow. A commenter on CNN called it “coo coo for Cocoa Puffs” and, quoting Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles , “authentic frontier gibberish.” The official response from the Democratic National Convention called the speech “a bizarre, rambling announcement,” with DNC senior advisor Mary Beth Cahill adding, “The more voters learned about RFK Jr. the less they liked him. Donald Trump isn’t earning an endorsement that’s going to help build support, he’s inheriting the baggage of a failed fringe candidate. Good riddance.”

RELATED: “Pitch Perfect” Kamala Harris’ DNC Speech Praised By Michelle Obama, Rob Reiner, Magic Johnson & More

Kennedy’s campaign has been beset by more problems than family ties, hurt feelings and a dead bear cub : Just yesterday he officially withdrew from the ballot in Arizona, a not-unexpected outcome given recent news reports of dwindling campaign funds and a ruling by a judge in New York State that tossed out the signatures on his nominating petition because Kennedy had falsely claimed to be a New York resident. The court found that Kennedy actually lived in California with his wife, Curb Your Enthusiasm actor Cheryl Hines, and that the New York address he suppled was not his full time residence.

Today Kennedy described the various state requirements for getting on the ballots as a nearly impenetrable tangle.

Kennedy earlier said he’d fight the ruling, but today’s announcement suggests that battle is all but over.

Hines, RFK’s outspoken anti-Trump wife, issued a statement today in which she acknowledged her husband’s decision to run for president, saying he did so “on the principle of unity” and added that “the vast majority of all parties are truly good people.” She did not specifically comment on her husband’s new endorsement.

RELATED: It’s Kamala’s DNC Now: Doris Kearns Goodwin On Convention’s Historical Context, LBJ ’68 & Joe Biden’s POTUS Ranking On ElectionLine Podcast

The son of Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, the former environmental activist and scion of the staunchly liberal family of Democrats, RFK Jr. has in recent years leaned into 9/11 conspiracy theories, discredited ideas about AIDS, and anti-vaccine misinformation. His Kennedy relatives have largely distanced themselves from him, at least politically, and endorsed Joe Biden prior to Kamala Harris entering the race.

And lately Kennedy has been attracting attention for non-political reasons, including his revelation that he once suffered from the presence of a brain-eating worm and, more recently, his admission that in 2014 he placed a roadkill bear cub in Central Park, a stunt he thought would be “amusing” but instead prompted days of headlines and widespread concern over the mysterious origins and grisly demise of the animal.

And this week, video resurfaced of Kennedy telling a reporter that aligning with Trump would be “devastating” to his marriage to the anti-Trump Hines. Six months ago, when asked by TMZ about the statement, Hines said, “I think Bobby knows me very well.”

In a statement today on her social media accounts, Hines wrote, “The decision has been made to suspend my husband’s, Robert Kennedy Jr.’s presidency [sic] and I’d like to extend a sincere, deeply heartfelt thank you to every person who has worked so tirelessly and lovingly on his campaign. They have accomplished feats that were said to be impossible. They have gathered over a million signatures, more than any candidate in history, and have achieved ballot access across the country despite the roadblocks and lawsuits that have been brought against them for the sole purpose of keeping Bobby off of the ballots so no one would even have the opportunity to vote for him.

“I deeply respect the decision Bobby made to run on the principle of unity,” Hines continued. “Over the last year and a half, I have met some extraordinary people from all parties — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. It’s been my experience that the vast majority of all parties are truly good people who want the best for our country and for each other. It has been an eye-opening, transformative, and endearing journey.”

The Kennedy family was not so understanding. A statement put out by RFK Jr.’s siblings Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy and Rory Kennedy, the family called RFK Jr.’s decision to endorse Trump “a betrayal of the values our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story.”

See the full various statements below.

Never been less surprised in my life. Been saying it for over a year — RFKjr is for sale, works for Trump. Bedfellows and loving it. Kamala Harris is for the people — the easiest decision of all time just got easier. — Jack Schlossberg (@JBKSchlossberg) August 23, 2024

The decision has been made to suspend my husband's, Robert Kennedy Jr.'s, presidency and I'd like to extend a sincere, deeply heartfelt thank you to every person who has worked so tirelessly and lovingly on his campaign. They have accomplished feats that were said to be… — Cheryl Hines (@CherylHines) August 23, 2024

I am sharing a personal statement that my family and I have made in response to my brother’s announcement. pic.twitter.com/j7vTTabNYZ — Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK) August 23, 2024

Best of Deadline

'Only Murders In The Building' Season 3 Recap: What To Remember For Season 4

'One Piece' Season 2: Everything We Know So Far

Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2024: Photo Gallery & Obituaries

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter . For the latest news, follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .