CONTEXT

There’s something powerful about commencement speeches.

Think about it… some of the greatest minds in the world pack their life’s wisdom into ~20 minutes of advice. 🔥

Here are 7 speeches that changed my life. (And my favorite quote from each).

Start your morning by listening to one speech every day for the next 7 days.

Trust me.

METHOD

Day 1: Steve Jobs

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life… Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

Day 2: Chadwick Boseman

“Everything that you fought for was not for yourself. It was for those who came after you.”

Day 3: J.K. Rowling

“It is impossible to live without failing at something— unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all.”

Day 4: David Foster Wallace

“The most obvious, important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about.”

Day 5: Shonda Rhimes

“Dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It's hard work that makes things happen.”

Day 6: Oprah Winfrey

“The trick is to learn to check your ego at the door and start checking your gut instead.”

Day 7: Admiral William H. McRaven

“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”

Btw— I loved #7 so much that I summarized the 10 best lessons from Admiral McRaven’s Navy SEAL training in this post.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

These are 7 of the most iconic commencement speeches ever given.

Each one takes ~20 mins to watch.

It’s the best way to start your morning whether you’re commuting to work, getting ready for class, making breakfast, or going for a walk.

Pro Tip: Take 5 minutes right now to create a calendar invite every morning this week (and paste the link to each day’s video directly in it).

Try it out. Let me know how it goes.

Until next week,

Jade

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P.P.S. I’m sending a warm welcome to the 2,913+ who joined The Quiet Rich newsletter since last week! Learn more about The Quiet Rich here. 🎉