Even the most ambitious and motivated students sometimes suffer from a lack of energy. When homework assignments, deadlines, and sleepless nights are piling up, it gets harder and harder to stay positive and focused on your goals.

If you feel drained and need a dose of inspiration, you are in the right place. You will find below a list of amazingly uplifting motivational speeches that will help you overcome your insecurities, boost your self-confidence, realize what you really want, and move mountains to get it. And if you need time to listen to these inspiring addresses and talks, but the workload is too heavy at the moment, remember that you can always turn to the professional assistance of a write my essay service experts.

1. Penn’s 2011 Commencement Address by Denzel Washington (“Fall forward”)

Many celebrities have delivered commencement addresses at the leading American universities, but Denzel Washington stands out among them all. This iconic actor and director managed to touch the hearts of the graduates with his warm humor, candor, and wisdom. Washington’s memorable address is built around one powerful message, “Never be discouraged. Never hold back. And when you fall in life, remember this: fall forward.” “Fall forward” is a potent metaphor that the actor uses to teach young people to embrace failure and learn to see it as a step on the way to success. Every young person has a gift to share with humanity and make the world a better place. Washington urges you to discover this gift, do what you feel passionate about, and not be afraid to fail. “Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big, but remember dreams without goals are just dreams and they ultimately fuel disappointment,” says the great actor. This address is about being disciplined, working hard, taking risks, and achieving success. So, if you are looking for an ultimate motivational speech, look no further.

2. North Central College’s 1965 Commencement Address by Edith Sampson (“Choose One of Five”)

This wonderfully inspiring but also provocative speech is not too well-known, but, believe us, it is a true hidden gem. It was given by Edith Sampson, an American lawyer, judge, and the first Black U.S. delegate to the United Nations, at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, back in 1965. While more than 50 years have passed since the day this speech was first delivered, it is still as relevant and poignant as ever. Recently it has been revived by the Almeida Theatre in their project Figures of Speech. We highly recommend Andrew Scott’s brilliant reading of Edith Sampson’s address. It is not an easy speech to listen to. In fact, it is a multiple-choice test, and who loves tests? The single question you have to answer is this: “What do you do with your education now that you have it – and now that it is beginning to become obsolete even as you sit here?” Which of the five alternatives offered by Sampson will you choose? This speech will provoke you, challenge you, maybe even upset you, but also empower you to become your best self.

3. “8 Secrets of Success” by Richard St. John

This iconic TED-talk is not only inspiring and hilarious but also practical and quite short. In only 3 minutes Richard St. John manages to share with the audience the ultimate recipe for success. To accomplish this, St. John spent ten years researching success and interviewed more than 500 amazing individuals who had achieved great heights in various spheres of human activity. Having discovered the 8 traits that these outstanding people have in common, the researcher is ready to share this knowledge with you. St. John’s quest started with a very simple question asked by a high school student. “What leads to success?” If you want to hear the answer, listen to this TED-talk, and reboot your motivation.

4. The University of Houston’s Speech by Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey, an Academy Award-winning actor, is a person from whom you would expect a spectacular address merging humor and superb acting into one dazzling performance. And he definitely does shine in his role as a motivational speaker standing on the podium in front of the excited graduates. But he also does much more. He delivers a powerful and serious speech in which he shares with all the young people 13 life lessons that have guided the actor up to this day. This address is extraordinary, honest, and raw. It is easy to sense that McConaughey earnestly believes in what he is talking about – a possibility for everyone to reach a place where “what we want is also just what we need.”

5. “Want to change the world? Start by being brave enough to care” by Cleo Wade

“Want to change the world? Start by being brave enough to care,” a mesmerizingly beautiful and moving TED-talk by Cleo Wade, possesses both qualities: it is a great treat for your eyes and ears, but also a heartfelt and honest appeal to you to become an advocate for love and acceptance in these turbulent times. In her poem, Wade is meditating on kindness, generosity, justice, and peace. She offers us reference points we can all rely on in times of uncertainty and doubt. After all, you do not have to be a politician to change the world. A poet can do it, a student can do it, any human being who cares can make this world a better place. “However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at,” said Stephen Hawking. And this is the truth that physics and lyrics share.