“Real success requires step after step after step after step. It requires choice after choice, it demands education and passion and commitment and persistence and hunger and patience.” – Jesmyn Ward
10 Speeches That Will Inspire You to Succeed
The road to success—while worth every step—is long, and there are times along the way when you need a pick-me-up. That might come in the form of a self-help book or working with a coach. You can also get a quick boost from any of these videos, which you can watch wherever you are, whenever you need them.
The Real Relationship Between Your Age and Your Chance of Success
Network theorist Albert-László Barabási takes a look at the Albert Einstein quote: "A person who has not made his great contribution to science the age of 30 will never do so" and uses data to prove that people can be—and have been—successful long past that age. Don’t let being past age 30 deter you from pursuing your goals.
Why the Secret to Success Is Setting the Right Goals
Venture capitalist John Doerr posits the theory that our leaders and institutions often fail us because they’re aiming for the wrong objectives. Learning how to set the right goals via a goal-setting system known as Objectives and Key Results (OKR) can make all the difference, as his ideas have shown when implemented at companies like Google and Intel.
What I Learned From 100 Days of Rejection
Entrepreneur and author Jia Jiang was terrified of rejection until he decided to take the bold approach of embracing it to overcome it by setting himself a challenge to seek out rejection every day for 100 days. He was rejected over and over again, but in the process, he learned a lot about himself and about the nature of rejection—and how to turn rejection into opportunities.
Josh Groban’s Commencement Speech: “Embrace fear and trust your instincts.”
That was Josh Groban’s message to a college graduation assembly at High Point University in 2018. He went on to say: “I believe that it would be better to fail at doing something challenging, something worthwhile, and something I’m excited to show the world than to succeed doing something safe, something that wouldn’t actually inspire much at all. You learn with experience that some fear is the good stuff. Not all. But when the fear comes from a place of wanting to follow through with passion—something you believe in, it’s good. When it comes to your future experiences, as you enter the world with your knowledge and excitement, as you choose opportunities, always remember: if you aren’t scared, be worried.”
Jesmyn Ward’s Commencement Speech: “Real success requires step after step after step after step. It requires choice after choice; it demands education and passion and commitment and persistence and hunger and patience.”
Speaking at Tulane University in 2018, two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward laid waste to the idea that becoming an award-winning writer is a simple task. In the process, she described the hard work and education it takes to succeed—and why that work and that education is so important.
A Kinder, Gentler Philosophy of Success
Author Alain de Botton discusses our ideas of success and failure, and why it might be good to rethink those ideas. He suggests that maybe it’s not a bad thing to go a bit easier on yourself.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth learned a lot from teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school: namely, that IQ wasn’t the only thing separating successful students from the ones who struggled. In this persuasive video, she discusses the value of what she calls grit, and why it can make a huge difference.
How to Get Back to Work After a Career Break
Career reentry expert Carol Fishman Cohen talks about her own return to work and the work she does helping others make the transition after a break. This video is packed with strategic advice and techniques for overcoming objections from potential employers.
Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career
Economics professor Larry Smith talks bluntly—and with great humor—about the kinds of excuses people use to explain why they don’t pursue their passion. He also dissects those excuses and convincingly makes the case that anyone can create and enjoy a great, satisfying career.
How to Find Work You Love
Scott Dinsmore is the founder of Live Your Legend, a career, and connection platform. It’s a company that grew out of his experience of quitting a job he hated and then spending four years trying to find work that was joyful and meaningful to him. His hard lessons are on display here, along with tips for figuring out what’s truly important to you and how to start doing it.
Learn more about Strayer’s online degree programs that could help you on your path to success.
