Motivation Daily by Motiversity - YOU OWE IT TO YOU IN 2026 - Denzel Washington's Most Powerful Speech

Episode Date: May 29, 2026

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I found that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. Nothing. Nelson Mandela said there is no passion to be found playing small in settling for a life that's less than the one you're capable of living. Now I'm sure in your experiences in school and applying to college and picking your major and deciding what you want to do with life, I'm sure people have told you to make sure you have something to fall back on. Make sure you got something to fall back on, honey. But I never understood that concept, having something to fall back on.

If I'm going to fall, I don't want to fall back on anything except my faith. I want to fall forward. I figure at least this way I'll see what I'm going to hit. You will fail at some point in your life, except it. You will lose. You will embarrass yourself. You will suck at something. There's no doubt about it. And I know that's probably not a traditional message for a graduation ceremony, but hey, I'm telling you, embrace it, because it's inevitable. And I should know. In the acting business, you fail all the time. Early on in my career, I auditioned for a part in the Broadway musical. Perfect role for me, I thought, except for the fact that I can't sing.

But I continued to fail and fail and fail. But it didn't matter because you know what? There's an old saying, you hang around the barbershop long enough. Sooner or later you're going to get a haircut. So you will catch a break and I did catch a break. Last year I did a play called Fences on Broadway. Someone talked about it. Won the Tony Award.

And I didn't have to sing by the way. But here's the kicker. It was at the court theater. It was at the same theater that I failed at first audition 30 years prior. The point is, and I'll pick up the pace, the point is every graduate here today has the training and the talent to succeed. But do you have the guts to fail? If you don't fail, you're not even trained.

You're not even trying. I'll say it again. If you don't fail, you're not even trying. My wife told me this great expression. To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. Les Brown's a motivational speaker. He made an analogy about this. He says, imagine you're on your deathbed and standing around your deathbed are the ghosts

representing your unfulfilled potential. The ghost of the ideas you never acted on. The ghost of the talent. you didn't use and they're standing around your bed angry, disappointed, and upset. They say we came to you because you could have brought us to life, they said. And now we have to go to the grave together. So I ask you today, how many ghosts are going to be around your bed when your time comes? I'm a positive person.

I think that you have to take what you're given and do something with it. You know, the easiest thing to do is complain about it and give in to that. give into that, but I try to turn that into something positive and so far it's worked. Small minds discuss other people. Good minds discuss events, great minds, discuss ideas. Those who can do, those who can't talk about those who can. Now can you or can you not? You just want to sit on the sideline to talk about other people or can you step up? I never looked at things as problems. I look at them as opportunities. You know, someone I Well, what an opportunity you have.

Yeah. Yeah, well, the world, you know, because they did this and said that. Yeah, well, what an opportunity you have to make a difference? Because you never know who's watching. But more importantly, you shouldn't do it to be seen. You know, pray about it. Whatever it is you're committed to. Fight for it.

What did you say? Fear is nothing but contaminated faith. That's right. Fear is nothing but contaminated faith. Twitter tweet, mean, mean, world that we've created for our children. The least we can do is consider what we've done and think about the young people, the future, and individually, collectively, do the best we can to try. and turn this thing around. I blame no one. I look in the mirror. On the other side of it,

what an opportunity we have because tomorrow's the first day of the rest of our lives. Today is the beginning of the rest of your life and it can be very frightening. It's a new world out there, it's a mean world out there and you only live once. So do what you feel passionate about. That hitch that you have to be whatever it is you want to be in front of the camera, on the stage, behind the stage, that That is, that desire for good is God's proof to you. Sit already to indicate that it's yours. You already have it. Claim it.

Fail big. That's right. Fail big. Don't be afraid to fail. There's an old IQ test was nine dots. And you had to draw five lines with a pencil within these nine dots without lifting the pencil. The only way to do it was to go outside the box. So don't be afraid to go outside the box.

Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Don't be afraid to fail big, to dream big. But remember, dreams without goals are just dreams. And they ultimately fuel disappointment. So have dreams, but have goals. Goals on the road to achievement cannot be achieved without discipline and consistency. You understand? Between goals and achievement are discipline and consistency.

I pray that you all put your shoes way under the bed that night. so that you got to get on your knees in the morning. So you got to get out there. You got to give it everything you got, whether it's your time, your talent, your prayers, or your treasures. Because remember this, you will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse.

I'll say it again. You will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse. You can't take it with you. The Egyptians tried it. And all they got was robbed. So the question is, what are you going to do with what you have? I'm not talking about how much you have. Some of you are business majors.

Some of you are theologians, nurses, sociologists. Some of you have money. Some of you have patience. Some of you have kindness. Some of you have love. Some of you have the gift of long suffering. Whatever it is, whatever your gift is. What are you going to do with what you have?

In order to achieve your goals, you must apply discipline, which you have already done, and consistency every day, not just on Tuesday and miss a few days. You have to work at it. Every day, you have to plan. Every day. You've heard the saying we don't plan to fail. We fail to plan. Hard work works. works. Working really hard is what successful people do.

I'm just like you, you know. What I have will not keep me on this earth for one more day. Share what you know, inspire who you can, seek advice from... If you want to talk to one, someone talk to the one that can do something about it, constantly. constantly develop those habits. Here's a good one for me, slow to speak. You know what I say? I can't even say it. We all got something that we're working on.

I'm a work in progress like anyone else and take the tools that you're given. So never give up without commitment, you'll never start. But more importantly, without consistency, you'll never finish. Keep striving, never give up, fall down seven times, get up eight. Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship.

Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship. So keep moving, keep growing, keep learning, see you at work. Strength, leadership, authority, guidance, patience, are God's gift to us as men. We have to cherish that, not abuse it. I prayed this morning to be a better listener. Didn't work so well. It's where human.

You get back up. Yes, I've been high up on the mountain. I've been blessed. But that's a slippery slope. Yeah. And it's lonely up there. You know, people don't know that. We did not come this far to just break down and lose now.

I'm a winner. I'm going to win. True desire in the heart, that itch that you have, whatever it is you want to do, that thing that you want to do to help others and to grow and to make money, that desire, that itch, that's God's proof to you. Sit beforehand already to indicate that it's yours. Aspire to make a difference. You are what you are in this world. Because you're one or two things.

Either somebody and nobody. Never give up. Without commitment, you'll never start. But more importantly, without consistency, you'll never finish. It's not easy. It were easy. There'd be no Denzel Washington. So keep working.

Keep striving. Never give up. fall down seven times get up eight ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship so keep moving keep growing keep learning see at work well it may be frightening it will also be rewarding so you got to get out there you got to give it everything you got whether it's your time your talent your prayers or your treasures because taking risk is not just about going for a job It's also about knowing what you know and what you don't know.

It's about being open to people and to ideas. To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. Because the chances you take, the people you meet, the people you love, the faith that you have, that's what's going to define you. I found that nothing in life is worth you. It's worthwhile unless you take risks. Nothing. Nelson Mandela said,

there is no passion to be found playing small in settling for a life that's less than the one you're capable of living. Now, I'm sure in your experiences in school and applying to college and picking your major and deciding what you want to do with life, I'm sure people have told you to make sure you have something to fall back on. make sure you got something to fall back on, honey. But I never understood that concept, having something to fall back on.

If I'm going to fall, I don't want to fall back on anything. I want to fall forward. I figure at least this way I'll see what I'm going to hit. Fall forward. This is what I mean. Reggie Jackson struck out 2,600 times in his career the most in the history. of baseball, but you don't hear about the strikeouts. People remember the home runs. Fall forward. Thomas Edison conducted 1,000 failed experiments. Did you know that? I didn't know

that. Because the 1,0001st was the light ball. Fall forward. Fail big. Today is the beginning of the rest of your life, and it can be very frightening. It's a new world out there. It's a mean world out there and you only live once. So do what you feel passionate about. Take chances professionally. Don't be afraid to go outside the box. Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Don't be afraid to fail big, to dream big. But remember, dreams without goals are just dreams. and they ultimately fuel disappointment. So have dreams, but have goals, life goals, yearly goals, monthly goals, daily goals.

I try to give myself a goal every day. Sometimes it's just to not curse somebody out. Simple goals, but have goals. And understand that to achieve, these goals you must apply discipline and consistency in order to achieve your goals you must apply discipline which you already done and consistency every day not just on Tuesday and this a few days you have to work at it hard work works you'll never see a you all behind a hearse I don't care how much money you

make, you can't take it with you. The Egyptians tried it. They got robbed. That's all they got. You can't take it with you. And it's not how much you have. It's what you do with what you have. We all have different talents. Some of you will be doctors, some lawyers, some scientists, some educators, some nurses, some preachers. The most selfish thing you can do in this world, is help someone else. Why is it selfish? Because the gratification, the goodness that comes to you,

the good feeling, the good feeling that I get from helping others, nothing's better than that. Well, one of two things, but nothing's better than that. Not jewelry, not big house I have,

not the cars, but it's the joy. That's where the joy is in helping others. That's where the success is. And anything you want, good, you can have.

So claim it. Work hard to get it. When you get it, reach back. Pull someone else up. Each one, teach one. Remember, just because you're doing a lot more doesn't mean you're getting a lot more done. Remember that.

Just because you're doing a lot more doesn't mean you're getting a lot more done. Don't confuse movement with progress. My mother told me, she said, yeah, because you can run in place all the time and never get anywhere. So continue to strive, continue to have goals, continue to progress.