6 Provocative Motivational Speeches That’ll Turn Your Day Around

Here are some phenomenal motivational speeches that'll be sure to get you out of any funk.

Updated 11 years ago, February 6, 2014

Sometimes, I stare at a brick wall for too long and get upset about the fact that the word mortgage is directly correlated with happiness. And as we all know, staring at brick walls is only one of the many ways life can get you down.

Since there’s only so many times you can listen to that Chumbawamba song, here are some phenomenal motivational speeches that’ll be sure to get you out of any funk:

1. This Is Water

David Foster Wallace’s viral commencement speech, delivered at Kenyon College in 2005, was reworked masterfully earlier this year via the video above. The contrast here is what makes DFW’s words so powerful; he stresses that life primarily revolves around task after task after task, and the trick is, despite it being much easier said than done, to not let the drag of each task blind you from the bigger picture.

2. “I Hope You’re Not There”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOfFkVCdLQo&w=584&h=390]

You don’t see friends being this honest every day. This Good Will Hunting scene, one of my favorite scenes in any movie, is a reminder that there are always gonna be people worse off than you; that wherever you are, there are probably people that would kill to be in your 2011-purchased Uggs.

A reminder to always consider the positives.

3. Mad As Hell

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WINDtlPXmmE&w=584&h=390]

The turn here is always great to watch. A reminder that even if reality is bleak, we don’t have to accept it as “right.” A refreshing plea to conserve and embrace the power of free will.

4. “We Will All Fall”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i5BGvtsFjc&w=584&h=390]

Coach Taylor’s first speech was originally a part of the memorable FNL pilot episode; without a doubt, one of the more gripping pilots in recent TV memory.

It was later reworked as a part of this video, and the sentiment remains the same; at any point in time, our lives can suddenly change forever. It’s the acceptance of this fact that makes us stronger, and enables us to conduct ourselves in the most proud and honorable manner.

5. “Get Busy Living, Or Get Busy Dying”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tkzc983aE0&w=584&h=390]

The Shawshank Redemption is a movie about being placed in the worst of circumstances, and doing everything humanly possible to overcome them. In this classic scene, Andy and Red discuss the future, and arrive at a rather profound thesis.