Graduation is a special time, whether it’s high school, college or even junior high. It represents a transition from one chapter of life to another.
To help celebrate this important event, we’ve collected 180+ motivational graduation quotes that will inspire you. You can share or send these to inspire the graduate!
List of 180+ Inspiring Quotes for Every Graduate!
1. “Failure does not exist. Failure is merely life’s way of steering us in another direction.”
2. “The most powerful weapon is education. With that powerful weapon, you can change the world.”
3. “We cannot do great things; only small things with a great amount of love.”
4. “Success is merely stumbling from one failure to another without ever losing enthusiasm.”
5. “Many of our dreams seem impossible at first. Then they just seem improbable. But when we muster up the will, they become inevitable.”
6. “The world is more flexible than you could ever imagine, and it’s just waiting for you to hammer into the shape of your desire.”
7. “People do not stop pursuing their dreams because they grow old; they merely grow older because they quit pursuing their dreams.”
8. “A dream that you dream alone is merely a dream. But a dream that you dream together is a reality.”
9. “If you still haven’t found it, keep looking. Never settle. Just like any matter of the heart, you will know when you’ve found it.”
10. “Go forward confidently towards your dreams. Live out the life that you had always imagined.”
11. “Never once have I let schooling interfere with my education.”
12. “Don’t try to become a man or woman of success. Rather, try to become a man or woman of value.”
13. “In twenty years, you will be far more disappointed by the things you failed to do than the things that you did do. I say to you, throw off the bowlines and sail away from the safety of this harbor. May you catch the trade winds in your sails. Go off and explore. Dream and discover new things.”
14. “Magic isn’t necessary to change the world. Each and every one of us carries the power for great change inside of us.”
15. “The future holds great opportunities for each and every one of you. But it also holds a few pitfalls. The key is to avoid those pitfalls, seize those great opportunities, and make sure that you’re back home by six o’clock.”
16. “An uneducated man may steal from a freight car, but a man with a college education may steal the entire railroad.”
17. “Do not merely follow the path in front of you. Create your own path and leave a new trail.”
18. “Education is truly an admirable thing. But we should remember every now and again that nothing that is worth knowing can ever be taught.”
19. “The time you have on this earth is limited, so don’t waste your time trying to live someone else’s life. Don’t let other people’s opinions drown out your inner voice. Find the courage to follow your own intuition and heart.”
20. “Stay true to yourself and follow your own passion. Don’t ever follow someone else’s path.”
21. “Education is your passport to freedom; the ticket to unlocking the entire world.”
22. “Go off and make interesting mistakes; make amazing mistakes; make fantastic and glorious mistakes. Go ahead and break the rules. Leave this world a little more interesting than when you got here.”
23. “The turtle is an admirable creature. Do you know why? In order to move, he has to stick his neck out. There will be times in life when you will have to do the same: stick your neck out. You will face challenges time and time again. Instead of hiding in your shell, go out and meet those challenges head on – and with your neck out.”
24. “The firework show begins today. Each and every diploma is a lit match, and every single one of you is a fuse.”
25. “The things that lie behind us or the things that lie in front of us are trivial compared to what lies inside of us.”
26. “All of our dreams can come true if we can only find the courage to pursue them.”
27. “My advice to you is this: never give up trying to do what you really want to do in life.”
28. “The future can only belong to those who still believe in the beauty of their life dreams.”
29. “It’s sometimes easier to make progress on monumental dreams. As crazy as it sounds, few people are crazy enough to do it. That leaves you with little competition.”
30. “People like to talk about getting a lucky break in their career. There’s no such thing as a “lucky” break; you make your own luck. The world isn’t run by people who wait to be asked. It’s the people who show up that run the world.”
31. “It’s important to understand the difference between gifts and choices. Intelligence is a gift, but compassion is a choice. Gifts are incredibly easy – they’re given to you, after all. But choices are harder. It’s easy to seduce yourself with gifts. And if you’re not careful, that seduction will lead to the detriment of all your life choices.”
32. “If doesn’t matter how far you rise, at some point, you’re going to stumble. If you’re constantly reaching for the stars, it is inevitable that you will fall. When you do, just remember that failure is the universe’s way of steering you into another, better direction.”
33. “People often say, “We have the education, but what about the jobs?” Here’s what I have to say to that: take a pledge to not be a job seeker, but a job giver.”
34. “You’re never going to get far in life based on the things you already know. The only way to advance in life is to continue learning and pursuing new dreams, hopes and ambitions.”
35. “There will always be people out there who try to withhold your success from you. They try to bring you down by saying hurtful things. In the end, all you can do is do your job well, and the trash talking will stop.”
36. “I can’t give you the secret to staying young forever. No one has quite figured that one out yet. But I can tell you that if you go through life believing the glass is half full, that you are pursuing a worthy cause and you simplify your life, you’ll be happy forever.”
37. “Now that you’re beginning a new journey in life, it’s time to throw away the store-bought map and simply create your own.”
38. “If you truly believe in what you’re doing and what you’re saying, you’ll be far more passionate, effective and authentic in every single thing that you do.”
39. “If you have the guts to stand up for what you believe in, you won’t need anyone else’s advice. You will have courage and strength to handle whatever life throws at you.”
40. “Life is never easy for anyone. It may be impossible to see the challenges from the outside, but everyone faces exterior and internal challenges. Give everything your all, and always dare to be all that you can be.”
41. “Sometimes, you figure out the things you’re supposed to be doing when you do the things you shouldn’t be doing.”
42. “Do all of the ambitious things in life – go out and travel, be famous, get rich, be a leader, innovate, make and lose fortunes, fall in love – but as you do these things, please do so with kindness in your heart.”
43. “Don’t buy into what society defines as success. Because this definition isn’t working for everyone. It’s not working for men or women. It’s not working for the polar bears either. It’s only truly working for those who make medications for diabetes, stress, heart disease, high blood pressure and sleeplessness.”
44. “Be courageous. Be bold. Most importantly, be yourself.”
45. “Never be trapped by dogma. Always follow your own path.”
46. “Fight for a seat at the table of life. If you’re so inclined, fight for the head of the table.”
47. “You decide what has meaning to you and what doesn’t. You can consciously decide what to worship.”
48. “Your life is a work of art that’s waiting for its artist to begin working.”
49. “Don’t ever confuse work and life. The first is only part of the second.”
50. “Remember: there’s no script in life. Just make it up as you go along, and soak it all in.”
51. “A true leader listens to his inner voice, and follows through when it’s time to take action.”
52. “Live with life. Go on adventures and be brave. Give the world a tomorrow they couldn’t have dreamed of.”
53. “Always live your life with integrity and don’t give into peer pressure to be something you’re not.”
54. “It’s impossible to live life without failing. Unless you’re living a cautious life. In that case, you haven’t lived at all and have failed by default.”
55. “The old rules are disappearing, and no one knows what the new ones are. So go ahead, and make up your own.”
56. “Never be afraid of fear. It makes you stronger. If you run away from fear, you run away from an opportunity to be your best self.”
57. “You can’t plan for the impact you’ll have on the world. And you won’t recognize it when you have it.”
58. “There are few things more liberating than seeing your worst fears realized.”
59. “True courage is holding onto the voice in your mind that says “keep going”.”
60. “There will be naysayers in life. But if you stay true to yourself, they will always be proved wrong.”
61. “You are the one person you spend the most time with in life. If you don’t life yourself, you’ll always be with someone you dislike.”
62. “If you spend your entire life sleeping, it doesn’t really matter if your dream came true.”
63. “Success is a mountain, and it keeps growing as you hike in its direction.”
64. “Don’t think about your next line. Just be here in the moment – nowhere else.”
65. “In life, you have to leave the comfort of home and venture off into the wilderness.”
66. “You can’t reach the unknown by bus or car. You can only get there by taking risks and putting in hard work.”
67. “Success is not knowing what you’re doing, learning, making new discoveries and using that new-found knowledge to your advantage.”
68. “The greatest truth of our experience as humans is that the best thing you can do for yourself is to be selfless.”
69. “If your uniform is clean, you haven’t been playing the game of life.”
70. “Whatever you do in life, remember this: you will never find a U-Haul behind a hearse. You can’t take material things with you into the next life.”
71. “Have big dreams – not half dreams. You can’t put a big box in a small box, right? You can’t put a full life in a small box either.”
72. “Nothing that comes easily is worth anything.”
73. “Fear is only in the mind. It doesn’t actually exist outside of your thoughts. It can dissolve in your mind as well.”
74. “Even if you get straight A’s in school, you can still fail at life if you don’t live it your way.”
75. “Take action. That’s the most important thing. You have a choice: you can be a victim of your circumstances, or you can be the hero of your story.”
76. “We go through life standing up to any physical obstacles that we face, but the hardest chains to break are the ones that are inside of us.”
77. “Realize this: you don’t need to change yourself – ever. What you need to do is come home to yourself. When you can do that, everything changes.”
78. “Luck has a way of finding people who never settle for less and always shoot for the moon.”
79. “In life, you always make the smaller decisions with your head and the biggest decisions with your heart.”
80. “It’s impossible to climb the ladder to success if you have your hands in your pocket.”
81. “Everyone will fail at some point in life. It’s what you do during those lows that determine just how high your peaks will be.”
82. “Always trust in your intuition when making important decisions. Give it your all with everything that you do to prove yourself right.”
83. “In life, there is no normal. There is only change, resistance to change, and more change.”
84. “It’s not about warming yourself by the fire. It’s about creating, building the fire. Kindness is the match.”
85. “If you want happiness for just an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness that lasts a lifetime, help someone.”
86. “Life has a simple plot: you’re here and then you’re not. What you do in between is up to you.”
87. “Failing isn’t the biggest risk you can take in life; getting comfortable is.”
88. “Creativity can only emerge through action – not motivation. First do what needs to be done, and then ask if it’s possible.”
89. “You can’t live someone else’s life authentically. That’s the deal that life gives us.”
90. “Here’s the thing: the world will never send you an invitation to your life. You have to show up uninvited and ready for anything.”
91. “You can find a way over, under or through any obstacle in life. It is only fear and lack of confidence that will stop you from pursuing your dreams.”
92. “Never let fear overwhelm your passion. Always let the barriers be external – never internal.”
93. “Fortune always favors the bold. Take risks and be courageous. You never know what you’re capable of until you try.”
94. “Creativity is a completely renewable resource. Be creative whenever you want and however often you want, because you will never, ever run out of it.”
95. “Don’t aim doubt at yourself. You can laugh at yourself, but don’t ever doubt yourself.”
96. “Your education is merely a dress rehearsal for the production we call life.”
97. “There really is no “there” – that dream job, the beach house or living the dream. It’s just not out there. The only thing that is truly here is right now.”
98. “Don’t treat yourself like a valuable action figure – never used and always wrapped in plastic.”
99. “The most valuable currency in the world is your effect on others.”
100. “You can still fail at the things you don’t want to do, so why not just take a chance on doing something that you love?”
101. “Most people choose their fate out of fear. Don’t fall into the same trap. Never make life choices based on fear.”
102. “Never let anything stand in the way of that beautiful light shining out of you.”
103. “As you embark on your journey in life, I encourage you to hitch your wagon onto a star.”
104. “Graduation is merely a concept; an idea. Every day of our lives is a graduation, and this process continues on until the last day of your life. If you can understand that, you will make a difference in the world.”
105. “You will lose all of the cares in the world when you decide to be someone and stop being something.”
106. “I still believe that I can make a difference in this world. It may be small, but it will count for the overall greater good. That’s what matters most.”
107. “If opportunity does not come knocking, then build a door.”
108. “Everyone is paid in two coins in the business world: cash and experience. Take the latter first, because the cash will come later.”
109. “It’s not conquering the mountain that matters, but conquering ourselves.”
110. “It takes a lot of courage to grow up and finally become who you really are.”
111. “In your journey throughout life, remember this: neither success nor failure are ever permanent.”
112. “There are far better things that lie ahead than what you leave behind today.”
113. “Plant an idea and you’ll harvest an action; plant just one action and you’ll harvest a habit; plant just one habit and you’ll harvest a character; plant a character and you’ll harvest a destiny.”
114. “It’s easy to get caught in the bustle of life. Remember: taking time to enjoy and live your life will only inspire your work.”
115. “Never forget that even the mere act of being can be fun.”
116. “Doing the things you like is freedom, but liking what you do for a living is true happiness.”
117. “Live a little more, and think a little less.”
118. “Adventure hurts, but monotony will eventually kill you.”
119. “Today, your graduation day, is the perfect day to start living your dreams.”
120. “The only person you’re destined to be is the person that you decide to become.”
121. “It’s better to look back on your life and say “I can’t believe that I did that” than to look back and say “I really wish that I had done that”.”
122. “Be head-over-heels in love with life. Every single minute of it.”
123. “Making a major life change is scary. You know what’s even scarier? The feeling of regret.”
124. “Believe with all of your heart and act as if failure is impossible.”
125. “Beginnings can be scary, and endings can be sad. It’s all the in-between moments and accomplishments that make life worth living.”
126. “Please, invest in yourself. You can afford it.”
127. “Finding your gift is the meaning of life. Giving it away is the purpose.”
128. “Never give up on your dreams because of the time it will take to achieve it. Remember, that time will pass anyway – you may as well use it to pursue what makes you happy.”
129. “What truly matters is how well you can walk through the fire.”
130. “You can only find true happiness when you stop comparing yourself to others.”
131. “If you don’t spend time creating the life you want, then you will spend a lot more time dealing with a life you don’t want.”
132. “In life, you can never be over-educated or overdressed.”
133. “The world is my oyster, and I will open it with a sword.”
134. “If you want it, work for it. It really is that simple.”
135. “Don’t ever give up. Great things take time. If you never felt like giving up, then you weren’t dreaming big enough.”
136. “The doors that we choose to open and close each day determine the life we lead.”
137. “Take risks in life. If you win, then you’ll be happy. If you lose, then you’ll be wiser.”
138. “Every single achievement begins with the decision to try.”
139. “Sometimes, it’s those wrong choices that lead us to the right places.”
140. “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask yourself, “What makes me come alive?” The world needs more people who have truly come alive.”
141. “Always hold your own. Know who you are. Go your own way in life.”
142. “The most rewarding things we experience in life are the ones that seemed impossible to achieve at first.”
143. “We’re often so quick to count down the days that we forget to make our days count.”
144. “Turn your “can’ts” into “cans”, and your dreams into actionable plans.”
145. “If your ship hasn’t come in, it may be time to swim out to it.”
146. “Wherever you go, whatever you do in life – go and do with all of your heart.”
147. “There’s only one way you can avoid criticism in life: say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”
148. “Go out into the world and do well. But more importantly, go out into the world and do good.”
149. “Success is never the result of spontaneous combustion. It is you who must set yourself on fire.”
150. “Learning is the best of all things in life. Money is easily stolen. Strength and health can both fail. What you commit your mind to, no one else can take away.”
151. “The larger the island of knowledge is, the longer the shores of wonder are.”
152. “If you graduate today and stop learning tomorrow, you will become uneducated in a day.”
153. “The true purpose of life is to plant trees that you never expect to sit under.”
154. “We are each given one life: our own.”
155. “Things will only turn out best for those who make the best with the way things turn out.”
156. “Think big, but relish in the small pleasures of life.”
157. “To accomplish big things, we must dream, we must act, and we must believe.”
158. “It’s a constant battle to be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to turn you into someone else. Never stop fighting.”
159. “When you leave here today, don’t forget the reason you came.”
160. “The wisest of people know that their bottom line shouldn’t always be the top priority.”
161. “You’re educated, and your degree is your certification. You may see your degree as your ticket to a good life, but I ask that you think of an alternative. Think of your degree as a ticket to change the world.”
162. “You can’t help but learn when you take the world into your hands. Be sure to take it up reverently, for the world is like clay and can be molded at your own command.”
163. “You’re going to great places, and today is your day. That mountain is waiting, so you better be on your way.”
164. “Most things seem impossible until they’re done.”
165. “You now have a new story to write, and that story looks nothing like your past.”
166. “It’s what you do after graduation – that’s the part where you find out who you truly are.”
167. “You will never cross the ocean if you never muster up the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
168. “Don’t just fly through life; soar.”
169. “Dear past, I’m grateful for the life lessons. Dear future, I’m ready for you.”
170. “Change is difficult. Change is scary. But if nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies.”
171. “Always take pride in how far you’ve come in life, and have faith in how much further you can go.”
172. “It’s not about finding yourself. It’s all about creating yourself.”
173. “Achieving your goals is not nearly as important as what you become after achieving your goals.”
174. “Pearls don’t lie on the seashore. If you want one, you’re going to have to dive for it.”
175. “The best and most reliable way to predict your future is simply to create it.”
176. “Ships are always safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships were designed for.”
177. “If it does not challenge you, it will never change you.”
178. “Only when your desire for success matches your desire to breathe will you succeed.”
179. “Every single step you take will bring you closer to your dreams.”
180. “Whenever you get, give back. Whenever you learn, teach someone.”
181. “Great things were never achieved from comfort zones. You must venture out, be frightened and keep carrying on.”
182. “The closer you are to becoming who you are meant to be, the brighter you shine.”
183. “If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots – not feet.”
184. “Smile and breathe. Then, go slowly.”
185. “No matter whether the journey is ten feet or a thousand miles, it all begins with one single step.”
186. “Life is an awfully big adventure. Make yours memorable.”
187. “You never want to look back on life and think to yourself that you could have done better.”
188. “Always remember this: finish what you start.”
