Put God First - Denzel Washington Motivational & Inspiring Commencement Speech

Number one Put God first Put God first in everything you do Everything that you think you see in me everything that I've accomplished everything that you think I have and I have a few things Everything that I have is by the grace of God Understand that it's a gift 40 years ago March 27 1975 was 40 years ago Just this past March. I was flunking out of college I had a 1. 7 grade point average.

I hope none of you can relate I had 1. 7. Grade point average.

I was sitting in my mother's beauty shop They still call it beauty shops now what they call it. Yeah, I'll sit in the beauty parlor I was sitting in my mother's beauty parlor and I'm looking in the mirror, and I see behind me this woman under the dryer And every time she looked up. Every time I looked up.

She was looking at me Just looking at me in the eye I don't know who she was and I said You know she said somebody give me a pen give me a pencil I have a prophecy March 27 1975 she said boy you are gonna travel the world And speak to millions of people Now mind you I flunked out of college I'm thinking about joining the army I didn't know what I was gonna do. She's telling me I'm gonna travel the world and Speak to millions of people Well, I have traveled the world And I have spoke to millions of people But that's not the most important thing the success that I had the most important thing is that what she taught me And what she told me that day has stayed with me since I've been protected. I've been directed.

I've been corrected I kept God in my life and has kept me humble I didn't always stick with him, but he always stuck with me So stick with him in everything you do if you think you want to do what you think I've done, then do what I've done and stick with God number two fail big That's right fail big Today is the beginning of the rest of your life, and it can be 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 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 life goals yearly goals Monthly goals daily goals. I try to give myself a goal every day Sometimes Just did 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've 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 Working really hard is what successful people do and in this Text tweet twerk world that you've grown up in 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 you can run in place all the time and never get anywhere So continue to strive, continue to have goals, continue to progress Number three you'll never see a u-haul behind a hearse I'll say it again You'll never see a u-haul Behind a hearse.

I don't care how much money you make 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 teachers. Yeah, okay 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 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 Finally I pray that You put your slippers, way under the bed tonight So that when you wake up in the morning You have to get on your knees To reach them And While you're down there Say, thank you for grace Thank you for mercy. Thank you for understanding Thank you for wisdom. Thank you for parents.

Thank you for love. Thank you for kindness. Thank you for Humility thank you for peace.

Thank you for Prosperity say.