96 Graduation Quotes to Inspire and Celebrate Your Success

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1. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

– Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison Quote: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

2. “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.

– Roy T. Bennett

Roy T. Bennett Quote: “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.”

3. “Your time is now. Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.

– Arthur Ashe

Arthur Ashe Quote: “Your time is now. Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”

4. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

– Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt Quote: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

5. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

– Albert Schweitzer

Albert Schweitzer Quote: “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

6. “Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance, you must keep moving

– Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein Quote: “Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance, you must keep moving”

7. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.

– Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss Quote: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

8. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve always imagined.

– Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau Quote: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve always imagined.”

9. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.

– John Dewey

John Dewey Quote: “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

10. “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!

– Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss Quote: “Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!”

11. “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.

– Malcolm X

Malcolm X Quote: “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”

12. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson Quote: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”

13. “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson Quote: “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

14. “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.

– Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein Quote: “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

15. “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

– A.A. Milne

A.A. Milne Quote: “You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

16. “Graduation is only a concept. In real life every day you graduate. Graduation is a process that goes on until the last day of your life. If you can grasp that, you’ll make a difference.

– Arie Pencovici

Arie Pencovici Quote: “Graduation is only a concept. In real life every day you graduate. Graduation is a process that goes on until the last day of your life. If you can grasp that, you’ll make a difference.”

17. “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.

– E. E. Cummings

E. E. Cummings Quote: “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”

18. “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.

– Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein Quote: “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”

19. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

– Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss Quote: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

20. “If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.

– Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra Quote: “If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”

21. “No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.

– Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift Quote: “No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.”

22. “Your self worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.

– Beyonce

Beyonce Quote: “Your self worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.”

23. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.

– Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau Quote: “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”

24. “If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving definitely isn’t for you.

– Steven Wright

Steven Wright Quote: “If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn’t for you.”

25. “You are capable of more than you know. Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive to be the best, however hard the path.

– E.O. Wilson

E.O. Wilson Quote: “You are capable of more than you know. Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive to be the best, however hard the path.”

26. “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.

– Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar Quote: “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”

27. “You’re off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!

– Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss Quote: “You’re off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!”

28. “Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time’ is like saying ‘I don’t want to.

Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu Quote: “Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time' is like saying 'I don't want to.”

29. “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

– Maria Robinson

Maria Robinson Quote: “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

30. “I’ve learned it’s important not to limit yourself. You can do whatever you really love to do, no matter what it is.

– Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling Quote: “I've learned it's important not to limit yourself. You can do whatever you really love to do, no matter what it is.”

31. “Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.

– Will Rogers

Will Rogers Quote: “Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.”

32. “If you want to be the best, you have to do things other people aren’t willing to do.

– Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps Quote: “If you want to be the best, you have to do things other people aren't willing to do.”

33. “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.

– J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling Quote: “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”

34. “Your life is your story, and the adventure ahead of you is the journey to fulfill your own purpose and potential.

– Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington Quote: “Your life is your story, and the adventure ahead of you is the journey to fulfill your own purpose and potential.”

35. “The horizon leans forward, offering you space to place new steps of change.

– Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quote: “The horizon leans forward, offering you space to place new steps of change.”

36. “Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door.

– Kyle Chandler

Kyle Chandler Quote: “Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door.”

37. “Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.

– Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey Quote: “Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.”

38. “Don’t just get involved. Fight for your seat at the table. Better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table.

– Barack Obama

Barack Obama Quote: “Don’t just get involved. Fight for your seat at the table. Better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table.”

39. “Life is an improvisation. You have no idea what’s going to happen next, and you are mostly just making things up as you go along.

– Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert Quote: “Life is an improvisation. You have no idea what's going to happen next, and you are mostly just making things up as you go along.”

40. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.

– Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill Quote: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.”

41. “Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.

– Michael Josephson

Michael Josephson Quote: “Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.”

42. “Just remember, you can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.

– Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger Quote: “Just remember, you can't climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.”

43. “You will never have more energy or enthusiasm, hair, or brain cells than you have today.

– Tom Magliozzi

Tom Magliozzi Quote: “You will never have more energy or enthusiasm, hair, or brain cells than you have today.”

44. “The secret to success is to know something nobody else knows.

– Aristotle Onassis

Aristotle Onassis Quote: “The secret to success is to know something nobody else knows.”

45. “We may live in an age of instant messaging, instant gratification and Instagram, but there is no way to short circuit the path to success.

– Tory Burch

Tory Burch Quote: “We may live in an age of instant messaging, instant gratification and Instagram, but there is no way to short circuit the path to success.”

46. “The reality is on most matters, somebody is going to make the decision—so why not let it be you?

– Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris Quote: “The reality is on most matters, somebody is going to make the decision—so why not let it be you?”

47. “I learned law so well, the day I graduated I sued the college, won the case, and got my tuition back.

– Fred Allen

Fred Allen Quote: “I learned law so well, the day I graduated I sued the college, won the case, and got my tuition back.”

48. “In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins; cash and experience. Take experience first; the cash will come later.

– Harold Geneen

Harold Geneen Quote: “In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins; cash and experience. Take experience first; the cash will come later.”

49. “Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

– Malcolm S. Forbes

Malcolm S. Forbes Quote: “Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.”

50. “If watching is all you’re gonna do, then you’re gonna watch your life go by without you.

– Laverne

Laverne Quote: “If watching is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without you.”

51. “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.

– Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey Quote: “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.”

52. “You have to dance a little bit before you step out into the world each day because it changes the way you walk.

– Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock Quote: “You have to dance a little bit before you step out into the world each day because it changes the way you walk.”

53. “Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.

– Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne Quote: “Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

54. “Dreams can become a reality when we possess a vision, a plan, and the courage to chase after it relentlessly.

– Walt Disney

Walt Disney Quote: “Dreams can become a reality when we possess a vision, a plan, and the courage to chase after it relentlessly.”

55. “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.

– J.P. Morgan

J.P. Morgan Quote: “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you're not going to stay where you are.”

56. “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.

– Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein Quote: “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”

57. “There are multiple sides to all of us. Who we are — and who we might be if we follow our dreams.

– Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus Quote: “There are multiple sides to all of us. Who we are — and who we might be if we follow our dreams.”

58. “Now that you’ve graduated, just remember; Bosses don’t usually accept notes from your mother.

– Melanie White

Melanie White Quote: “Now that you’ve graduated, just remember; Bosses don’t usually accept notes from your mother.”

59. “If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.

– Bette Reese

Bette Reese Quote: “If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.”

60. “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm

– Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill Quote: “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm”

61. “The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.

– Robert Greene

Robert Greene Quote: “The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.”

62. “You don’t have to be famous. You just have to make your mother and father proud of you, and you already have.

– Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep Quote: “You don't have to be famous. You just have to make your mother and father proud of you, and you already have.”

63. “My dear terrified graduates, you are about to enter the most uncertain and thrilling period of your lives.

– Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda Quote: “My dear terrified graduates, you are about to enter the most uncertain and thrilling period of your lives.”

64. “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

– Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill Quote: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”

65. “If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.

– Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson Quote: “If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.”

66. “Let us never be betrayed into saying we have finished our education; because that would mean we had stopped growing.

– Julia H. Gulliver

Julia H. Gulliver Quote: “Let us never be betrayed into saying we have finished our education; because that would mean we had stopped growing.”

67. “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future

– Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs Quote: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future”

68. “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.

– Nora Ephron

Nora Ephron Quote: “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.”

69. “If I must give any of you advice it would be to say yes. Say yes and create your own destiny.

– Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph Quote: “If I must give any of you advice it would be to say yes. Say yes and create your own destiny.”

70. “Keep your face toward the sunshine and shadows will always fall behind you.

– Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman Quote: “Keep your face toward the sunshine and shadows will always fall behind you.”

71. “I encourage you to live with life. Be courageous, adventurous. Give us a tomorrow, more than we deserve.

– Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quote: “I encourage you to live with life. Be courageous, adventurous. Give us a tomorrow, more than we deserve.”

72. “I am here to tell you that whatever you think your dream is now, it will probably change. And that’s okay.

– Conan O’Brien

Conan O’Brien Quote: “I am here to tell you that whatever you think your dream is now, it will probably change. And that’s okay.”

73. “Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.

– Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe Quote: “Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.”

74. “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you.

– Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali Quote: “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you.”

75. “Whatever you choose for a career path, remember the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.

– Chadwick Boseman

Chadwick Boseman Quote: “Whatever you choose for a career path, remember the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.”

76. “For the great doesn’t happen through impulse alone, and is a succession of little things that are brought together.

– Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh Quote: “For the great doesn’t happen through impulse alone, and is a succession of little things that are brought together.”

77. “You cannot dream of becoming something you do not know about. You have to learn to dream big. Education exposes you to what the world has to offer, to the possibilities open to you.

– Sonia Sotomayor

Sonia Sotomayor Quote: “You cannot dream of becoming something you do not know about. You have to learn to dream big. Education exposes you to what the world has to offer, to the possibilities open to you.”

78. “You are graduating from college. That means that this is the first day of the last day of your life.

– Andy Samberg

Andy Samberg Quote: “You are graduating from college. That means that this is the first day of the last day of your life.”

79. “Instruction ends in the schoolroom, but education ends only with life.

– Frederick W. Robertson

Frederick W. Robertson Quote: “Instruction ends in the schoolroom, but education ends only with life.”

80. “You don’t go to university so you can punch a clock. You go to university so you can be in a position to make a difference.

– Janet Napolitano

Janet Napolitano Quote: “You don’t go to university so you can punch a clock. You go to university so you can be in a position to make a difference.”

81. “The desire to reach the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise and most possible.

– Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quote: “The desire to reach the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise and most possible.”

82. “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.

– Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs Quote: “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”

83. “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.

– Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey Quote: “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

84. “The old rules are crumbling and nobody knows what the new rules are. So make up your own rules.

– Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman Quote: “The old rules are crumbling and nobody knows what the new rules are. So make up your own rules.”

85. “Real learning comes about when the competitive spirit has ceased.

– Jiddu Krishnamurti

Jiddu Krishnamurti Quote: “Real learning comes about when the competitive spirit has ceased.”

86. “There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.

– Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter Quote: “There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.”

87. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

– C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis Quote: “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

88. “Your families are extremely proud of you. You can’t imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing.

– Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut Quote: “Your families are extremely proud of you. You can't imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing.”

89. “The unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life, is that there is no core curriculum. The entire place is an elective.

– Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart Quote: “The unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life, is that there is no core curriculum. The entire place is an elective.”

90. “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.

– B.B. King

B.B. King Quote: “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.”

91. “The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.

– Brian Herbert

Brian Herbert Quote: “The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.”

92. “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.

– Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler Quote: “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”

93. “The only time to look back in life is when taking a memory test.

– Buddy Hackett

Buddy Hackett Quote: “The only time to look back in life is when taking a memory test.”

94. “And suddenly you know; It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.

– Meister Eckhart

Meister Eckhart Quote: “And suddenly you know; It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”

95. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

– Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela Quote: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

96. “No job or task is too small or beneath you. If you want to get ahead, volunteer to do the things no one else wants to do and do it better.

– Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown Quote: “No job or task is too small or beneath you. If you want to get ahead, volunteer to do the things no one else wants to do and do it better.”
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The authors behind the website "Best Quotes From" are a small group of individuals with diverse interests. They have come together to curate a collection of the most famous quotes from different domains.