The fall semester starts soon for a lot of us, and some of you may already be back in classes. While the first week can be exciting because you get to see the friends you've missed all summer, it can also be overwhelming looking over all of the syllabuses that your professors will hand out. My anxiety worsens when a new semester begins because I never know what to expect, and sometimes it seems like I won't be able to juggle my schoolwork, job and social life.
One thing that has always helped me, however, is reading or listening to words of inspiration. Here are five of my favorite speeches from the sports world. Hopefully they will help you feel more confident, motivated and inspired to kick ass in whatever you may be doing.
1. Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny's "Space Jam" Pep Talk
Favorite lines: "We're letting them push us around. We've gotta fight them back. We've gotta take it to them. We gotta get right in their faces."
Why I love this speech: There are always going to be times where we doubt ourselves, or want to give up. Bugs teaches us that the "secret stuff" we need to succeed is already inside all of us, whether we realize it or not.
2. Coach Brooks' Pre-Game Speech from "Miracle on Ice"
Favorite lines: "This is your time. Now go out there and take it."
Why I love this speech: It reminds me that we can achieve unimaginable things if we work hard enough. If you were not the best yesterday, it does not mean you can't be the best today.
3. Little League Coach Dave Belisle Post-Game Speech
Favorite lines: "The only reason why I’ll probably end up shedding a tear is that this is the last time I’m going to coach you guys. But I’m going to bring back with me, the coaching staff is going to bring back, you guys are going to bring back that no one other team can provide-that’s pride. Pride."
Why I love this speech: It proves that it's not always about winning. We may not always be the best at what we do in life, but we can always be good people.
4. Jimmy Valvano's Arthur Ashe Award Acceptance Speech
Favorite lines: "To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy."
Why I love this speech: It reminds me to slow down and enjoy the life I have. We never know how much time we have left, and we should all try to live it to the fullest the way Jimmy V describes.
5. Stuart Scott's Jimmy V Award Acceptance Speech
Favorite lines: "So, live. Live. Fight like hell. And when you get too tired to fight then lay down and rest and let somebody else fight for you."
Why I love this speech: It reminds me that I do not have to fight all of my battles alone. We all have friends, family, mentors, bosses, professors, etc. that are here to support us. While sometimes it may feel like it is you against the world, do not forget about the army of people that stand behind you.
