Speaking at Dillard University in 2015, actor Denzel Washington gave an impassioned speech. “Fail big, that’s right. Fail big, today is the beginning of the rest of your life and you can be just – be very frightening,” he said. “And it’s a new world out there, it’s a mean world out there. You only live once, so do what you feel passionate about. Take chances professionally, don’t be afraid to fail,” he stated.
“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,” he added.
The actor continued, stressing the importance of having dreams. “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 to not curse somebody out. Simple goals but have goals and understand that to achieve these goals you must apply discipline and consistency,”
“Don’t just aspire to make a living. Aspire to make a difference. Thank you,” he said in conclusion.