You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

The Best Inspirational Quotes from 2013 Commencement Speeches (Slideshow) As the 2013 graduation season ends, we wanted to provide young entrepreneurs a recap of the most inspirational advice from the commencement addresses.

By Andrea Huspeni

entrepreneur daily

Editor's Note: With the 2013 graduation season winding down,YoungEntrepreneur.com has culled the top tips and pieces of advice from commencement addresses given by some of the world's most inspiring leaders.

With diploma in hand, gown on and tassel moved to the other side of the cap, college graduation is a time of excitement. As you have closed one chapter of your life and are just beginning a new one, your future is wide open. And to add to the spirit, inspirational leaders stand in front of graduates and deliver commencement addresses offering advice to career-driven graduates and young entrepreneurs starting their new venture – from pursuing their dreams to tackling their startup at full throttle.

Related: Dropbox CEO Gives Graduates His Cheat Sheet for Success

From the traditionally defined entrepreneur to the comedian who carved his own path and the spiritual leader who took the road less traveled, we have provided you the 10 most inspirational quotes from the 2013 commencement speeches.

Dropbox CEO Drew Houston at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Best advice: I was going to say work on what you love, but that's not really it. When I think about it, the happiest and most successful people I know don't just love what they do, they're obsessed with solving something that matters to them.

Founder of Priceline Jeff Hoffman at Bradley University

Best advice: "I am telling you to make a choice based on your passions and interests, not what everyone else is telling you to do. It doesn't work that way. You wind up living a life for the wrong reasons, and you never get the most out of it. Just always think about why you are doing what you are doing."

President Barack Obama at Ohio State University

Best advice: "The point is, in your life, you will fail. You will stumble, and you will fall. But that will make you better. You'll get it right the next time. And that's not only true for your personal pursuits, but for the broader causes you believe in as well. But don't give up. Don't lose heart."

Emmy Award-winning satirist Stephen Colbert at University of Virginia

Best advice: "You must find your own path and we have left you no easy path. Decide now to choose the hard path that leads to the life and the world you want. And don't worry if we don't approve of your choices. In our benign self-absorption, I believe we have given you a gift, a particular form of independence, because you do not owe the previous generation anything."

Serial entrepreneur Steve Blank at University of Minnesota

Best advice: "At the end of the day, you can decide whether you want to be an employee with a great attendance record, getting promoted to ever better titles and working on interesting projects or whether you want to attempt to do something spectacular. This be or do should be a question you never stop asking yourself for the next 20 years and beyond."

Founder of yogurt company Chobani Hamdi Ulukaya at the Culinary Institute of America

Best advice: "It's not about the money or fame. It's about the joy of the journey. Trust yourself and this journey will be the most amazing one."

CEO of Twitter Dick Costolo at University of Michigan

Best advice: "Not only can you not plan the impact you're going to have, you often won't recognize it when you're having it. The impact is what others frame for you and the world after it happens. You cannot draw any of your paths looking forward. You have to figure out what you love to do, what you have conviction about and go do that."

Former CEO of America Online Steve Case at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Best advice: "Most of you will not only have multiple jobs, you will have multiple careers. The key is to keep learning. Be curious. Be open. Be flexible. Let your life unfold as a series of chapters. Don't be so fixated on a specific ending that you neglect to open the door when opportunity knocks."

Spiritual leader Dalai Lama at Tulane University

Best advice: "To create a sense of global responsibility, it is extremely important to develop the concept of oneness of humanity. If seven billion people are happy and the environment is positive, then everyone gets benefits."

Social entrepreneur Melinda Gates at Duke University

Best advice: "If you make the moral choice to connect deeply to others, then your computer, your phone and your tablet will make it so much easier to do. I want you to connect, because I believe it will inspire you to do something, to make a difference in the world."

Andrea Huspeni

Founder of This Dog's Life

Andrea Huspeni is the former special projects director at Entrepreneur.com and the founder of This Dog's Life.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

A Surprising Number of U.S. Couples Have Secret Financial Accounts, According to a New Survey — And Most Have Not Talked About a Key Retirement Question

Two in five Gen X and young Boomer couples surveyed do not have a financial plan in place for retiring together.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Side Hustle

This Flexible Side Hustle Is Helping Millions Earn Extra Cash — and Might Be 'More Attractive' Than an Office Job

Side hustles remain popular for additional income — and have many questioning the 9-5 model altogether.

Business Models

Why the Coaching Industry Is Poised for Transformative Growth in the Gig Economy Era — and How to Navigate the Waves of Change

This article highlights five trends shaping the coaching industry and offers insights into how entrepreneurs can adapt and thrive in this evolving landscape.

Business News

Elon Musk Says New X Users Will Soon Have to Pay to Post on the Platform

X tested the initiative in New Zealand and the Philippines to combat the platform's bot problem.