15 Motivational Speech Topics for Youth

If you’re looking for suggestions on what would be a good speech topic then stick with our list of 15 motivational speech topics for youth.

Words have the power to bring us down and to lift us up. They can tear us apart completely but they can help us heal, too. We have all probably been in situations when we felt let down, disappointed, depressed, and unable to move on with our lives. In such situations, we feel stuck in our horrible present and without any possibility to move forward and continue living. We simply exist, stripped off all dreams and hopes. That is when a word of comfort comes handy. A few words have such a power that they can completely change the way we perceive the world. Those comforting words can come from a friend, a parent, or teacher. But we treasure them because they help us stand up and dust ourselves off. Some seem to have the natural ability to comfort people with words. They simply know the right things to say and the right moment to say. Perhaps it’s a gift or something, but thanks to these people we go through bad moments more easily. Such people we call motivational speakers.

A motivational speaker aims to inspire you to make a change in your life and have a better future. An excellent motivational speaker can even give you the strength and energy to continue with your life and motivate you to create the life you want. Motivational speakers convey important messages in such a way that we feel strong enough to make positive changes when we listen to them, and we feel as if there’s no stopping us. Talented speakers have the possibility to become professional motivational speakers and help people with the power of words. They give motivational speeches to various groups of people and aim to motivate them to improve their lives. You can read more about the importance of motivational speakers on Storify.

Motivational speeches are highly appreciated in everyday life, too. A good motivational speech given by your boss can really boost productivity and inspire you to try harder. Some employers even hire motivational speakers to motivate employees to do a better job. In school, a teacher can motivate you to study harder and strive to do your best. All in all, we need words.

Giving a motivational speech is not easy. It takes courage and ability to inspire the listeners. You need to influence your audience so as to make an impact. If you have an upcoming speech that you have to prepare for at school, college, or another occasion, and you need ideas for great topics, you came to the right place. In one of our previous articles, we wrote about 17 Controversial Debate Topics for Teenagers which may inspire you if you have a debate to prepare. Today, with the help of Buzzle and Best Speech Topics, we selected the best speech topics for young people that tackle some of the most burning questions of modern society. Here are our 15 motivational speech topics for youth.

15. The Power of  Positive Thinking

This topic is actually suitable for all ages due to its universal value. We can all relate to this and that’s why this speech topic has such a power to change lives.  Positive thinking is not only a skill or technique, it is the source of hope for many of us. Inspiring people to think positively may help them go through dark times more easily, and enable them to see the bright side even when it seems there isn’t one.

14. How to Overcome Adversities in Life

Similar to the previous topic, this too is a universal theme and a question to which many would like to find an answer. Misfortunes can leave scars and make it impossible for us to move on with our lives. A motivational speech on this topic would certainly inspire many people who are struggling to overcome difficult situations.

13. How to Motivate Yourself to Exercise

Personally, I would love to hear a motivational speech on this topic on our list of motivational speech topics for youth. This is something a great number of us need considering the hectic modern lifestyle which includes so little physical activity and so much stress at school or work followed by lots of junk food. Motivating people to start exercising may boost their confidence and change their lives in ways they can’t even imagine. We feel better when we exercise. And when we feel better, we look better too so this gives an impression that there’s nothing we can’t achieve.

12. Importance of Teamwork

Why is teamwork important? One of the reasons is that we can hardly achieve anything all alone. Motivating people to accept help and learn how to work in a team is extremely useful not only in work environment but in schools, too. We learn how to accept different opinions and undoubtedly we improve our communication skills whether we want to or not.

11. How Does Self-Motivation Work?

We would all like to know how to become a self-motivated person because we can’t only rely on others for motivation and help. We need to learn how to inspire ourselves in tough situations when we think we can’t do something. It’s a good motivational speech topic, number 11 on our list of motivational speech topics for youth.

10. How to Dream Big

In the society of today, many dare not to dream. Dreams have become a luxurious thing that only those with too much free time can afford. But without dreams, we can’t achieve anything. This motivational speech topic, number 10 on the list of motivational speech topics for youth can really touch people and inspire them to go beyond the limits or reality.

9. How to Stay Away From Negative Peer Pressure

Another powerful speech topic among our 15 motivational speech topics for youth with a possibility to change lives is peer pressure. Being a teenager is difficult enough without the peer pressure. We make a noisy entrance into adulthood and we are confused about everything although we may think we know it all. With all the changes going on in our lives at that moment, it is easy to succumb to negative peer pressure which can lead us to self-destruction.

8. World’s Greatest Leaders

Occasionally, people need to hear stories about those who succeeded despite all the obstacles and misfortunes. About people who believed in themselves. After all, a leader is not a leader for nothing. These inspiring stories can motivate us to take a different path and be the best we can possibly be.

7. How to Admit Mistakes And Learn From Them

Many people struggle with this issue as it is hard for them to accept their mistakes and try to learn something too. Sometimes we feel it is easier to blame someone else or pretend we didn’t make a mistake. But that won’t make the problem go away. Being able to admit your mistakes means that you are confident, mature, and a responsible person who is not afraid of learning. How do we manage to perceive it as a life lesson instead of a failure? We would pretty much like to know the answer to this question so this makes an excellent motivational speech topic. No wonder it’s on our list of motivational speech topics for youth, right?

6. Building Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is something we must work on through our entire lives. In some period in life, for example, when we’re teenagers, it is so easy to feel undervalued and little. This is mainly because, in that age, we care about opinions of people who are not important to us, which are overall, only opinions therefore not relevant.  If neglected, this can become a serious obstacle in the future.

5. Treat Others The Way You Wish to be Treated

Another timeless speech topic on our list of motivational speech topics for youth which can influence people to start thinking about how they act and change the way they treat others. This is desperately needed in the modern society considering how we treat each other.

4. Action vs. Words

We often tend to make a lot of noise without being able to take action. As much as words are powerful, without action, they mean less. We could learn how to connect the two listening to this speech.

3. Breaking Bad Habits

Whether your bad habits include leaving all homework for Sunday evening, going out too much, or eating junk food, these bad habits prevent us from achieving what we’re capable of. It’s time to break the bad habits and create new, better ones. Now, let’s see the top two entries on our list of motivational speech topics for youth.

2. Life of Mahatma Gandhi

It’s quite impossible to stay unaffected by the story of the amazing Mahatma Gandhi. No one can remain indifferent listening about the struggles and aspirations of this wonderful person.

1. It’s Now or Never

Why must we waste so much time before we finally decide to grab an opportunity? Our last suggestion among 15 motivational speech topics for youth but nonetheless important. As time is precious and we’re not immortal, we need to learn to live in the moment and take it when an opportunity presents itself.