Last Wednesday I attended my daughter Nancy’s graduation ceremony at Arizona State University.  President Obama was the commencement speaker and his address mesmerized an entire football stadium full of people for 27 minutes.  In essence, he told the graduates that chasing after the traditional brass rings—big money, material possessions and status—would probably not give most of them what they wanted out of life.  Chasing after these things displays a poverty of ambition because it elevates appearance over substance, celebrity over character and short term gain over lasting achievement which, in turn, would distract them from what is truly important and lead them to compromise their principles and values.  Instead, he told them to follow their passions, whether or not they led to fortune or fame—to do what’s meaningful to them, what helps others and what makes a difference in the world.  These are the kind of people who others revere, who make America great, who change the world and, in the end, feel very good about who they are and what they’ve accomplished.  I think this is excellent advice no matter who you are or how old you are.