May 13, 2009
When my daughter Nancy graduated from Arizona State University, Barack Obama, who was president at the time, delivered the commencement address. I remember watching and listening as his speech 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.
Hello Ross, This is an interesting story considering that Obama chased and achieved the presidency. It’s definitely important to go after one’s dreams and liked your citing Nelson Mandela’s quote stating “There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” By the way, here’s the video of Obama’s speech at Arizona State University on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbel5MhtDq4