Purpose

Your piece of paper not only says where you were educated, but who you were educated with. It declares that you are a member of a community of people to be relied upon, to take risks, provoke thought, and to be committed participants in this world.

We think we know what we want, but we often have no idea what we need. Because of that, we often approach life with one goal and end up finding our real purpose along the way.

Whatever you do with your life, be a builder. Builders are comfortable in the belief that their life's work will one day be bigger than them — bigger than any one person.

Whatever holds us together now, whatever makes us stronger, brings us together, binds us close right now is good and necessary and must be encouraged with whatever it takes.

Between doubt and destiny is action. Between our community and the American dream is leadership.

Your life isn't some big break. It's about taking one significant life-transforming step at a time.

Your purpose is to do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.

As of now, you become the writers of your own epic poem. And the truth is that every student, every class faces a unique set of challenges, and history judges whether they meet the moment.

The most radical act we can take is to make a commitment to a particular thing — to a place, to a profession, to a cause, to a community, to a person.

Nobody wants to be stuck behind a locked door, but nobody wants to live in a hallway either.

In this age of Infinite Browsing Mode, we should pick a damn movie and watch it all the way through — before we fall asleep.

Don't just ask yourself, 'What do I want to do?' Ask yourself: 'Who do I want to be?' Because what you do will never define you. Who you are always will.