Near the close of his Tufts address, Greitens offered graduates this definition of vocation — a concept that tied together the threads of his entire speech. He had spent the address arguing that strength comes from service, drawing on experiences from Bosnian refugee camps, Navy SEAL training, and his work with wounded veterans through The Mission Continues. Greitens urged graduates to develop their joys and passions and match them to the world's great needs, noting that building such a vocation requires both compassion and courage. The definition resonated because it wasn't abstract — he had illustrated it through the stories of veterans who, despite losing limbs and eyesight, found purpose in teaching, mentoring, and even bringing ballet to New York City public schools.