I was listening to Doris Kearns Goodwin, Presidential historian this weekend where she talked about a conversation with President Obama about his research on Abraham Lincoln and he said roughly

“I was not as ambitious as Lincoln at the age of 23, but I wanted to work as hard as possible and make an absent father proud and lead a path for mix race kids. It wasn’t until I entered public life I gained the ambition to be of service and make a mark in my life.”