How long do you intend to keep your life on hold?
It wasn’t long ago I had a conversation with a customer and the gentleman told me …call me back six months from now maybe I will be ready by then. In my frustration because I knew I had customer not interested in the business …I told this person …do you plan to keep your life on hold until then? It must have gotten to the person because at least I got a laugh out of the person. Then today I thought about someone I know who is from a “younger generation” who spends a great deal of his time on his cell phone, sitting in front of the TV and pushing the remote from one lousy program to the next.
People today just seem to lack ambition in life these days.
Ambition is about stretching our wings and seeking to surpass ourselves. Without it, life is a bird without wings. Ambition provides the motivation, energy and willingness to pursue goals. Without it, nothing will be accomplished. But it is not about competition (other than competing with our past best performance). Rather, it is about self-growth, self-development, self-expression, and self-improvement. It is about shining, not about outshining. We all desire a better life, but far greater it is to desire a better world for ourselves.
When measured against our vast powers, it would be tragic to go through life with little or no ambition. Yet, some seemingly do. Why is that? It is not because of moral decay, but because of ignorance or ineptitude. It is not because of a lack of ambition as much as it is a lack of self-confidence or a lack of direction. Other factors include the fear of failure or the false belief that the sacrifice required to achieve our dream is greater than we can bear. The good news is… all of these weaknesses can be overcome. The disgust we have for failing to live up to our potential can inspire us to change.
Don't be like the young man who went to a guru and said, "Oh Noble One, I lack ambition and am poor as a result. I am sick of my poverty, what shall I do?"
It wasn’t long ago I had a conversation with a customer and the gentleman told me …call me back six months from now maybe I will be ready by then. In my frustration because I knew I had customer not interested in the business …I told this person …do you plan to keep your life on hold until then? It must have gotten to the person because at least I got a laugh out of the person. Then today I thought about someone I know who is from a “younger generation” who spends a great deal of his time on his cell phone, sitting in front of the TV and pushing the remote from one lousy program to the next.
People today just seem to lack ambition in life these days.
Ambition is about stretching our wings and seeking to surpass ourselves. Without it, life is a bird without wings. Ambition provides the motivation, energy and willingness to pursue goals. Without it, nothing will be accomplished. But it is not about competition (other than competing with our past best performance). Rather, it is about self-growth, self-development, self-expression, and self-improvement. It is about shining, not about outshining. We all desire a better life, but far greater it is to desire a better world for ourselves.
When measured against our vast powers, it would be tragic to go through life with little or no ambition. Yet, some seemingly do. Why is that? It is not because of moral decay, but because of ignorance or ineptitude. It is not because of a lack of ambition as much as it is a lack of self-confidence or a lack of direction. Other factors include the fear of failure or the false belief that the sacrifice required to achieve our dream is greater than we can bear. The good news is… all of these weaknesses can be overcome. The disgust we have for failing to live up to our potential can inspire us to change.
Don't be like the young man who went to a guru and said, "Oh Noble One, I lack ambition and am poor as a result. I am sick of my poverty, what shall I do?"
"Don't worry," said the guru, "everything will change in seven years."
"You mean I will be rich then?" asked the disciple.
"No, you will get used to your poverty!" answered the guru.
Don't get used to your poverty or weaknesses! Instead, use your dissatisfaction as motivation to succeed. Now success doesn't necessarily mean fame and fortune. Rather, it means the achievement of YOUR personal goals. Better to be a poor poet and happy than a rich businessman and frustrated.
Here are some more points to keep in mind regarding ambition and success.
1. Lock in on your dream as a missile locks in on a target. Remain focused on it. Always keep it in mind. Take Abe Lincoln, for instance. While still unknown, his friends would hear him frequently say, "Some day I shall be President." Despite the enormous obstacles he faced and numerous failures he experienced, he remained steadfast. When you can see, taste, feel, smell, and hear your dream in your mind, you will inevitably bring it to pass.
2. Mark Twain (1835 ~ 1910) offers sage advice, "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." In their vain attempt to be great, those who belittle you grow small, so ignore what they have to say.
3. Don't depend on others. Stand on your own two feet. Don't be like those who complain, "No one is showing me the way. No one is guiding me. No one is helping me." Life is not about waiting for answers, but about discovering them on your own. Your true nature is that of an adventurer, so live like one.
4. Good negotiators always ask for more than they wish to receive. This way they can negotiate 'down' to what they really want. Take a similar stance when you set your goals. That is, try to achieve far more than you hope for. So, if you fail to obtain it, you will at least achieve your original goal.
5. Acknowledge that sacrifices and effort are necessary to reach your goal, and be willing to do whatever it takes. Or, as Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda said, "When you go in search of honey you must expect to be stung by bees." True, the path to success is not without pain, but it is without suffering; it is not without effort, but it is with the joy of accomplishment. So, face your fears and don't be afraid of taking risks.
6. Have a dream, but don't be a daydreamer. Be a visionary, but don't dwell in fantasy. Don't ignore many possible small successes while dreaming of an impossible achievement. Stretch yourself, but not to the extent that your limbs fall off and are made useless.
7. If you're out of work and can't find a job you're qualified for, what do you do? Some people refuse to take low paying jobs and prefer to wait for 'better' opportunities. This type of thinking is not a sign of ambition but of a lack of understanding that opportunity is found everywhere. After all, success is not to be found in a job, but in you. It is an attitude. It is a willingness to make the best of what you have. A friend of mine is an example. He fled his war torn country with his wife and children. Arriving with just a few suitcases and enough money to survive for a short period of time, he took the only job he could find, a low paying one. Today, several years later, he is still earning far less than he would in his native country. Yet, he now lives in his own condo, has a new car and computer, and both children graduated the university and have good jobs. My friend is successful, not in the sense that he has a 'good' job, but in the sense that he is happy. Instinctively he had followed the simple philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 ~ 1882) who wrote, "Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing."
In this business you can’t afford to lack ambition for it can either make or break you.
Why is that? Why are some people born with a fire in the belly, while others need something to get their pilot light lit? And why do others never get the flame of ambition going?
Not only do we struggle to understand why some people seem to have more ambition than others, but we can't even agree on just what ambition is.
Ambition is energy and determination. But it calls for goals too. People with goals but no energy are the ones who wind up sitting on the couch saying 'One day I'm going to build a better mousetrap.' People with energy but no clear goals just dissipate themselves in one desultory project after the next."
You need ambition. “Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.”
