So much for planning ahead. I’m starting to pack for a trip and already wrote and “published” posts for this week and next. But I can’t resist responding to Rummuser’s delightful post on ambition. He writes
The dictionary defines ‘ambition’ as:
1. an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment:
2. the object, state, or result desired or sought after:
3. desire for work or activity; energy.
He adds:
I am and have always been totally without ambition of the first and last categories. All I wanted to do was to earn a livelihood, enjoy myself and be happy. It was enough that I should be independent and have enough money in my pocket for my indulgences. If I could have possibly achieved that without doing any ‘work’, I would have been the happiest fellow on earth.
And he proceeds to explain how worldly success just landed in his lap as he “flowed along the stream of life.” Well worth reading. 🙂
I agree with Rummuser that worldly ambition is overrated, and I’ve never pursued it. One reason I was attracted to my husband was because he didn’t care about it either. As you may have noticed, I am interested in enjoying myself and being happy. But for me that includes the third category:
3. desire for work or activity; energy.
My great ambition in life has always been to be like that little child in the picture, completely absorbed in what he is doing. Not pushing to achieve a product or a goal but thoroughly enjoying the process. For the most part our culture doesn’t think that’s a worthy pursuit, but I agree with Heraclitus, being able to operate in that mode is an achievement…an achievement worth celebrating. And celebrating I am. Like Rummuser, I’ve been very lucky in life.
Have you had any ambitions in life? Have you achieved them? Have you been lucky in life?
Conrad, Grannymar and Ashok also wrote about ambition as part of their (including Rummuser) Blogger’s Consortium. I encourage you to read their excellent posts. As I understand it, you’re invited to join too.
Also, for some hilarious words of wisdom see suzen’s “Millie-wisdom” Lessons in Living.
My first real ambition was to have a decent job where I could have a decent house and income to support a family like the people who lived on the other side of the big field near our house. (met)
My next ambition was to be able to retire early. (met)
I’ve been extremely fortunate in that choices that I made have worked out very well.
I’ve also been extremely fortunate in having had a career that wasn’t particularly hard or demanding most of the time. The work was — and is — far easier than the work that many people do who earn less. The hard part was in the learning.
Number One. I am glad that you broke your rule and published this post. That is part of flowing with life! Breaking rules, I mean.
Number Two. I suspect that the reason I like Mike is the way he uses the word, fortunate. In other words, he is willing to let something else other than his ego take credit for the way his ambitions have been fulfilled. Great Mike. Enough said I think.
Number three. I am off to visit Suzen.
Mike,
I agree, having some adversity early in life can be a great motivator. And we’ve been lucky enough to live in a time where making the effort to get an education has been rewarded. So many people take our good luck for granted.
The value of a college education is being questioned by some people now because of the outrageous costs. Kids are graduating with huge amounts of debts and some will have a hard time ever paying them off. Hopefully one effect of this recession will be to force the colleges to rethink their methods. Who knows? I’m just grateful things were more sensible when I was going.
About education leading to jobs that are easier…a reporter once interviewed Clarence Darrow and said (something like): “Your success must be the result of hard work.” Darrow said yes. He was working on a farm one summer and finally had enough. He walked away and never did another hard day’s work in his life. Again, there’s nothing like experience to help us make choices and to realize just how lucky we are.
Bless you! As I mentioned before, I’m impressed by what you’ve done. Just because we’ve been incredibly lucky doesn’t mean we can’t feel good about the part we played.
Rummuser,
My posting schedule isn’t really a rule, it’s just an easy way of getting things done automatically without having to think about it. I also go to the gym every other day…in general. I don’t go for very long but if I do it as a habit I don’t have to clutter up my Possibility List.
I think you’ll love suzen’s post. I laughed out loud. It’s a great message for us oldsters…better keep our sense of humor in good shape.
PS I assume you don’t agree with Sarah Palin, that only dead fish go with the flow? 😉 What would your mother say?
My life has been one of extraordinary privelege. I have always been surrounded by gifted people, I have usually had around me those who accepted me and (less fortunately) admired me in some ways. My 20’s were spent in a supportive organisation that trained us well and let us get on with what we were doing. I’ve had the time to pursue what I am interested in.
I don’t think I have the ambition gene (or something). Although I have pursued what has grabbed me and written a couple of books. But this didn’t feel ambitious to me – just following what I was interested in.
At the moment I hope to find out how to make money online (part of my project of seeing if I can make money doing what I love). Perhaps that is an ambition. I’ve never had a lot of money (in Western terms), perhaps more ambition would have helped. But then, looking back, I don’t think I’d change much.
Hi there lady! I’m back and you are leaving – enjoy your trip! And thanks so much for mentioning my blog – I mean REALLY!
Ambitions in life? Hmmm. Seems the first half (if I can divide up my life) I spent trying to pound a square peg into a round hole. Without elaboration, this is just an overall reflection. When I realized being different was not only ok but should be celebrated and honored and I had my OWN path to follow, wow, it may sound simplistic but it made a huge difference in how I set goals for myself.
Maybe it’s the word – ambition. Sounds so driven, and so “establishment” that I never use it. It doesn’t feel like a word that allows for spontaneity or flow. I have had a bazillion goals but I feel I’m too flowy for “ambition”. Maybe its semantics here?
As for Sarah Palin? Oh paaleeze.
Evan,
Good luck on earning money doing what you love. Scientific programming was like that for me, but I’m lucky enough right now not to need more money. I decided years ago that my time was more important than money..within reason! I kept my material wants small so I had plenty of time for the pursuits that feed my soul. It sounds as if you took the same path.
suzen,
Thanks for the good wishes. It’s a long trip…about 2500 miles, and I would cheerfully stay home. Says I now. I always feel this way before taking off, and I always have a good time, so I don’t pay too much attention to my feelings on the subject. 😉
My guess is anyone who would read this blog isn’t ambitious in the worldly/establishment sense. And that at some time or another they decided to follow their own unique path. I don’t think your statement is simplistic at all. It’s a big step, and there are plenty of people ready to say we shouldn’t do it.
About the Sarah Palin quote. I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. It tickled my funny bone. 🙂 Goodness knows we can use all the humor we can get right now.
I may have a chance to use my computer some evenings on the trip, but if not I’ll still be thinking of you all. Be back in 8 days, the good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.
Yes, that’s our (me and my partner’s) path. We value our independence and time very highly.
My mother, bless her soul, always said, don’t get off from a running train. When I took my first flight, I teased her and said, don’t worry, I shan’t jump off a flying plane!
Children can teach us so many things. They wholeheartedly apply themselves to whatever it is they are doing and their response at the result is always so genuine and human in everyway. Emulating them with regard to ambition is a great thing. Glad you joined in on last week’s topic and looking forward to your further involvement 🙂
Evan,
You sound like wise people to me. 🙂
Rummser,
That sounds like great advice!
Ashok.
Thanks.
I’ve said some of these things earlier today on this blog, but it has helped me so much and I wish absolutely no less for anyone else.
I have three ambitions.
1.) Never stop growing as an individual; to live a robust, balanced life, and to learn myself, others and the things around me.
2.) To enable within others, the chance to find themselves as I have myself.
3.) To enable others the chance to form a desire to enable yet more.
1 breaks even, 2 is positive, and 3 transcends.
The human species would stabilize if everyone broke even. A good number in the positive would be fine for consistent progression. I will reach the first two and would be happy to transcend beyond my expectations.
Andrew,
The first two points resonate with me, but I’m afraid I don’t understand the third. Could you give me more details, an example?
Again, thanks so much for coming by and commenting.
The third is really optional. It is tentatively: a causation of desire to help* others the way they have been helped*. I have faith that it is a natural goal of the human kind and simply desire to make it more obvious to others. It only allows us to progress quicker but does not add nor hinder to the overall goal. Few have ever reached it in history, we’re talking Ghandi’s level of insight and progressiveness of thought and awareness. I understand I may not be able to even fulfill the second of my ambitions and that I will most probably not get to see the my ambitions bear fruit (other than the first) but it does not deter me. I’m 19 and determined. I do not look for validation but only believe that what I say and more importantly, how I behave will help as many people as I come in contact with. I hold myself to no religion but learn from all.
*it’s more along the lines of allowing someone to come to the realization themselves than ‘help’ by direction or teaching.
This is why I believe the non-profit agency that takes donations and then loans money to upstart farmers in Africa, and then takes the returns and reinvests it in more upstarts has the idea. Now broaden that general idea to numerous other area’s of life and you begin to see my ambition. Look for me in twenty five years, wherever you are, you probably won’t find me. And that’s the beauty.
Andrew,
I would love to know how it all plays out in life. Good for you!
I would like to append:
I’ve come to the tentative conclusion that while my first ambition is most important, all three are connected strongly, rather than steps or items on a punch list.
Hello all! I like this forum, i found many interesting people on this forum.!!!
Great Community, regard all!