Ambition is a Good Thing!

 Ambition can be a powerful force for good in our lives.
 But only if it is legitimate.

Sometimes misinterpreted and often misunderstood,ambition - true ambition - is not a selfish quality. It is not another word for ruthless; it is not something to be shunned or subdued. Legitimate ambition is an honorable trait. At its very best, our ambition serves us and other people. In fact, pursuing your ambition is one of the most selfless things you can do.

True ambition is a disciplined, eager desire for achievement. It is a state of mind, a way of life. With The Power of Ambition you can take charge of your own personal happiness, chart your own course through life and let your legitimate ambition create whatever you desire, take you wherever you want to go.

The dictionary describes Ambition as “a determination to achieve success in a chosen field”.

Ambition is a most desirable and commendable quality. It should be fostered and encouraged. There should be no limit to the extent of your ambition. Quite apart from the satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment one experiences in finally reaching one’s objective, the journey itself is always an exciting adventure. Ambition is a passionate quest that gives life meaning and a sense of purpose.

The poet Henry Longfellow described ambition beautifully in his inspiring poem:
“A Psalm of life” when he wrote:

“Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime
And, in passing leave behind us
Footprints in the sands of time”.

There is no question that the examples set by men who have distinguished themselves in various fields serve as sources of inspiration to all of us. Longfellow himself was motivated by a very powerful impulse to distinguish himself and receive acclaim as an important writer.

His father had plans for him to become a lawyer, but the young Longfellow, in defiance of his father’s wishes, was determined to fulfill his need for recognition by the power of his writing. In a letter to his father from college advising him of his plans to abandon his legal studies, he wrote: “I most eagerly desire after future eminence in literature”.

The word “eagerly” provides us with a clue as to the extent of Longfellow’s burning desire to become a writer. Longfellow pursued his ambition with tremendous enthusiasm and passion. It was this intense craving for “future eminence in literature” that motivated him throughout his successful career.

Throughout history men of vision, who have achieved extraordinary success in their own special fields, have all believed implicitly that no energy on earth could be compared with the power of the human mind.

They were convinced that the mind was capable of generating forces so dynamic that man had the potential to overcome all physical obstacles. There was absolutely nothing that could not be accomplished. 

To be continued.............