Ambiton: a passion that motivates
Life is a competition, a daring adventure, and success often comes to those who are ambitious. Ambition is a deep desire for achievement and is driven by an inner drive to fulfill dreams.
“Nothing can stop a man with the right mindset from achieving his goals; nothing in the world can help a man with the wrong mindset,” says Thomas Jefferson.
Without ambition, life is as insipid as a dish without salt and spices. No matter how smart and talented a person is, he will not be able to achieve much without ambition. Ambition gives us purpose in life and helps us escape mediocrity. It does not foresee shortcuts. It will be necessary to make sacrifices and overcome oppositions. But nothing can be compared to the joy of achieving your own goal.
There are people who are famous today because they did not abandon their ambitions. No one believed that a blind child like David Hartman would one day become a doctor. His family and friends discouraged him. His applications for admission to various medical schools were ignored until Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia decided to give him a try. The obstacles that seemed insurmountable were overcome by sheer determination and David completed his course successfully. Those who doubted the ability of a blind man to complete such a rigorous course had to admit that David Hartman was “supernatural.”
Bettina Bechgaard, a 19-year-old ballet dancer who was scheduled to perform at London’s Sadler Wells Theater, was hit by a car that left her with multiple broken limbs and a semi-comatose condition. But her fierce determination through grueling weeks of pain put her back on her feet after a long period of recovery. Through physical therapy, psychotherapy and counseling, Bettina returned to dancing. His strong ambition took control of his body and allowed him to perform pirouettes and other intricate steps. Sometimes no one noticed the hint of a wobble.
Poverty did not stop the ambitions of many famous writers, who in their first years of life had to fight to survive, but never succumbed to defeat. In his autobiography “Tell the Tale”, Gabriel García Márquez tells how he was desperate to write and be read. He put scraps of paper in his pocket and kept writing through his hardships and difficulties. He even had to borrow a typewriter to type his manuscripts. The world applauds his rise to fame.
Stephen King, the famous author, was so poor that he had to borrow clothes for his wedding. He lived in a caravan with his wife in a precarious existence. But poverty did not keep him from his ambition to write. Today he is one of the best known and richest writers.
The story of JK Rowling’s rise to fame is incredible. He had to type the “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” manuscript, which was 90,0000 words long, on an old typewriter. Every time she was rejected, she had to retype the manuscript and the rejections were many. Luckily for her, the daughter of the Bloomsbury CEO read the story and loved it. Since then, Rowling has never looked back.
It is said that “the heights which great men reached and maintained were not reached by sudden flight. But they, while their companions slept, toiled upward during the night.”
Qualities of an ambitious person:
– He is the architect and builder of your life.
– Is organized, focused and self motivated.
– It’s persistent. “If you are unsuccessful at first, try and try again.”
– Keeps your ears and eyes open to new ideas.
– Take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to you to improve your development and personal growth.
How to stay true to your own ambition.
– Believe in the tremendous potential of every human being.
– Believe in yourself and be inspired by your desire to excel.
– Define your values and goals.
– Make viable plans to achieve your dreams.
– Never give up.
Some people have bad ambitions. They have a one-way mind to achieve wealth and power no matter who they trample on and how many lives they destroy. This is not ambition but greed.
Joseph Conrad says: “All ambitions are lawful except those that rise above the miseries and credulities of humanity.”
Oprah Winfrey, now a famous superstar with her own television network, is an example of someone with ambition and determination. He fought his way through racism, sexual abuse, and obesity to educate himself and fight his way to the top.
“He never contemplates defeat”, says Norman Vincent Peale, “Surrender is the defeat of a personality.” He encourages people to live by the “I can if I think I can” principle.