Gratitude vs. Ambition
As an individual, I am deeply ambitious. I have been raised in a competitive environment where throughout my school and university life, I have been encouraged by my family and peers to always strive for the carrot in front.
This ambition has driven me to always look ahead, to plan, to aspire. I have achieved success in life, not all due to my doing, but due to the environment I have lived within promoting this outlook. Once something is achieved, the resulting satisfaction is short lived. The journey to the next stepping stone mentally begins soon after the current stone is stepped on.
At some point in recent years however this ambition has been tempered by an all together different emotion: gratitude. I have begun to look at the beauty of the stone on which I stand; I have stopped to admire the view. I have been told by people to “enjoy these years while they last, for you/your children will only be young once”. This has done something new; it has forced me appreciate that which I have, rather than chasing that which I don’t. Whether this be living in the first world, my own health, a network of loving friends and family, I am blessed. And I ensure that daily, before I start my day, I recall this blessing. And yet, the ambition remains, like a wild tiger now somewhat bound on a leash.
This tug of war between ambition and appreciation will remain a constant one. Perhaps both are not mutually exclusive. Maybe you can strive in the world yet remain grateful for all that you have. Perhaps it is to let go of the results of our actions and focus on the action itself. If we succeed wonderful, if not, well there is a lot to be thankful for in any case. It is something I find difficult, as I cannot do both simultaneously. It is often one mindset and then the other.
Aims and goals are vital for a productive life in providing direction and purpose. And yet in addition to the road we travel, we must remember to occasionally look in the rear view mirror, understand the road we have left behind and also to look around at who is travelling with us on our journey and take in the view.
