It’s funny, I’ve always simultaneously been a great and terrible student. I think ambition is so so important - essential to satisfaction and fulfillment. But we often mix up other people’s ambitions for our own
Great essay here, Becca! For me it's all about what the ambition is for. If my ambition is built around an ideal that others seem to want for me, or something I think I'm supposed to want, it's a force of destruction in my life.
If my ambition is for something pure and honest, nothing brings me more life. And I find that when I'm stoked on life, and ambitious, it's hard not to share that with the world, which then can become someone else's "supposed-to-want" which is destructive in their life.
On the other hand, maybe my ambition and shouting it from the mountain tops is the key that awakens a dream in someone that makes their life so much better. Good and bad never seem far removed.
Jody, this is so insightful. what a fascinating question as to whether our ambition-signaling is destructive or generative for someone else! like you say, it seems maybe the answer doesn’t matter too much as long as we can all become much better at tuning into our own “what the ambition is for.”
It’s funny, I’ve always simultaneously been a great and terrible student. I think ambition is so so important - essential to satisfaction and fulfillment. But we often mix up other people’s ambitions for our own
such an apt phrasing - “mix up other people’s ambitions for our own.” this is so true - a near-constant folly!
Great essay here, Becca! For me it's all about what the ambition is for. If my ambition is built around an ideal that others seem to want for me, or something I think I'm supposed to want, it's a force of destruction in my life.
If my ambition is for something pure and honest, nothing brings me more life. And I find that when I'm stoked on life, and ambitious, it's hard not to share that with the world, which then can become someone else's "supposed-to-want" which is destructive in their life.
On the other hand, maybe my ambition and shouting it from the mountain tops is the key that awakens a dream in someone that makes their life so much better. Good and bad never seem far removed.
Jody, this is so insightful. what a fascinating question as to whether our ambition-signaling is destructive or generative for someone else! like you say, it seems maybe the answer doesn’t matter too much as long as we can all become much better at tuning into our own “what the ambition is for.”
thank you for weighing in 🌻