AMBITION – SLAVE OR MASTER?

 

            "Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings".            (Salvador Dali)

 

Every human being lives with ambition. Just think– what would life be without ambition? Ambition is the fuel which drives us towards our desired destination. Ambition is not just desire; it is far beyond it. Ambition is born when our mere desire meets with firm resolve. Ambition throws challenges. The bigger the ambition, the more roadblocks we expect on the way.

 

Unarguably, it is vital to have ambition. Ambition, to me, is the 'spark within' which ignites the desire. It is a prime moving force which motivates us to work towards our goal. Ambition to attain our goal keeps us energized, excited and ebullient. It is quite natural for us to feel fear in our quest to reach our desired destination. It is worth remembering that only when our ambition overtakes fear does our lives become more significant than our dreams.

 

The words Goal and Ambition are used for each other as synonyms. But they are different. Let us understand the subtle difference. 

 

A young school student has the ambition to become a doctor. Ambition thus creates a pathway for him to realize his dream. But more than just having a direction, he will need to work hard, show dedication & practice perseverance to become a doctor. Ambition is the path, whereas effort and perseverance are the vehicles to reach a goal. The goal is the destination of the course.

 

Ambition is not what one 'would do' but what one 'does'. The stronger drive to fulfil the ambitious streak differentiates successful people from others. As long as we are in control of our 'aims' and 'guiding principles' to realize our ambitions, as long as we are not causing harm to ourselves or others, as long as our means are pure  – we are the MASTER  of our aspirations.

 

Unfortunately, it is expected that ambition will stretch into 'overambition'. There can be no set definition for what one would call an 'overambition'! I believe that when our greed takes charge of us (after we have fulfilled our ambition ) and forces us to achieve our unrealistic desires by any means (unethical, corrupt, selfish), we become SLAVES of our Ambition. It causes harm to others and consumes us so much that our relationships take a big hit. We suffer from burnout, stress, diseases & mental breakdowns. I have seen many successful industrialists/business people doomed when their greed to get even more; fully occupied their minds and lives. 

 

Just look at Mahatma Gandhiji's Ambition (of getting freedom for our country) vs Hitler's (of ruling over the world). Needless to elaborate – selflessness, non-violence on one side and ruthless killing of thousands on the other. 

 

Napoleon Bonaparte said: "Great Ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principals which direct them."

 

Ambition that does not stretch into overambition needs a balancing act. It is subjective and challenging, too. Alan Lightman quipped: "If a person holds no ambitions in this world, he suffers unknowingly. If a person holds ambitions, he suffers knowingly, but very slowly."

 

Let me take one step further. 

 

How will ambition impact Devotion to God? Devotion is a selfless act not for worldly gains, whereas ambition is a selfish act aimed at material gains. If our ambition is only for fame, position, prestige or sensual pleasure, it will not leave any place for others or God in our minds. But it takes a different dimension if our ambition is to contribute to the world's well-being (like Mother Teresa's).

 

In chapter 3 of Bhagwat Geeta, Lord Krishna cautions us about unhealthy ambition.

 

आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा |

कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च||

 

(The knowledge of even the most discerning gets covered by this perpetual enemy in the form of insatiable desire, which is never satisfied and burns like fire.)

 

What is the solution? 

 

We must ensure that the means that helped us get what we wanted should be something other than our liabilities. One must have an awareness and control over the path and means to reach the goal.

 

It is for all of us to think it over –

Do we want to be the MASTER or a SLAVE of our Ambition?