(on ambition)
GETTING ‘RIGHT-SIZED’ AS WE FIND OUR CENTER –
“Where before we
went from one extreme
to another, either feeling
better than everyone else or
feeling worthless, we now
find the middle ground
where true self-worth
can flourish.” (It
Works, How &
Why, p. 74)
THE TRUTH ABOUT AMBITION – “True ambition is not what we thought it was.” “Service, gladly rendered, obligations squarely met, troubles well accepted or solved with God’s [or our HP’s]* help … these are the permanent and legitimate satisfactions of right living for which no amount of pomp and circumstance, no heap of material possessions, could possibly be substitutes.” (12 & 12, p. 52)
“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Becauseit’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”
– Barack Obama (1961 – ) U.S. President
How have you aligned your ambitions to your spiritual journey, lately?
Barack Obama Brief Bio (4:58)
Closer to the Edge -30 Seconds to Mars (6:23)
Choosing Happiness Guided Meditation (9:48)
Ambition Over Adversity
by Tupac Shakur
Take one’s adversity
Learn from their misfortune
Learn from their pain
Believe in something
Believe in yourself
Turn adversity into ambition
Now blossom into wealth
This is very thought provoking. As I get older (which just happened 2 weeks ago) in age and in my career, I am reminded that money, while important, is not a good marker of happiness or “true” worth. As I have become more mature in age and my career, I am finding that I feel the most worth when I am enjoying my work, and not merely making lots of money. Up to June of last year I was making 6 figures and I was miserable. Now, I am in a position where ends are barely meeting, and I am somehow happier, and I feel more and more like the person I used to be…the person I want to be. (10).
Last night the speaker spoke about spending 6 years in early 20’s behind bars for stealing and dealing. Today he’s 3 years sober and seems so very grateful for it because he can now be of service. This example makes me feel very grateful for my freedom and not to waste it on chasing money for its own sake. (8 mins)
My life is so full and rich with possibilities its becoming difficult to keep “the eternal things in life” as the Big Book says in mind. But daily I try to see where I might be veering off the path.
What a wonderful concept. Success is more than the accumulation of material goods. I would be a poorer woman if I were not of service. How then, will I know I am successful? To see the simple beauty in everything about me; to encounter the hundred million miracles that happen every day; to comfort the child, remind the adults of our gratitude, and speak my truth as just that – my truth. I am successful even as I write. And I have a clearer, stronger bond with my Higher Power than I have had for a long time. I am in awe…and I am grateful.