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Is ambition good or bad

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  • July 10, 2014 at 7:31 pm #60589
    bill
    Participant

    To what extent should we devote our lives to making things different than they are?
    Clearly, we are forced to do something. If we want to have money, we need to struggle since wages are low and the cost of living goes up. Our puritan ancestors thought work and saving were so important. Later, we seem to have partially de-linked from extreme interest in material wealth accumulation – favoring other purposes.
    But it is still a struggle to achieve most goals in our society. Standing still, smelling the roses, cannot be done all the time.
    Then there is a question of purpose. Does purpose even exist for people who just sit passively. Clearly it does for those who seek to live for some kind of meditation.

    I just sense we are at a crossroads as a civiiization where we are split on this. Do we strive hard after external goals or do we live to accept what is. I sense there is a split on this basic issue. It’s fine to say that we leave this up to each person to decide, but the civilization and its dialogue affects what we decide to value.

    July 11, 2014 at 10:07 am #60630
    Matt
    Participant

    Bill,

    So what’s your question?

    Consider that desire (ambition) isn’t good or bad. This struggle you talk about is mostly internal, but affects our view of the external. A good rule of thumb for growing a healthy dream is be heartfelt. The posture is like teaching a child the alphabet. We know the letters, have a deep desire for them to learn, but with a temperance, vast patience to let them blossom, learn as they do. Growing a garden is the same. Have a vision of what you’d like to see, till the soil, plant, tend… but then have patience as its growth happens in its own time. Water, tend, wait.

    Don’t let the whole “the world is a heap of shit” delusion stop your heart from dancing. Million happy people, million ripples of light. How else do we make the world a more loving place except by being the light we wish there to be in it? Its in your hands, brother, what needs your help? Including yourself, of course, as a tender piece of nature asking great questions. Look around! What do you want to do with your time? You a hero? Of what?

    Finally, consider a metta meditation practice. Your questions seem to be part curiosity part complaint. The complaint part fades as we spend time cultivating loving feelings. Messy floor? Why feel bad? Just grab a broom, sweep it up, move on. “But people are so messy!” Hehe, yep. “Sharon Salzburg guided metta meditation” on YouTube, if interested.

    With warmth,
    Matt

    July 11, 2014 at 4:48 pm #60648
    bill
    Participant

    That is a well-written response Matt.

    I put this post here because I do, personally, think we are designed to be creative and contributing. I just don’t think I would be happy without a purpose of purposes to get me going and contributing to the greater good is part of our nature (at least I think so). But people do get caught up in feeling like they failed their ambitions and then they suffer. Others pursue ambitions only to find them empty. The correct answer, as you point out, is that people’s ambitions are heartfelt. That unites the wisdom of “being” in the moment with “doing” in the moment. I recall reading how people in Japan use mindfulness in their work – the opposite of alienation.

    July 16, 2014 at 10:37 pm #61107
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Bill,

    My personel view is that ambition is not only good but its something we as humans need to become the strongest version of ourselves. Ambition gives our lives meaning, it gives our lives a sense of purpose and reason. One can only do better, be better if they aspire to do so.

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