500 Words a Week - Ambition
It’s a word that carries some distrust. It’s a word that we secretly all are. Yet we are afraid to let our grand intentions known. We fear what others will think of us. We fear everyone seeing us fail.
There are two things that inspired me this week. The first was an honest conversation with a friend. When it comes to our ambitions and intentions, we often don’t want to speak of the big and lofty goals hidden in the back of our minds. We hide behind what we think is reasonable. My example being I would like my solo business to replace my previous salary. But why aim so small, why not seek more? Regardless if you aim for a small and meager goal or one that makes you quake inside, you’ll still be in the same position you are in now if you fail. But the goal of reaching for more, might push you further than you thought you could go. It might give us the drive to take some courageous actions, we previously wouldn’t have for we were playing the game safe.
The second thing that inspired me this week was watching Timothée Chalamet’s acceptance speech at the SAG awards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P50UQeIL4o
We see and hear the ambition present. Wearing his heart on his sleeve as he mentions how he is in the pursuit of greatness, and how he wants to be one of the greats. But with his ambition in these statements, is an understanding of what it takes to be great. The inspiration we see in the great's around us, not within our field but across domains. For the pursuit of something more is a commonality we see in all walks of life.
He mentions that his award does not signify greatness, but it’s a little more fuel and ammo to keep going. The unseen word that supports ambition is work. Pouring ourselves into our endeavours. Whatever they may be. To achieve greatness in a career, to achieve greatness in being a spouse, parent, sibling, or friend, or even in our pursuit of something more in life, requires an understanding and dedication to our cause.
The achievements of the ambitious are what most people only see, if we look closer, we see the work. The five and half years Timothée mentions he put into this role. When we see the work the ambitious put into their pursuits, we become more inclined to think that we could do something. Imagine where we would be should we put ourselves into a single focus for five and half years?
As with everything, there is further context to add. For people find comfort in the land of possibilities, of consistently speaking about what they hope to accomplish without actioning upon their goals.
Greg McKeown talks about how the more we reach for the stars, the harder it is to get off the ground.
We can set ourselves lofty goals, wear our heart on our sleeve as we mention what we hope to accomplish, but it must be combined with action. For if not, it’s just a daydream.
