Ambition and Opposition

Men are more often bribed by their loyalties and ambitions than by money - Robert Jackson
 
The difficult thing about personal ambition is that both of its edges are razor sharp. When cutting in the positive direction ambition is quite possibly the most valuable trait one can possess. When it cuts you there is little that can gouge you as quickly or as deeply. You see, for every single step you take, or even skip, by being the ambitious individual, you incur jealousy and sometimes even wrath on the part of those overlooked or bypassed. While it not true that every single advancement comes at the cost of another, the opportunity cost of succeeding quickly can sometimes be someone else's cost, which ultimately comes back to us... Tenfold.

Ultimately, I am beginning to realize that the best course is the one of calm advancement, keeping in mind the Chinese proverb of never fearing moving slowly, but to only fear standing still. In this American world of ours that is so very, very focused on money and possession, it can be difficult, sometimes even humiliating, to grow slowly. I personally struggle to keep from measuring myself against my high school reunions and comparisons of those that I grew up with. It's easy to base your own level of success on those with whom you went to school because they had the same advantages and challenges you did, right? So making your success relative to theirs seems realistic, right? I believe that success relative to anyone's definitions but your own should be thrown out. This completely includes my own views expressed herein; Define your own success, whether that's entry-level management for a mid-sized company or constantly aspiring towards self-determination of income.

At the end of the day, I believe that it is impossible to be the character from the John Grisham novel that can anticipate all events and thusly only benefit from ambition. It is for this reason that the path of the calm man is the one with the least traps, and the one that I personally look forward to walking for many years to come, regardless of how far along other people's paths it may lead.