An Essay For The Ambitious

There may be nothing more beautiful, more powerful, more inspiring than relentless work--what the world calls ambition.

It's a force that can move mountains.

It's a characteristic that leads to innovation.

It's an action that promotes progress.

It's the seed that solves the world's biggest problems.

It's the thing that heroes are made of.

With it, the world keeps spinning, society keeps advancing, and issues get solved. And it's the ambitious who leave a dent in this world because it's the ambitious who get going and stay going. There is no end. There is no destination. There is no finale. It's about one long adventurous road and seeing how far they can take the game.

Because the ambitious know one thing that the unambitious don't know--labor conquers everything.

You win with work. Always have and always will.

And it's ambition that rules the world, but if you're not careful, it's also the very thing that can ruin your life.

Ambition wants nothing more than to win.

The ambitious coach or athlete wants to win no matter the consequences.

The ambitious entrepreneur will do anything for the business to succeed.

The ambitious artist will sacrifice anything to create timeless excellence.

That ambition will reward them, but at what cost?

There's a hidden, dark, and cruel side to this beautiful trait. While it can move mountains, will things to reality, and do the unimaginable, it can cost you everything.

Ambition is always after more.

There's always more work that can be done.

There's always another thing that can be improved.

There's always another peak to be climbed.

As ambition rises, so do the sacrifices. And if you're not careful, it can extend to your health, relationships, and even your sanity. The very thing that can help you win in one thing, can lead to you losing in everything else.

The ambitious entrepreneur will build the business, but never be with the kids.

The ambitious musician will go platinum, but lose ruin their relationships.

The ambitious coach will win another championship, but lose himself in the process.

The world needs ambition. And the ambitious should keep their ambition and fire. But there comes a time when the ambitious need to be disciplined, not about the work or the grind, but their own ambition.

You probably don't need another hour of work, you need some time with your kids.

You don't need more time working on the goal, you need some time for your health.

You don't need to do more, you just need to relax.

Ambition helps you win. It gets you a step ahead. It helps you play on an uneven playing field. But if you aren't disciplined about your ambition, yes, you will win in one thing, but it could cost you everything else.

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If you enjoyed this essay, you'll love episode #65: The Cost of Ambition

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