The
blog-o-sphere, and the world in general, seem to place a great deal of emphasis
on the merits of ambition. Just follow any given five bullet points, and you
will be living the life of your dreams - you will be ecstatic, excited, high
like you’ve never been before, forever …
Really?!
And some are
relentlessly aggressive in this regard too, for implied is that if all you want
is a simple, peaceful existence, there must be something wrong with you – don’t
you want to write a book, make a DVD, and save the world? No, I don’t.
We each need to
be responsible for ourselves, then the world takes care of itself.
Apparently, it
isn’t considered normal, or healthy to want nothing more than the
ease of a tranquil life populated by the few interests and handful of people
that give one joy in living.
For one thing,
no one is going to sell you their book, DVD or on-line course in miracles if
you are already content with what you have.
And isn’t that
part of the point – to be content, to live passionately, but to realize that
life isn’t out there, just on the other side of dream fulfillment, but inside
us right now, just as we are.
It requires a
fundamental acceptance and appreciation of what is. This is compassion in
action. This is where life’s at.
I’m all for
tapping into god-given potential, but let’s keep it cheap and fun! Let’s play
around with the variables instead of turning it, masochistically, into some
project that promises perpetually-down-the-road-around-the-next-bend
fulfillment, at the expense of what we are blessed to enjoy that is right in
front of us, NOW.
Feeling better
now is often simply a matter of attitude adjustment as much as anything else.
And attitude adjustments are free for the taking – tune in, take it easy,
breathe.
I question whether
life is best lived as an endless quest for the perfect execution of our dreams.
What about questioning the dream, subjecting it to a little constructive
critical scrutiny – what is it really all about? What is it I believe is going
to fundamentally change? Why am I not happy now? Am I rejecting life as it
fundamentally is (the nature of things)? Am I running away from something I
need to face?
All I mean to
say is that just because we attach the word dream to an idea or ideal, doesn’t
mean it should automatically be sanctified.
Ambition can be
a fine thing if it is a thoughtfully and intelligently informed one. But, in my
opinion, Milan Kundera also makes a fair point – perhaps there is more sense in
being lazy, in honouring the fallow spaces of our lives, and appreciating what
is on a much deeper level than we are usually inclined.
Lack of
fulfillment then is not necessarily a lack of ambition, but the neglect to
cultivate sufficient depth and intimacy with ourselves and life at its most
basic.
There is much to
be appreciative of (and fulfilled by) if we but take the time to slow down a
little, and allow life to reveal her secrets to us.
Ambition, at the
end of the day, is over-rated. It often promises more than it delivers and, in
the process, obscures native enjoyments for the prospect of future, more
glorified ones.
How much sense
does that make? None.
