Dateline: July 10, 2017
DEAR ABBY: My son,
Allen, is 27 and a pretty good writer, mostly fantasy stuff. I don't like that
genre myself, but I have enjoyed reading some of his work. He writes not only
short stories but also entire books.
I have tried to
convince him to submit his work to publishers to no avail. He has a college
degree, but doesn't use it. He's content working a minimum-wage job when he
could be doing what he loves and possibly
make a living at it. Oh! And he still lives at home and does very little work
around the house. Advice, please? -- FRUSTRATED FATHER
NOTE: This “Dear Abby” writer
leaves out some key information … like whether or not the living-at-home son is
paying back college debt, paying rent, or sharing other expenses. If not, the price tag on household “Cost of
Living” expense and associated effort should be assessed, according to his
fair-market value ability to pay … which may mean cutting out any
“discretionary” income and/or possibly getting a second minimum-wage job.
am’biSH€n
noun
“A strong desire to do or to
achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work ::
determination to achieve success.
Synonyms:
aspiration, intention, goal aim, objective, object, purpose, intent, plan,
desire, wish, design, target, dream, drive, determination, enterprise,
industry, initiative, eagerness, motivation, resolve, enthusiasm, zeal, hunger,
commitment, sense of purpose
"her ambition was to become a diplomat"
Curiously, this posting includes an analysis of the usage of
the term “ambition” in surveyed writings from 1800 through 2008, showing an
83.3% DECREASE in mentions of the word “ambition” during that period. Stated in the reverse, usage of the term
“ambition” was SIX TIMES as prevalent in 1800 writings as it was in 2008!
But “ambition” is no less a challenge in 2017 AD than it was
in 1800 AD or in 500 BC.
“Whatever you do,
do with all your might.”
Marcus Tullius Cicero (428 BC)
“Concern
should drive us into action and not into a depression.
No man is free who cannot control himself.”
Pythagoras (560 BC)
In fact, it may be MORE of a challenge in the 21st
Century, due to the fact that there’s more of everything to be had – and it’s all
more easily accessible with less effort, there is less “hunger and thirst” for
a better world, more diversions, and fewer readily “graspable” new horizons to
visualize. In addition, the “lowest
hanging fruit” has already been plucked, and there’s no sense of urgency to
climb a ladder that many in the third world would consider to have already
breached “reasonable possibilities”.
But AMBITION still matters!
If we’re not “DRIVEN into action” by someone or something above and
beyond ourselves, our personal world tends to become gray, small and shallow
with increasing echoes of disappointment, regret and a feeling of betrayal …
that this wasn’t really what we
“bargained for” … and “nobody ever told us this could happen”!
Ambition cures many ills, including depression, despondency,
hopelessness, haplessness, helplessness, apathy, depravity, desperation, and
orneriness.
Some believe there is greater nobility and “peace of mind”
in being satisfied and content with what “is” and with what one “has” rather
than being discontent with what isn’t or could be.
From this perspective, it is felt by
many that the Almighty will supply whatever they need. But there is a big disconnect at the
interface between heaven and earth where man is given the charge to pull
himself together and cultivate what he needs – with everything the Almighty has
already GIVEN him – “by the sweat of his brow”.
The story is told of a man of great
Faith caught in a great flood. Found
clinging to the chimney of his house as torrents of water rush by, he sees a
guy in a row boat come by to offer assistance, but he cries out, “God will save
me!” Shortly after, a Coast Guard
rescue boat comes by, but, again, the man cried out, “God will save me!” Finally, as he is about to go under, a
helicopter shows up, but, once again, he cries out “God will save me!” When he finally goes under and ends up at the
pearly gates, he throws a fit because God DIDN’T save him. He then hears a ponderous voice: “I sent you a row boat, the Coast Guard and a
helicopter. What else could you possibly
have expected?”
We acknowledge the fact that ambition can easily bleed into
becoming the Eighth Vice.
But Dreams are not the sole province of kings and
conquistadors. They are the most
democratizing forces in human development and in civilization at large! If America has become less “Great” than it
was in the past, one might conjecture that it has become so largely due to a
loss of DREAMS and a shortage of AMBITION!
Further, much of the ambition in
America is now imported. But, to be
fair, most of the ambition that made America GREAT in the first place was
imported!
What DRIVES you?
What DRIVES ME …
·
To make my mother proud!
·
To BECOME everything I CAN become
·
To KNOW
·
To UNDERSTAND
·
To be IN CONTROL / COMMAND of as much of my own
Destiny as possible
·
To be RESPECTED / certifiably “Esteemable”
·
To “OWN” some corner of the universe
·
To justify other’s high EXPECTATIONS
·
To justify MY OWN EXPECTATIONS
·
To expand NAVIGABILITY
·
To expand NEGOTIABILITY
·
To MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE than it was
when I came into it
·
Simply to BE OF USE … to be of SERVICE … to
offer some level of PAY BACK
“Winning” certainly isn’t the end all and be all in
life. But winning SOMETHING is really
important … even if it’s “winning” against abject failure. Our sense of wellbeing, control, navigability
and negotiability are all at stake. But
we have to be circumspect about faux winning strategies … like simply trying to
“Beat the System”. The “System” can be
“beaten” any number of ways in any number of microcosmic “battles” – up until
the entire macrocosmic “war” has been lost.
One of the most disconcerting circumstances is not having
opportunity – nowhere to meaningfully direct ambition. It is moderately alarming that, even in
increasing numbers of “first world” countries, it can be said:
"… life offered few opportunities for young
people with ambition."
But here is where we must look beyond “givens” … beyond the
obvious … beyond “low-hanging fruit”.
Thank goodness for Dreamers who are constantly looking for new frontiers
in science, engineering, medicine, social justice and the environment – along
with many other areas of engagement. If
you can’t find and formulate your own Dream, latch onto somebody else’s Dream
that’s more than big enough to share.
While opportunities in the orbit
you now inhabit may be extremely limited, it’s neversomuch too soon to begin
moving toward a higher orbit. I expect
to see you heading toward the stratosphere in the near future. Make your mother proud! Quartermaster
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