AMBITION: GOOD SERVANT BAD MASTER

Ambition is required to achieve any worthwhile goal in any field of life. Is ambition a positive attribute in general? Especially for people who are seeking to establish things bigger than themselves, such as their enterprises, careers, or anything else that is supposed to deliver a lot of value. Isn't it true that if you're naturally motivated to establish and achieve goals, you'll be more likely to succeed than someone who isn't?

That may not be the case. Extreme ambition, like anything else, may end up inflicting more harm than good. When ambition takes control of you rather than you taking control of it, you're no longer the master of your own life. For instance, when one may be pursuing aspirations at the expense of their own and others' health, happiness, and well-being. This is an indication that you are not the master of ambition but rather your ambition is the master of you. 

How can we tell when aspirations are no longer serving us? Consider the following three indicators

of Dangerous Ambition

• Ignoring The Present: The exotic future envisioned in our fantasies and imaginations will never be able to compare to current reality. Ambition is always looking down the road, anticipating what's next. This may lead people to stray away from the happiness that is now, never being happy with their present accomplishments, no matter how great or well-deserved they are. Only when one is in charge of their objectives, will they find a good balance of when to focus on current occurrences or future expectations.
   
• Increased Anxiety And Depression: For most people, ambition has been their ally in overcoming insecurity, weakness, and the aspects of themselves that they dislike. As a result, they have gotten used to taking each day far too seriously, leaving little or no opportunity for a balanced experience of life's activities that promotes their well-being. And at the slightest uncertainty, one falls into anxiety and depression, as ambition feels threatened when its desires are unattainable.
   
• Entitlement And Jealousy: Ambition thrives in a competitive environment, and it perceives other people's accomplishments as a danger to its own. This is an unhealthy way of being, not only because others are not always competing with us, but also because it diminishes our self-esteem by constantly comparing our accomplishments to those of others.

Too much ambition can bring undue stress and pressure in our most important relationships, especially the one we have with ourselves. Ambition only fits as a tool that we use when we need it and put it away when it's no longer needed. It’s not a master to enslave us, it’s to be mastered.