Ambition or Reality

Some months back a friend asked:

“Should we base our goals on Ambition (What we want to achieve?) or on Reality (What can we achieve?)?”

His question has stayed with me.

Take a look at the following statements/ phrases.

• Are your recommendations practical?
• Do we have the resources to carry this out?
• Can we take on so much stretch?
• Should we rock the boat now?
• Our enthusiasm should be moderated with doses of reality.
• We must not fail.
• Better be safe than sorry.
• How are the things you are doing, linked to what you want to do?
• Experience makes us wiser. Wisdom brings maturity.

What emotions are you left with?

Now read the following statements/ phrases:

• What is our ambition - what do we want to achieve?
• How do we get to where we want to get to?
• We can succeed.
• Whatever we are doing now, need not have immediate relevance to what we want to achieve.
• Wisdom (may not be the correct word) lies in being able to tackle unique/new situations.

What emotions are you left with now?

I am inclined to declare “Ambition” as the outright winner – the sole cause for all the optimism around the world.

But I realize that multiple world views can be concurrently correct. There would be a set of people for whom “Reality” matters, and then there would be a set for whom “Ambition” matters.

As for me, I believe in creating these tentative boundaries which provide me a structure with which to push the boundaries even further out and the roots even further down.

Reality is limiting – it is de-energizing.

Ambition knows no limits– I find it supremely energizing!

What do you relate to - Reality or Ambition?

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Sourav