The Thrill of Ambition

So, I wrote this post a week ago, then thought I needed to tweak it before posting it. After looking over it again, I made a few small fixes but want to share it - even if a couple of dates are outdated.

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Friends, I am often thrilled.

Is this because I am never sad? Do bad things never happen to me? Am I unaware of the struggles of the world?

The answer to all of these questions is no. Sad, bad, and mad things are happening every day.

We can talk about how I cope with all that later, when I go off on a tangent about positive thinking and the benefits to your health (yes, I just read a chapter about that in my psychology textbook).

For now, I want to explain my findings on the topic of ambition.

These findings are relatively new ideas, so bear with me.

I've been at college for exactly one week now. Has it really been only a week? Time flies here! I'll take that as a sign that I am in the right place.

In that week, so many things have happened! I have started all my classes, switched my schedule around, begun a new job, auditioned for (and got into!) choir, discussed future plans with professors, hung out with friends, decorated a dorm room, and gone shopping.

It has been a busy week. I didn't even mention everything.

On to the point.

As I begin classes, I find myself becoming so excited about the materials and eager to learn. Picking up my theater history books, I opened them with a sense of wonder and delight to be learning about something that I view as fun - for a class! Starting my new job, I sort through stacks of old musical scores, glancing through composers and instrument names and stopping to admire especially interesting pieces before setting it on a new pile. Greeting friends, we make plans for the future and enjoy the present moments of fellowship.

What is this ambition word that made it into my title? Well.

I find that when I have things to look forward to, I am a much happier person. And lately, I have a lot of things to look forward to. Part of the reason for that is having ambition.

Ambition, as defined in the Oxford Dictionary: "A strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work."

Things I am feeling particularly ambitious about:

~Classes. Learning the materials. Applying new concepts to my life. Achieving good grades and enjoying the learning process.

~Music. Commitment to practice times. Enjoyment of said practice times when possible. Freedom of expression in performance.

~Organization. Keeping track of my multitude of events in my planner but also internalizing what needs to be done and eliminating procrastination in my life.

~Serenity. Maintaining a sense of calm, avoiding stress when possible. Take everything that happens with a grain of salt, as it were, and remember that ultimately I want to get to heaven and everything that happens down here is just a blip on the road to eternal paradise.

~Friendship. Being a loving person who always has time for the fabulous people that enter into my life.

That's just a sampling, but you get the idea. I'm excited about the possibilities and intend to work hard to achieve them.


"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." ~Mark Twain