Motivation isn't my goal

   

      When I began this blog it was just an assignment, but has grown into much more than that. I have been writing and researching ambition and what it means to different people. Ambition isn't something easily measured. It is something that only a single individual can grasp, within their own mind. A level of an individuals Ambition can be measured, but only with interviewing and testing. This would, likely, have to be done over a long period of time. Who's to say the testing didn't give that individual a sense of purpose, which in turn would cause ambition? The ambitious person must also be completely honest. Not only with the interviewer but also, with themselves. It would require the individual to really look inside themselves. Which, in turn, could strike accountability causing ambition. So let's lets talk about ambition. Let's really think about it. "Am I ambitious?" "Where am I going or why am I not?" "What is hindering me?" "Is 'it' really hindering me or am I hindering me?" Everyone should have goals small or large because without goals where is purpose? Should everyone be ambitious?
      I was talking with a mother of two about my thesis. Before thoroughly explaining my thesis, I asked her if she felt she had ambition. She immediately said, "No." Then began to explain, "I am not career driven. I just want to be a mother to my children." We had previously discussed that she was nursing, she informed me that she wanted to do that as long as possible. I had showered her with praise, because that is a lot of her time and energy. (Any women, in the US, who breastfeeds automatically recieves my praise. They deserve it.) She also had informed me earlier that she works part time and actually was the one who worked out a quid pro quo agreement to get her salon promotion. Her idea and she was working basically for free. Lets recap; mom of two, breastfeeding, working part time, and negotiated promotion for her salon, from which she was leaving in two weeks. So no clients for her.
      Ok, so she has a bit of ambition. I explained to her that even though she wasn't "career" driven, that she still is ambitious as a mother. "You can be 'mom' driven."
      She looked at me and nodded. We moved on with our work and five minutes later, she looks at me and says with all sincerity, "I like that, I like your thesis."
      I looked at her and gave a confirming nod. I saw her thinking, and taking in my idea. Thoroughly absorbing it into her "self" and her idea of herself. That is what I want. That is what I am looking for.
      This is a journey I am willing to take, knowing I won't find answers, because it's the journey I am taking that will continue to strike my own ambition. While taking this journey I hope to also bring others with me. Not on my path but, their own.
      I want to know why Sheryl Sandberg is ambitous. I want to know how Hillary Clinton became so ambitious. I want to know why single moms, who raise successful children, are so ambitious. I also want to know why there are many people who simply lack ambition. How can they just live stagnant, unsatisfying lives, feeding off the success of others. I may eventually want to know the evil side of ambition as well.
      Regardless, we should talk about it. Learn about it. Listen to those who have it and those who lack it. Why are we not talking about it? Like really talking about it.

Gotta give props to my Teacher Professor Samul aka "the best teacher ever" for helping me think through all this. Thanks