Tuesday, March 17, 2009

why I am not considered ambitious in the traditional sense

I have been thinking about ambition lately because I recently told someone that I do not consider myself an ambitious person. What I mean by this is that I am not consciously trying to 'get ahead' and there's no ladder that I have to climb in my sights. I have consciously chosen a career where those things are not much of a factor, particularly, because I don't want them to be a factor. My career is important to me inasmuch as I want to do a good job and I love what I do, but I do not consider it to be my life's focus or the most important thing in my life. In saying this, am I content to just sit on my laurels? I hope not. If a promotion was in my sights or I was given more responsibility and a corresponding pay raise, I would certainly not turn it down. However, my reasons for wanting to do a good job have little to do with assuring promotion and enhanced status, but rather far more to do with wanting to serve people and make a difference. I am not trying to sound pious or altruistic, but to just to set the record straight about what I see as success and the nature of my true ambitions. At the end of the day my faith, my loved ones, and the relationships therein are what matter most to me--my ambitions have more to do with loving and serving them and others than anything to do with my career as a librarian.

1 comment:

Jaye said...

Hold on to those beliefs, RL.