Perspectives On Aging
Ambitions
Ambition is a map we create to guide us throughout the journey of our lives. It is the desire to fulfill our dreams, whatever they might be. To accomplish the goals we have set forth in the course of our lives. It is the substance of men, as without it we would be lost and lacking in motivation. Ambition should always be there in front of our eyes, no matter how old we grow to be.
Ambitions are diverse. Some are better than others, of a higher order in the scheme of things. The least important ones are the external, the ones that lie outside the self — such as escalating positions of importance — in order to make money and gain power. These external ambitions should be realistic in tune with our abilities. An impossible dream might damage our self-esteem. Some people go through life trying to impress others by creating a false facade that hides the true inner self, projecting a grandiose picture that is nothing but artificial.
The ambitions of the higher order are the internal ones that stay within the self, the strive to become a better person on a daily basis. These are the altruistic ambitions that exist independent from egotistic, narcissistic needs.
Those are the ambitions of the strong.
Dr. Carlos Muniz is a retired psychiatrist from Gainesville. He may be contacted through the editor at editor@towerpublications.com
