Ambition

Did you know that Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonalds did not sell his first hamburger until he was in his fifties? Did you know that Charles Darwin did not publish his first book until he was almost 50? Did you know that Colonel Sanders did not franchise the first KFC until he was in his sixties?

We live in a society which is youth focused. We are led to believe that only young people have the opportunities to turn their dreams into reality?

Whenever we turn to the media, we see only portrayals of either young people who are doing great things or old people who did great things when they were young. We rarely see old people who are being recognized for achieving late in life.

In his book, the Four Hour Work Week, Tim Ferris proposed something radical.

Tim, like most inspirational writers, encourages us to set big goals. However, what separates Tim from the others is the logic behind what he says.

Tim says that if you set normal goals, then you have the same goals as everyone else. Due to this, there is greater competition in achieving it.

A simple example of this is if we take money. If you ask most people about their money goals, they will say that they want to be a millionaire.

As a young man, Mahatma Gandhi was asked what he wanted to achieve from life.

He stated that one of his ambitions was to create an ashram. When asked what an ashram was, Gandhi replied by saying that an ashram was a place of peace and equality and it could mean a village or it could mean the whole world.

The reporter responded by telling Gandhi that he was an ambitious man. Gandhi simply stated that he hoped not.

The main reason why successful people achieve their goals is because they believe that they are going to achieve them. Their strong sense of conviction is what gives them the drive and motivation to act and the strength to persevere when they are faced with challenges.

For many people, Michael Jordon is the greatest basketball player ever to play in the NBA.

However, when Michael Jordon was young, this was a dream that would most likely have gone unfulfilled.

As a child, Michael and his brothers would play against other boys from his neighborhood.

Most of these boys were taller and stronger than Michael and because of this could beat him and his brothers.

Tiger Woods has revolutionized the world of golf like none before him.

Before his arrival on the golf scene, golf was seen as a game that was played by only middle-aged rich gentleman and watched only by the elite.

Today, golf is a game played by all types of people and watched by millions around the world.

One must then ask us why are drawn to the game of golf and, in particular, Tiger Woods?

The answer is simple, Tiger Woods has set himself a goal. This goal is not just to be a good golfer. It is not even to be the best golfer in the world. His goal is to become the best golfer to have ever played the game.

If you were to ask ten five-year olds what they want to do in life, nearly all of them would have a clear answer.

They will say that they want to be a doctor or an actor or something similar.

If you were to then ask ten eight-year olds what they want to do in life, most of them would be able to give you a clear response.

If you were to then ask ten teenagers what they want to do in life, probably half of them would give a clear definition.

Finally, if you were to ask ten adults what they want to do in life, very few would actually be able to give an acceptable definition.