Our family recently started taking the newspaper again, which I was thrilled about. I've missed the comics section. I'm going to be totally honest and tell you that's pretty much the only thing I read in the paper. Don't judge. Located close to my beloved comics are the daily horoscopes (another favorite...). The other day, my horoscope read as follows: "You are only ambitious to a degree. You know when you are content, and you stop there. That's a gift. So many people suffer because they can't recognize when enough is enough." Part of me is... Offended really isn't quite the word I'm looking for. Put off, I think would more accurately describe my feelings. I was a little put off about what I read. Ambitious to a degree? No, no. I'm young, educated, motivated. I mean, I'm helping my brother with his business and looking at different ways I can help bring more money in for other small businesses. I'm an entrepreneur! I have ambition! But then I thought about it. I am educated, but only to a point. I could go back to school for another bachelor's degree or even a master's degree. But I don't. I'm satisfied with my level of formal education right now. Is this a gift? I'm certainly glad I don't push myself to the point of total exhaustion physically, mentally, and emotionally. However, I wonder if I get stuck in my contentedness (is that even a word?). Can I switch my ambition on and off? Am I able to say "Ok, I'm happy here with what I have" and have my ambition turn off until such time as I decide "You know, I'm not as happy as I used to be. It's time to change something"?
I do see merit in my horoscope in one facet of my life, however. Eating. Yes, eating. I can be quite ambitious as I fill my plate. As the meal draws on I can sense when I'm content with what I've eaten and I can stop, even if food is still on my plate. That is a gift. Not everyone has it and often people suffer with gastronomic pains because they can't tell when enough is enough. So I guess being ambitious to a degree really isn't so bad all the time.
Another gem I came across in the newspaper (yes, this was close to the comics too...) stated, "A problem is opportunity in working clothes." Love this! So many times I see a problem and interpret it as a roadblock. My life would be so much more fulfilling if I changed my thought process for interpreting problems and roadblocks and instead viewed them as opportunity. The hard part about that is the working clothes. It is much easier to just sit and either wait for the problem to go away on its own or wait for someone else to take care of it. Work is hard! But I know I feel so much more accomplished, confident, and proud of myself when I put the work in to complete a task. I feel so much better about myself and about life when I am able to face a problem head-on and overcome it. There are a lot of books that talk about opportunities lost and opportunities taken. Two of my favorites are The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. If you haven't read these books, I encourage you to do so. They contain wonderful lessons for everyone no matter where you are in your life journey.
So, brush yourself off, find your ambition, face your problems, and work hard to turn them into once-in-a-lifetime opportunities! What have you got to lose?
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