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"A man's worth is no greater than his ambitions." Uttered hundreds of years ago by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, I find these words telling. It is our ambitions that stretch us..... or the lack thereof that confines us - more often than we want to admit to ourselves, if we are honest.. Even a cursory, superficial consideration of these words helps us understand how much control we ultimately have over who we become. But much as these words stir a chord within me, I have found that there is a much nobler place to which I aspire to belong. The words of Jim Rohn hold greater sway - "We all need to belong to something bigger than ourselves." Yes, indeed we all need to have ambitions that get us beyond ourselves into making contributions that make a difference in the world around us.
It was Zig Ziglar who said "We can have everything we want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want." Significance is a state of being that all of us as human beings crave. We all want to feel a sense of worth; we want not just to create value, but lasting value. We dream of leaving a legacy for those behind us to appreciate and follow. There are very few among us who are content to come into this world and leave without leaving our foot-prints some place upon this earth. That explains why some folk seek notoriety. It satisfies the desire to not die in obscurity, it delivers from oblivion. Created (yes....I take that for granted) as relational beings, even the introverts among us experience the yearning to get beyond themselves sometimes. The question is, what are you doing about that calling that weighs so heavily upon your heart and mind?
If you are like me, you probably feel inadequate to the task. You're probably even now resigning yourself to thoughts that some-one else is more worthy of the yoke. You've just about rendered your need for significance still-born. May I remind you that "we all need to belong to something bigger than ourselves," something that gets us beyond fear and complacency; beyond selfishness and ego-centric tendencies; We all need to understand the value of helping some-one else realize his/her dreams, to bring health and hope and joy to those who need them more than we do. Now I'm not for one moment advocating that we put our personal ambitions and pursuits aside while we find a cause worthy of our association. On the contrary, I suggest....even declare, that all of us have the ability and the means to make space somewhere in the busy sphere of our existence, somewhere within our own dreams and aspirations, to include a cause that will benefit others, and yes.....live long after us.
So what will you do to start preparing for that cause that's bigger than your personal ambitions? In expending your talents, what will you do to ensure that the primary impact lasts way beyond your own existence? What is it that makes you fierce, angry or passionate? What cause is dear to your heart? Is it animal rights, women's rights, the need for tolerance and diversity in our ever-changing world? Are you a lover of children? Can you be the voice of the voiceless, the champion of the under-served? What little can you do to change the lives of those around you, one baby step at a time? It's time to fully embrace the realization that you need to belong to something that takes you outside of personal ambition. It's time to move beyond the good to the realms of the great! Take that first step.
