Who has ambition?

Ambition is a great feeling to have when we want to work hard towards something important to us.  However, ambition is not always easy to find, and as some of us might compare ourselves to others, it can be easy to question who has ambition and who does not.  One important component to people that have ambition is that they have specific goals in mind.  Goal-oriented people are more likely to have ambition than those not as goal-oriented because they have a direction.  That direction can help feel concrete and like you know what the ambition can be used for. Conversely, someone unsure about what direction to take in life will likely not have ambition present because there is a sort of aimless sense of what it would be used for anyways. 

While being goal-oriented is important, it is also helpful for someone’s values to align with their goals.  Values are what help us feel comfortable with something, even when it is difficult to achieve.  When our values align with what we are trying to achieve, we are much more likely to have ambition.  For example, if I am studying to be a doctor and I hold the value that it is important to help others, I will be much more likely to have the ambition to reach that goal.  If I do not really value helping others, it is still possible to reach that goal, but I will be much less likely to have the ambition to get there.  On that same note, people that have a passion for a specific career and/or skill set are much more likely to have the ambition to follow through with that passion.

Ambition can be really helpful for careers, but it is also really helpful for our relationships and friendships.  People that value their relationships and friendships are more likely to have the ambition to work through difficult times.  There will naturally be low moments in any friendship or relationship, and ambition can help people work through those low moments without losing the connection.