Cuz You Gotta Have Goals....

A friend of mine recently proposed a conundrum: "Is it bad that because I have such high ambition I'm never happy with what I actually have cuz its no where close to where I want to be?"

This disconnect is really hard for me to wrap my head around, so let's see what comes out.

Two very distinct ways of approaching life resonate on this topic: Never stop pursuing what you dream. / Be content with what you have. Can these two ever survive in the same life?

The first one: Big house. Fast cars. Toys. Gadgets. Clothes. The life that the world tells us we should have. And the life that the world tells us we can have, if we never give up our dreams. Never stop believing in yourself. Never give anything but your full effort, and there's nothing you can't accomplish. Why, if you want that Ferrari, then just keep practicing those free throws, or selling that stock, or pushing those papers, because one day, alllll that effort and alllll that hard work will pay off, and you'll be staring at the life you've always dreamed of, right? HELL YEAH! Who can fault anyone that has that ambition? Who can look at someone that says 'I want to climb this ladder faster than anyone else, I want to be the best one here, and I want to make a name for myself,' and think that they are wrong? Striving to be everything you think you can be is an admirable trait. It's not something that everyone possesses. It shows signs of leadership, determination, passion. It is seemingly flawless, right? Well, assuming you're okay sacraficing friends, family, hobbies, and time for yourself in order to pump in hours and efforts focused towards a goal that you don't get to enjoy if you're constantly looking at the next step.

The second one: A simple life. The necessities. Finding the good in the bad and the big in the small. Living the life that will continue to make you happy despite job, money, and any other extra amenity that fills out our lives, relying instead on inmaterial objects of love, compassion, and an appreciation for the gift of life. Well hell, that sounds perfect right? A simple life of long summer days in the fields and slow fall nights in the rain and long winter evenings by the fire place and fast spring days in the garden. Nature becomes your best friend. Well, and friends. You waste time telling stories instead of seeing movies. You make projects for rebuilding the downtrodden instead of buying the newest gadget. You don't even bat an eye if someone nicks your car, it would just add character, not add an ulcer. There's no need to DVR 18 different shows a week to see which fake life is more important. You don't even have to be caught up in the news. Your freedoms flow as far as your happiness, and nothing that you have can be taken away by a bank. Well, that's all fine and dandy if you're okay be a lazy bum that doesn't plan for the future and can't provide the means for future generations of education and a life that gives them options.

So is the answer balance? Probably. But how?

Well I don't really know how. But if you are hell bent on this fast-paced, shiny object, fancy clothes lifestyle of high price tags and swank parties, you need to do whatever you can to appreciate what you already have. And if you're a moseying member of society that doesn't mind trucking down the gravel road at a pace slow enough to make out shapes in the clouds, then don't be surprised if you get passed by some hot shot doin 80 in his new benz, because he can probably pay the bills, even if most of them are credit card bills. If you're never striving for the next level, then there's never room for evolution, for progression, a path to lead the masses above their current situation. You'd be living a life with a ceiling too low to grow to full potential.

So while playing the first level of Super Mario Brothers over and over and over and over and over and over again might be fun, it should make you want to go further. But every time you beat a level, the FIRST reaction shouldn't be to beat the next level, but take some time to appreciate your accomplishments. Life can't be lived only looking forward or only looking back. The present is an amazing place to be. Try it out for a while. You might find you like it here.