Why Having Talent Means Nothing If You Have No Ambition

One of the most inspiring lines in cinema history had to be “My ambition far exceeds my talents,” said by Johnny Depp’s character George Chung. Ambition is the most important tool to achieving success, overriding both talent and resources by far. An ambitious attitude can lead anyone to triumph and satisfaction, regardless of what is put in front of them. To have the will, the dream and the courage to be on top of the world will get you a lot farther in life than any skill you can possibly possess.

Having talent means nothing if you have no ambition behind it to work your ass off at any given point of the day. Do you know how many people are out there and are wastes of ability and potential? A lot more than the ones that have talent and are actually successful. The majority of the people that have attained elite status and rewards were underdogs that had the ambition to prove the world wrong rather than prove it right and simply be a nobody.

Those that are fueled by ambition to work hard and make the sacrifices necessary to have the lives they dreamed of will almost always come out on top. They love the determined, passionate person they are striving to become and the feeling their work gives them, so they find no reason to quit or not believe in themselves. Ambition separates the person on the subway from the person flying in a private jet.

People rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.

Humanity would not have thrived as a civilization had it not been for our natural ambition to survive in triumphant fashion. Ambition is what gives us a purpose in life and allows us to fight for what we believe in.

Greed or an addiction to power

Society looks at heavy ambition as a bad thing because most mistake this characteristic for greed or an addiction to power, but this is not the case at all. It is just the desire to escape mediocrity. The reason why people hate greed and power is that they are too afraid to see where their own ambition can take them. Ambitious people understand that there are no short cuts and it is only their persistence that will get them what they want. They put it all on the line, not letting any instance of drive go ignored because they know this is what they must use to make sure most of their time is dedicated to getting closer and closer to their dream.

”Nothing can stop the person with the right mental attitude from achieving their goal; nothing on earth can help the person with the wrong mental attitude.

Your ambition and you

Logically speaking, you have to set your goals on something before you go ahead and achieve them. Imagine your life as a race, and that winning is equivalent to achieving success. If at the starting point you do not have the mindset to win the race, it is obvious that you will not give it your best and yield when everything seems all but lost.

Compare that to someone who is ambitious and has a strong motivation to win. His chances of winning are so much greater simply because he will do whatever he can to surpass his own limits, never quitting and always thinking of different ways to win.

Ambition is what leads to success in your respective industry, but success isn’t dreaming of what you are going to spend your money on or how much you think you are going to party once you attain. Success is found in a life lived not dreamed, one that is propelled by action not a desire to act, a life filled with fears faced, limits pushed, and relationships cultivated. A successful life is one filled with experience and action, not wishes.

You and your ambition need to be one with each other. You must understand each other and be on the same page so that you can fight the battle together and not torn in separate directions. Your ambition demands a lot from you, more than you have ever imagined so being prepared for it puts you in a better position of succeeding.

Your ambition wants you to dedicate your life to hard work, perfecting your craft, sleepless nights and sacrifice for the sake of having the life you wish to attain. A good friend of mine once gave up sex for a year and a half because he wanted no distractions. Another friend gave up drinking for a whole year because he was in the middle of building his business. They did this because their ambition was stronger than their need to have a good time.

Your ambition and your future

In the next 10 years, what are you willing to give up to accomplish it? How many hours a day, how many days a week, how many missed vacations missed and unattended parties are you willing to give? Where do you see yourself?

After you have answered those questions, remember your answers and write them down. How your ambition relates to these goals will determine your future. Having just the simple thought of being rich won’t get you there. The simple thought of working harder than everyone else you know, however, will.

Living in your ambition today

To accomplish your long term goals you must want to be successful as much as you want to breathe. The last thing you need to be right now is lazy. This isn’t the time to not check your emails after 5 or worry about where you’re going to party this weekend. Your ambition will only take you as far as the changes you make in your life every day.

There will be highs and there will be lows but this is what you signed up for by aligning yourself with your ambition. Within the journey lies the lessons, the personal development, the suffering, the fun, and the growth; the reason we will see this struggle, hustle, and battle as a blessing.

Embrace your passion. Follow your dream. Let your ambition fuel you to be the best. Prove the world wrong. Never ever settle for mediocrity. Be elite.

“Ambition, I have come to believe, is the most primal and sacred fundamental of our being. To feel ambition and to act upon it is to embrace the unique calling of our souls. Not to act upon that ambition is to turn our backs on ourselves and the reason for our existence”.