on ambition

Too much Ambition will kill you! The old man ranted, ask Napoleon, ask Alexander, ask Julius Ceaser, ask anyone too much ambition will drive you to an early grave.' That is the story my old man has always reiterated every time I let him in on a venture I am under going.

I am always stopped short of answering him saying at least we can still remember them, even our country's syllabus accommodates them, but have you ever heard of lecture on people who had no ambition altogether, I guess not.

In business as in life it is imperative to have ambition,aspire to greatness, to the awards and so on.

I liken ambition to the power in Roberto Carlos foot as he took those signature free kicks, the more power and direction, the higher the chances of scoring. Without ambition nothing of significance would come out of life.

When John F Kennedy launched the space program back in the 60s the sentiments were similar to when Obama set out with his eyes on the white house. But today in our conversations we say 'who knew', man could walk on the moon, a black man could be president of the USA, that Africa could host the world cup and so many more. GNL and the late Wamala sung a song on the very topic Ani yali amanyi.

The answer is simple, the people who aspire big things and dream big dreams dare to see what others don't see, and hear things others don't hear.

To further expand on this animal called ambition I will use the common saying, 'Aim for the sun and if you fall short you might land on the star,' which is by far a better place than this dusty earth..

Unfortunately even people who wish us the "best" dissuade us from being ambitious, without even knowing what it is we see. When I quit my job to start my advertising and consultant practice, people were shocked that while people were looking for jobs they couldn't find, I was quitting the one I had.

What they couldn't see was my desire to home school my children and go speaking world over by the age 30, I want the freedom to give, to travel, the way I want see these this happening is through my private practice and business.

Recently I met an old school friend who had started her own business but was looking for a job as well, I told her this is like leaving your eratic but potential garden to go and leave in luzira because they have regular meals there. I emphasize that our ambition is fueled by our desire for freedom, and the innate compulsion to make a mark.

Interestingly people who aspire for conformity are never remembered for anything, if you run with the crowd you get lost in it.

Do you remember in school when we wrote on our walls, ' never forget so and so, the great this and the great that'. Right there is a testament to our innate desire to contribute to the conversation of history. Ambition makes that desire bigger and focused.

Being ambitious however is not a guarantee to a place in the hall of history, we must be willing to sweat, to sacrifice and to focus, ambition requires us to be ferocious about success, if you want to be great in business, you have to decide how great(focus), decide how hard it takes to get there(sweat) decide what you are going and are willing to give up to achieve what you want(sacrifice).

The sweat, focus and sacrifice required for achieving success is what scares many folk in their journey, but if your eyes are on the goal, dig your heels, get your hanky and go for it.

Do not shy away if you want to leave a mark on Gods green earth, have books written about you and being in history. Now I am not sending you to kill thousands just to make the name, the point is to get yourself to make a significant contributor to history.