The Unhealthy Side Effect Of Being Ambitious

I was in my early 30s by the time I realized that I had become addicted to my own ambition. Prior to that, I would have just said that I was goal-oriented, a go-getter, a self-starter, a hard worker. I can go on and on with synonyms; on my résumé, I describe myself as a "motivated high achiever that delivers results." And sure, I was definitely a track star in this rat race of life. The problem was, I kept moving the finish line.

Every run took me further into different landscapes that introduced me to new possibilities that turned into new hopes, and it wasn't long before I had set my heart on new ambitions. This happened so frequently that running became a lifestyle, and goals started to feel more like small rest stops on some perpetual race against time that I'd lose if I slowed down.

If this sounds like you, then you might be suffering from an ambition addiction just like I did. "Driven" can quickly turn to "obsessed," and before you know it, you've spent most of your days and nights in pursuit of the life you want rather than in awe of the life you have.

It's time to take a breath.

Don't let your prophetic vision and strong work ethic turn into an insatiable thirst for more. It will color everything in the here and now as "not enough" and keep you from enjoying the fruits of your labor and the grace of your blessings. That's how we end up successful without being happy and then shocked that the former came without the latter.