As paid subscribers undoubtedly know, in September of last year I embarked on a special project exclusively for them. At the time, I had found myself awash in questions about ambition and how pursuing it might relate to our general questions here about integrity. So, I put forward a plan– to write, on average, twice a month on no particular schedule, about a set of interlocking questions:
What is ambition? Can you be ambitious while also practicing your integrity? How does that work? What makes it easier or harder?
If my ambition is to make an impact on the world, whether through creativity, business, or system change, how do I do that in a way that is mindful of my actual impact and not simply my intended one?
If you’re a late-bloomer to this ambition/vocation business, how do you pursue your ambition while also honoring your existing relationships, obligations, and ongoing physical and mental health? Is it possible to pursue your ambition, in other words, in a way that is holistic, integrated, and sustainable?