The Law of Financial Success
	Ambition <  Previous Contents Next  >

"AMBITION"—what a glorious word! How the very sound of it stirs one's energies, and makes one feel the inspiration to be up and at work doing things, succeeding, creating, accomplishing!

And what does Ambition really, mean, pray? It means more than a mere eagerness for things. It means the deep-seated desire to materialize certain ideals which exist in the mind as mental pictures. Before one can accomplish things he must be possessed of Ambition. And before he can feel Ambition he must have the preceding hunger which causes him to manifest Ambition with which to satisfy it. And so it follows, anything that will stimulate that mental hunger, will arouse Ambition, and thus create that eagerness for action and attainment. And how may that mental hunger be produced?

There is a psychological law underlying this mental hunger that manifests as Ambition. And that law is:—that in order for that mental hunger to be manifested it must have ideals presented to the mind's eye. Just as the gastric juices of the stomach may be stimulated and caused to flow by the sight, smell, or thought of food, so is this mental hunger produced by the sight, thought or idea of the things needed for its satisfaction. If you are contented with your present life, and want nothing better, it is chiefly because you know nothing better—have seen nothing better—have heard of nothing better, or else you are mentally and physically lazy. The ignorant savage seeking to till his land by means of a sharpened stick, cannot desire a steel plow or other agricultural implement if he does not know of them. He simply keeps right at work in his old way—the way of his forefathers—and feels no desire for a better implement. But by-and-by some man comes along with a steel plow, and our savage opens his eyes in wide surprise at the wonderful thing. If he be a savage of discernment he begins to get up an interest in the new thing. He watches it at work, and sees how much better it accomplishes the task than does his crude pointed stick. If he be a progressive savage, he begins to wish he had one of the strange new implements, and if he wants it hard enough he begins to experience a new, strange feeling of mental hunger for the thing, which if sufficiently strong, causes his Ambition to bud.

And this is the critical point. Up to this time he has felt the strong Desire preceding Ambition. But now with the dawn of Ambition comes the arousing of the Will. And this is what Ambition is, A Strong Will Aroused by a Strong Desire.

Without these two elements there can be no Ambition. Desire without Will is not Ambition. One may want a thing very hard, but if he does not arouse his Will strongly enough to actively co-operate with the Desire, his Ambition will "die a-borning." And though one's Will be as strong as steel, yet if there be not strong Desire animating and inspiring it, it will not manifest as Ambition.

To manifest Ambition fully, one must first eagerly desire the thing—not a mere "wanting" or "wishing" for it, but a fierce, eager, consuming hunger which demands satisfaction. And then one must have a Will aroused sufficiently strong to go out and get that which Desire is demanding. These two elements constitute the activity of Ambition.

Look around you at the successful men of the world in any line of human effort and endeavor, and you will see that they all have Ambition strongly developed. They have the fierce craving of Desire for things, and the firm Will which will brook no interference with the satisfaction of the Desire. Study the lives of Caesar, Napoleon, and their modern counterparts, the Twentieth Century Captains of Industry, and you will see the glare of this fierce Ambition burning brightly and hotly within them.

The trouble with the majority of the people is that they have been taught that one should take what was given him and be content. But this is not Nature's way. Nature implants in each living being a strong desire for that which is necessary for its wellbeing and nourishment, and a strong will to gratify that natural desire. On all sides in Nature, you may see this law in effect. The plant and the animal obey it, and are not afraid. But Man, as he ascended the scale of evolution, while seeing the necessity and advantage of curbing and restraining certain tendencies and desires, which if freely gratified would work harm on himself and upon society, has swung to the other extreme. In cutting off the dead branches of Desire, he has lopped off some live ones at the same time—that is, the majority of men have—the few who haven't reach out and gather to themselves the good things of life, throwing the "cores" and leavings to the rest.

There is no earthly reason why a man should not earnestly desire the good things of life—no reason why he should not stimulate that fierce hunger for attainment by painting mental pictures of what he needs—by looking upon the good things in the world in the possession of others, so that he can see what he wants. "But does this not arouse covetousness?" you may ask. Not at all—you are not coveting the things the others have, but are merely desiring other things like them. You are willing that these other people should retain their things, but are demanding similar good things for yourself. This is not covetousness, but laudable Ambition.

And laudable Ambition is all right There is enough of the good things of live in this world for all of us, if we demand them, and reach out for them. Demand causes supply, in and under the LAW, so be not afraid. Arouse your Ambition—it is a good thing and not something of which to be ashamed. Urge it on—feed it—stimulate its growth. It is not a foul weed, but a strong, vigorous, healthy plant in the garden of life, bearing more fruit than any other growing thing there.

Do not let the argument that men have used Ambition to accomplish evil ends disconcert you. Every natural law is capable of being used for good or evil. Because any law has been used for evil, it is no reason why those who desire to do good should avoid it, and refrain from using it for right purposes. To do so would be like the Angels of Light running away and leaving the powers of darkness in possession of all the good things of the world. The best way is to grasp the weapon and turn it against the enemy.

The LAW is there awaiting man's use. If you prefer to leave it for the evil disposed persons, very well, that is your own loss. But the wise, the sane, the strong men of the day are now reaching out for the use of the LAW and are accomplishing great things by reason of it. When the Many use the LAW, the Few will cease to be the sole possessors of the good things of life, which alas! so many of them have misused. When the secret is generally known, the evil will be eradicated and good will supersede it.

Therefore, be not afraid to stand boldly out, crying: "I want this, and I am going to have it! It is my rightful heritage, and I demand it of the LAW!" Be ambitious to attain financial Success because that is the goal for which you are striving.