Essay on Ambition Beats Genius

Submitted By awallace81309
Words: 618
Pages: 3

Have you ever wondered why some people why some people seem to be so successful in life even though they may not appear to be as smart as you? Well, the truth of the matter is the level of intelligence that one possesses is not an absolute barometer that can determine what one might achieve. There are many factors that influence that level of success that will materialize in a person’s personal or professional life. In other words, there is a lot to be said about a person’s drive, determination, work ethic, and ambition. Taking advantage of educational opportunities to enhance your potential can never be discounted. However, you can’t rely solely on what you have learned to get you to the place you want to be in life. Anthony Trollope, an 18th century novelist said, “It is a grand thing to rise in the world. The ambition to do so is the very salt of the earth. It is the parent of all enterprise, and the cause of all improvement.”

A person without ambition in life is like a ship without a rudder; He or she has no firm destination, nor the urge to make a start, and essentially reaches nowhere. Those who exhibit this mindset are tossed about like a straw in the wind and will achieve little or nothing in life. Everyone should have and ambition in life. However, simply having ambition isn’t enough, it must be backed up by continuous efforts to achieve it. If a person sets an ambition before them, but does nothing to achieve it, ambition is no more than an idle dream or a devout resolution.

As you put forth an effort to attain your goals, it can sometimes be disheartening when you see someone has not been on the job as long as you compete and then receive a promotion into a job that you really wanted, or felt that you really deserved. We must come to realize that all we are responsible for doing is our best, and then believe that our conscientious efforts and hard work will eventually be rewarded. The reality is that many employees do not push forth a diligent effort preparing and then submitting a quality application package for a higher position or a specialty skill level in the military world for which they are interested. The majority of us wait until the very last few weeks or