I make it my ambition to: 1. lead a quite life 2. mind my own business 3. work with my hands 4. earn the respect of others 5. not be dependent upon anyone
Show me a man who works with his hands and I'll show you a laborer. Show me a man who works with his head and I'll show you a craftsman. Show me a man who works with his heart and I'll show you an artist.
I don't know what my ambitions are. They definitely revolve around two points: First, living up to familial obligations. Second, understanding history and my place in it. If I never come to understand it, I suspect that my ambitions will ultimately lead to the same means and ends as yours. But I do hope I come understand it, and make history take some turn for the better.---
God gives us the desires of ours hearts. Whether or not He fulfills them is another thing altogether. I like the way that God has written you. For what it's worth - Don't trust others with the most important things. Read the bible yourself, cover to cover. Read the Koran. Read the Vedas. Read Sowell and V. D. Hanson. Life is too short for good books, so only read the great ones.
I am now on the downward slope of my life and have fewer options and choices than those of you who are younger, and my wants are far fewer. But I still care just as much, feel just as much, love just as much, enjoy just as much, grieve just as much, have fun just as much even as natural physical limitations have contracted my world a bit. And I still have life ambitions. Looking back, I think the literal definition of sin is that which harms ourselves and/or others. The effects may not be known for days, weeks, years, centuries, millenia. But the good and bad that we do will have effect on the world now or sometime in the future. I think that is the larger message of what the Apostle Paul was saying when he wrote in Romans 3:23: ". . .for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Try as much as we can to be upstanding, positive, beneficial, loving, and sinless, we will miss the mark at times and we probably sin every day without realizing it, i.e. something we do will have a negative effect on something or somebody on down the line somewhere. This is true whether we believe in God or not. So my life ambition in the waning years of life is: 1. to love God 2. to not sin intentionally or unintentionally as much as possible. 3. to do at least one good deed and/or be a positive influence each day 4 to learn one honest truth every day 5. to be as happy, healthy, active, interested, and enjoy life as much as possible. My list when I was 20, 30, 40 was much different.
#5 is a fail... we are all dependent upon others, for love, for companionship, for learning, for help (medical, auto, home repairs) for old age assistance... even if you've set aside funding to pay for those things, you'd still be dependent upon those people that you pay, money is not independence... one does not need a book to guide oneself, unless they are weak and in need... all books have been written by man, a fallable human being, that may or may not have had experiences, but more so philosphers , soothe sayers, dealing in the psyche of mankind... many are good at it many are not, choosing which book is a direct correlation to the need one has, the weakness within oneself... take things as they come dont adhere to what others think about you turn conflict into conquest dont be a burden upon others be confident & self assured
That is a good point, but it is not one that I was making. As deep and insightful as your post is, my ambitions lack depth and insight when compared to yours. I was referring to a merely corporeal balance, an economy. My 5th ambition refers to not being in need of material charity.
You have made me think so I am grateful for that. Here are mine To be content. Happiness is fleeting To continue to love and be loved To find balance thru the middle way To travel the world To stay as healthy as I can
I hate to break it to you but those ambitions may not be entirely obtainable. At least don't try to be a perfectionist about those goals.
I see them as akin to east and west rather then north and south. They are directions of travel rather than destinations.
I wanted to visit Everest base camp and never fulfilled it. I have managed all of the OP's goals, however.
Bricklaying is a type of masonry, so are concrete finishing, block laying and stone masonry. I am a stone mason. After thirty years, one is generally regarded as a master mason. I currently have a young man, in his early thirties, step up straightaway to stonework. That's akin to a carpenter skipping framing and such and go straightaway to cabinet making. I'm very happy with Brian's work. I've not seen a man take such a leap forward before. I am grateful to God that Brian is where he will not be stifled. I am proud to be a part of such a prodigy's career.