Clarity Before Ambition

Socrates said the unexamined life isn’t worth living. Lately, I’ve been thinking the same thing about desire. The unexamined desire isn’t worth pursuing.

If you asked me why I wanted to buy my dad a Shelby Cobra, I could tell you exactly why. I wanted to make him happy. I wanted to show gratitude for the sacrifices he made for our family. And yes, it was also a signpost for me. Proof that I had built myself into someone capable of doing that.

Those reasons mattered. They were clear.

At the end of the day, everyone does what they do because they think it’ll make them happy. Blaise Pascal said it best: all men seek happiness, no exceptions.

But here’s the issue. Your resources are limited. Time. Energy. Focus. So when you say you want something, the real question isn’t can I get it? It’s why do I want it?

And if you can’t give yourself a good answer, why waste your energy chasing it instead of putting that effort into something you actually want?

Most people don’t fail because they lack ambition. They fail because their desires are scattered.

So ask yourself: Why do I want this?

And is it worth the effort I could put somewhere else?