Ambition and Success in the Workplace
If you're driven by the ambition to succeed, if you want to make your mark in the workplace, pay special attention to today's remarks. While ambition can motivate us to achieve in many areas of life unrelated to our work, we'll focus on those of us whose ambitions are concentrated on their workplace, where they might take the form of a desire to make more money and attaining a higher status not only in the workplace but also a higher standing in society.
Let's first establish that there's nothing wrong with ambition, which is simply that strong desire to achieve something. But let's also establish that ambition needs to be harnessed by a conscience informed by solid moral sense. Unrestrained, raw ambition can lead to personal disaster. We all know examples of those who run roughshod over the moral law as well as their fellow workers in order to advance their own ambitions. Any Catholic worth his salt understands the dangers here: the world, the flesh, and the devil can seed our brains with all sorts of alluring prizes: money to buy that bigger house, fancier car, dine out at better restaurants, exotic vacations; add to that the attractions of wielding more power over more people, being beholden to fewer bosses. Watered by disordered ambition, when such seeds sprout their offspring will naturally reflect that disorder.
But even worse than the specific objects of our desires: our egos.
Success tends to build us up. It feeds our egos. As others recognize our success, as the rewards and accolades pile up, we start believing we're really as great as others might portray us. So before this positive feedback loop takes hold and convinces you that you really are Mr. Wonderful, remember who you really are. If you're not sure, try this little exercise offered by Fr. Joseph Schryvers, C.SS.R:
Let's first establish that there's nothing wrong with ambition, which is simply that strong desire to achieve something. But let's also establish that ambition needs to be harnessed by a conscience informed by solid moral sense. Unrestrained, raw ambition can lead to personal disaster. We all know examples of those who run roughshod over the moral law as well as their fellow workers in order to advance their own ambitions. Any Catholic worth his salt understands the dangers here: the world, the flesh, and the devil can seed our brains with all sorts of alluring prizes: money to buy that bigger house, fancier car, dine out at better restaurants, exotic vacations; add to that the attractions of wielding more power over more people, being beholden to fewer bosses. Watered by disordered ambition, when such seeds sprout their offspring will naturally reflect that disorder.
But even worse than the specific objects of our desires: our egos.
Success tends to build us up. It feeds our egos. As others recognize our success, as the rewards and accolades pile up, we start believing we're really as great as others might portray us. So before this positive feedback loop takes hold and convinces you that you really are Mr. Wonderful, remember who you really are. If you're not sure, try this little exercise offered by Fr. Joseph Schryvers, C.SS.R:
Bury yourself profoundly in the abyss of your nothingness. Try to realize the full extent of your unsightliness in the eyes of the infinitely pure God, then lifting up your heart with the confidence and temerity of a little child, say: ‘Jesus! I am only a child in the spiritual life, but I want to love You as the great saints have loved You. By the strength of my love, I long to occupy a place one day among the greatest of saints in Paradise. I will repeat this prayer unceasingly to You, I will attach myself to it so obstinately and cling to it with so audacious a confidence, that I will force You to work prodigies in me.’ We shall see in eternity who is the stronger: Jesus, the all-powerful, or His wretched little creature! ‘If after all, You do not sanctify me, it will be said in heaven that a simple and trustful soul has been disappointed in its hopes. No, Jesus! You would not bear such confusion as this before Your angels and saints!’ Entrench yourself on these heights of confidence. Ask Jesus constantly to maintain in your soul the desire for holiness; ask Him to take from you all trust in yourself; then, let the worldly-wise say what they will or be shocked by this childlike boldness. But remember this: heaven and earth shall perish, rather than the word of Your beloved Jesus should cease to be effective. ‘Amen, Amen, I say to you: if you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it you.’ (Jn. 15:13)The fact is, we Catholics have the antidote to letting success go to our heads. We'll continue this discussion next time...
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