Courage

How to Get Ambition

Pump Up Your Ambition and get Motivated!

Are there ways to rev up your ambition? Can you actually ‘Get Ambition,’ if you don’t have it?

Here’s my take.  When someone claims to have no ambition in life or that their ambition is lacking, I immediately question what makes them feel that way?  Are they tired?  Maybe uninspired or exasperated?  Did they give up on something they were passionate about?  A closer examination of the problem usually turns up things that are blocking their ambition OR there’s a lack of purpose to fuel that ambition OR a combination of those factors.

Let’s face it. If we are afraid to try, if we don’t desire anything, if we don’t believe we can accomplish what we desire, if we don’t believe in ourselves or are too afraid of failure, those factors will dampen your ambition.  Sometimes you just need some help or inspiration to get back on track.  How good does it feel to have allies that are working with you to reach common goals and do some good?  Maybe you just need a tribe to support you and give you encouragement and opportunities.

There is nothing more energizing than waking up each day with a purpose and something concrete to do that brings you in alignment with your purpose.

If you’re suffering from a fear of failure, and that keeps you from taking on challenges that truly excite you, that is a different problem, which requires a different solution than other common ambition blockers.

I believe working on your purpose and confidence are really solid and effective ways to stoke your ambition and motivation.  There is no doubt that courage, ambition, purpose and taking action are all very relevant to your success.

For instance, here is how fear masquerades as a lack of ambition.   Look at what I call the ‘Comfort Trap.’ Beware of the comfort trap. It’s easy for humans to convince themselves that playing it safe is really the best course of action because it’s smart, and avoids pain. It’s easy to suppress ambition and passion by telling yourself that taking risks may lead to an imperfect outcome. It’s easy to rationalize our irrational fears, to pretend they are really saving us from inevitable failure.

If you don’t have the ambition and initiative to push through the benign blockers that keep you from reaching your potential, you will never know what you could have accomplished. Are you happy with just getting by?  I hope not and this Tribe is about pushing and pushing for positive change.

I also must point out that if you’re happy with everything in your life, I don’t know why you’re reading this, so hopefully, you can find room for yourself to grow. Thomas Edison once said, “Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I’ll show you a failure.” We all can benefit from a little challenge now and then.

Don’t forget, with courage can come great achievements, but they are rarely easily won and only the committed will realize them fully.

Read more about firing up your ambition and living with courage here: The Purpose of Courage 

Get your life in gear by joining us at the Courage Academy.

Ambition to Succeed

In order to succeed, you need ambition.  However ambition must be turned into a plan that you can execute on, one that you can measure progress with and a plan that can be shared with others to get their help.

You see, part of what drives us each day is knowing we’re making progress.  It’s knowing that we have a goal in front of us and we’re working everyday to reach that goal.  If that isn’t a reality in your life, in at least one facet of your life, then you have some work to do.

Not having goals, short term and long term combined with at least a ‘back of the napkin’ plan on how you’re going to accomplish them, means your mind, both conscious and subconscious, cannot help guide you.  If you don’t have goals, then you’re planning to accomplish very little. 

On the other hand, if you have visualized some goals and thought through how you’re going to move forward to meet them, then you’ll start to feel your ambition fire up and get you excited about attacking each day.

I’m going to give you some tips and techniques you can use to visualize your goals, both short term and long term, plus I’ll share some exercises you can do to put those goals into action with a plan. 

Read the post here about using your ambition to begin gathering everything you need to create your plan.  Understanding how ambition and purpose work together will give you keen insights that are needed for your plan: PURPOSE 

Ambition is the Enemy of Success

Hey wait a minute Dave! I thought you said Ambition was something I need more of? (Read my take on Ambition here.)

Well, you’re partly right…

The truth is ambition is an incredible and powerful force that humans possess. It’s the superpower that drives us to make something of ourselves and is at the heart of all great achievements.  But as with many things in life, ambition can be used for good or for bad.

The reason I’m sharing this cautionary tale with you is because ambition has the potential to do great good but also the frightening possibility of creating bad outcomes.

In my previous writings about ambition, I brought up the concept that there are different types of ambition.  You might remember that in Roman times, the word ambitus, which is the root of our word ambition, was actually a crime of political corruption. Ambitus was the act of using raw power and bribes to win an election.  Ambition was looked on suspiciously by the Romans because their definition focused on using one’s ambition in an unscrupulous manner. 

However, our understanding of the word ambition today is broader than just use of one’s inner drive to succeed in an unscrupulous way.  We think highly of people with ambition and we want to be known as being an ambitious person.  So when does ambition go from an incredible force for good to something that is going in a bad direction?

I think a few quotes will illustrate the different ‘flavors’ that ambition can take.  They all stem from the same internal force, but you have moral choices to choose that make all the difference in how you use your ambition.

Here are 3 quotes that describe 3 different types of ambition.  

Blind

“Ambition is not a dirty word. Piss on compromise. Go for the throat.”

― Steven Erikson, Gardens of the Moon

Desire to succeed

“I used to think as I looked out on the Hollywood night — there must be thousands of girls sitting alone like me, dreaming of becoming a movie star. But I’m not going to worry about them. I’m dreaming the hardest.”

― Marilyn Monroe

Desire to do good

“I would rather be a little nobody, then to be an evil somebody.”

― Abraham Lincoln

Bonus quote:  

“If a person holds no ambitions in this world, he suffers unknowingly. If a person holds ambitions, he suffers knowingly, but very slowly.”

― Alan Lightman, Einstein’s Dreams

What does it all mean?

Now, it seems to me that out of the four different types of ambition I shared with you, it’s the blind flavor that implies no moral limitations.  Obviously it stands to reason that someone who is super ambitious need not take to crime to fulfill their ambitions, but when someone does highly desire to be seen as successful whether it be money or fame without applying any moralistic constraints, this could be a recipe for trouble.

Without carefully using your ambition within a framework of positive, moralistic behaviors, you risk applying your ambition to short term gains while hurting your long term strategy of building allies, support and your reputation.

Start on the Warrior’s Path where you’ll find all the behaviors you need in your tool belt to turn your ambition into success instead of a problem. Warrior’s Path

The Warrior’s Path

Learn how the Warrior’s Path is the way to Success

I couldn’t get control of my own life because I believed that by pleasing other people and helping them achieve their goals, that somehow this was going to make me successful and happy.  I believed I would be rewarded if I was a good boy and did a good job for others.  

Although deep inside I’ve always felt that I could do much more with my life, my AHA! moment didn’t come until I got fired off from a job that I didn’t even like.  

Why did I feel crushed by losing a job that I didn’t even want? It took me time to realize that this was only the latest event in a chain of events that finally forced me to admit that I didn’t have the balls to be the CEO of my own life. 

I knew that I had to dump the excuses and fears that were holding me back.  But I had NO idea of how or where to start.  I realized I needed a guide.  In looking for that guide, I discovered some amazing, life-changing truths.  I now want to share with you what I learned on my journey to take control of my life.

Have you reached your aha moment yet? 

I knew that it wasn’t my desire or my abilities that kept me from living the life I wanted, it was simply my fears.  When I owned up to that hard truth, it became IMPOSSIBLE for me to go back to where I was before.  I had to make a change.

My challenge to break free from my small life and do something bigger has been a long and sometimes painful journey.  It took time and experience to grow into who I am today.  It took trying, failing and I am still learning every day.  

After I was well into my journey, I began to realize there were many people just like me who only needed some inspiration and guidance in order to start off on their own journey.  That realization gave me a clear vision and purpose to my life.  That purpose is to inspire and guide you to getting what you want out of life. In that mission, you help me grow too.   

I feel that if we are brave enough to listen to each other, we can create a giant wave of human energy that can do big and great things. 

I believe that courage is contagious. 

As you know, we humans are smart as hell.  But being smart doesn’t guarantee success and it certainly doesn’t mean you’ll reach your full potential.  To achieve great things in life, you need a complete education.

But what kind of an education are we talking about? 

While we’re good at giving our kids book learning, we’re terrible at providing an education that teaches us the importance of courage, perseverance, motivation and how to cope with adversity and failure.  Since failure is actually the key to success, we need to learn, practice and grow our courage so we don’t give up when things get tough.  The reality is that almost none of us get the education that our ancient ancestors received as being part of the tribe.  What about ambition, desire, perseverance, leadership, collaboration and more?

Through my search for meaning and purpose in life, I’ve identified 21 key behaviors that contribute to creating a successful, adaptable and powerful human being.  A human being that I like to call ‘The Warrior’…  someone who is tough, resilient and courageous.

When we fill in this missing piece of our education, we are better equipped to give our lives more meaning and success.

Since it is so important to fill the gap in our education so that we can have a ‘complete’ education of the mind, body and spirit, I created a life-path that guides you through learning about and acquiring the 21 essential warrior behaviors. I call this program ‘The Warrior’s Path.’

I also created the Tribe Guide that defines the 21 Behaviors of the Warrior.  I call this the 3rdNut Manifesto.  Click to learn more.

Learn it, Know it, Live it!

Read the full post detailing the 21 Behaviors of the Warrior and learn how to get on the Warrior’s Path to acquire these behaviors here: The Warrior’s Path

Courageously,

Dave Trujillo

CEO and Founder 3rdNut Tribe

Where Does Ambition Come From?

Find out the source of your ambition and supercharge it with desire and courage

I personally believe that ambition is something that we’re born with.  Particularly when we’re young, survival instinct tells us to strive to grow up fast… we dream big.  Nearly everybody has ambition when they are young, but it seems like our experiences and nurturing have a huge impact on what we do with that ambition.  We either embrace it, feed it and let it flourish, or sometimes it just lays there without purpose.  Sometimes fate dictates our motivation and ambition in life.

Growing up poor or in tough circumstances is often a motivator to do whatever it takes to overcome and better your situation.  Adversity is a great motivator and there are countless stories from people who have achieved great things in life,  that talk about their need to overcome adversity as a primary driver in their life.  

I look at the Greatest Generation, the World War II generation as a case in point.  Their collective experience of suffering and overcoming great adversity, led to a blossoming of human achievements that we still benefit from today.  

Remember, there are different kinds of ambition. For instance, there is Blind Ambition.  This generally has somewhat of a dark meaning.  Someone who has blind ambition is thought of as a person willing to do anything to succeed including ignoring morality, conscience and respect for the law and other humans.

On the other hand, there is the ambition that involves a desire to do good or to be successful at something that is positive and respectable.

Here are some illuminating quotes about the different types of Ambition.

“I would rather be a little nobody, then to be an evil somebody.”

― Abraham Lincoln

Here’s something to think about…

“If a person holds no ambitions in this world, he suffers unknowingly. If a person holds ambitions, he suffers knowingly, but very slowly.”

― Alan Lightman, Einstein’s Dreams

Plenty of people, in fact nearly everyone, have the seed. They want. Yet if you talk to the average person, you’ll find that the seed is just sitting there, shriveling up in the palm of their hand.  Maybe they don’t know how or where to plant it. Or maybe they’re just scared of the change that would happen if they gave it a little nurturing to grow.

Read more about Ambition here: Supercharge your Ambition

Courageously,

Dave Trujillo

CEO and Founder 3rdNut Tribe

Your Ambition is the Path to your Success

Desire Teams Up with Ambition!

Your Ambition is greatly affected by what you desire in life.  Where there is Desire, action will not be far behind.

Your innate, driving force of ambition may be strong, but if you don’t know what you want, your ambition can be like a fish flopping on the deck of a boat.  Desire is what gives your ambition something to focus on.  So if you want to put your ambition to work, pointed down the road to your goals, you need to focus on understanding Desire.

The first key to turning up the intensity of desire is to vanquish the weakling imposter of desire which is “want.” This is where clarity comes in. Desire is an emotion, and our emotions are tied to what we are thinking about. As a 3rdNutter, it will come as no surprise that you’re in control of what you’re thinking about. But it does take a bit of discipline.

Is there desperation like the need to breathe when you think about what it is you desire?  If not, or even if so, have you thought about why that is?  What is it about your dream that is so special?  Dedicate time each day not just to thinking about what you’re after, but in zeroing in on the motivating forces behind that desire.  This will help keep the flame on high, and will also help you get a better picture of the impact this change will make in your life, and perhaps that of others.  You’ll also want to turn that image into high-def.   

Ambition Blockers

When we can’t be honest with ourselves about our fears, our weaknesses and failings, and when we can’t summon the courage to confront these fears, we spend our energy finding others to blame instead of trying to become a better human being.  

For me personally, it was fear.  It was my fear of confronting my own insecurities.  However, beyond just fear, I was ignorant about how to start tackling my fears and getting control.  I didn’t know who to reach out to for help. I didn’t have the skills that I needed to embrace courage because I never learned them. 

When I was young, I didn’t believe that I could truly do anything I wanted in life.  I didn’t know that I should have confronted my biggest fears about insecurity and failure.

My own limiting mindset was a result of my upbringing and the expectations that I allowed to be imposed on me.  The attitudes and beliefs that we inherit from family and friends who are playing small games can be ambition killers. If you create enough excuses and ignore your dreams and desires, insecurity and fear tend to win out over courage.  

Are you ready to change your circumstances and find out what you can achieve?  Let’s start by looking at what drives people to do great things and what challenges we must face.

Start Visualizing

Think about the way you’ll feel when you achieve this pursuit, how others around you might feel, and what your life will be like once you’ve gotten what you’re after. Don’t be afraid to go all out here…imagine the words you’ll say, the first people you’ll tell, or even what you’ll be wearing.  Let yourself dwell in the positive glow of your future achievement.  If they exist, watch videos or read stories of others who have achieved what you’re after.  By taking some time to get a crystal clear image of what it is you’re after and tapping into the emotions that will come from that, you’ll allow your desire to start running wild.   

Fear

We’ve discussed fear at length and how important it is to acknowledge and push past fear to achieve your goals.  See my post on dealing with fear in my blog on conquering fear.  Don’t Let Fear Win 

Your Circle of Friends

Do your friends share your ambition? Are they motivated to achieve? Are they passionate about growing, learning and challenging themselves? You are essentially what your top 10 friends are….just saying….. Have the courage to assemble friends around you that you need.  Success requires the courage to change.

Cynicism

If you listen to the constant noise of fear, hate, and whining that exists in the ether, you would think there is little to be happy out and little to live for. You have a choice to consume or not consume the ugly noise that surrounds us.  Turn off the negativity and commit to making yourself better instead of tearing yourself down.  Find people who are optimistic, hopeful and busy getting on with their lives. A quick way to re energize your sense of purpose, hope and optimism is to serve others.  Seek out opportunities to give back and get involved with those in your community who are making a difference and need your help.

Your Health

Your mental health and hence your energy, creativity and ability to take on challenges, is very much wrapped up in how you feel.  Are you getting enough sleep? Are you exercising and eating properly?  Pay attention to how your body looks and feels.  You will be amazed at how your energy level can change dramatically when you start exercising and eating well.  Cut out the sugar, processed foods and get out and walk daily!  Focus on healthy habits to add to your tool belt like yoga and meditation if you want to feel your best physically and mentally.

Take a realistic and honest appraisal of yourself to understand if any of these problems are tamping down your ambition.  

Take in motivating, positive messages and content daily.  Practice gratitude daily and take care of yourself if you want to see your ambition and desire start to burn brightly.

Tap into your ambition and follow it to success!

Find your guide to courage here by following the Warrior’s Path

Find out more about Ambition here. Ambition

Courageously,

Dave Trujillo

Founder 3rdNut Tribe

What does it mean to be Ballsy?

Funny that most of the slang references about being courageous all seem to relate to dudes. 

Big balls, get a pair, cajones, chutzpah, huevos, nuts, intestinal fortitude, having a 3rdNut and so on

Old paradigms are hard to change.  I find it particularly ironic, (both strange and funny,) given that courage has nothing to do with body parts.  Rather, courage has its foundation in our powerful and unique minds. Therefore, it is not only logical, but clearly the case that women have ‘balls’ just like the boys.  Probably even more so since they have to do everything that men do plus have kids. Hats off to the lady balls!  

I think that’s why the word badass is often used to describe powerful women since it’s at least not a body part that belongs to a man.

When you look at what all these terms point to, it’s really all about being courageous.  We admire courage in humans because courage is THE defining human attribute.  People that have the courage to buck the system and stand up for what they believe in and for what they demand from life are very attractive to us.  

Ballsy also implies a certain swagger and ego too…a confidence that is part of your character beyond just your brave actions. 

Let’s face it, ballsy people get more of what they want in life because they don’t wait around for someone to give it to them, they take it.

I refer you to the Warrior’s Path to find out what ‘Ballsy’ really means and then how to live a Ballsy life. The Warrior’s Path is a 4 Step guide to living a courageous and successful life.  Read it here: The Path to Living a Ballsy Life

Time for Courageous People to Grab The Steering Wheel!

Courageous Warriors Unite!

Our society and world is changing at a pace that is causing us great stress and discomfort.  The pace at which we are asked to absorb major changes has never been faster.  We are not keeping up.  It will take MANY COURAGEOUS HUMANS who value cooperation, dreaming, caring and perseverance to attack and solve our biggest issues.

You can do GREAT THINGS!

You can do HARD THINGS!

You can do AMAZING THINGS!

It takes courage to reach out to like-minded people and put aside our petty differences to work together.  But humans can only accomplish truly great things when they work TOGETHER.   To be vulnerable and ask for the help of others is incredibly courageous.  Do you have that kind of courage?

Will you be counted in with those who stand for courage? It’s time to cooperate, to listen and to help each other before it’s too late.

Let’s work both together and separately to stoke our courage and create a movement that will pass courage on to future generations. Read the full post about how to harness your courage here: Courage is the Way

How to Gain Ambition

Ambition… It’s the most basic driving force for humans.  It’s the desire to succeed, even if we don’t know at what…

We want to see it in our kids because, while almost everything else can be learned…ambition comes from your gut, you can’t teach it.  It’s a very personal trait and we have to carry it and nurture it all alone. 

For most of us, it starts early in life.  Sadly, some lose it along the way when life hits them in the face with adversity or obstacles.

Let’s talk Ambition. It’s critical to understand that ambition is only part of the story and luck is only relevant AFTER you’ve set yourself up for success.  If you want to achieve your dreams, you need more than just ambition, you also need to know where you’re going and how to get there.  Think of it this way…

AMBITION is your fuel.  It’s the power that drives us to be better and make progress in life.  But to reach your destination, you also need Courage to overcome the obstacles, you need Toughness and Perseverance to help you make the long journey, you need knowledge, and a tribe for directions and support.  Develop a set of behaviors and rituals that combine together to create an unstoppable warrior within you.

AMBITION KILLERS

Earlier I mentioned that I believe everyone starts with ambition in life.  It’s a fire that’s stoked by things you’re passionate about.  Often though, life throws obstacles in our way that tamp down our ambition.  The main culprit is fear, but other blockers include bad experiences, not seeing a way to achieve your desired purpose in life, family situations and other buzz killing events.  Let’s answer some basic questions for ourselves. The answers will help you find out what is suppressing your ambition and enable you to come up with a plan to demolish the blockers and re-ignite that fire that stokes your passion.

• Do you have fears that hold you back?
• Is your purpose clear?
• Do you have a plan to achieve your purpose?
• Do you have the right people around you to help you stoke that fire?
• Are your friends ambitious people who cheer your success?

Find out how Ambition works with other key behaviors to create the path to success. Read and Follow the Warrior’s Path here: Understanding Ambition

No Ambition in Life

Suffering from lack of Ambition?  We all have Ambition, but sometimes it gets lost and choked down to where we can’t even feel it.  Let’s talk about how to overcome the most common obstacles in your path.

Here are a few of the common conditions that have a big affect on your ambition.  It is not uncommon to suffer from several or all of these at one time. Let’s do some self-evaluation.  Examine five of the most common Ambition killers…

Desire – If your desire is not strong and healthy, then your ambition is missing a key ally and this can negatively affect your ambition. What do you desire?

Fear –  When fear runs amok and causes us to shrink into a corner, this can tamp down our ambition and stop us from running on full steam.  

Your Circle of Friends – When the circle of friends that surrounds you is not lifting you up, they become a fence around you that you cannot escape.  

Cynicism – Sometimes we grow complacent and forget all the amazing people, opportunities and great things that are left to do in life.  Have you become jaded? Unable to appreciate the opportunities that are all around you? Given up hope?

Your Health –  When we’re not feeling well, we just lose that little spark that gives you the motivation to tackle new projects and sustain our plans.  You may not even realize that you’re not feeling as well as you should.

Let’s tackle each one and explore how to get back on track.

Desire

The first key to turning up the intensity of desire is to vanquish the weakling imposter of desire which is “want.” This is where clarity comes in. Desire is an emotion, and our emotions are tied to what we are thinking about. As a 3rdNutter, it will come as no surprise that you’re in control of what you’re thinking about. But it does take a bit of discipline.

Is there desperation like the need to breathe when you think about what it is you desire?  If not, or even if so, have you thought about why that is?  What is it about your dream that is so special?  Dedicate time each day not just to thinking about what you’re after, but in zeroing in on the motivating forces behind that desire.  This will help keep the flame on high, and will also help you get a better picture of the impact this change will make in your life, and perhaps that of others.  You’ll also want to turn that image into high-def.   To help with Desire, Start Visualizing.

Think about the way you’ll feel when you achieve this pursuit, how others around you might feel, and what your life will be like once you’ve gotten what you’re after. Don’t be afraid to go all out here…imagine the words you’ll say, the first people you’ll tell, or even what you’ll be wearing.  Let yourself dwell in the positive glow of your future achievement.  If they exist, watch videos or read stories of others who have achieved what you’re after.  By taking some time to get a crystal clear image of what it is you’re after and tapping into the emotions that will come from that, you’ll allow your desire to start running wild.  For more on visualization, read about it here in Visualize Your Success.

Fear

We’ve discussed fear at length and how important it is to acknowledge and push past fear to achieve your goals.  See my post on dealing with fear in my blog on conquering fear.  Don’t Let Fear Win 

Your Circle of Friends

Do your friends share your ambition? Are they motivated to achieve? Are they passionate about growing, learning and challenging themselves? You are essentially what your top 10 friends are….just saying….. Have the courage to build the friends around you that you need.  Success requires the courage to change.  More on that in my Courage Academy which is coming soon.

Cynicism

If you listen to the constant noise of fear, hate, and whining that exists in the ether, you would think there is little to be happy out and little to live for. You have a choice to consume or not consume the ugly noise that surrounds us.  Turn off the negativity and commit to making yourself better instead of tearing you down.  Find people who are optimistic, hopeful and busy getting on with their lives. A quick way to re energize your sense of purpose, hope and optimism is to serve others.  Seek out opportunities to give back and get involved with those in your community that are making a difference and need your help.

Your Health

Your mental health and hence your energy, creativity and ability to take on challenges is very much wrapped up in how you feel.  Are you getting enough sleep? Are you exercising and eating properly?  Pay attention to how your body looks and feels.  You will be amazed at how your energy level can change dramatically when you start exercising and eating well.  Cut out the sugar, processed foods and get out and walk daily!  Focus on healthy habits to add to your tool belt like yoga and meditation if you want to feel your best physically and mentally.

Take a realistic and honest appraisal of yourself to understand if any of these problems are tamping down your ambition.  

Take in motivating, positive messaging and content daily.  Practice gratitude daily and take care of yourself if you want to see your ambition and desire start to burn brightly.  

Learn more about Ambition in the Warrior’s Path.

Courageously,

Dave Trujillo

Founder and CEO 3rdNut Tribe