My high school Spanish teacher, who is like a mom to me, said it was good I didn’t describe myself as ambitious. She said that while a little ambition is good, a man or woman who is ambitious isn’t good.  She is correct.

It is not about ambition.  It is about the dreaming.

The girl from the bubble tea shop asked me what was the difference between the two.  Although I haven’t pinpointed the exact reasons, I described ambition as grasping, with clenched fists and dreaming as receiving, with open hands.

I’m all too familiar with ambitious people.  They really gum things up.  Especially in positions of authority and influence.  I’ll wave at them when they end up where they deserve to be – the varsity hell or junior varsity heck.

I once thought I wanted a high position. To make change, achieve legitimacy, protect others.  I’m pretty sure I’ll never get that nor do I want to anymore.  I did have the opportunity to advise folks in those positions and honestly, I didn’t like what I saw many times.

What they did to get there, who they were, what they did when they got there.  So many were there because of wealth, race, games, etc.  But as to actual leadership skill and acumen, I would sometimes joke that they couldn’t lead us to the bathroom.

I was a dreamer but not ambitious enough.  Maybe that saved my soul.