Tag: ambition

Categories
motivation

Ambition and Happiness

“Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don't put off being happy until some future date.” Dale Carnegie

My wife and I have a cat that is perpetually seeking the perfect lap. She wants the person whose lap she occupies to have her undivided attention. Her goal is to rest on top of our arms so that we can’t do anything but pay attention to her. She has a disconnect between ambition and happiness.

The cat is rarely satisfied. She leaves our lap not because she is content, but because she has given up on having us submit to her desires.

Cat lying on top of a Bible
Miley, the Cat, on the Word ©2022 Kevin Spear

A lot of us are like that. We want something that is just out of reach. We are convinced we won’t be happy until we achieve a goal. Our ambition drives us to discontentment if we aren’t careful.

I too have ambition and If I am not careful, I can allow it to put off happiness. I can be so focused on the future, I miss out on what good things are happening today. A quote by Dale Carnegie reminds me how foolish this can be.

“Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don’t put off being happy until some future date.”

Dale Carnegie

We can get too busy to have fun. We try to hustle today to make things happen for tomorrow. But what if we are missing out on today’s blessings?

Don’t postpone happiness! We can pursue goals and have ambitions without sacrificing today’s well-being.

  • Count our blessings and write them down
  • Have a conversation with a loved one
  • If today is frustrating, ask “What does today make possible?”
  • Go for a walk and take in some nature

It is good to have ambitions. But don’t forget we have today to enjoy as well.

Categories
cartoon children cartoons

A comedy or a tragegy?

Cartoon of a sad boy. He says, "My life is going nowhere. At this rate I'll never sell the movie rights to my life story!"

It sounds great to have a movie made about your life until you realize all life journeys worth watching involve discomfort, pain and insurmountable odds. After all, nobody needs a hero if there is nothing to be rescued from.

Categories
children's ministry cartoons Kidzmatter Magazine Magazine

Gifted and Talented in Children’s Ministry

cartoon of a mother trying to put her son in a gifted and talented programCartoon of a mom saying, “My Billy is very talented for his age. Does your children’s ministry have a gifted and talented class?”

Here’s to all the high performing, type A parents that want their kids to excel. I haven’t heard of a gifted and talented program at a church. If you have, let me know. Would midweek programming be considered gifted and talented? I think every kid is gifted and talented according to Ephesians 2:10!

I drew this for Kidzmatter Magazine.

Categories
webcomic

Find Your Purpose

Cartoon of a girl and an arrow
©2013 Speartoons, Inc

Cartoon of an anthropomorphized arrow. It says, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I feel so pointless.”

We all want a point. We all want to do something meaningful. How do you do that when you have a feeling that tells you, “What’s the point?”

We all have a point. But we won’t find it by looking to please ourselves. There are over seven billion people on this planet with needs. And it can get overwhelming thinking about that mass of humanity with needs just like you.

But I found when I reach out to just one of those seven billion and lend a kind word or deed, I discover a purpose far greater than ourselves. We weren’t born to aimlessly take care of our own needs. We were made to learn how to serve the needs of each other.

Categories
children cartoons

Achievable Goals

Cartoon of boy holding a frisbee

Cartoon of a boy holding a frisbee. The boy says, “They say start with achievable goals. Today, my goal is to catch this Frisbee®.”

The funny thing about goals is they can motivate you to get moving. But if you aren’t motivated, it’s hard to set goals. If you are down in the dumps, it can be easy to moan, “What’s the point?”

If you find yourself in this predicament, I’ve found that setting small goals can help get the momentum back in your favor. And yes, they can be a silly as catching a Frisbee® if that is important to you (and I find that to be an especially good goal if you can catch it behind your back or between your legs).

Often, I can get overwhelmed if I try to reach an unreachable, lofty  goal. If you find yourself in such a situation, break that big goal into little, reachable goals. Each positive step you take can get you moving in the right direction.