I recently got a fortune cookie that said, "Do not let great ambitions overshadow small success." This one made me think. I thought about both halves. What are my great ambitions? What are the small successes? There are definitely days when I feel neither ambitious nor successful. I'm not sure which one makes me feel worse.
In thinking about it, though, I realize that I do have some long term goals. I want to run a marathon. I would like to have a strong marriage and a good relationship with my kids for the rest of my life. And I hope to make a significant difference in this world. These seem like good lifetime goals, that are not easy, but are attainable. Not really ambitious, though, right?
I've been thinking about the small successes too. While I don't always feel successful in my roles of wife and mother, I realize that if I'm paying attention, I can see the successes. The things that I do each day for my husband and kids are immeasurable in their impact. When I see and hear about the way my kids interact with each other and with the world around them, I know my work is not in vain. There are days that feel like just getting to the end of them, without any major problems, is a minor success all its own. When I think about the relationship that I have with Gary, and I know all the work that we've put into it, I can see the fruits of my labor (and his!).
So, do all the small successes add up to the realization of my great ambitions? Can I settle into the daily grind, celebrating the small things, and knowing that through them, I'm making a significant difference? Is it ok to just have attainable ambitions without being particularly ambitious? Will the recognition of the daily success stories make me feel more successful in general?
When it is all said and done, I hope that what I do each day, will bring me closer to my long term goals -- especially as I strive not to let the worry over my great ambitions overshadow all the small success in my life!
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