The dangers of excessive ambition

5 facts that can impact your happiness

This is the fifth article in a series where I explore why we compare ourselves to others and share five key facts that can impact your happiness, emotions, thoughts, and daily life.

Among musicians, we have the tendency to compare ourselves to the best.

There are many famous and successful musicians who can inspire your career. Being ambitious is very important; it helps us develop continuously and gives us a sense of purpose.

Ambition is good in the right dose, but it can be a double-edged sword!

And the real question is: how can I tell if my ambition is unhealthy?

When your ambition leads to frustration and unfulfillment as you compare yourself to people ahead of you, it may mean your expectations are too high.

Personal and musical development has its stages, which are difficult to skip. Everything takes time and dedication. There are shortcuts, but sometimes they don’t pay off in the long run.

It’s like starting your guitar lessons right away with barre chords. It will hurt—our fingers aren’t used to the pressure against the strings, let alone pressing six strings at once with one finger! It’s very painful! 😬 Most beginners will get discouraged because the pain in their fingers will bother them, and the chords won’t sound the way they want. The key is to have patience until the student can overcome this first stage. As ambitious as the learner is, the process of toughening up their fingers for guitar can take weeks, or even months, in some cases.

If your dream is to have the technique and sound of James Galway, to charm on stage like Emmanuel Pahud, or to have a perfect staccato like Michael Martin Kofler, that’s great. But remember, you cannot take shortcuts—you must go through certain stages to acquire those skills. Galway, Pahud, and Kofler also needed time and experience to master them.

In my next article, I’ll share more key facts that can impact your happiness when comparing yourself to others. Subscribe to this newsletter so you don’t miss any updates!

See you next week!