ambition

My second wife left me because she said I was too ambitious. She didn't realize that it is only the dying who are free from ambition. And they probably have the ambition to live. Some men disguise their ambition--that's all. I was in a position to help this young man my wife loved. He soon showed his ambition then. There are different types of ambition - that is all, and my wife found she preferred mine. Because it was limitless. They do not feel the infinite is an unworthy rival, but for a man to prefer the desk of an assistant manager - that is an insult.

What strange and thoughtless creatures we were, back in those days. We would go up to the rooftops to smoke, Wurth and I; and there in the company of other insomniac souls we would look out at the vast expanse of lights and glamour. We watched the towers as they climbed higher, and higher, as humanity reached for the skies.

People with ambition don't give a damn what other people think of them.

Every man of ambition has to fight his century with its own weapons. What this century worships is wealth. The God of this century is wealth. To succeed one must have wealth. At all costs one must have wealth.

She raised herself up on an elbow, stroked my forehead & said in a hushed half-whisper, 'You will be famous.' "The seed was planted. Ambition fed on the compost of my vanity.

Follow your star, it's never too late, even if it doesn't quite happen as you expect.

If you don't have the ambition to be the very best at what you do, then what's the point? If you aim for greatness but keep missing -- fine. At least you had the guts to aim. There's honour in failing that way. But there's nothing honourable about settling for mediocrity.

If I keep pushing myself, I__l finally be somebody. I__l finally matter. I__l finally arrive._ Nonsense. You won__ be satisfied. The only thing worse than failing to realize any of your dreams, is seeing them all come true. You were meant for something more. Even if you could be known the world over, what does it matter if you have no time to be known by God?

Talent helps, but it won't take you as far as ambition.

We've had enough." He took back the report and jammed it under his arm. "We've had a bellyful, in fact.""And like everyone who's had enough," said Control as Alleline noisily left the room, "he wants more.

Talents too many, not enough of any.

The mayor was the most dangerous of individuals. He possessed, in equal amounts, unhealthy doses of charm and ambition. He was a driven opportunist.

There is nothing more vindictive, nothing more underhanded, than a little world that would like to be a big one.

My ambition is to enjoy my life and to do exactly what I want to do. And I'll do that. I will be free.

What's important is the ambition that results from our weakness.

More than ambition, more than ability, it is rules that limit contribution; rules are the lowest common denominator of human behavior. They are a substitute for rational thought.

In fact, ambitious tension actually limits our ability to succeed because it keeps us in a state of contraction emotionally and physically. It seems to give us energy but doesn't really. _Like the white sugar of mental health,_there's a short high followed by a crash. _The cultivation of mental rest or surrender is like eating healthy food. _It doesn__ give us an immediate rush, but over time it provides a lot more energy.

Emperor, king, general, duke,_ he whispered to himself. __hese are just labels. Climb up the family tree of any of them high enough and you__l find a commoner who dared to take a chance.