Ambition Doesn't Have to Be Self-Serving

This post was originally published on August 13, 2020, on Instagram as part of Her Growth Collective.

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Guilt. What a loaded word right?

There are so many ways I could go about this topic. Today, though, I want to focus on guilt we can let go of.

So many people ask me, "Why ambition?". Why is this the thing that I’ve decided to anchor my company on? The reason is because I continue to see so many women hesitate to label themselves as ambitious. It’s an equally loaded word in our society and one that, for many women, is intimately intertwined with guilt.

Ambition involves your own selfish desires. As women, we are taught from a young age that we exist to serve others. Female children tend to shoulder more chores than male children in a household. In school we lead group projects but too often that means we carry way more than our share of the work. We are encouraged to choose careers that serve others such as nurses, teachers, childcare providers, non-profit services, or administrative and office management. Or, we are raised to believe that once we become mothers all other interests must be sacrificed and our lives completely dedicated to making our children’s dreams come true.

In American culture, it’s difficult for many women to feel ambitious without also feeling guilt for being self-serving.

Here’s the thing though... your ambition is not self-serving in the power-hungry, self-centered way that we traditionally think of it. Your ambition, if honored, is a long-term play. Stepping into your purpose means picking up the baton and running your leg of this human race. There are women and men coming after you that need your piece of the puzzle.

So today, I invite you to let go of your guilt and embrace your ambition. I’m so grateful that the women who came before us had the courage to do just that.

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This post is written in partnership with #HerGrowthCollective, encouraging women to walk the path of self-development together.