Graphic Version Wolf Trail

Author: Xia Zhiqiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: Since survival is treated as a career, a wolf's life is one of constantly seeking new prey as its target. It is this "wolfish ambition" that drives wolf packs to hunt vast amounts of food, thereby dominating the top of the food chain. In the eyes of a wolf, having ambition and pursuing it is more about recognizing the high value of its own life than about the need for survival and the propagation of its pack. A wolf's blood surges with untamed wilderness; its chest beats with an restless heart. Wolves are true, born ambitious creatures. The process of human survival is much like that of a wolf—it is a process of achieving one life goal after another. Ambition is necessary in a human's life; it is the step to achieving dreams. Without any ambition, a person is nothing more than a pitiful creature destined for failure, to be eliminated in increasingly fierce competition. Ambition, work, and success are the three essential elements of human activity. Ambition is the gateway to a career, work is the journey to success, and at the end of this journey lies success waiting to celebrate your efforts. His friends couldn't understand why he studied if he wasn't aiming to achieve something great. Why waste such a wonderful opportunity? Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "What I aim to achieve is something as grand as Guan Zhong and Yue Yi of ancient times. How could I settle for being a minor clerk in the small town of Xiangyang?" His friends thought he was too ambitious, but Zhuge Liang just smiled and dismissed their concerns. Later, Liu Bei heard of Zhuge Liang's talent and specially "three visits to the thatched cottage" to invite him down from the mountain. With Zhuge Liang's help, Liu Bei transformed from a leader of a "wandering army" into the emperor of Shu, ruling one-third of the empire. Zhuge Liang also proved that his "ambition" was no "daydream." As human productivity developed and the overall standard of living improved, the competition for survival in society grew increasingly fierce. To stand firm in a competitive society, a bit of ambition is indispensable. One must aim high, as a person's ambition is always closely tied to their achievements. Without lofty aspirations, great accomplishments are impossible. Generally speaking, the higher one's self-expectations, the greater their achievements; the lower one's self-expectations, the smaller their accomplishments, leading to failure. Even if a person lives in a humble dwelling and struggles to make ends meet, with grand ideals and lofty ambitions, they can still forge ahead and achieve great things. Ambition is the step toward success. Many people nowadays advocate "contentment brings happiness," and indeed, contentment can be a way of life that makes people more relaxed. However, it must never be adopted as a life principle. We live in this world and must constantly strive, constantly move toward another goal. A person without ambition is pitiful; no matter how talented they are, without the belief in progress, they will only become mediocre. Mingyu and Yezi both entered the same nationally renowned university. During their studies, both worked hard and excelled academically. With university employment becoming increasingly difficult, fortunately, a well-known international company came to the university for recruitment, and both successfully passed the rigorous selection process to secure the two highly desirable positions. As alumni working at the same company, they naturally became close friends. To others, they seemed lucky, transitioning from ordinary students to the white-collar class in one fell swoop. Yezi thought the same way; she was highly satisfied with her job and believed her past efforts had finally paid off. So, she carefully avoided any mistakes at work, fearing she might lose her job. However, Mingyu was different. After joining the company, his work was also outstanding, and he received praise from his superiors. But Mingyu felt the company wasn't the right fit for his development, so after gaining some experience, he resolutely quit his well-paying job to start his own business. Before leaving, Mingyu and Yezi said goodbye.
"What? Are you crazy! You're giving up a good job for no income? What if your business fails?" Yezi clearly didn't understand Mingyu's reasoning.
"I've worked for a while and feel it's time to venture out. 'Kings and generals are not born with fate!' I can also achieve great things and run my own business!" Mingyu said confidently.
"Being steady is enough. Don't be so ambitious. Besides, our current job offers high pay—most people would kill for it!" Yezi kindly advised Mingyu.
"Yezi, competition is fierce now. We can't be content with the status quo. A person must have some ambition. You're the same—you shouldn't just stay where you are. I think this company is still a good fit for your development, and you need to have a goal too," Mingyu countered.
In the end, Mingyu left the company and ventured out on his own, while Yezi continued to diligently protect her "stable job." Two years later, due to policy changes, Yezi's company underwent a major restructuring, and despite never making any mistakes at work, she was listed in the layoff list because she was considered "not ambitious enough." She had to start looking for a new job. Meanwhile, Mingyu had already become the president of a company.
Ambition, put simply or in a softer tone, is the desire for progress. A person without dreams is pitiful, but ambition is the step to achieving them. In the example above, Mingyu left the company because he felt it wasn't suitable for his development and sought his own independent ideals, boldly venturing into a new business. Of course, there were risks of failure and the loss of a stable job, but it was the step toward his own success, making future success possible. As Mingyu said, Yezi could have also had a bright future. She had a solid foundation of knowledge and work experience, but why did she end up laid off? It wasn't a matter of luck or fairness—it was because she lacked the ambition to succeed and to achieve great things. Today, companies need reliable and steady employees, but even more, they need dynamic, creative, and ambitious ones! A person without any ambition will inevitably be sluggish at work, and a company made up of such employees will also be sluggish. Who would want their company to become a soulless prison with no vitality or passion? At Panasonic's Philippine branch, there was a supervisor known for his short temper, but his team's performance was always top-notch. The reason was that when hiring new employees or motivating his subordinates, he would always say, "Many supervisors only expect their subordinates to do their jobs. I don't demand that of you. I don't ask for anything at all, but if you don't strive for progress, you won't have a place here tomorrow. If you have ambition and ability, the position I hold now could be yours, and I might even take a subordinate role to you!"