Should you be ambitious in life or be content with what you have?

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There’s an age-old struggle between two forces in people’s mind that stops many from achieving their full potential. This is the supposed contradiction between being ambitious and being content: both qualities are well respected and even encouraged, but when they are brought together in one’s mind or heart, there seems to be a conflict, especially when it’s about one's professional career.

Let us first explore both concepts from a linguistic point of view. Let’s look at the synonyms of both words:

Ambition: drive, determination, enterprise, initiative, eagerness, motivation, resolve, enthusiasm, zeal, hunger, commitment, a sense of purpose, aspiration, intention, goal, aim, objective, object, purpose, intent, plan, desire, wish, design, target, dream.

Contentment: contentedness, content, satisfaction, gratification, fulfillment, happiness, pleasure, cheerfulness, ease, comfort, well-being, peace, equanimity, serenity, tranquility.

Therefore, linguistically, there isn’t much of a contradiction between the two concepts. Being ambitious and being content seem to serve different aspects of our drive to be the best; one drives us (ambition) and the other lets us enjoy the ride (contentment)!

Another aspect of this dilemma has a spiritual nuance to it. Muslims assume that Islam requires us not to be ambitious in this world and to be content with what we have. This statement is only partly true.

When you look at the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding ambition and contentment, you'll notice that he encourages ambition in matters relating to achieving higher personal excellence, serving a social good, and attaining ultimate success in the hereafter. However, when it comes to contentment, his teachings are more focused on being content with one’s worldly provisions and what one has at any given moment. Here are two examples of his sayings that explain this succinctly:

Regarding ambition, the Prophet (PBUH) said, “The distance between every two levels [of Paradise] is like the distance between the sky and the Earth, so if you ask Allah for anything, ask Him for the Firdaus, for it is the last part of Paradise and the highest part of Paradise, and at its top there is the Throne of Beneficent, and from it gush forth the rivers of Paradise.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Regarding contentment, the Prophet (PBUH) said, “Wealth does not mean having a great amount of property; wealth is self-contentment.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

So when you’re contemplating whether you should move up the career ladder or be content with what you have, ask yourself, “Does this ambition serve a greater good? Will it help me achieve greater personal excellence? Will it make me a better person and allow me to help society more?”

A great example of this is captured in a saying by Umar bin Abdul Aziz (sometimes known as the 5th Rightly Guided Caliph):

"I have an ambitious self, and I never achieved something except I wanted what’s higher than it. I wanted to marry the daughter of the Caliph, Fatimah Bint AbdulMalik, and I married her ... then I wanted to become a Governor, so I became a Governor ... then I wanted to become a Caliph, so I became the Caliph ... and now I want to reach Heaven, so I hope to be of its people"

Imagine if Umar bin Abdul Aziz felt that he was content enough that he didn’t need to pursue his goals: he would never have been a caliph, and all the accomplishments he made would never have been.

Yes, be content with what you have, be content with where you are in life, but don't use contentment as an excuse not to be ambitious and achieve your goals, especially if those goals will serve a higher purpose, create greater social good, and bless you with success in this life and the next.

Mohammed Faris is an international coach, author, and speaker who helps professionals and entrepreneurs achieve peak performance through productivity training and coaching. He’s the founder of ProductiveMuslim.com and author of “The Productive Muslim: Where Faith Meets Productivity”.

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