Be Ambitious Poem by Bashyam Narayanan

Be ambitious
But, cautiously
Keeping in view
The nature and extent
Of your strengths
And after weighing
Your weaknesses

Be ambitious of
Harnessing strengths of others
For raising a human race
For collective growth and
Harmonious co-existence
Not of developing a mass
For a mad and unquestioned following

Be ambitious
Of becoming something yourself
Not of becoming a owner
Of material significance

Be ambitious
Of evolving new values to life
Not of adding values
To things in your possession

Be ambitious
Of helping others
Realize new dimensions of existence
Not of helping them
Just to exist

Be ambitious
Of bringing more and more
Into your affectionate bond of love
Not of keeping others
Into your fold because of fear for you
Or favour from you

Be ambitious of
Knowing yourself better
Not of making others
Understand you better

Be ambitious of
Becoming a model human being
For others to emulate
Not of copying or emulating
Someone’s model

Be ambitious of
Being special
Not of forcing others
To feel that you are special

Be ambitious of
Leaving a mark of yourself
On the community you belong to
Resisting the community
Stamp on you
Its symbols, myths, dogmas
And less established faiths

Simply,
Be ambitious of
Becoming a beloved
Compassionate and
Complete human being