Zoe Conrad

P1
Starry
3/27/16
Ambition
A little goes a long way, thats what my mum always said. What comes to mind
when you think about this phrase? Paint? Jam? Salt? How about ambition? Ambition is a
good example of this phrase, and is often debated if it is a good of bad thing to have
ambition. To put it in perspective, too much ambition can lead to chaos and lust,
sometimes insanity or cruel punishment, and eventually a down fall. However, I believe
that ambition, when used appropriately, is a good thing.
People need just the right amount of ambition to keep them going. Singer
songwriter Joey Feek is probably the perfect example of ambition. In 2014, Joey and
Rory Feeks daughter was diagnosed with Down syndrome. A few months later, Joey was
diagnosed with cervical cancer. The couple went to treatment centers, but, despite the
intensive treatments, as well as surgery, the cancer spread to her colon and became
terminal. She decided to end her treatment in November of 2015. Sounds awful, right?
How does this relate to ambition? Rory Feek decided to blog about his brave wife, Joey.
In his blog, and to reporters, he said, There isnt a day that goes by that she doesnt look
at me and her family in the eye and say Im gonna beat this, or Im getting better, I
believe that. Feeks fans have also been a big help too. They made it their mission to get
her song when Im gone, to the top of the iTunes charts. Today she is number 7 with a

1300% gain. She is spending her last days at her home in Indiana, surrounded by the ones
she loves.
For singer songwriter Joey Feek, ambition is a positive trait. She talks about
getting better; her loyal fans try to get her to the top of the iTunes charts. For some
ambition is limited. Do you remember the name Frank Sinatra? He was a legendary
entertainer who had a musical career that was prosperous. However, only the good die
young, at 82 Sinatra died. His son, Frank Sinatra Jr. recently died at 72. This isnt happy
what-so-ever! Hold on, Im getting there. Although Sinatra Jr. Died young, he had a
long career and a fun one at that! At age 19, he followed in his fathers footsteps, coming
out with, Sinatra sings Sinatra, in which he re created some of his fathers most famous
songs. He also did some acting, being in almost, 20 shows like family guy. This artist
lived a life I can only dream to live at this point! Even though he died young, his
ambitions to be like his father made him prosper greatly.
Sadly, ambition can be a curse as well. Joey Feek and Sinatra Jr. were very lucky
and used ambition to the greatest extent they could. There has been a history of bad
ambition, however. Going back to history class, Julius Ceasar ruled the Roman Empire.
Julius was a supreme leader from 101-44 B.C. Sadly, his great Empire fell. Ceasar
projected a sense of sovereign self-assurance. There was no question that he was the boss
and considered him self the only one for the job That impression eventually proved to
be his undoing as it mutated into an imperious arrogance that cost him his life. His life,
as well as the lives of his many subjects who followed his rule, were put into peril by his
arrogance. Julius Ceasar wasnt humble; he knew he had power, he knew of his greatness,
but that lead to his down fall. Think of it this way, he got what he wanted. He had fame,

power, greatness, and he was remembered in history. As stated before, his ambition
mutated. Therefor, his ambition wasnt his downfall, his arrogance was.
Most of you are so done with this already, and some of you are freaking out
because you may be up next. I have one more thing I would like to add. In my personal
opinion, these people arent the best example. They arent very relatable. Ambition is in
every person. We are all ambitious, the girl in the back who doesnt talk much, probably
has straight As in all of her classes. The guy in the front, who always wears a jersey, he
probably is going for that full ride scholarship to an Ivy League school. Then theres: the
artist, the dancer, the writer, the creator, the director, the actor, and the teacher. We all
aspire to be something someday, whether its a multimillionaire or a housewife. Our
ambition lets us continue our lives and strive to be the best we can be. The best thing we
know how to be. In conclusion, ambition is a good thing. It keeps us motivated, and it
keeps us living. We all have a dream to do something. Our ambition drives us to reach
that dream, and to exceed our own expectations on life. A little may go a long way, but
you got to put your heart and soul into the little you put in.