Aspirations Again

One word but two different Meanings

What are aspirations and my first take on the same is mentioned in this story above. I request you all to read that first, in case you haven’t and then the new one that’s follows in continuity below.

The question “What is Aspiration?” has another definition. This second definition looks, at first glance, to be entirely unrelated to what we have discussed in my first story Aspirations.

Aspiration also means to breathe in. We aspire air (and things that we shouldn’t, like food or liquids). So moving further we would think…

Are aspirations a necessity in life?

On further thoughts, both the definitions of aspiration have more in common than we might think, even though they feel apart. Aspiration, in the sense of breathing, is a physical necessity whereas Aspiration, in the sense of aiming at a higher goal, is a mental and emotional necessity. In both ways, Aspirations keep us going.

Aspirations answer the question “why?” Why do we sit at a desk every day to work? Why do we run cash registers to tally or save cash in banks? Why do we attend meetings at the office? The answers to these “Why’s” are pretty confusing despite being simple. Sometimes that answer is as easy as feeding, clothing, and sheltering ourselves, but even these supposedly simple answers are tied to our aspirations.

What are the other things that we want to do with our lives, once we are fed, clothed, and sheltered? These mundane jobs often provide for hobbies, families, and service activities that make up our aspirations. Our aspirations are the things that keep us moving through daily experiences ranging from the repetitive to the truly difficult.

Are aspirations always positive or can they be negative too?

Our aspirations are our hopes, dreams, and goals. They keep us moving purposefully through life. But are aspirations always a force for good?

Like almost anything, aspiration can have a dark side. Inappropriate or unrealized aspirations can cause a lot of heartaches. People may aspire to achieve things that are unrealistic, or disconnected from their daily lives. These aspirations could cause them to neglect important people or responsibilities that make a part of their daily schedule. Many times people set aspirations based on their culture and social pressure too, rather than an expression of personal desire. In those cases, reaching these aspirations is unlikely, thus leading to making the person not truly fulfilled.

Failing to reach our aspirations can lead to despair, resulting in those unfulfilled aspirations being a leading factor connected to a risk of suicide. Like any important factor in your mental health, aspiration is only one piece of the puzzle.

Do you have an aspiration in life?

We’ve seen how aspiration differs from mere goals or ambition. We’ve looked at why aspiration is important, and we’ve briefly considered the dark side of aspiration and believe me that all of these factors are very important for the question above.

So do you know the answer? If you don’t know what is your aspiration till now, read below a simple 3 step method, which will help you to find your aspiration.

Step 1

See if you have an aspiration or aspirations without being consciously aware of them.

Consider your actions. Are you working really hard hoping to get a good job? Is that job connected to higher aspirations? Perhaps you are content to work in a lower status or lower paid job to free yourself from other activities, such as gaming or hiking. Do you have aspirations in those hobbies? Or do the job, and the hobbies together serve a different aspiration, such as making you a stable, well-rounded, reliable person for your family and friends?

Look towards your actions and see if you can spot an aspiration of which even you were unaware, in between these questions above.

Step 2

Ask yourself “why?” Perhaps your actions don’t point you to an aspiration that you can comprehend. You can then ask yourself why you do those things and seek answers within.

There are always many answers to every “why?” question. We surely work, play, and maintain relationships for all kinds of reasons and various ones too. So find yourself a quiet space and again in solitude ask yourself why do you do what you do and see what answers you find.

After you have found the answers to your “why?” questions, think on them, grade them, and then decide if you like them or not. Leave aside all the outside pressure from family, peers, or culture that may be influencing your motivations. If you feel stuck, anxious, or depressed, seek help from a trained counselor or coach.

Step 3

Articulate your aspirations. Once you have looked at your actions and asked yourself why you do what you do, you may now find that you lack aspirations. So don't worry but take a little time to think about the kind of person that you would like to be, what is that you wish to be? Is there a specific role that you would like to fill in society? A field of study that you would like to pursue or an activity that you would like to participate in? Write them all down -word by word, phrase by phrase in a detailed description of what you want from yourself and for yourself.

The majority of you will be able to complete these 3 steps wonderfully, leaving aside a few who are in a fix. In case you or anyone you know belongs to that category you can help them leading them to have aspirations too, post-reading below.

Some circumstances make it difficult to find or even understand our aspirations. Mental and physical illnesses make it seem that life is controlled by limitations, rather than aspirations. So in such circumstances, what does one do?

First of all, remember that aspiration does not need to be sky-rocketing. They do not need to involve high powered careers or even large amounts of money. Anyone can aspire to be a better person at the least, no matter the circumstances. One can simply even aspire to a goal like being a friend who is available in the time of need, which may look small to other people, but is gigantic in thoughts and value.

Secondly, always allow yourself ample space and time to sort and figure things out. Aspirations are very important, but they are not always urgent. Sometimes all we need is just then need to survive. So, if that’s where you are, then it is acceptable to put aside the huge aims in favor of treading water while you find help.

Third and the last, if it feels impossible to think about or even to discover your aspirations, do not sit and sulk or worry. Just consider seeking professional help which will benefit you for sure. You will then be able to feel less swamped and more in tune with your wishes, desires as well as capabilities getting rid of all your apprehensions and being ready to welcome what you truly want out of life.

Congratulations! There are your aspirations.

©️ Geetika Sethi, August 2020