I do not visit churches outside of my own very often, but when I do, I make sure to keep the church bulletin that was handed out that day. It reminds me of the people I met, who opened up their church to me, a complete stranger, while providing gracious hospitality and service. It warms my heart to see that people really care about others. But that feeling is clouded by the amount of self-ambition prevalent in our world. It is upsetting that our culture values these self-ambitious ideals, which do nothing more than prevent us from moving forward.

I myself have struggled with the term “self-ambitious.” What separates self-ambition and success?

Self-ambition can be simply defined as putting yourself and your goals before the needs and goals of others. How do we separate selfish ideas and put importance on others? We need to step outside of ourselves and work to make a difference in the lives of others.

Don’t do something good because you are being forced to, do it because you truly want to change someone’s life. We need more people in the world who recognize that others are important, and who also know that self-ambition won’t get anyone far in life.

It is sad that today, we rarely do good things for others. There have been more than a few times on campus where I have witnessed these traits in people, and it bothers me. Whenever we have success, we shouldn’t indulge in it alone. We should make an effort to advocate for the success of others as well.

When I meet someone who actively tries to make a difference in the world, in the community, it makes me feel thankful that these people exist in a world so suffocated by selfishness. There are good people on our campus and in our world who want to make a difference. We shouldn’t let their efforts be obstructed by the ambitious goals of a selfish few. I challenge you to put yourself in the shoes of others and realize that everything is not and will never be just about you. The people who focus and devote their time and energy on others are the real success stories.

Vel Lewis is a junior double-majoring in public relations and political science.