On ambition

Having some spare time, I have been reading on what successful people do, setting effective goals etc.  Nothing particularly surprising or new to me.  Though it all sounds great, I just don't see any of it applicable to me, as I haven't found my ambition.  So I googled "how to find ambition", and did an online ambition test.  Unsympathetically, it summarized my results as follows:

Strengths:
· No strengths detected (ouch)
Potential strengths:
· You have a moderate level of self-efficacy (is that all)?
Limitations:
· You have very little, if any, professional aspiration (mostly content where I am, I can accept that)
· You have very little, if any, personal aspiration (I still feel stuck fundamentally)
 · You did not have a family environment that was very supportive of ambition (hmmm)

I really need to think about that last line - as a father I don't want my boys to fall into the same self-effacing driveless attitude toward life (if they are thus naturally inclined).

As for general ambition tips, it isn't much help (d-uh).
First heading: "Write your aspirations down".  Start by putting your goals, what's most important to you, on paper, and start breaking it down it says. But that's the core of the issue: I have no goals!

Next heading: "Lacking passion? Dig deep".  What makes me smile?  where am I when I daydream?  what was I when playing pretend games as a kid?  Besides reverse engineering the quality principles built into a well-designed product, the occasional joke and kid's behaviour/accomplishment/attitude, the answer is : Nothing. (surprised?)

Next heading: "Take life by the horns". "Deal with issues that need change head on - the longer you wait, the less empowered you will feel."  I don't know how less empowered I can feel than already.  MOVING ON.

The remaining headings: "Surround yourself with supportive and ambitious people", "Plan for potential obstacles", "Reward yourself", "Remind yourself regularly", "Boost your confidence", "Motivate yourself to persist" - are all good (and very common) tips, once you're willing to take life by the horns that is.  And I'm just not there - at least I don't see how that would change anything for the better.

There is one good takeaway in all this - I need to remember to create a more challenge-rewarding environment for my kids.  And that is something I can do.

On honour and democracy

Where is the honour in cheating democracy to prove the system is broken?   Beating one's spouse to prove one's superior strength simply isn't acceptable; where is the moral difference?

Also

The Nigel/Novak affair proves that elections aren't just about choosing a prime minister- but all the people around him/her that influence his/her discourse.

rise and fall of civilizations

Interesting article. Not very surprising, but a little disconcerting for those of us living in the "new world". 
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-us-dollar-and-bretton-woods-are-finished-the-bricssco-summits-in-ufa-marks-the-start-of-a-silk-world-order/5461828  

In case you missed it, (wouldn't be surprising since it barely gets any news coverage even here at home), our prime minister has been traveling the world signing a lot of free trade deals with seemingly random countries. I'm curious what the impact will be in the emerging world economic context... is he rearranging deck chairs on the titanic, inoculating us for the inevitable, or selling us out to our new masters?