For even the most loving couple, selfish ambition is a real danger, it creeps on you without either of you realising it. Some may wobble along until the end, it may also consume the relationship and with it the couple. When two people who are married have totally different goals in life and pursue it without considering each other and family, growing apart becomes inevitable. Ambition is very good and encouraged to make a significant headway in life, selfish ambition on the other hand is the real deal breaker. In the pursuit of our goals, a married couple must always carry each other along to ensure that the move and what it means to the family is considered thoroughly.

There may come a time when we must choose between that career move or business expansion and the preservation of the family unit. The choices you make will determine what becomes of your family eventually. Any move which puts the unity of the family in jeopardy must be rejected. It is true that sometimes considering the prevailing economic situation and the family’s dwindling resources sacrifices must be made to make that move and give your family the best, it is however wise to always consider the price you may have to pay for the momentary gain of material wealth. It is not every promotion or career advance that turns out to be a blessing.

In the midst of the many struggles and rigours of life, in spite of the gains or losses recorded, family is everything, the unity and happiness of the family trumps all and at the end of it all, your family is your real priced possession in the ever changing standards of assessing a person’s net worth. The sacrifices made should always be for the preservation of a family’s unity. As soon as we begin to make decisions concerning our careers without putting family first, the beginning of the end is in sight. You may think you have it all now but when the chips are down, you will suddenly realise that at the end of the day, you may have lost the things that really matter; the fulfilment and peace of mind a united and happy family provides. Success without enjoying it with family is boring and hardly fulfilling.

No matter the lure of salary increase, power or business gains, it is not more important than your family. The sad thing is that people do not realise that despite the fact that money is good and in as much as the comfort it provides is unarguable. the happiness you gain from the comfort of being able to afford more is usually short lived. Every successful man or woman has a very expensive price paid in the pursuit of that success, consider this carefully and access the price you may have to to pay before you make decisions. Once you start to enjoy your promotion and the resultant increase in your bank balance and the glory of elevation, it doesn’t take long before you start to question the value of the sacrifices made to attain that position. Will it be worth it at the end?

The insatiable nature of man will always prod you to want more and with that comes more dangerous sacrifices, at what point exactly do you stop? At the end of it all, you will look back and regret the family unity you sacrificed, the spouse you left behind and the patience and consideration you didn’t give your family. Regrettably, more often than not, the realisation of the futility of your selfish ambition and the almost inevitable regret comes when it hurts the most, very late in your life when it is too late to make amends. So before you take that big step, sit down with your spouse and if possible your kids if they are old enough, sincerely consider what it will mean to the family and always do what is best for everyone even it means making the sacrifice for family – Sir Stanley Ekezie