You're right, of course... we can't make life choices for others; just like it wasn't my place to make life choices for my former brother-in-law. He was a slacker and a mooch... and he created his life to allow that.
As I pointed out in a different comment, I'm no "king of ambition." So I may take on less, in an overall sense... but the things I DO take on, I choose to do my best at,