Many of us express considerable admiration for individuals who by our own metrics have achieved success. In some cases, this can lead us to create in our minds a distance between the person admired and ourselves. You start to tell yourself “what he/she has accomplished, I can never be”. In that form, admiration is disastrous: rather than trying to solve meaningful challenges, you downgrade your own potential.

The thing is, the distance between the admired person and ourselves is imaginary – it is entirely created in our head. Accomplishment comes from setting big goals and acting tirelessly upon them. Change is created not by accepting naturally what others say, but by questioning all you hear and developing your own answers, based on what you truly sense is true.

Aspiration might be a healthier form of moving forward. If your aspiration is to achieve a truly meaningful goal you have chosen based on metrics you personally believe are important, aspiration is more actionable than admiration. The best and only way to make a change is to start acting!