Admiration

We all have people we respect and admire for different reasons. It is far too easy to elevate those people we do admire and to place them upon pedestals of sorts. Unfortunately this can be very defeatist because it makes the fall from grace so much harder, and so we can become easily disillusioned with our idols and mentors. This holds even more true for those who are living because they still have opportunities to make mistakes whereas we can only learn more about those who are dead since their lives are no longer in the process of being written. We are all human; we are all imperfect.

More important than admiring others, I think we should each try to set an example and to be people that we admire. Truly respecting oneself can be challenging because we are each so acutely aware of our own flaws and know how to push our own buttons, but I think that it is important to live in a way that one can look up to oneself and be pleased with his/her accomplishments, no matter how great or small.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
- Mohandas Ghandi