Looking Ahead: The Power of Aspiration and Vision

Success in life is determined by our ability to look forward, with our focus and attention directed at what lies ahead. Alongside this, it is of course important to recognize past failures in order to learn from them and improve ourselves.

As some have insightfully hinted regarding the verse (Genesis 19:26), “But his (Lot's) wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt,”- this is a good reminder that a person who spends too much time looking back, may end up stuck there forever.

To illustrate this point, when driving a car, it's important to glance in the rearview mirrors, but if we drive while constantly looking only in the mirrors and ignoring the road ahead, we will never reach our destination and may even cause a crash. A driver must primarily focus ahead, and only occasionally glance backwards as necessary.

The same is true in life. Our attention must be on progress and growth, and the past should only be reviewed to the extent that it is necessary for deriving lessons that are relevant for the future.

Aspiration and Vision

A successful person is driven by ambition, and is inspired by a vision that fires their imagination. Such a person lives a rich and full life, even before reaching the goal they set. Even if they don’t fully achieve the goal, they still feel rewarded by the journey itself because they derive joy not only from the outcome, but also from the process. As the saying goes: it’s important not only to find the path to happiness, but to find happiness on the path.

To succeed, one must therefore set inspiring goals that spark motivation, excitement, and a willingness to invest real effort. It’s also essential to constantly nurture hope, which is the root of all effort: the more hope a person has, the more effort they are able to invest.

Our aspirations are a vital part of our personality. Even the wealthiest individual cannot thrive without striving for more, and for this reason, G-d embedded in us the nature of never being fully satisfied with what we have: “Whoever has one hundred, desires two hundred.” If a person’s aspirations were ever completely fulfilled, they would lose their drive to act and create.

Essentially, aspirations continuously give birth to new aspirations. The more a person preserves the inner drive- the desire to grow, to do more, to become more- the more their personality will expand and evolve. They’ll remember that in order to reach their next goal, they must become “more” than who they were a moment ago. 

We must also recognize that material aspirations, such as the desire for increasing wealth, are not necessarily virtues. We must maintain a proper balance between the healthy drive for “more” and the crucial mindset of: “Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot.” A person should appreciate what they have and not obsess over what they lack. And yet, one should not be so satisfied with what is that they stop striving to overcome what isn’t- to replace lack with abundance.

A person is, by nature, an aspirational being. With the correct values, our aspirations will be directed towards that which truly matters, as we continue to strive for a life of meaning.