The practice of making aspirations is very important in life; it is a Bodhisattva practice. Bodhisattvas aspire to do impossible things, but the force of making the aspiration puts their mind in the right direction. If we do not have an aspiration, we will not set out to do anything at all. Even if we cannot complete what we are aspiring for, at least we made some progress towards the goal. It is good to make many aspirations, including the aspiration each morning when we wake up — not to harm others, to benefit them, and to generate bodhicitta. By habituating ourselves with aspirations, some will eventually become action-oriented goals due to determination. 

Our Dharma practice really takes off at this stage, because instead of just thinking about something, we are actually determined to do something about it. Everything starts with thinking, so we should make aspirations repeatedly to ingrain them into our minds. We must have a vision of how to create the causes for change, beginning with making an aspiration, repeating the aspiration, then transforming it via determination and putting it into action. 

“365 Gems of Wisdom” First Volume (January — March) e-book is out now!