Shakespeare made Hamlet speak these words - 'To be or not to be'. Rather than just a reflection on indecision, I find it could stand for awareness - of trying to define what one is aiming for.
Two words that spring to my mind in that context are Admire and Aspire. The world we live in today gives us plenty of opportunity to muddle the two. Television and the Internet have made fame and fortune seem just a step away for every being on the planet. And it has made us want the moon, every second. We probably rarely use the words as is. But we definitely use what they stand for. Here are a few sentences.
I want to be famous.
I love people who fight for a cause.
I want to be as beautiful as Angelina Jolie.
I think Anna Hazare is cool.
The 'I want' statements are what we aspire for. The I like, I love are what we admire. The latter is the reason facebook works so well. It creates a space for people to admire other people for their choices with a simple device - 'Like'.
Admire is defined as 'to regard someone or something with amazement, delight' and Aspire is defined as 'to seek to attain or accomplish a particular goal.' Thus Admiration is about giving and Aspiration is about wanting. When we admire, we give all that we have to the other. When we aspire, we want all of what we see for ourselves. So let's say these sentences for what they mean.
I aspire to be famous.
I admire people who fight for a cause.
I aspire to be as beautiful as Angelina Jolie.
I admire Anna Hazare.
Envy, desperation, heartbreak, depression, anxiety could all arise from confusing where we would like to use these words. Lives can shift when we aspire for something we could simply admire or end up just admiring something we could actually aspire to.
To aspire or to admire, that is perhaps the question for our times.
