When faced with a rugged terrain of challenges, we often find ourselves grappling with self-doubt and exhaustion. Yet amidst such trying times, somehow we manage to take another step, push a little harder and carve out our path to new heights. We seldom pause to admire our own journey, to celebrate the grit and perseverance it took to get us to where we are today.

Let me ask you this – when was the last time you admired yourself? It may sound like a trivial question, wrapped in vanity. However, I assure you it is far from it. We live in a world that is often quick to critique and slow to recognize. The scales of self-acknowledgment are heavily tilted, and it's time we recalibrate them.

Reflect on your journey. As the founder of Success Insider, I discovered early in my career that our past can serve as our greatest mentor. Embrace the wisdom it brings and utilize it to shape your future. Each twist, each turn has led you here, honed your every skill, refined your every thought and belief. No matter how messy, how chaotic, consider the chiseling that led to your being.

Take my experience in crafting the LMA course, for instance. Hours, days, and weeks spent submerged in research, brainstorming, and creating. Each stroke I put into the course was not just a flash of inspiration, but was built on years of accumulated knowledge, experiences, and relentless dedication. It was not an overnight success, it was a journey – one I am proud of.

Often times, we are so enraptured by the view at the summit that we conveniently overlook the steep journey that got us there. The mental and emotional fortitude, the raw perseverance, the unwavering determination – it's these invisible markers of success that need our acknowledgment, our admiration. For it’s not always about the final product, but the raw materials that were diligently crafted to build it.

Reflect, therefore, not only on your successes, but also on your attempts, your strivings, and your doggedness. Like the rich tapestry woven with intricate threads, your journey is unique, strung together by stories of triumph, failure, growth, and resilience. Each knot, each loop is a testament to your strength and innovation.

As I pen down these words, I cannot help but be reminded of a quote by a wise mentor that beautifully encapsulates this ethos, “A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure”. Isn't that a powerful sentiment? To think that all our trials, tribulations are but a pathway chiseling us into the diamond we are destined to be.

As you continue your journey, I implore you to inundate yourself with a wave of admiration for the person you've become. Celebrate not just the culmination, but the process, the sweat, the resilience. Hold in admiration the imperfectly perfect creature of persistence you have become. This is not an exercise in vanity, but one in fortitude. It's not about basking in the glory of achievements, but acknowledging and respecting the strength we wielded in the face of trials.

Admiration for one’s process and progression leads to a well of self-belief and conscious evolution, underpinning the journey of personal development. This process is deeply intertwined with our self-image, manifesting action aligned with our dreams, ambition, and purpose.

So, how will you execute this practice of self-admiration? An emotion so powerful and yet so gentle, it fuels us to face the mountains we encounter each day with grace, humility, and confidence. Remember, the journey to self-empowerment and transformation is never a solitary one.

As we paddle through the stream of life, let's remind ourselves that in each bend and twist, we cultivated resilience. In every rapid, we held our ground. Know that these trials weren't meant to break you; they are meant to build you.

Embrace, love, admire – that's the elixir for the soul. Make it a habit to acknowledge your journey, for in each stride there's something to learn, to admire, and to appreciate. As I hold a mirror to my own journey, I invite you to do the same. Celebrate your evolution. Bask in your resilience. Admire your hard-earned transformation.

After all, the mountain in front of you is never bigger than the power within you.