The power of example

From the afterword of an outstanding book by scientist turned Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard:

The good fortune of meeting with remarkable people who were both wise and compassionate was decisive in my case, because the power of example speaks more forcefully than any other communication.

There is something deeply affecting about such people. As I work to follow the example of my own role-models I find that my admiration for them doubles (and re-doubles) as I begin to better appreciate the scale of their achievements and -- by inference -- of their sustained effort.

The more you know, and the further you get, the more there is to learn and to do. This should inspire both humility and dedication.