Hard to be what you can't see
You can't become what you've never witnessed. Every astronaut had a space dream sparked by someone who went before. Every entrepreneur follows patterns laid by previous builders. Your vision expands or shrinks based on the examples around you.
Role models reshape what feels possible. When you see someone like you succeed, it transforms from fantasy to potential reality. The first female CEO doesn't just break the ceiling—she shows others the path up. The first developer from your small town proves it can be done.
Exposure drives aspiration. Communities without visible success stories struggle to generate new ones. It's not about talent or potential—it's about seeing living proof that your dreams have precedent. Your imagination needs raw material to work with.
This explains why innovation clusters form. Why successful people tend to know other successful people. Why certain schools produce similar outcomes. It's not just about networks—it's about seeing possibility up close. Direct exposure to excellence makes excellence feel achievable.
Mental models come from observation. You absorb patterns from those around you. Their habits become your templates. Their standards become your baseline. Without exposure to higher levels, you can't copy what you can't see.
Find your examples. Seek out proof of what's possible. Your future self is limited by your current vision. Expand what you can see, and you expand who you can become.