It is possible to fall into the trap of thinking that aspiration has no effect at all. “It’s just a wish! To make a wish is all well and good, but it doesn’t change a thing. It certainly isn’t the same as actually doing something!” To undervalue the power of aspiration in this way is very unwise. In this mundane world, it is the thought and the wish that counts, so do not make the mistake of imagining, as some do, that arousing the bodhichitta of aspiration is not “walking the talk” because it is, and it is also an important part of our spiritual training.

-- Dzongsar Jamyang Kyentse Rinpoche