What if I told you that you are immensely powerful; just the opposite of powerless cog in the great Wheel of Life, would you believe me? It is true. You possess a superpower. It is potent, effective, and highly useful. It can work in your favor, or against it, depending on how you direct it. It is limitless and creative; one of the most effective instruments we have at our disposal. Do you know what it is?
It is your imagination. Albert Einstein, one of the most revered minds of the past century and in all of physics, spoke often of the power of imagination. “Logic will take you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere,” and “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”
And it is in relation to the latter quote that I would like to focus; the creative power of imagination.
Unfortunately somehow in our culture imagination became relegated only to children, and viewed almost as a childish thing. We’ve all witnessed little kids in their “pretend play,” soaring through interstellar space with a dishtowel clipped under their chin, and vanquishing the foe with a cardboard sword. We smile indulgently and remark, “Oh, isn’t that sweet!” when we observe their unabashed use of imagination and total commitment to the game.
Yet what if, instead of being just a childhood game, a child’s use of her imagination is important practice for its use in her adult life? What if, indeed.
Are you aware of how you currently use your imagination? Because the question isn’t if you use your imagination, but rather how you use it. When you imagine events or circumstances in your mind, in general, are they happy or scary?
It used to seem to me that imagining what might go wrong and planning how I would deal with it felt good, like I was being responsible by preparing for possible sad or negative events. No one was going to catch ME snoozing!! Except it never quite worked that way. The things that threw me for a loop I did not expect. They came from what felt like left field and brought me to my knees. Does that mean that I did a poor job of imagining? I believe it signifies that Life is not to be anticipated nor controlled, and any attempts to do so will backfire in a grand or small way. (Not to mention all the time I spent being unnecessarily fearful). That kind of imagining is based in fear.
What happens when we imagine from a place of love?
Applying Einstein’s quote that stated “Imagination is the preview of life’s coming attractions,” what would you like to be, do or have? What would you put into your coming attractions? Give yourself a moment right now to imagine. What comes to mind? Imagine your dreams coming true. Imagine from a place of love – happy outcomes and immense satisfaction. Imagine fulfillment, joy and peace.
Know that there is nothing naive or simple-minded about that practice. In fact, you could say it was the wisest, most enlightened way to utilize the wonderful gift of imagination.
If you would like support in gaining clarity about your desires and the life you’d like to create, please reach out.
I have an extra dish towel for you…..
