Your imagination is a weird and truly wonderful phenomenon. The ability of abstraction, the fact we can think over scenarios within our mind and contemplate which step we will take? It’s a miracle. Yet how many of us forget about how powerful it actually is?
While you’re reading this, to demonstrate the power of your imagination, just think about the most vivid dream you have ever had. And that happened while you were asleep! If I had to bet, your imagination has played more tricks on you while you were awake rather than while you’ve been asleep.
The fact is, most of our worries are because of our over-active imagination in times of anxiety and stress. And the opposite is also true: all of life’s success comes from our ability to use our imagination to dream big enough to achieve our goals.
Stretching the Imagination
Imagine yourself now quitting your job, and consider what you would do if the possibilities were endless (they actually are). Don’t worry too much – you don’t have to do this! It’s illustrative of how powerful it is that as human beings, we have the ability to think and plan ahead.
Too many people get stuck in their comfort zone, afraid to consider change. Often become anxious at the thought of impacting their daily routine, any new ideas, dreams or opportunities that come along, they immediately get shut down. Why? Because of our lack of imagination.
We cannot see what the future could possibly hold, we only see what we know it can hold. And the strange truth is: this is actually what holds us back!
As children, we are constantly fixated on what could be. God knows we only have the future to look at, since we have a limited amount of perception and experience to relate to, but the opportunities we can see? The possibilities? It’s only as we “grow up” that we become limited by our experience and the barriers we have put around our minds, either from past experiences or what we’ve been told is “realistic” and “possible” by those around us as we slowly reach maturity.
We’re told “if it was so easy, then everyone would do it.”
We’re told to “go to college and get a job.”
Can you believe most people were told they should “never speak to strangers” and yet in the same sentence they were told that opportunities are often about “who you know, not what you know”?
Life’s experiences can put a choke hold on us.
It can freeze us into our self-image, unwilling to make the sacrifices and put in the hard work needed to make the changes required to achieve our dreams.
Return to your inner-child. Call on yourself to make a decision. A decision today that could forever affect your life, and allow you to live up to your true potential and give a shot at achieving your dreams.
