One morning as I was writing in my daily gratitude journal, I was overcome with a deep and profound appreciation for imagination. My own, as well as Imagination on a much broader scope. As we watch children move through life, we can see we are all born with a vast sense of possibility. There are no limits, no bounds. In some of us, this continues, allowing for the ability to create amazing works of literature, film, art, inventions, technology, and leaps in knowledge or ability. We connect the dots, we imagine we can run faster, climb higher, reach farther, and it is within our imaginations that the seeds are planted and our energies begin to believe.
From the grandness of flight and electricity, to the more mundane in shoelaces and toasters, everything we can do, everything we construct, starts there. Perhaps we received guidance from a greater consciousness, insight from another being, or inspiration from a place. Regardless, it is our imagination that takes hold of those ideas and runs with them. We contemplate and, in our minds eye, we can see them vividly, feel the magnitude of them. This, in turn, sends the energy of them out into the Universe and so begins the dance that brings them into our reality.
What an amazing, miraculous, powerful gift we have been given! And yet, the sad truth is that for all of those still connected to this wonderful part of ourselves, there are many who are not. Imagination dwindles as we are told to grow up, be quiet, and behave. It loses its spark when we are discouraged, rejected, and judged. We slog through our days, struggling to make ends meet, feeling we no longer have the energy or the flare for fantasy. It becomes a waste of time, and all of the phenomenal things that were once possible become delusional. We may look at other adults who do these things as whimsical, or perhaps lucky, but shut ourselves down. The excited child we once were is buried deeper and deeper inside.
The problem that arises when we live this way is that the longer we go without this kind of joy, the harder it is to find. We hold ourselves rigid, unable to wrap our minds around ‘silly’ things like daydreaming and finding delight in thoughts.
But all is not lost.
The child within us is still there, waiting for an opening through which to spring forth, to play, to dance, to dream. We are able to make the choice to embrace our imaginations or not. We are all grown children, taking in what we are told about the world, learning from it, and trying to do our best, but when we reconnect with what is often thought of as childish freedom, we suddenly have the best of both worlds. We are living in a state of conscious freedom, fully aware of our imaginations, with the tools that we lacked in our youths. We can actually bring our imaginings to life.
If we were to ask, people would not say they want others or themselves, to turn into the robots our systems sometimes asks us to become. We want people in our lives who are rich with lustre and depth, who are unique and joyful. We want to be people who are rich with lustre and depth, who are unique and joyful. We want souls to shine.
If we stop trying to please everyone else, choosing instead to do what feels good for us individually, we can begin to crack through the layers and uncover the greatest parts of ourselves. Our imaginations are the birthplace of our awe and our wonder, our excitement for life and all of its many mysteries and adventures. We can come to a place within ourselves where boredom is non-existent because in this frame of mind, we are entertained within the wonderland of our own self.
Making the choice and taking the steps.
So how do we do this if we’ve lost our way? According to some ancient Japanese martial arts, we hang out with children – the younger the better. We get down to toddler level, let them teach us, share in their experiences, and see the world from their perspectives. We engage in their games and catch a ride to our own imagination.
Other philosophies promote setting aside time specifically for ‘play’ or recreating favourite childhood memories by doing the things we loved. The actual activity isn’t important, so whether we do this through music, making up stories, laying in the grass cloud gazing, abstract colouring, making forts, rolling around on the floor, free dancing around the living room, drawing fantastical pictures while letting go of how good they look, playing games, or anything else on the literally endless list, we are that much closer to letting go of self imposed restraint and reconnecting with our imaginations.
Have you ever looked upon someone with a strong sense of admiration, wondering how they came up with a key part of their life – the art they created, the home they designed, the work they do, the way they believe in the seemingly impossible, and can make it a reality? I often find myself inspired just by taking the time to appreciate another’s imagineering.
We’ve all seen the elders in our communities or even within our families, who seem to have a special glint in their eye, a bounce in their step, and a contagious laugh. Those are the people we can look up to, the people who have had their struggles, lived their lives and managed to come through all of the hardship with their imaginations in tact. They are often the people who have lived purposeful lives, who are honest and spiritually connected.
Our imaginations can lead us into the realm of soul truths, allowing us the scope to dream up all of the possible gifts and talents our lives have given us and prepared us for. All of the deeper callings that could potentially be ours, and the ways we can make the world a better place.
The powerful flow of energy we tap into when we actively engage in imagining a better life, a higher standard of social justice and environmental sustainability, and a more content global culture, is great for all of us, carrying us forward into the next age. In order to create the life we truly want, we have to first give our imaginations enough energy to dream it, to visualize it. When we put in the effort, the reward is far greater than what we get just in that moment. We find ourselves actively listening to our intuition, flowing through a life bursting with synchronicity and opportunity. We interweave, imaging greater and greater things, lifting each other higher in an endless upward spiral toward the new emerging culture of the Ninth Insight. And it all starts with each of us embracing the power of our imaginations and encouraging others to do the same.