What is Imagination?
The Merriam Webster definition of the word imagination is “the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality.” Remember when you were younger and your mind took you to any place you wanted to go? Transformed you into anybody you wanted to be? From a chef, to a spy, a school teacher, to a hairstylist. Whatever the mood was for that day is where our minds went! What was even more amazing than our creative thoughts were our ability to make them feel real. What if I told you that it was possible for you to get exactly the life you want by getting in touch with your child-like imagination?
Why is Child-Like Intensity Important?
About a year ago I started listening to this online life coach, Shanel Cooper-Sykes. A lot of her teachings consist of a person stepping into the character of the person they want to be. How can you expect to be prepared for the life you so desperately want to live if you’ve spent no time practicing how to walk in it? Whatever the life is you plan to live or the next big move you plan to make, spend some time going there in your head. See vividly what it would be like to live in the home of your dreams, smell the new car smell in your Bentley Bentayaga, feel the excitement and joy when you get a phone call for that job or promotion you wanted.
A lot of times we put so much energy in imagining what would happen if we don’t accomplish certain goals or stressing on how to achieve them, we forget to slow down and put energy into something that is going to bring about good feelings. Something that reminds us what we’re working so hard for. Taking that natural ability to worry and imagine the worst-case scenario possible, and reimagining what it is we desire will help us get what we need and want so much quicker and with a lot less stress.
By now I’m sure you’ve heard sayings along the lines of you get what you put in. And by now, I’m sure most of us have found that to be true. The same goes with imagination. The more negative, hurtful, and stressful things you imagine happening to you, the more of those things that will actually come your way. The more positive, helpful, and relieving things you imagine, will be the things more prevalent in your life. Releasing and attracting that type of energy will help you obtain your goals much faster and maintain them. This tool of imagining can also help you keep in touch with what is you desire rather than what you might be feeling at the moment. Let’s face it, life is emotional but constantly reminding yourself of the end goal makes you want to push through that much more.
How to do it
So how can you start unleashing the power of your mighty imagination? Start by getting clear on what you want and what it is you desire out of your life. What does your desires look like? What would your routine be like if you had what you desired? How would you behave? How would you feel? After you’ve gotten clear on these things, go act like it’s yours! Go to your job every morning and act as if the promotion is already yours. Dress the part, take initiative like a person in that position would. You’ve also got to heighten your senses around what you want! The word “senses” is in the very definition of imagination. Go test drive your dream car so you can feel, smell, and see what it’s like to be behind the wheel. Take a trip to that neighborhood with all dream mansions and tour a house. Get a sense of what it would be like for that mansion to be your residence. The more activities you participate in like this, the more familiar and in touch you’ll begin to feel. The things you’ll be feeling and imagining will slowly begin to become your reality because you believe in it and your focused on it. The universe will have no choice but to give to give you back the energy you gave it.
At the end of the day, we’ve got to stop dramatizing what we don’t want and start dramatizing what we do. It’s the only way to keep ourselves sane in a world where there is so much distraction.