Just My Imagination, Running Away with Me
Swirls of color on a canvas. Voices and dance on stage. Handmade crafts of paper, cloth or found objects.
All of this will come together tomorrow in a Columbus, Ohio art show called KidzArtz that I have had the privilege of helping to organize with some Mother Artists at Work friends.
The creativity and imaginative spark that have gone into each craft, visual art piece and performance are amazing…all the more so because every artist is under the age of 18.
There is nothing quite so precious in both a child and an adult than the ability to imagine.
We imagine improvements to our relationships, jobs and lives and this helps propel us toward those dreams.
We imagine being part of a world where the water and air are clean, the energy comes from renewable sources and all the people live comfortably, healthy, peaceful lives.
Imagination is a wonderful thing.
There are times, however, when my imagination takes me places that are absolutely NOT wonderful or in my best interest.
If one of my sons seems quiet, moody or withdrawn, I can quickly find myself jumping to conclusions that are nowhere near the truth of what my son is actually experiencing. As a result of my imagination running away with me, I try to “help” in ways that often make things worse.
When my son finally opens up and lets me know what’s really going on, the troublesome situation is usually quite different than what I had imagined.
How many times has this happened to you?
Perhaps you were not invited to a party, a friend made a confusing comment, your partner is acting weird, you were passed over for a promotion or a job…. the list could go on and on.
Whatever it is that happened, you became triggered, worried or felt unclear and your imagination filled in the blanks with guesses and suppositions, from which you then reacted.
The results can be downright disastrous!
When your imagination runs away with you in this way, you can end up feeling rejected, sad, disappointed, distant and alienated in your relationships and life…and all because of the stories that you created in your mind.
“Do I know this to be true?”
I’ve blogged about this before, but it bears repeating. Byron Katie has created a method that she calls “The Work”.
Put simply, this is a process by which a person questions his or her thoughts to discover what is accurate and what is imagination. According to Katie, we can stop inflicting so much suffering on ourselves when we interrogate our own thinking, in gentle and loving ways.
What “The Work” requires is for you to recognize that you are getting caught up in your thinking and then ask yourself questions like, “Do I know this to be true?”
I know, this isn’t always the easiest thing to do.
When I feel snubbed or rejected, it is a real challenge to bring myself out my angst and then begin to question the stories that I am telling myself.
Sometimes, when I ask myself “Really? Is this true?” My answer is “Yes.” In that moment, I do firmly believe that this is what is truly going on.
At times like this, it can be helpful to verify what you believe to be true. In other words, put your imagination to the test.
Ask the person who did not hire you for the job why you were declined. Ask your friend for more information about the confusing thing that he or she said. Ask your child to share with you about what’s troubling him or her– or to let you know how you can be of support.
The answers that you get may be a big surprise. And, they may be extremely useful to your personal growth. In just about every case, the difference between what you had imagined and the other person’s point of view is vast.
Use your imagination to create what you want.
I want to stress that imagination is not a bad thing. Without imagination, none of us would expand beyond where we are today. We’d be stuck and stagnate.
Just be sure that you are using your imagination in ways that will help you to improve yourself and your life.
Keep watching and listening to your imagination and devote more of your attention to those visions that include you joyfully thriving and living the life you desire.
