Sometimes fantasy can inspire us... motivate, show us what we most want in our lives and open a new door in our own head that allows us to see what's beyond possible. As an avid day and night dreamer, the images in my head have always allowed me to imagine myself in different situations, scenarios, experience simulations that remind me that I have options, can be strong or brave, or get curious and not always know what to do but still survive and thrive. My imagination has saved me countless times.
But sometimes fantasy can take us away from what's right in front of us. The illusion of what "should" or "could" be or "should have been" or "could have been" is a powerful deterrent from being with what is. I know that my imagination can also make me miserable, or think things that aren't real or even get me stuck rather than freeing me up. It seems the key is to know what our imagination, our fantasies are... to get curious about that thought, that dream, that image and figure out what it really means to us. I'm working to become a fantasy scientist, a researcher of dreams so I can use them to clarify what I'm yearning for, but then use that to create it in my actual life, now, today, here and real.
I read some research once that said kids who daydream fare better in life because they can imagine themselves as lots of different selves, find solutions they wouldn't otherwise find, see their potentials lived out for moments in their own mind. It foments resilience. I think this counts for us grown ups too. Let's all do this more... daydream... fantasize what we want...examine those images... let them clarify for us what we want and need in our lives... let's choose to grow the fantasies that bring us to a better reality. I want to move away from the fantasy that takes me out of reality, where I'm trying to escape it, and connect with the dreams and fantastic images that help us solve problems, and face what is painful but needing healing. Let's use those imaginings to create this world the way we want it to be...I want to hang with all of you dreamers who make the dreams real... who's with me?
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