I heard an interesting story not long ago…
A 23-year-old woman went to the store to buy groceries.
When she got back in the car, she heard a loud noise and felt something hit the back of her head. She thought she had been shot.
She reached up and felt what she thought was her brains coming out. She passed out but woke up a few minutes later.
The young woman sat there motionless for over an hour with her hands held behind her head.
A gentleman walked by and noticed that something was wrong, so he called the police.
When the police arrived, they asked the woman to open the door. She said she couldn’t because she had been shot in the back of the head, and she was holding her brains in.
The police broke the window and made a surprising discovery…
A canister of Pillsbury biscuits that she had placed in the back seat had exploded, and a wad of dough had hit the back of her head. The woman had imagined the dough was her brains.
The young woman chose the wrong channel!
You may have heard some version of that whacky story before.
While there’s no truth to it, it’s an amusing illustration of the kinds of things that can happen when we let our imagination run wild in the wrong direction.
The story is extreme, but you should never underestimate the power of the imagination. It transcends logic and taps into the infinite field of potential where all possibilities exist.
When used in the right direction, imagination allows us to consciously and intentionally bring our deeply held dreams and desires into our physical reality.
Unfortunately, most of us use our imagination the wrong way. We dwell on negative or fearful thoughts, and eventually, they come to pass.
It’s a beautiful and simple concept when you stop and think about it…
Any image that you turn over to your subconscious mind, which is your emotional mind, controls the vibration you’re in. And your vibration controls your actions, which control your results.
Therefore, negative thoughts (images) ultimately yield negative results. Fair thoughts lead to fair results. And positive thoughts create positive results.
Now really think about this…
It takes the same amount of energy to consciously choose uplifting and original ideas as it does to unconsciously keep having the same old thoughts day in and day out.
So, it takes the same amount of effort to dream of enjoying greater prosperity and abundance as it does to think about improving by only a small amount…
Imagining having increasingly loving and fulfilling relationships requires the same amount of energy as thinking about maintaining the status quo…
And creating a picture of enjoying perfect health well into your golden years takes the same amount of effort as thinking your health will fail when you reach the age that your parents passed away.
All you have to do is…
Choose the right channel
Unlike any other creature on earth, you and I can choose our thoughts in every moment.
So, while other animals can only react to outside stimuli—to what they can see, hear, smell, taste and touch, we can choose to either respond to what is happening around us or divert our attention inward.
If you’re in a situation you don’t like, or you just want to “up your game,” you don’t have to let the current picture play on the movie screen of your mind. You have the remote control—you can change the channel in an instant.
You are the director, the screenwriter and the star of the movie of your life. So, no matter how good or bad your current circumstances may be, venture into your imagination to focus on a better reality.
And keep this in mind…
You can make energy into any form and any image you choose. So, when you tap into your powerful imagination, picture something that is truly magical.
Take a moment to do this
If you’ve lost touch with your imagination and what it can do, take a moment to watch a young child play.
Watch as the child engages in creative thought that turns the mundane into a delightful experience. It turns a torn bed sheet into a cape that gives the person wearing it special powers. Or a discarded box becomes a mighty fortress, and a bathtub turns into the deep blue sea.
Taking a few moments to view the world through a child’s eyes is enough to bring back the joy and wonder that imagining in the right direction brings.
How ordinary people can do
the extraordinary
I’ve heard Bob say that he’s an ordinary person with extraordinary thinking. Let that be true for you, too.
Instead of getting caught up in the mundane, protect your mind…
Since your mind can hold only one thought at a time, make those thoughts constructive and positive:
- Look for the best in people and ideas.
- Be constantly alert for new ideas you can use for good in your life.
- Watch, listen to, or read the news just long enough to learn what you need to know, then turn it off.
- Don’t waste time talking about your problems or your poor health.
- Radiate the attitude of well-being and confidence.
You will rise to new levels by being more disciplined in your thought life.
Your imagination is a preview of
life’s coming attractions
Your reality is merely a reflection of what you have chosen to accept and focus on in the world.
But when you turn your thoughts to what you really want to create in your life, you are limited only by your ability to envision your loftiest ideal.
Stop wasting that kind of imaginative power by focusing on your current results. It only perpetuates a “new” reality that is just more of the same.
You and I have the ability to create so much more, and it is up to us to use our imaginations to change our lives and our world for the better.
To more and better,