That Vision Thing…
I’ve run into a rash of small, yet perhaps significant, hiccups in – of all places – the realm of imagination.
What, you might be asking, is up with that?
I’m so glad you asked!
Here’s the rash into which I’ve run: Men (mostly) having a tough time finding – and sticking with – a vision of a future that includes what they actually want…
Why, you may be wondering, is this a problem?
Well, for starters, I find it heartbreaking, which I’ll come back to.
Consider this: I’m writing this article on a computer…
In a short while I’ll send this on to my Virtual Assistant – she’s a real person, by the way – and she’ll spruce it up and upload it to a system to set it up to for distribution…
You’re reading it on either a phone, a tablet or a computer…
All of these things started out as seeds in someone’s imagination. Someone – many different someones – envisioned all the stuff we make use of every day…
All of it.
What have all these things to do with men (mostly) wrestling with their own imaginations?
I’d assert that we’re all capable of envisioning the future. More often than not, we go about it in unconscious ways. For instance, if you’re worrying about a less-than-desired outcome of an upcoming meeting or presentation, you are imagining a possible future. If you’ve got an early-morning flight and the weather report calls for pre-dawn snow or morning thunderstorms, and you find yourself laying in bed imagining an ugly morning drive to the airport and travel delays, you’re creating a future vision.
On the more desirable side of the vision equation, day-dreaming about a vacation, thinking of an upcoming dinner with dear friends – or fantasizing about a future hot date – are all examples of imagination, often unconsciously, clicking into gear.
A bit more context: In the past month more than a couple of men, when asked to say a word or two about what they might want their futures to look like, have responded with something along the lines of…
“Oh, I don’t think about that…”
Or, “Why would I waste my time thinking about something I can’t control or don’t know how to get?”
Or, “It’s just too frustrating to go there…”
Or, “Thinking about that stuff just seems indulgent…”
Here’s where the heartbreak comes into the picture – all the stuff we use every day, visible or otherwise, from toothbrushes to constitutions, cars to computers, rocking chairs to rockets and satellites – started with nothing more than the seed of an idea, a fantasy, an indulgence of the imagination.
It takes the same amount of creative energy to worry – to imagine a future you don’t want – as it does to consciously create and sit with ideas and images of what you do want…
What’s heartbreaking is that each of these men knew they wanted something other than what they have – be it a different career, location, relationship or other situation – yet there was, in each instance, what seemed like ancient, loud and pervasive elevator music playing in the background…
The chorus to each song could have been “don’t let yourself go there…”
Man, that’s painful to witness!
In no small way that was due to the fact that each man had clearly – and unconsciously – developed the disciplines of dread and worry to the point where some of them could, quite literally, worry whilst asleep…
Here’s the thing: In a culture that habitually highlights catastrophe, pain, struggle and striving, consciously imagining what you want – without becoming bogged down in “how” or instantly attached to every detail of an outcome – is a discipline.
Disciplines require attention and practice…
There’s a whole lot more to say in upcoming articles…
Meanwhile, one place to start is – no kidding – making time and space to envision futures you want. Keep in mind that, because there really is no “imagination shortage”, there may be many, many versions of futures to look at – and let yourself enjoy the variety!
Anyone up for a hot date with your imagination..?