|
Secret #4.
The "Real" Source of Personal Power
The bottom line of this Secret (the most important of the four) is that we are all creative, powerful people, even when we think we aren’t!
I'll share my favorite quote from Albert Einstein. He said “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” This, coming from arguably one of the smartest, if not the smartest man ever to walk the planet.
Let’s look at some entries in the dictionary definition of imagination so that you can more fully understand this cryptic quote and the Source of Personal Power.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
im•ag•i•na•tion / i-maj-uh-ney-shuhn /
Noun
Entry #1) The faculty of imagining, or of forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses.
Entry #2) The action or process of forming such images or concepts.
Entry #4) The product of imagining; a conception or mental creation, often a baseless or fanciful one.
Entry #5) Ability to face and resolve difficulties; resourcefulness: a job that requires imagination.
Entry #6) Psychology. The power of reproducing images stored in memory...
Many of us are raised to believe that imagination is mostly about Entry #4 – a baseless or fanciful mental flight that produces nothing of any real value. Many of us were raised by adults that scolded us for “making things up” or laughed at us when we pretended to be a movie star or an animal or a space alien. We were told that we won’t ever amount to anything if we daydream our lives away.
As children we heard over and over, either explicit or implicit messages that imagination is OK for little kids, but if we are to grow up to be responsible young adults we must give up our childish ways and “get real.”
Let’s take a quick look at the other selected entries and see what might have prompted Mr. Einstein to say that imagination is more important than knowledge. It sounds odd after spending our youth bombarded by the messages of “You need a good education or you’ll never amount to anything” and “Stop making things up, you’ve got to see things as they really are.”
Now I know you’re probably thinking “But you do need a good education, knowledge is important” and you are right. Your knowledge is your ticket into the playing field of life. I know Albert had a lot of knowledge, so he isn’t saying that it’s unimportant, it’s just that imagination is MORE important.
Let’s find out why.
Entry #1) The faculty of imagining, or of forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses.
The most current brain research has shown that when you imagine a condition that is not actually present to your physical senses, you have brain activity in the exact same areas of the brain that would be activated if you were actually having that same experience in reality. Your brain is unable to tell the difference between an imagined experience and one that is “real.”
Entry #2) The action or process of forming such images or concepts.
If you believe (beliefs are imagined, not real) that you don’t have a very good imagination, it is that way because of how good your imagination works. You have imagined that you don’t have a very good imagination, and now your highly creative imagination is forming images and concepts that validate the concept that your imagination is not that creative.
HUH?!?
Yes, that’s right! You have made up that you aren’t good at making things up! But that’s only because you were raised to believe that you aren’t that good at making things up. So now, using the same power of imagination that someone who believes they have a great imagination, you have imagined that you don’t have a great imagination. It is the SAME EXACT IMAGINATION making these conceptual beliefs into reality for both people.
Entry #5) Ability to face and resolve difficulties; resourcefulness: a job that requires imagination
This is where the rubber meets the road. Facing and resolving difficulties requires imagination. All of life’s meaning happens in the context of relationships.
If you were raised in the wild by a pack of wolves, your life would have very little meaning, past that of pack life. Getting food and surviving the elements would be foremost in your mind, with little opportunity to make much meaning out of anything else. If you were then suddenly discovered and brought into civilization, you would be forced to face and resolve many difficulties and your imagination would need to expand in order to connect with other humans.
Without the resourcefulness of a creative imagination it is extremely difficult to produce ideal creations, like friendships and shared meaning.
And now we are on to the major reason why I believe Albert Einstein made his proclamation. It is the imagination that is central to creating our experiences. Without it, no amount of knowledge will bring about the deep fulfillment that comes as a result of developing meaningful relationships with a wide array of different kinds of people.
Entry #6) Psychology. The power of reproducing images stored in memory...
Bottom Line? There are two kinds of creative modes:
1. Looking backwards at what has already happened in your life and creating more experiences like those you have already had (even if you say that isn’t what you want, you’ll still recreate them based on Entry #1).
2. Looking forward and purposefully creating, with your imagination, experiences that will enable you to achieve goals that you believe will bring fulfillment and meaning to your life.
As it turns out, based on the Dictionary.com definition, the power to create your reality is entirely yours. In fact, nobody can create your reality for you but YOU!
All of which means that you can reclaim your creative Personal Power and apply it to intentionally design the relationships you would really like to have, and set off towards achieving that goal.
|