Are you one of those people who creates scenarios in your head that don’t exist in the physical world but often feel just as real? If yes, then we can count that you and I have one thing in common. I have a very active imagination. One that is so active that I can sometimes get lost in daydreams, experiencing all the emotions that they come with as if the events in thought are actually happening.
Having a very active imagination can be a solid fifty-fifty experience. On one end it can be very uncomfortable when the mind drifts off into our personal version of dystopian Atlantis. On the other end it can be beautiful to have a front row seat to watch the film of our ideal life. The side where our fifty-fifty experience lies more usually defines whether our thinking pattern is either optimistic or pessimistic. In both cases, we experience the emotion of events that are yet to or will never actually happen in the real world.
The distinction between what is real and not real is one that appears to be blurred for people with active imaginations. I guess it’s because such a person might wonder and ask the question, “How do I know that this can’t happen?”, and to be honest, this is a very valid question. How do you know? Now of course, none of us wants to always be imagining what could go wrong. At least not as much as we imagine what could go right.
In the last few couple of months, I have learnt quite a bit about myself. In relation to what I wish to communicate in this post however, I have learnt that I tend to always have some glimmer of hope even when the odds are set up against me. This is something that I sometimes have even felt frustrated about because often I wonder if I’m just chasing empty victories. Like I may just be wasting my time. Going back to that last question, I guess there’s no way of knowing what can and cannot happen right? If so, maybe this can be used to our advantage.
The fact that we just don’t know what can happen is applicable to both sides of the equation. We don’t know what could go wrong, but we also don’t know what could go right. And if we can’t do anything about what we don’t know what can we do? What do we know.
Recently, one of my friends said something to me that I could have sworn I’ve heard said before but for some reason hit me differently in that moment. “You miss one hundred percent of the chances you don’t take”. Just that. That’s all he said and all he really needed to say. You’re shying away from something that can actually prove to be good for you is an automatically failure. On the other hand, while your willingness to take your chances is not a guaranteed success, it is a guaranteed pass at your ability to bank on the possibility of everything you hope for. Who knows what will happen?
I’m sure we have all seen that quote that goes something like “What if it actually works out, entertain that thought”. I feel like the reason that quote resonates with so many of us is because we often don’t even give ourselves the chance to entertain thoughts that allow us to entertain great possibility. It seems so much easier to think and believe the opposite. This is not to say worst case scenarios should not be entertained. That would make you a poor risk manager if you will. It is to say however, that in as much as we can and sometimes should entertain some worst case scenarios, it would benefit us greatly if in the end our overall disposition is one that isn’t afraid of thinking about what could go right.
So maybe there’s nothing wrong with the fact that I still have hope even in the situations that are not ideal. Maybe there’s nothing wrong with using my imagination to fuel my optimism. I actually could be more beneficial than detrimental. A gift and not a curse. Maybe I am not delusional or naïve, I’m just intoxicated with possibility. An intoxication that I welcome with open arms.
We live in a world in which what has been deemed impossible in previous times has been proven to actually be possible. From creation to extinction, there’s no telling just how many supposed impossibilities will be rewritten into possibilities. And with a God that has proven himself able and willing to do the impossible, who are we to doubt?
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