Sweet Treats and Imagination
October is a favorite month with cooler days, colorful leaves, and Halloween candy. I may or may not have already purchased a bag (or two!) of candy corn.
Trick or Treating is not the norm where I live now, so I really enjoyed spending Halloween with my older daughter in Pennsylvania last year. We sat on her porch, bundled in blankets, enjoying the parade of costumed children holding out plastic pumpkins and pillowcases asking for candy.
It’s hard to define, but easy to see the difference between the child wearing a princess outfit or dressing as Luke Skywalker and the child living the role. One is still aware of her identity as little Susie Smith; the other knows he has the power to earn double treats through his Jedi mind tricks.
For some children, play equals reality. That power of play, of imagination should not be underestimated. “If you can dream it, you can do it,” is a quotation often attributed to Walt Disney, though it may have originated with one of his Imagineers Tom Fitzgerald.
As we age, sometimes we stop dreaming, stop imagining a future, and become stuck in a rut, in less than ideal circumstances. During the lock-down, I somehow got on the mailing list of a motivational speaker who talked about manifesting ones destiny. Having little to do, I listened to portions of her podcasts about breathing dreams into existence.
While some of it seemed a little over-the-top, parts seemed perfectly reasonable. We’ve been encouraged for years to imagine ourselves having our dream career. We save magazine pictures for home decorating ideas or imagine the wardrobe we’ll purchase after we lose a little weight. Can dream boards be all that different?
I don’t believe we can “speak our dreams into existence” just by verbalizing our goals, but there is some truth in claiming those goals. Imagination is part of growth. If we can’t dream it, we can’t be it. So we do have to first envision what we want for ourselves, our families, our country, and then work for it. Let’s exercise our imagination, our sense of gratitude, our belief in a better future for all.
Follow your intuition as you move toward your goals. Trust your feelings. Are you feeling positive emotions? If you’re angry, depressed, or defensive, step back and check in with your gut, your beliefs, to see if you’re on the right path.
Counter negative feelings by doing something you love every day. Be open to helping others and allowing others to help you. Above all, treat yourself kindly and dream big.