Every man-made thing began as an idea. Think of all you take for granted today – running water, air travel, the Internet, cell phones. Each was once merely a mad concept in someone’s mind. This speaks to the power of human ingenuity and the potential of our imagination.
Albert Einstein observed, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”
The magic of imagination is that it is not encumbered by rules. It offers access to boundless possibilities. It is the spark that gives rise to works of fiction, which transport readers to new worlds.
This is especially true of science fiction, whose very essence is to showcase worlds and ways of being that are different from our day-to-day experiences. Science fiction is particularly intriguing because it can foreshadow or inspire things to come. Consider the works of Jules Verne, who is considered to be one of the pioneers of science fiction. In Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, published in 1870, Verne’s now-legendary Captain Nemo travels the oceans in a submarine well before such submersibles were commonplace.
Like Einstein, Verne also acknowledged the power of imagination: “Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real.” To my mind, his words capture the essential power of imagination. It represents the capacity to change the world – and our lives – for the better.
Imagination is the portal to higher levels of thinking, which have the potential to unleash new ways of being into the world. So how can we unleash the power of our own imagination to enrich our lives?
Embrace your inner artist and allow it to find expression through whatever medium you prefer. Write, sing, play the guitar, draw, paint, cook, dance, take photographs – the options are boundless. Focus on simply enjoying the experience.
Explore activities that engage the imagination – like reading or listening to audio books.
Grant yourself time to simply daydream. How would it feel to be lying on a warm, sandy beach by the ocean?
Envision some changes you’d like to have in your life and experience them in your mind’s eye. See and feel the changes as though implemented, in vibrant detail. This can be an important first step in creating real change in your life and the lives of others.