What we do, what we have, and what we experience in our day-to-day lives is reality. As humans, we have an incredible ability to create images, conjure up scenarios, and think about things that have not even happened. This makes us unique in the animal kingdom, as deer, fish, and worms do not fantasize about the future. Only we can envision a future before it ever happens.
Like superhero powers, we can use this incredible ability for good or for evil. More accurately, we can use it to paint good images and outcomes, or we can see doom and gloom. And we have to be very careful, because our subconscious mind does an amazing job of taking the thoughts and images and turning them into reality.
We’ve all heard the saying… see it, believe it, and achieve it. I taught my kids this at a very early age. I wanted them to know the power of seeing the future as they wanted it, believing that it could be that way, then having a much greater chance of achieving that. I know I started ingraining that early on, because my daughter, Quincy, would say it, but instead of achieve it, she would say “a cheese it.”
I was at the Kenney Chesney concert in Tampa last week, when I heard Shay, of the duo Dan and Shay (one of the opening acts) express complete joy for the opportunity to play at such a venue. He said there was a time when they fantasized about playing in a stadium for sixty thousand people. And here he was, doing just that. With obvious elation, he said he was thrilled to have “turned a fantasy into a reality.”
This got me thinking about how our realities often start out as fantasies. And how grateful I am that we have this gift of visualization. We can create any image in our heads. We can see a future as we want it to be. We can dream as deeply, vividly, and wildly as we want. There are no limits to what we can imagine. And we have to remember that as crazy is our imagination can be, turning those fantasies into realities is more possible now than ever.
Think about the Wright brothers and flight. Many couldn’t see what they saw. And many were critical of what they saw. Words like never, impossible, or crazy were likely heavily used by those around them. Think about Elon Musk and his success with Tesla. He saw the electric vehicle’s potential and future long before he created it. And think about Apple’s world-shifting Iphone which rocked how we function today. That too started as a dream. A vision. Long before it was a reality.
So… what’s this mean for you? It means that your thoughts have power. More power than you can imagine. Many are where they are because of the power of thought. Those that are not where they want to be may very well be there because of thought as well… either by envisioning the limitations and restrictions that they believe to be there, or by failing to think bigger than they currently do.
If you are not envisioning the future of your dreams, start now. If you have perpetual thoughts of limitations and restrictions, stop now. There is absolutely no harm at all in creating in your mind the most amazing outcomes, the most incredible achievements, and the best possible life you can live. Think about where you’d like to be one year, five years, ten years from now. What do you want to have? Where do you want to live? How much money do you want to be making? What does your ideal body look like? Who do you want to meet? What other goals do you want to achieve?
Take time to fantasize. Close your eyes and see things the way you ultimately want them to be. Shake any limits. Disregard past failures. Expand your thinking. Include the so-called impossible. Remember… all great achievements, inventions, and progress started with a vision, a mental image, a dream, a fantasy. Your thoughts will often become your reality. Ensure that your future is preceded by the most powerful, amazing, and wonderful pictures you create in your head today.