If you were locked up in prison for ten years, how would you keep your sanity?
If you feel locked in a bad marriage, bad job or bad living arrangement, it might seem like you are in prison. The stress and depression can be unbearable.
Even waiting in long lines, traffic jams or boring meetings can feel like jail.
Fortunately, you have the ability to improve your mood in any situation. "Imagination is a good thing, not a bad thing. With daydreaming, for instance, a person can convert a not-too-pleasant existence into something livable." -- L. Ron Hubbard
Instead of feeling frustrated while sitting in a traffic jam, have a daydream about your next vacation.
You can lay in your hospital bed for hours, with nothing to do, and enjoy a daydream about a shopping trip.
You can spend an entire day in a jail cell while imagining a day at the beach.
Your imagination reduces your stress and lightens your mood. Instead of enduring life, you enjoy it. You control the dream; the dream does not control you.
Imagination is so powerful, it can do much more than make bad conditions more bearable. "Imagination could be classified as the ability to create or forecast a future or to create, change or destroy a present or past." -- L. Ron Hubbard
Destroy a Past After being married to Bill for 10 years, Julie has an brief affair with an old boyfriend. She breaks off the affair and tells her husband Bill what she did. Months later, Bill tells his friend, "I've tried, but I just can't forgive her. I want us to have a wonderful marriage, but all I can think about is her in a motel bed with her old boyfriend." Bill's friend, who knows the power of imagination, says, "Use your imagination to fix this.
Imagine she never had the affair." Bill does this. "Okay. Julie never even saw this guy. It never happened. She was shopping." He closes his eyes and puts his imagination to work. A few minutes later, he says, "Fantastic! I feel better about this.
I even think I can forgive her now." Of course, Bill knows Julie was unfaithful, but the past incident no longer ruins his marriage.
He used his imagination to destroy the affair.
Change the Present
Liz works for a nasty, mean boss. "Liz! I told you to clean my bathroom. Get to work you stupid cow!" She feels like crying whenever he yells at her. Liz uses her imagination to change the present. "I'm going to imagine my boss is only five years old and I let him think he's really important."
Now, when the boss yells at Liz, she secretly smiles at his tantrums. Liz uses her imagination to change the present.
Create a Future
Three years after graduating from high school, Charles is still broke. "I work hard at ABC Computers, but I just can't get ahead. And I don't want to fix computers for the rest of my life." Charles uses his imagination to create a future. "I will create a new website that millions of people will pay to use. It will be valuable, but inexpensive. It will become very popular and will make me wealthy." He daydreams about his new website every day. He thinks of several new ideas.
He imagines how each page would work. Using his imagination, he even solves all the problems that may occur with his future website business.
Charles arranges to get transferred to the ABC Computers website design team. When his new boss recognizes his creativity, she gives him exciting new projects.
Charles enjoys his new work a great deal. His pay doubles within a few months.
Charles keeps imagining his own website business and works on it at home every night.
Charles used his imagination to change his future.
Four More Ways to Use Your Imagination to Succeed
1. Use your imagination to feel happier. Mentally see yourself smiling and feeling good. Try it right now. Imagine you will feel energized and happy in 60 seconds.
2. If you own a business, constantly imagine how you can provide a better service or a better product. As you turn these imagined improvements into reality, you increase your income.
3. A great way to increase your income as an employee is to do the same thing. Imagine getting more work done than ever before. Imagine ways your work becomes more valuable. Imagine your boss being so delighted with you that you get raises and promotions.
4. Use your imagination to change a condition with your body.
For example,
if you are ill, imagine the disease slowly dissolving. If you have a layer of fat you don't like, imagine it disappearing. If you wish to look more attractive, use your imagination to make it so. If you wish you were shorter or taller, had more hair, had more energy, looked younger or whatever, simply imagine the change.
If you maintain your imaginary appearance over time, don't be too surprised if your body changes! Happy New Month!
