Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Dare to Imagine

"We are all guilty of crime ... the great crime of not living life to the full.
 But we are all potentially free.
We can stop thinking of what we have failed to do and do whatever lies within our power.

What those powers that are in us may be no one has truly dared to imagine.

That they are infinite we will realize the day we admit to ourselves that imagination is everything.

Imagination is the voice of daring." 

    
 -- Henry Miller    
What am I not daring to imagine?  When I first started thinking about this, my mind went to doing things ... being a doctor, ballerina, a trekker in the Himalayas.  While I can imagine doing those things, they don't capture my imagination, as a matter of fact they make me very tired just thinking about all the work it would take to do them.

So I turn my imagination to being things ... something that's always been much harder for this confirmed doer.  What can I imagine being? ... completely loved and loving, completely safe and comforting, completely heard and understanding, completely peaceful and sharing, completely open and accepting, completely joyful and inspiring.

I can imagine a planet where love and peace and truth spread across its surface, stilling the waters of dissent, dissatisfaction and disregard for the beauty and abundance that surrounds us, gradually returning to its state of balance and harmony, gently wrapping us in a blanket of love for all.

While Gandhi's great quote has been reduced to bumper-sticker status, it fits perfectly this morning's flight of imagination ... I must be the change I wish to see in the world.

What are you not daring to imagine?

About the image:  Three Figures by Henry Miller

2 comments:

  1. Oh Joyce -- this is powerful. What am I not daring to imagine? That I can love myself without having another feed it? That I can dance naked amidst the flowers? That I can create a world of love and harmony by contributing only love and harmony to the world.

    That this beautiful and tormented planet is exactly where it's meant to be right now so that we can each contribute our most loving selves to create experiences worth living....

    Hmmmm......

    the imagination soars.

    thanks for the incredible thoughts -- adn thanks for visting me too and leaving a path of light.

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  2. Provocative question and a wonderful post, Joyce.

    The Miller painting perfectly illustrates your words.

    I think what we all at times dare not imagine is who we are (in all lifetimes we are more than one) and what we bring to this world simply by being alive, and what we can accomplish when we allow ourselves to be what Louise calls our "wow".

    Thank you for your lovely comment on my blog.

    Hugs.

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