How to Imagine the Unimaginable
What does it actually mean that the future is uncertain? How can we learn to turn ambivalence and the unknowing into a curious search for what comes next? To say we’re living through some unpredictable times should be an understatement, but what if that isn’t necessarily a bad thing?
What if, just maybe, the unsure nature of our future is something to be celebrated, cherished, a cause for optimism, curiosity, and play?
When it comes to our future, we’re so used to painting a picture of what we don’t want to happen. We hear stories of disastrous climate events, hoping they will urge us to wake up and take action. But more awareness does not necessarily lead to more action. Instead, the paralyzing feeling of hopelessness and despair can cause us to become complacent, seeking familiarity rather than change.
“Once people feel threatened, they become more focused on the negative and more likely to consider how things can go wrong. As a result, they decide to act in a conservative matter.”
— Tali Sharot, The Influential Mind
Photo by VENUS MAJOR on Unsplash
Imagine the Unimaginable
(And read on, for there are prices…)
What if we practiced envisioning what’s possible? What if we expanded our minds’ abilities to think of, believe in, and act upon new visions and ideas?
This March, explore the unimaginable with me. Inspired by one of my favorite quotes — Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable by Mary Oliver — I’ve created a campaign, a call to action, to go beyond what we can see now and explore what might be waiting for us on the other side.
What else is possible? What ideas are yet to be explored? What realities are out there for us to embrace, get used to, and love?
Let’s try to peek in!
In the following weeks, I’ll share different resources on expanding our thinking, exploring the unknown, and inviting possibilities of positive change. This campaign is a call to IMAGINE — new ideas, better realities, and bold actions for people and the planet. Excited? Me too!
How it works:
Use one of the resources shared throughout the month (or meditation on your own) to envision a new reality.
Resources will include (and stay tuned): guided meditation, journaling prompts, and tips for creating mental and spiritual space to invite for new ideas.
What came through in your visualization? A thought, vision, feeling, or creative idea? Submit your answer - big or small, there are no right or wrong answers!
I will randomly draw winners from all submissions at the end of March. (See below for prices)
I will also create a post with all submitted answers — imagine how powerful this post will be! (You can choose to be anonymous)
Introducing: A Guided Meditation
What future could we find ourselves in if we kept some room in our hearts for the unimaginable?
Too often, we’re bound by our current realities, stressed and filled with worry and fear because we don’t know what the future will look like. We fear change because we don’t know what that change will bring. But we know that everything we’ve ever built, invented, or created, has come from an ability to look beyond what we know to be true now.
Our world today consists of millions of manifestations - big and small - made by people who dared to dream of something new. People who were brave enough to think of realities that lingered outside their comfort zones; who dared to believe in the unbelievable and imagine the unimaginable, and found the courage to explore those new worlds.
When it comes to climate change, the only hope we truly have is to be found in that courage.
We must expand our hearts and minds, begin to question everything and dare to dream. Because maybe change isn’t so bad. Maybe change means that things could be even better. Better in the most unimaginable ways!
I created this guided meditation to help you find the place where YOUR dreams, ideas, and visions live. It will help you broaden your perspective and trust that it’s OK not to know everything. And that the sooner you let go of that need, the sooner you can move into the future where we’re meant to be.
Ready? Let’s dive in!
And then, don’t forget to submit your vision!
