Your imagination could [probably] be put to better use.

If I were to ask you to make a list of three things that you know are true, you might say things like the following:

“The sky is blue.”

“Today is Thursday.”

“The sun is hot.”

And you would be right [phew!].

Now, there are some things that are obviously and definitely not true. For example, today is Friday is not true. Or, “The sun is cold” is also not true.

There are also things that are really not true…not yet, at least.

These are the things we assume/make up/imagine about our present – and about our future.

I know you’ve done this because everyone has at some point. For instance, let’s say a group of colleagues has a fantastic boss that they adore. Then they find out that they will be getting a new boss in six months, with no other information. What happens is that they are now left with time and space to begin making up all sorts of interesting things about what will happen. Maybe they are worried about the new boss being unfair, or too tough, or difficult to get along with…or worse.

Probably no one is going, “Oh, I just can’t wait for this new person!”

What if we put our imagination to better use? In other words, we can imagine all sorts of horrible and upsetting things happening in our future and assume the worst…couldn’t we also, then, imagine wonderful and awesome things for the future? And if we insist on continuing to “assume”, couldn’t we then just assume the best?

Well, the short answer is that we could. But we don’t. No, we really don’t.

Instead, we focus on all the terrible possibilities and on the negative consequences or outcomes.

Maybe you don’t – fine. I’ll bet you know at least five or more people that do.

Just think for a few seconds…what if your thoughts became your beliefs? And what if your beliefs became your actions? And what if your actions became your habits? And so on and so on until the thoughts that you were thinking actually became…your reality?

Would you start to think differently?

Even now, are you catastrophizing about how difficult it will be to change the way you think?

Or are you thinking, “Cool, Laura, that’s really something I could do! I’m going to start right away!”

My mentor, Bob, has quoted Einstein as having said, “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”

I don’t know about you, but I love watching good movies.

Popcorn, anyone?