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Archive for May, 2009
For many of us in the US, today is one of those special days that heralds the beginnning of a LONG weekend! A FREE day sitting at the official beginning of summer - the Memorial Day weekend. So, what are you planning to do with your extra day?
Let’s see… why don’t we compare lists…chores, errands, yard work, maybe a little bar-be-que, browse the sales….So far not very exciting, huh? A free day .. and, if you are sticking around the old homestead instead of travelling, you have probably filled it up with the “usual” two-day weekend stuff.
I don’t know about you..but I am in the mood to do something different. I am not sure what “different” means at the moment, but different certainly feels better to me than “chores”…So, what to you think? Are you willing to experiment with your extra day? What if we create some truely free, open, unscheduled time and see what happens?
I have an idea…let’s declare a Possibility Day! Let’s clear the decks for one whole day and make room for magic to show up!
First, let’s grab our “to do” list for this weekend and look it over. Take all the tasks for one day and move them to another day. When you are finished, you will have one day with NOTHING on the list. Imagine - a day with nothing planned and nothing that has to get done!
Now, at the top, write one sentence…”I hereby declare that this day will be filled with unlimited possibilites, surprises and magic!”
That’s it ! You now have an official possibility day. Do whatever you feel like doing all day long and keep your eyes, ears and energy open. When you make room for unlimited possibilities to show up…incredible things happen…
Just Imagine That!
Tags: Possibility, Possibility Exercise
One of the marvels of 21st century living is “dollar stores.” They are truly a tribute to human imagination and ingenuity. The amazing variety of things you can find there – ranging from useful to silly – is simply incredible.
That’s what makes them such a rich playground for the imagination. Have you ever taken a hour and just poured over all the displays? It’s a great way to engage your imaginative, playful side! And, if you want to take something home – it only costs a dollar!
So, the next time you’re looking for a new perspective – an innovative thought – hop in your car and go to the closest dollar store. As you walk in, set an intention to find something in the store that will give you the answer you’re looking for.
Or, just have the intention to find something fun and interesting for your mind (or your hands) to play with for a bit.
Be open – let yourself be a kid – look on all the wondrous “toys” for the fun they can bring. Or, just marvel at the technology that makes them possible. Try to find things you never knew existed, and wonder who it was that created this…
Open your mind to all the creative genius that went into making this little place possible…and awaken your creative genius!
Just Imagine That!
Tags: Imagination, Imagination Exercise, Possibility, Possibility Exercise
Before we get into creating unlimited possibilities today, I feel like I should give you a heads’ up. Once you begin today’s assignment, be prepared to get one idea after another right off the bat…and then throughout the day. Keep pen and paper handy because your imagination is going to love this unlimited possibility creation tool and will be active all day long!
But first – a little bit of background information. Did you know that your brain has its own “seek and find” function? Once you give it an assignment, it will go to work without you having to consciously engage it! Pretty cool, huh!
Say for instance - - - you are considering buying a car and your think you want a red car. All of a sudden you start seeing red cars everywhere! Have you ever had this experience? Suddenly there seems to be more red cars on the road than you ever thought possible! How does this happen?
Well, your brain’s radar goes to work and starts “sorting” information and brings “red cars” to your attention, There were probably as many red cars around yesterday but your brain wasn’t sorting for them…so you didn’t see them. This function in your brain actually has a name – the reticular activating system, better known as the RAS.
So, today, we are going to use your RAS to be creative! Here’s how…
Find an object that is around you everyday and pick it up. Any object will do!
Now, your assignment is to think of 100 uses for this object. Ready…Set…. GO ! Start writing!
Remember – all ideas are great ideas! They don’t have to make any sense at all. In fact, by letting your RAS do its thing –things to do with this object will just pop into your head. Just set the goal to come up with 100 things and let your RAS go wild and do its thing! You can just sit back and take notes…
Just Imagine That!
Tags: Imagination Exercise
I’ll admit it. I’m a word-junky. I love words. I love finding a word that conveys just the precise meaning I’m looking for. I love taking a word and thinking about all the ways it can be used, and combined with other words.
One of my favorite techniques for stimulating thought, generating ideas, and just generally changing my perspective, is to pick up a dictionary or thesaurus.
Sometimes I set an intention first. For example, if I’m looking for the solution to a specific issue, I hold that in mind before I begin. Sometimes, I just set the intention to find any useful idea.
So, I pick up the dictionary (actually it works just as well with any book or magazine – but I love dictionaries). I turn to a random page, and read a random entry. If it sparks something, I follow that thought. If not, I choose another page and another word. It’s difficult to describe the actual process without writing a book – essentially, it’s like having a spark for free-flowing ideas.
And, quite honestly, it still amazes me how many times I hit upon a new thought, or am reminded of an old one, that leads me to exactly what I was looking for.
I think what makes this work so well is that I let go of trying to figure something out with the left side of my brain, and I just let my creative right brain have some fun.
Give it a try – use any book that appeals to you, or a magazine full of pictures, or even go to Google, type a random word, and click “I’m feeling lucky”. Follow whatever seems interesting, and see what happens…
Just Imagine That!
Tags: Imagination, Possibility Exercise
If you ever want to keep something for an indefinite period of time (a.k.a. eternity), just send it to me. Years from now you can email me (and send the postage) and I will send your “treasure” back to you, minus the slight wear and tear of living in a box in my garage.
Better yet, why don’t we use some of your “treasures” as fuel for your imagination! (My garage is kind of full anyway…)
Today is a great day for pack rats, because I have come up with a fun and fabulous way to use the “necessary treasures” that are hiding in your junk drawer to spark ideas!
Ready…Set…Let’s create!
1. First, pull out your junk drawer and dump its contents onto the floor, a table or any flat surface.
2. Now begin to make something out of this miscellaneous stuff. (There are no rules – use any or all of the stuff – just let your hands and eyes wander and start to put things together.)
3. When you feel the energy of building something move away from you, take another minute and add a few more things.
- Now, step back and admire your creation!
- Ask yourself a few questions.
- What is it?
- What can be done with it?
- Does it have a theme or a certain personality?
- Does a name for your creation come to mind?
- Write down any ideas that come to you and save them in an IDEA FOLDER.
- Leave your creation up for a while. From time to time, take a look at it and congratulate yourself on making “something.” You may even want to take a picture of it!
Well done! Creating something is fun, isn’t it? And, now that you have activated the creative side of your brain, be prepared for other ideas to pop into your head!
You have just turned your own junk into a treasure.
Just Imagine That !
Tags: Possibility Exercise
Remember when you knew your life was full of unlimited possibilities?
Any dream could come true…you could be anything, you could go anywhere, do anything.
For many of us, years of increasing responsibility and life experience has narrowed our focus and limited us in what we believe is possible.
Just Imagine That© exists because we know that many of our limitations are self-imposed, and that we actually have many more possibilities than we realize.
This week, our blog is devoted to exercises to help you get in touch with your imagination.
If you’re in need of some new ideas – some innovative solutions, read on…
Change Small Things
We are creatures of habit. All of us. And, in many ways, it serves us well.
It saves us time and energy, as we don’t have to devote brain-time to making the same decisions every day. Many of the things we do on a regular basis, we do on remote control. We usually give no thought to the steps in our morning ritual, maneuvering through traffic, doing laundry, etc., etc.
We have well-defined neural pathways that guide us through the more mundane parts of our lives. This is what allows us to pay attention to a conversation while we’re driving (at least most of the time.)
The flip side is that we can miss many opportunities – and new perspectives – if we over-do it.
Here’s an example from my life: Obviously, I see my house every day. I walk through it and do what I do, without much thought. When I’m expecting guests, however, I really look at my house. I suddenly notice the pile of papers that’s accumulated on the table, and the dust that magically appeared. You get the point.
Without a conscious effort, I overlook things that are right in front of me.
Here’s an exercise to help change your perspective:
Pick one small thing that you normally do in remote control mode, and change it up a bit.
- Take a new route to work (even if it’s longer)
- Do your reading in another room
- Try a new grocery store
- Really pay attention to your next waitress
- Count all the red cars you pass on your next errand
If you do this on a regular basis, you might not come up with the idea of the century immediately, but you will certainly change your mental energy a bit, and you never know where that might lead.
Just Imagine That!
Tags: Possibility Exercise
Once upon a time, when I was in Corporate America, I headed a team that bought shopping centers for an investment company. The work of deciding which centers to buy was very detailed and had to be completed within very short, immovable deadlines. In order to meet our end goal, we had to hit deadlines all along the way.
I went to a toy store and bought a battery-operated, stuffed giraffe that makes really cute (somewhat obnoxious) noises and walks across the floor. I went back to the office and called a “giraffe party.” We gathered in my office, reported our successes, clapped for each other and were “honored” by the giraffe. We weren’t closing a deal that day. But we had hit our interim goals and I declared this TIME FOR CELEBRATION! The ritual of regular and frequent giraffe parties became a standing policy in our department.
How silly, you say. You’re right…it was silly…and IT WORKED! By talking time to celebrate what we accomplished along the way to our ultimate goal, we were energized and more enthusiastic about each step! We did a better job and we enjoyed it more.
So, have you ever had a giraffe party for yourself? When was the last time you patted yourself on the back for accomplishing things on your to-do list for any given day?
Remember - everything you do is a victory because it (1) produces a result that moves you closer to what you want or (2) gives you information that you can use to change what you are doing so that you move in a more productive direction. BOTH ARE CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION!
Today, come up with some way to celebrate that delights you and rewards you! Make it simple. THEN DO IT!
When you celebrate along the way, you will create more things to celebrate…
Just imagine that !
Tags: Priority
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