The power of imagination: did you see the yellow cat?

A little girl was just walking on the street; all of a sudden, she stopped and started to look across. She was staring to a point on the wall.

Her father asked her: “What do you see, honey?” The mother looked a little exasperated, since her child was used to see things that were not there.

Smiling, she looked at her parents and said: “I am looking at the yellow cat!”

The mother laughed, that kind of cruel laughter when someone says something stupid. Even her innocent child could perceive it…

“It is there, mom, it is there!”

 

Scenes like this one were very common in the past, but not so much nowadays. Today, the father would join the mother in explaining there is no yellow cat…

We are underestimating the power of imagination, the wonderful door that opens in our mind to see what is not there.

Imagination is around us. EVERYWHERE!

At least its fruit: buildings and bridges, machines and an incredible software that enables you to read this, no matter where you live, and much, much more…

All of these things, many of them we take for granted, they were just like the yellow cat in the past.

They didn’t exist.

 

Many years later, the girl is now a woman, who cultivates her dreams and projects very well. She has been relatively successful and very happy with her life.

Particularly today, when an old dream will become a reality…

 

Imagination changes into dreams later in life, when we start to understand our role in this universe, in our society and community. Those dreams can be, in the hands of imagination, incredible engines to make us to move on the road of existence.

There are two powerful tools that convert imagination into a dream:

• Reflection. By reflecting, the individual realizes what is going on and they are able to land the imaginative scenario taking place inside their head in the living reality.
• Visualization. It is basically imagination, but with a focus and it comes often as a result of a few questions a person asks the self: How is this going to happen? When is this going to happen? What should I do to make it happen?

 

She still remembers the scene of her childhood: one parent’s support and another parent’s… sniggering… But she is not a child anymore.

She is a woman who is standing in front to that wall, in which she saw the yellow cat. She is not cross the street, she is exactly on that spot and she is surrounded by her team, which will make her dream coming true.

The yellow cat is going to be alive!

 

Someone said that if we want to live what we dream, we need to stop sleeping, that is, we must change our imagination into reality.

By reflecting or visualizing, you were able to have a vision of what we want; now we must build it, and…

… Of course, it is more complicated, but there are 3 basic things:

1. Willpower. That is the push that will turn our dreams into a living reality.
2. Resources. It is the fuel for that transformation.
3. Capacity. We will need knowledge of many things, talents and skills.

And then, at last, imagination will walk on the streets…

 

They just finished their job and here it is: The Yellow Cat.

A restaurant that will change people’s lives. She has more dreams about the restaurant, but right now she is just mesmerized by what she sees.

A huge yellow cat licking the window of her restaurant, just under its name!

 

Final remarks:

• Remember that failure and defeat are lessons, they will increase your capacity.
• It is always possible that your dreams don’t come true; learn from them and help others to make their dreams come true.
• Surround yourself with positivity, but embrace others’ critique.
• Meditation is a perfect way to improve your visualization tool.
• Dialogue is key and emotional intelligence will be very helpful.
• Nobody can make their dreams come true by themselves…
• When you get success, share it with others by helping them somehow.

Leaders have no impossible obstacles – Reason 39

A leader never sees an obstacle as impossible.  Maybe it will take time and the leader will have to learn many new things to overcome it, but nothing is impossible.

There are several reasons for that, all related to a leader’s wisdom.  First, a leader won’t get into a situation without having the resources, skills or need.  His or her discernment is very sharp and is able to identify this at the onset.

Second, if it does happen that a leader is going through a circumstance that is beyond her or his capacity or resources, she or he will be humble and eager to learn how to win this particular batter, by asking for help or trying harder.

And yet, if not even that makes things possible, a leader is humble enough to accept defeat, embrace it and turn it into a victory through having learnt something useful for the future.

 (Excerpt from the book 82 Reasons to be a Leader)

Focus and concentration as a resource

When we talk about resources, we normally think about things or people, however a definition of resource indicates it is not only based on things that one day will finish or need to be replenished. According to the Oxford Dictionary, it is also one’s personal attributes and capabilities regarded as able to help or sustain one in adverse circumstances.

In relation to that we have many resources within ourselves to be used and reused. In fact, the rule is the opposite: the more we use our inner resources, the more they will be available to us. Among all of them, there is a resource that is extremely valuable since it is not often found: concentration and focus. Although they are not the same, they are quite a tight couple. While focus may refer to narrow your attention onto something, concentration is more about intensity of thoughts and feelings.

In a world where people have a few minutes (or seconds?) of focused attention, times when people are 24 hours busy and an age where people reach their retirement age in many cases around 40 years before they pass away, the importance of this resource it is important to develop the ability of focusing and using that power in a person’s life.

The result will be a healthier society where people will actually finish whatever they have started, they will be able to prioritize and their life post-work will be an accomplished one.

But, how to do it? Of course, we would have to include the education system, media, etc., but I do believe in the fact that if a few people are able to generate a change, eventually that change will influence others. And those people starts with a single letter: I.

It is time that I work on my focus, inspiring others to do the same. But, that is not easy because present culture value the slashers and to watch many things at the same time (just go to any Café and watch people reading their messages, watching people walking on the street and talking to someone, at the same time…).

Maybe the East may help us. I feel meditation has helped me to focus on my own potentials and that enabled me to overcome several obstacles. I have learned to be concentrated and avoid dispersion, giving all the power that is within me to the projects I am involved.

That is one possibility, not the only one. It is important to do something and train your own focus and concentration as we reach a point where everything will be so superficial that even life won’t worth much.

Out of the world

Last week, I had a meeting with a very old friend in a city I know a lot and I don't know anything: London. It does give most of the people that feeling, a kind of familiarity and distance at the same time.

Well, story runs like this: I went to a Hilton hotel and he was not there. I could not call as I did not have a mobile, neither I could access INTERNET easily. At last, I was able to find a café INTERNET in the back of a supermarket (true story!), and I could find out that the Hilton I should go was another one, about 5 minutes from where I was.

All of that gave me a very interesting experience on how dependent we have become on our gadgets or devices. In a world in crisis, devices won't help as much as our own resources.

In fact, it was interesting looking for things that other people had in their own pockets. It was interesting to talk to strangers, look with more accuracy the gray and yet beautiful streets of this old city, looking for things that other people had in their own pockets.

In fact, all of us have so many resources inside, but we don't use - after all, we can find all from things that we have in our own pockets. It is a pity that not many people have the luck I had to live that experience. But, you can still try it - try to find a place without googling, try to talk to someone face to face instead of just emailing him, try to live differently and come in touch with those resources which you have and are just waiting for you, their master, to use them.