From the "Passion Unlocks Prosperity" series:
Imagination
At birth you were given an imagination.
Plus the freedom to decide how you are going to use it.
Your life, as it exists right now, is the culmination of how you have decided, time and time again, to use this repository of infinite possibilities.
What is the imagination?
Think of it as an all possibilities scanning device. A mechanism which is capable of placing your attention on the present, past or future. When focused on the present you hardly know its working. That's because it's being harnessed and directed to a narrow and controlled aspect of it's potential. This makes sure your day to day reality is constantly reinforced and supported.
The harnessing and direction comes from your beliefs, attitudes and expectations. They set the rules which determine how much of your scanning device you will use at any given time. The way you were raised, your education and experiences have a profound effect on your beliefs, attitudes and expectations. They in turn determine the "fence" around a certain safe area of your imagination. You could say that this is the box you live in.
When you focus your attention on the past you are not using your imagination. You are scanning the remnants of memories. Finished experiences with predictable outcomes. Sure, you can distract yourself with "shouda's and coulda's", but the experience will always play out the same because it is finished. That's why it's called a memory.
The imagination is most powerful when it's unleashed
Since it has no restrictions, other than those you (and others) have placed upon it, anything is possible. Unfortunately, we only use a small part of our imagination. Since we don't have a lot of experience with it, we tend to dismiss our imaginary pondering as flights of fancy.
How your life has turned out largely reflects the powerful effects of these three ways you can use imagination. It's not surprising that most people blame "influences" for everything that takes place in their lives. Take a closer look and you will see that the effects of your environment and experiences were actually situations in which you knowingly or unknowingly gave away your power to decide what you were going to focus your attention on: The past, the present or the future.
When you let someone or something decide where your attention is placed you short circuit and limit yourself to what is, rather than what can be. Taking responsibility for where you place your attention, within your imagination, is taking back real control over your life. Where you focus your attention is what eventually becomes your day-to-day reality. You see, the great secret of life is the power you have to determine how you are going to use your imagination.
There is a ongoing battle for your attention
The battle is between your ability to focus and the ability of distraction to break that focus. This of course is an inner battle which is ironically being waged everyday throughout your day-to-day reality. Your imagination is unlimited in it's scope. Which means it can "go" anywhere. When you focus your attention you are placing your concentration on one point within that unlimited scope.
You see, the secret is; If you keep your attention focused on that single point long enough, whatever that point is, will become what you perceive as your reality.
The day you run out of excuses
is the day your life changes...
