Imagination: Still Using Yours?

"Why was I born here?"

I was ten when I asked myself that question. We'd talked about the African continent in school, and it all wow'd me how different life was between that continent and ours. Quite a question to deal with that early in life, but it's not that uncommon. Why and what if questions often lead me to imagining things differently.

There was a situational question posed on social media not too long ago something like this: "If you could pick between $1 million and going back to being 18 knowing what you know now, which would you pick?" That was an imagination process that lasted a couple of days. I imagined the choices I would change and the words I would use in different areas of my life. I imagined how my life would be different as a result. I imagined having $1 million and how I would use it and how it would affect the different areas of my life. Curious what I landed on?

I asked another question before making a decision. "What would my 80-year-old self tell me?"

Whoa. That opened my imagination in a whole new direction. Questions she asked me:

• "Where would you be today?"
• "Do you think your choices would make life easier? Think you'd avoid hardships?"
• "What don't you like about yourself that's so bad you'd risk all you have in your family and friends?" (ouch)
• "Would life be actually better with the money?"

Yeah. All those quippy comebacks I'd thought would feel so great delivering to teachers, parents, sisters didn't feel as important. Running off when I was 18 felt foolish when it meant my husband and children wouldn't be a part of my life. Avoiding the hardships would've made me weaker and complainey ... and likely not good friend material.

And, when push comes to shove, no ... life wouldn't necessarily be better with more money per se, since I have so much to be grateful now.

Imagination is powerful. It's a gift. In those on and off moments of imagining, I realized neither option works for me. And it was worthwhile to engage in thought that brought me to hope and gratefulness.

So ... still using your imagination?

Think about using it the next time you are faced with a decision that seems like there's no obvious answer--maybe your 80-year-old self has a few ideas and a third or fourth option!

(Hey! No throwing that rendering of old me around the internet!)