The Brain and the Act of Imagine

There are three types of dreams: 1) Day Dream: a drift in our minds to a more pleasant imaginary place from where we are at the present moment—a short reprieve from reality. 2) Sleep Dream: Our minds create a story from the events/thoughts in our day and 3) Destiny Dream: The desire, the longing to realize our purpose. The Art of Imagine ignites our Destiny Dream. It is the finesse of the Art that nourishes the seed—your dream—to grow within us. Do you have a dream simmering inside of you? A dream is not just a dream. It takes hard work. Today, let’s hunt for our destiny dream. To set it on fire. To imagine and embark onto the path you are meant to chase after. Here are a few tips to discover the Art of Imagine:

Carl Sandburg Nothing happens unless first a dream

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1) Create a Plan: It takes a plan to keep a dream alive. Several times a day, imagine yourself living your dream. Speak your dream aloud. There is power behind your words, your proclamation. If your mind hears the repetitive affirmation of your dream, then it’ll take form and become a reality. Remember “Vision comes before execution.” We must “see” it in our mind’s eye first, then our brain can manufacture it into a reality. Once we engage in the Art of Imagine, a path will roll out before us. Once we take the first step, then all the others shall follow.

Cynthia Ozick: To imagine the unimaginable is the highest use of the imagination.

2) Discouragement: At any time while traveling to our destiny dream, we can encounter the heaviness of discouragement. But on the other side of discouragement is the next level of our dream. Allow faith to lift your head high and work through the weight that tries to hold you down. Fight back! Tell discouragement there are brighter days ahead. Remember your passion, that strong grip of enthusiasm you had at the beginning of your dream. You haven’t lost your drive. It still exists within you. Resurrect it; give it permission to carry you over the rough spots. Let the clouds part, the sky open up; showering you with hope. Confidence. Expectation.

Unknown Author: Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

3) Mobility: Put feet to your dream. Keep motivated, because motivation doesn’t see roadblocks. It only sees possibilities. Keep climbing. Keep seeing. Keep trying. Be poised, ready to take a risk. Risk ushers us to discover new levels of accomplishment by stepping outside of our comfort zone. It is then that the right people will join our journey. They are our helpers. They will keep pushing us forward. And finally be patient. It doesn’t matter how fast we get to our dream. It matters that we keep moving and following the path of our destiny dream.

Carol L. Brooks: A dream isn’t a goal to be achieved. Rather it’s a journey with lots of surprises. And with the right attitude, they nurture your growth and tweak your climb to success.

The Gut Brain and Brain Bug

You’re in a situation. It’s intense. But you feel peaceful. Something inside says, “Go for it!” That’s your Gut Brain at work. It comes by many labels: perception, insight, wisdom, instincts, gut-feel, intuition, the 6^th sense. It’s that small inner voice, steering you in the right direction. However, there’s a flip side. It’s called Brain Bug—a mental glitch. It’s our intellectual equipment. Ever hear this advice? “Use your head.” While this method warrants some credit, it has its limitations. Using your head only seeks an immediate solution versus gratification over long-term benefit, and creates blind spots in your inner-GPS navigation. To sharpen your inner-GPS—your personal True North—focus on the Gut Brain. Here are a few tips to help grow that 6^th sense:

1) Right Brain/Left Brain: The easiest way to understand Gut Brain and Brain Bug is through the physiology of the brain. The right brain, the creative essence of who we are, subconsciously knows that it knows. This is the Gut Brain. Conversely, the left brain, the black-and-white thought processes of logical thinking, is the Brain Bug. This side is the critical thinker and sometimes in its “shoot-from-the hip” behavior can miss the gentle leading of the Right Brain. The Left Brain is more dominate and has a louder voice. It’s important to slow down. Be still. Give your Right Brain the space it needs to express itself.

2) Use It or Lose It! Our brain is like a muscle. The more we exercise it, the stronger it gets, and the more useful it becomes. A good workout regime is prayer and meditation. Your Gut Brain needs quiet time. Then whenever you’re faced with anxiety, you’re in a better position to hear the whisper of your Gut Brain.

3) Trust Your Gut Brain: Don’t second guess the first feeling you feel about something. Because that very first feeling is usually the right one. There is a natural flow of things in life. But when you’ve gone against your gut, how many times have you found yourself at odds with the natural flow of things? We all get caught up in the business of doing and sometimes lose our place in the flow.

4) The Art of Listening: With the high-tech, frantic pace of life, most people spend their lives running. Never stopping to listen. There’s no time for the mind to be quiet to listen to anything. And then when a problem comes: trauma. Because most people aren’t in touch with themselves. Incorporate quiet time in your day. Listen to that voice. If you don’t, you won’t hear it. But it’s there. It’s meant to guide you.