“A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.” ~ J. R. R. Tolkien.
When you begin clarifying goals, intentions and dreams, your inner child wants to actively participate in the creative process.
Imagine that your inner child is taking you for a walk…yes, taking you, not you taking her. She is leading now, supporting your dreaming process. Picture her holding your hand as you walk side by side. She has much to say, much to guide you on, for her voice is the voice of possibility.
Children dwell in an eternally abundant world. Their innocence is a gift of purity of mind, an openness of spirit, an attitude of Yes! Nothing is impossible in their reality until we tell them so, until we tell them there is no such thing as fairies, that they are being too childish, that their dreams are too grandiose. After being told No, be realistic, practical and responsible, enough times, their magic and innocence is lost, replaced by doubt and stifled creativity.
Children think outside the box because they don’t see a box.
When adults dream and set goals, rational or logical thinking will dominate the creative process. Instead of dreaming from the place of possibilities, they dream from the place of limits. They dream from the mindset of Yes But where limits define the parameters of their dream. They dream within a box. The inner child dreams from the Spirit of Yes And where possibilities transcend the parameters of the box.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” ~ Albert Einstein
Many years ago, I led a playshop for a team of social workers who wanted to create a job description for someone to work in the rough east side of Vancouver. They decided to put on their Yes And hats and posed the question, If God was to sweep into the east side, what would he do? For 25 minutes their imagination soared through a variety of ideas that were all welcomed and included in the creative process. There was no such thing as a bad idea. When they were done, they collected ideas they would never have considered if they had started from the place of, What should this worker do?, or What needs to be done? Their primary inspiration was sourced from possibility, not limits or problems. And moreover, this 25 minutes of playing with the Spirit of Yes And connected them as a team. Despite the seriousness of the job role, they were able to infuse fun and build camaraderie.
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” ~ Albert Einstein
The child’s mindset invites us back into a place where we think beyond the status quo. It lifts us off the ground where we see things from the vantage point of the sky and our intuition.
As you go for your walk with your inner child, let her lead the way. She is the wise teacher here. Allow her to playfully point to possibilities, to lead you into a dreamscape of ideas that the logical adult cannot see. Let her imagination take you everywhere, and enjoy the ride!
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Questions from your Inner Child
Grab a pen and journal and sit in a comfy seat or inspiring setting. Answer any of the following questions in a fluid, free flow way. Do not edit or censure. Rather write whatever comes to your heart, allowing all ideas and insight to reach the page. Enjoy!
- If everything is possible, what do you want?
- If you couldn’t fail, what would you do?
- What does your intuition keep telling you?
- What makes your heart sing?
- What dream do you keep sweeping under the rug?
- What would feel fun?
- What would make things simple?
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Related reading:
The Answer to How is Yes!
Playing With Imagination
Related Training:
Remembering to Play ~ Inspiring Joy, Freedom & Self-Care
Keynote topic