Stop Dreaming, Already! Overcoming the Limitations of Imagination

I’ve had an Olympian-class imagination for as long as I can remember.  From role-playing games to great Lego wars to plain old daydreaming, I’ve probably spent more time in fantasy world than in this real one.  But it hasn’t all been fun and games.  My imagination has also been a heavy source of pain, sometimes enlivening my fears into veritable nightmares.

From a spiritual perspective, this total variability is no surprise.  After all, the imagination is a faculty of the mind, and it is the mind- the ego- that creates so much suffering.  Is it any surprise that the imagination is often the mind’s most wicked and willing accomplice?

This is an area in which we could all use some re-education.

Let’s begin by examining why spiritual growth is concerned with controlling and stilling the imagination.  We will then see how this relates to one of the most subtle, debilitating and unrecognized human problems: Imbalance between imagination and action.

You may never dream the same way again!

The Often Ignored Consequences of Dreaming Too Much…

Dreaming is a beautiful human faculty needed for success in most worthwhile endeavors-you might even say the very idea of success is born from the imagination of goals. That being the case, I am constantly reminded that dreaming too much creates a host of problems:

#1 Inability to control the mind. Most of us ignore the truth staring us in the face: As beautiful as the imagination can be, it’s still part of the mind.  Why do we think it is somehow different from our other mental faculties, and doesn’t need to be tamed or controlled?  Of course, spiritual growth never necessitates that the imagination be eliminated or weakened- only that it be harnessed for our conscious use.  This is when the imagination gains its true power.

#2 Inability to be present. Too much imagination cripples one’s ability to look unflinchingly at life, because it is always concerned with creating something different.  You can’t be here and now when you’re painting over it with your imagination.

#3 Loss of realism. The consequence of separation from the here and now is a continuously inaccurate appraisal of what is realistic.  Making accurate predictions about life is never easy, but it becomes nearly impossible when we’re blind to the big picture.  If we refuse to even look at our own weaknesses and barriers, we will woefully overestimate our capabilities every time.

#4 Inability to face fear. Fear loves the imagination, and relies on it to perpetuate itself.  Look at anyone with an overactive imagination and you’re likely to find an abundance of fear as well.  On the other hand, the imagination is a fantastic way to outrun fear without ever facing it.  Turn back to that same person, and notice how their imagination acts as a buffer preventing them from looking at life honestly.   You’ll probably see that this avoidance is the very thing holding them back from realizing their potential.

#5 Reluctance to take action.  The imagination is the oldest and greatest procrastination tool of all time, and its activity of choice is creating new ideas.  Stuck in the idea-formation phase, the over-imaginative never get around to the phase of doing.

#6 Inability to make commitment. Ferris Bueller wasn’t kidding when he said that life moves pretty fast.  If dreaming is keeping you out of the present, you won’t have a chance of syncing up with the vibrant and dynamic living world we live in.  Anything that requires great commitment- friendship, a big project, personal growth- will be a losing battle before you even begin.

Do you see yourself in these qualities?

I certainly do.  In fact, if I’m on the money with this list, it’s because this was my dominant state of being for the better part of my life.  But that’s also why I deeply believe that these limitations can be overcome.

Portrait of a Grounded Being

We need to live in a state of equilibrium between imagination and action- in a word, grounded.  Here’s what a grounded being has that an imaginative being doesn’t:

1) Presence: Presence is a very high state of consciousness.  Another way to think about presence is conscious awareness or mindfulness.  When you are awake to presence, the imagination can be tapped at will, and you call the shots. 

2) Honesty. Being grounded is about your intimacy with reality- your connectedness to the truth around you.  When we have the clarity of honesty, we can see what’s really going on within and around us, and act in ways that reflect that clarity.

3) Bravery.  Doing anything of import requires bravery.  The greater the action, the more bravery you’ll need.  When you’re uninhibited by imagination’s theatrics, bravery comes much more easily.

4) Compassion. Being grounded is better for us as individuals, but it’s important for our communities as well.  It takes a grounded being to be sensitive and connected to the life around it.  Only then can we start to really tune into our environment’s needs and act compassionately to make it better.

How to Become Grounded

In my quest for spiritual growth and fulfillment, I have found that certain actions are indispensable for achieving balance between the dynamic forces of imagination and action.  I now present them to you:

1) Dream like a conscious being. Don’t ever be flippant with your dreams.   Cultivate deep dreams, and takes those dreams seriously. If a dream moves you deeply and feels right on every level, treat it like divine guidance.

2) Take your imagination to the gym. Imagination “workouts” are a fantastic way to tone your imagination muscles, while preventing it from bleeding into your entire day.  Here are two of my favorites:

Workout #1: Focused Free Writing: This one is inspired by the phenomenal book Writing Down the Bones.  Pick a topic your imagination would love to bite into, set a timer (anywhere from five minutes to an hour), and don’t stop writing until that timer goes off.

Workout #2: Focused Visualization: Lie down on the couch, the grass, the floor, wherever, and pick a topic you’d really like to explore- I’ve tried everything from “creating my day in advance” to “living with a spiritual vibe.”  Blogger Steve Pavlina recently created an interesting video series on this topic that might be worth checking out if you’re interested.

3) Plan like a doer. Be a well-schooled self-manager.  Know your strengths, your weaknesses, and most of all, your habits.  Make clear, bold plans that require you to tap your potential without overestimating your ability.  In my experience, the more specific the plan, the better.  Keep a time journal if you can’t stay on track.  Set weekly, monthly and yearly benchmarks for yourself.  In short, give yourself a framework for excellent behavior.  Whatever that means to you, do it.

4) Practice real meditation. Across the personal development blogosphere, “meditation” is often generalized to mean “thought experiment.”  That’s a fantastic way to delude yourself into thinking you’re making spiritual “progress.”  If what you pass for “meditation” is really an imagination workout (see #1), you’re missing the whole point.  If you’re serious about personal transformation, get off the mental roller coaster and work on the level of consciousness.

5) Build presence. True presence isn’t just sitting quietly in meditation- it’s your relationship to the present moment in every moment.  It’s about body awareness, thought awareness, and sense awareness.  To be calmly aware of all these currents while remaining relaxed- that’s presence.

6) Learn to love your fears.  Sending something love- even the intangible- is the surest path to understanding.  Instead of ignoring or fighting your fears, learn to observe them with compassionate curiosity, seeing them for the frightened, wounded animals they are.  Only then can you tend to them consciously and wisely.

7) Build and cherish loving relationships.   High-quality relationships can ground you like nothing else, providing honest feedback, uplifting love, and a better view of reality.  This is especially true of different but complimentary personality types.  Once you’ve built great friendships, use them.  In the social world, inaction spells disconnection.

8 ) Associate with doer’s as well as dreamers.  If you hang around dreamers all day long, you definitely won’t get anything done.  Instead, pick up on the vibe of accomplished, focused people.  Just spending time with them will infect your behavior for the better.  But don’t leave dreamers out of the picture!  They can offer tremendous inspiration, insight and criticism, even if they aren’t ready to take it themselves.

9) Transition with flow. Don’t abandon your current engagements just because an imaginative impulse is leading you elsewhere.  Honor the dreams and commitments of the past by finishing the work at hand, then moving on.  The more respect you accord your dreams, the more genuine they will become (and the less they will act as diversions).  This is true of respecting the present moment as well.

To conclude…

Master your imagination.  Cultivate the habits needed to control your imaginative faculties.

Then, put them to work.  Take time to dream.  Allow exciting ideas to simmer in your mind- acknowledge them, respect them, develop them, commit to them, complete them.  Failing this, you will never be able to compete in the arena of committed dreamers.

But once you’ve navigated the imagination stage, take action.  In the physical world we live in, that action defines who we are.  Although spiritually we may be infinitely more, we deny that infinity from being reflected in our lives and legacies when we stand too still.

Be a grounded dreamer, and allow the infinity within to be reflected in all that you do.

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