Imagination, Merriam Webster def:
a : a creation of the mind
b : fanciful or empty assumption
“The best use of imagination is creativity. The worst use of imagination is anxiety.” Deepak Chopra
Imagination can be constructive or destructive, depending on how we use it. Our imagination can lead us down the path of anxious rumination, or it can lift us into the world of infinite, playful possibilities. Both are responses to the unknown and the uncertain, but imagination is solution-focused while anxiety is problem-focused.
If we recognise imagination for what it is - a play of the mind – we can be more light-hearted and intentional about our experience. We don’t have to take our thoughts and perceptions quite so personally.
By creating a subtle shift in perception, we can turn anxiety into excitement because they both feel similar in our bodies (like a knot or butterfly’s in our belly). Excitement is generative and outward moving, while worry is degenerative and inward collapsing.
Everything depends on how you focus your attention; this is good news because it puts you firmly within the locus of control and connects you with your agency.