“I Can’t Imagine”

This is the phrase I write on the board when I teach. It is a statement I hear often in the world, it is a statement I have often made myself! So often, our language is reflective of our inner states in ways we are unaware of. We will say things, quips, statements, jokes, colloquialisms, etc. that are on the surface innocent of deeper meanings or implications. We say things we do not mean and just as often we mean things that we do not say.

“I can’t imagine” is one of those sayings. The truth of the matter is we each have the capacity to imagine—profoundly. We each can create images in our minds based on our experiences, memories, thoughts, and musings. We can gather all this together, along with new information, and we create! The fact is, we “Can Imagine!” And we always do!

So, why do we say this and other statements? Maybe what we imagine seems too terrible. Or, we have our notions of the world challenged when we let our imaginations actually create a new reality for us (of course it always does) and we like the current one—attached to it, addicted to it, or any other version. On a deeper level, we might try and hold onto the notion of “can’t image” because we are frightened at a visceral or ontological level. Remember, the physical responses to fear are ‘freeze, flight, fight’ and it must be recognized when we do these same things mentally.

So, what does this mean for us? The choice to “Imagine!” results in a commitment to learning, growth, and change—all categorical elements of survival and success. Learn to catch oneself in language and thought. Pay attention to the stuck places, our fears, and our desire to hold onto old ways of thinking and being. We can always choose to hold on to our ideas of the world, but the capacity to imagine deeply provides a foundation of resilience that cannot be matched without the imaginations capacity to discover new pathways in life.

All of this and we haven’t addressed the interpersonal benefits of understanding and compassion. Being open and engaged with those around us feeds us each in ways that cannot be measured—and this is a mutual benefit! All that is required is to reflect on who we are most comfortable spending time with to recognize understanding and compassion are a significant part of the equation. We choose to be with people who ‘understand’ us—understanding requires imagination, compassion, and engagement.

The phrase “I Can imagine” has power in it. Cultivate imagination.