I shut my eyes in order to see
– Paul Gauguin

It’s an undervalued skill. But, many possess it. I’ve been imagining since long before I can recall. As I child, I imagined mud pies were real, much to the horror of my parents. I imagined an abandoned building was a castle to defend. Playing hide and seek, I’d imagine hiding places no one would ever find. As children, some imagine they are firefighters, or famous celebrities. And, its possible the reason for a mirage is to keep you going even when you want to give up; to give you the strength to finish.

I’m willing to admit, I still imagine all the time. Sometimes it’s only for a split second, like when I see a bird and imagine what it would be like to fly. Other times it’s for years. But, for me, imagination is a tool of faith. It’s the substance of what one hopes for  and the evidence of things unseen. We are creative beings, it’s part of the process.

Thanks to supportive parents, I imagined I could be virtually anything, from an artist to a zoologist. If nothing else, I at least play it out in my head.

Imagine what it would be like if we could see ourselves succeed. Well, we can!

Imagination is the birthplace of NASA and Disney. And its a secret weapon for more organizations than can be listed. Google’ mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. How are you going to do that if you can’t even see it?

Imagination is a key competency for several roles. It’s a core competency for Leadership. IT has to imagine solutions to problems all day, before they can solve them. Customer Service, architects, attorneys, financial wizards, auto mechanics, the military, moms & dads, all need to have high performing imagination skills. It’s not just the stuff of Hollywood, Disney and mud pies!

As I watched my dad playing Solitaire, he’d share his secret. In the beginning, you’ll win a lot of games. Later, you’ll start to lose more. When you do, remember the cards never really change. It’s your your perception of available opportunities that changes. Remember to keep seeing the opportunities. Truer words were seldom uttered. When I focus on finding the opportunities in my hand of cards, I see them. When I don’t, I miss them.

So, if you haven’t been exercising your imagination, don’t let it atrophy! Do it right now.

If you think it will never work, imagine giving it a try. If you think it will never get better, imaging giving it one more time. If no one communicates, imagine opening the channels yourself. If you think it’s too complicated, imagine looking at it from another angle.

Good news! Today is imagination Day. You didn’t miss it, because It’s a holiday I just imagined. Don’t miss your chance to celebrate it. If you need a little help to get started, watch this clip:

Rewind and Repeat

If you’ve seen this video before, rewind and repeat. As with all visioning, the more you do it, the clearer the vision becomes.

Imagine your success TODAY. It really does make a difference!

-Best Wishes!