Creativity: Squashed by Pragmatism

When was the last time you let yourself really daydream? When was the last time you let yourself really hope for something awesome?

Really. Sit and think about it. Can you remember a time? Recently? If you can, great. Chances are though, you've been caught up in skepticism and pragmatism.

In our modern industrialized, tech-savvy culture, we are so tuned into problem-solving, prediction, statistics, and pragmatism that we nearly strangle our ability to truly open ourselves to the different possibilities available to us. Humans thrive on creativity, dreaming, expansion, and exploration. However, our current environment stifles that. What's worse is that there is a general fear of "disappointment." People warn you "don't get your hopes up" and "be realistic." These people are, for the most part well-meaning. They likely fall into two camps (which are not mutually exclusive):

1) They are concerned for your happiness and

2) They are concerned for their own happiness.

Let's take the first group - concerned for your happiness. How kind! They want to protect you, safeguard you, by informing you that the chances of your success or happiness are limited, so better be sure to "plan for the worst." Next time someone tries to squash your momentum and energy towards optimism and joy in this well-meaning way, thank them for their concern and politely let them know that you feel happy thinking of the possibilities. What do you think is worse? Experiencing disappointment when things don't go your way, or always feeling mundane and "blah" because you're unwilling to take a chance on uncertainty.

When I'm talking about daydreaming, I'm talking about so many things! Get excited about the possibilities in your job or career path, get excited about taking on new life experiences like travelling or being a parent or owning a pet. Get excited about that date you are about to go on, or him or her calling you to go on date #3, or experiencing great sex. Get excited about great clothes, a great movie, a great concern, a great cup of coffee! Get excited about things! Let yourself dream and be excited about what could come your way!

Let's take the second group - concerned about their own happiness. Oftentimes, people in this group are so disempowered that they see others' happiness as a threat to their own. Your dreaming feels scary compared to their negative view of reality. It may be unfamiliar, but it doesn't have to be scary. You are not serving those around you by playing small and squashing your dreams. You can live by example and demonstrate that dreaming can feel good, disappointment is manageable (if you experience it), and life is better when you expect good things.

This doesn't mean that you should disappear from life and simply lie around daydreaming. Get involved with life, get your hands dirty, experience things, talk to people. And do all of these things while dreaming of wonderful possibilities for you. Do all of these things with positive expectation and excitement for the future. When you hit a road block and feel downtrodden or anxious, examine your negative thinking to determine what other limiting thoughts are holding you back that you can release.

Allow yourself to dream. Allow yourself to dream BIG! That is where creativity lies - flexibility, freedom, expansion, and desire. If someone tries to squish your dreaming, smile at their intention (care and love for you) and gently release the need to bend to their recommendations.

Dream on!