“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For

knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while

imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will

be to know and understand.”

― Albert Einstein

Great words, Mr. Einstein.  Without imagination I do believe life would be rather boring and stagnant.  Those of us who have great imaginations must, however, learn to put them to good use.  Day dreaming is fun, but not very productive.  I think we need to take our dreams and imanganings and look closely at them.  Sift through them, perhaps.  See if they are worth pursuing.  What will it cost me to pursue my dreams? Are they realistic?  How can I tweak my dreams and imaginations to become realities?  So many more questions…….  One thing I do know is that sometimes our dreams change as time goes by.  Hopefully they change for the better and not die out completely.  Maturing, and life’s roads can change our dreams.  Usually to the better.  As we get to know ourselves we can see our dreams becoming more clear.  Having relationships with others that are strong and deep can help those dreams been seen from other perspectives and therefore, become a reality.

One of my favorite dreamers (fictional) is George Bailey – James Stewart’s character in It’s a Wonderful Life.  George had big dreams for his life.  Whenever he came close to leaving home and town to pursue those dreams something would happen and he had to stay.  As time went by George got more and more discouraged about those dreams.  He found himself in such a funk that he wanted to die.  Almost did, but along came Clarence, the angel that saved him and showed him how things would have been, had he never been born.  It is quite a story.  How many times have we wanted to just give up and forget this dreaming thing.  When life throws us punches and obstacles that try to thwart our dreams and ideas, we just want to quit.  What’s the point?  That is the time to get a new perspective.  One that shows how we affect others and just how our ideas and dreams can come into play if just perhaps, done differently.

George Bailey dreamed of building bridges, being an architect.  He may not have gone off to the wilds to create said bridges, or school to learn the trade, but in the small town of Bedford Falls he did build bridges.  Bridges in peoples lives of hope and dreams.  He helped people pursue business and own property that would not have happened if he wasn’t there.

George Bailey: I’m shakin’ the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I’m gonna see the world. Italy, Greece, the Parthenon, the Colosseum. Then, I’m comin’ back here to go to college and see what they know. And then I’m gonna build things. I’m gonna build airfields, I’m gonna build skyscrapers a hundred stories high, I’m gonna build bridges a mile long…

If you haven’t seen this film, I highly recommend it.  Not just for entertainment, but more for hope and encouragement to you and those you influence.

Don’t stop dreaming and imagining.  You can go so much further in life if you keep them open.  Keep those dreams alive and begin pursuing how and when and where they can become a reality ——- or have they already and you just need to change your perspective to see them alive.  Like George Bailey.

Enjoy!

cate b