Fantasy has the ability to enhance your Imagination
My mother read to me nightly as a child. Later in life, when I was old enough to read for myself, I’d read aloud to my sister. When I was older, I would read before going to sleep, pleading to get through at least one chapter before it was time to turn off the lights, because you must finish that chapter, you can’t just leave it hanging. Since then, I’ve been addicted. Reading was a pleasurable pastime that provided a window into a new world.
You may be transported into the author’s universe on every page, and that is real.
To my surprise, I found out around ten years ago that not everyone reads in the same manner as myself. When I read, fiction or nonfiction, I let my mind take the words of the author and create a new universe. Someone who dislikes reading told me that to them, reading is nothing more than words on a page. They couldn’t turn those words into a world they could explore. That was heart-breaking for me since I felt like I’d been to so many different places via the novels I’d read.
Even while I adore travelling and seeing other cultures first-hand, there are some things that only a book can deliver. Because history fascinates me, there’s no better way for me to learn about a particular historical period than by putting myself in someone else’s shoes. This can be provided by a competent author who has done their homework.
The world would be a dull and lifeless place if we didn’t have imagination. It’s the equivalent of having a lawn without grass or a room without windows. It’s only via imagination that we can perceive things that don’t exist in reality, and it gives our surroundings a unique flavour. Neuroscience is beginning to give some tantalising hints into how our brains operate, even if scientists do not yet have a complete grasp of the complicated network that allows us to imagine.
Our creative abilities are built on a complex balancing act between different parts of our brains. As soon as the default mode network takes over, the human brain is no longer actively engaged in any activity. When we reflect on the past or plan for the future, we’re in this mode. It is human nature to attempt to put oneself in the shoes of hypothetical situations and envisage what would happen.
As a result, why is it so critical that we set aside some time each day to let our imaginations run wild and come up with all sorts of fantastical scenarios? Being a better leader is aided by having a strong imagination, because:
Use it now or lose it, as the saying goes. Spending more time imagining exercises your brain more. When you learn to use this resource, you’ll be able to come up with fresh ideas and produce outcomes at work. When your brain is in a creative mood, it is easier to form connections and recognise new associations.
The majority of successful individuals follow suit. Athletes and businesspeople alike have claimed to be able to ‘see’ the future by employing their imaginations. Visualizing achievement in your mind might help you build a solid foundation for future triumph.
Those with empathy can picture what it’s like to live in situations that are worse than their own. Empathetic imagination was a powerful motivator for people like Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, who made significant contributions to the world. Because they could see things other people couldn’t, it influenced their thinking and behaviour.
When we let our imaginations run wild, they will frequently take us to places that never existed. However, if we do not have it, we will be stranded.
Permit yourself to Imagine.
Give yourself time and permission to imagine, and a new area of your brain will become accessible to you. Leaders use all regions of their brains to visualise new ideas and make the best judgments possible. When give your imagination free reign, the i4 Neuroleader Model can show you what’s possible. So, what’s keeping you from achieving your goals? Use your brain’s full potential to envision and then produce possibilities that were previously only available to you in your mind’s vaults. When you allow yourself to fantasise, you are also allowing yourself to achieve your goals.