#188 Don’t Neglect Your Imagination

Why is Important?

Because it’ll atrophy.  Just like you lose muscle if you stop working out, your imagination will suffer if you neglect it.  Personally, I’ve always been more of a daydreamer.  Being this way was much more natural to me.

And as you get older, I think it gets increasingly more difficult to daydream.  You come into reality and daydreaming comes to an end.  You begin listening to the outside voices telling you that this or that isn’t possible.  As a result, your imagination muscle begins to atrophy. 

Maintaining my sense of creativity and imagination over the years has been key for me.  I’ve always wanted to daydream and imagine what was possible.  And I still do it every day. 

I’ve seen things in my head before they actually happened in real life time and time again.  Sometimes it turns out even better than I imagined, and sometimes it doesn’t.  

The point is that I’ve seen them very clearly in my head before they materialize.

 

Seeing Through the Trees

One of my strengths is being able to see through the trees to where I wanted to go.  Being able to do this comes more natural to me than most other people.  It comes back to one of my favorite Abraham Lincoln quotes – which is now tattooed on my forearm:

“To believe in the things you can see and touch is no belief at all - but to believe in the unseen is a triumph and a blessing.”

This quote holds great power.  It’s part of why I’m attracted to creative people.  They operate in the same sphere.  They never let it creep in.

I’m not a singer or an artist, but I feel unique and creative.  As an entrepreneur, you get to take thoughts and make them a reality.  You take thoughts and create businesses.  You take thoughts and create a job.  You create thoughts and create content.  And that is something I will always protect.

 

Don’t Cap Yourself

Don’t think it’s not possible.  Dream, dream, and dream some more.  I told my wife Rachael the other day that I was going to start painting.   She started laughing.  And you know why?  Because every year I see Arnold painting Christmas cards for his family, then sends them out. 

Now, I’m not saying that Arnold’s amazing at painting.  I’m saying that it’s wholeheartedly authentic.  I’ve always paid close attention to the way he operates.  He literally just does whatever he’s vibing on.  He wanted to make Christmas cards for his family, so he did.

He has the imagination and knows that anything is possible.  How?  Because he’s lived that life.

 

Staying True

When I wrote my first book – I recorded, Danny edited, and then four other people edited to get the Mindset Manual.  But it's still in my voice.  It's still me.  I fucking wrote it.  It’s something we joke about in my family because I was a terrible writer and reader in school.

I chip away, recording after recording, edit after edit, and eventually a book emerges.  I never thought that I couldn’t write multiple books or produce a bestseller.  I believe it’s all true.  I’ve imagined being on the bestseller list my entire life.  Ever since I knew I had a story to tell and things to teach, I knew I would write multiple books.  It’s just a fact.

 

Every Day Consistency

I record every day.  I’ll send them Danny’s way to write and edit.  The content bank gets richer. 

And now my second book, How to Build Confidence and Win at Life is out.  I already know that there’s going to be a third and fourth book.  There'll probably be 10 fucking books by the time I'm done.  I always saw myself doing that. 

It doesn’t matter to me that I can’t write well.
It doesn’t matter to me that I got a D in English in high school. 

What I do know is that I have the belief and imagination to know what is possible.

 

Break Down the Walls

Allow yourself to daydream and imagine what’s possible.  If you don’t, that muscle will atrophy over time.  You’ll begin to buy into what motherfuckers say, and you’ll buy into their insecurities about themselves that have nothing to do with you.   

Just because you think you can't do something doesn't mean I can't do it.  
Just because you never were able to get over the hump doesn’t mean I can’t.

Allowing the doubt creep in destroys imagination.  If the doubt wins your mind over, you will start letting it go.  You’ll give up daydreaming.  You’ll surrender your imagination.  You give in.

 

It Doesn’t Have to Be You

Don’t let it atrophy.  Use your creativity and imagination on a regular basis to strengthen your mind.  I never shut mine down because things kept coming true.  Things kept becoming a reality.  And then when I saw things happening, I was like, why would I stop this?

Don’t let them stop you. 
Don’t close off your mind.
Don’t let people try to tear your down.   

You only have one shot at life, so you might as well make the most of it.