Imagination Stronger than Knowledge ...

 

 

 

"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.”

Robert Fulghum
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN



When I was growing up, we were one of the first families in the neighborhood to own a television.  The television was really rather small positioned in a hug cabinet.  There was a knob on the TV which could be turned to specific channels.  I remember the choices being:  channels 2, 5, and 7.  These memories also remind me that frequently, there would be nothing on a station.  I can remember waiting on a Friday night for BOXING to come on at 9 pm.  Otherwise, a test pattern would be on the screen with a really annoying sound.

The memory of the knob being turned to different channels is one I remember well and often compare it to my mode of thinking.  Sometimes it seems I can turn my brain to one channel and be obsessed with sadness.  Other times if  I turn my brain to a different channel I can be filled with thoughts of happiness and joy.  I always find it curious which channels I choose to tune into.

Eckhart Tolle often refers to our emotions as a hunger we can choose to feed.  If we feed an emotion, it can grow quite large.  He reflects that by staying in the moment, one does not feed emotions and therefore, can remain in better balance.  He of course is right, at least to my calculations.

So knowing this, why do we too often dwell on things that hold us back, rather than embracing each moment, moving forward neutrally step by step?  Why make things harder on ourselves by choosing the longer more difficult path?  What is it about our selves that repeatedly chooses the same negative pattern even while knowing the upsetting result?  Fear of error keeps us from making any choice at all. 

We really need to practice stepping through this illusion of fear much more often.  What awaits on the other side is rarely what we had imagined.  Turn the knob to a different channel, remembering that we have choice.  If we are unhappy with the pattern in front of us, holding us in place, then turn the channel by creating a new slice of life!