Let Your Imagination Fly
Last week I watched a Ted-Ed video that may or may not be geared towards children. Titled 3 Bizarre and Delightful Ancient Theories About Bird Migration, it is animated and narrated in a jovial tone. Don’t ask me how I stumbled across it, but the fact that I did goes to show that we have so much information at our fingertips it can be difficult to understand what to do with it all. (In full transparency, I do know how I found it. I was searching for sloth content and the birds were up next.)
The short video shares how the theory of south-bound bird migration was proved in the mid-1800s by tracing and tracking migratory species. But first, it starts by outlining three of Aristotle’s principle hypotheses that remained popular throughout the years:
1. They transform into different bodies. Aristotle noticed that some birds similar in build and appearance never appear together. He imagined that those birds are one and the same, yet they take on a different shape according to the time of year.
2. Hibernation. A realistic hypothesis, as some birds do adopt hibernation techniques. But the theories throughout the years included the idea of birds sleeping at bottoms of lakes and shedding their feathers in order to burrow in underground holes.
3. They go elsewhere. This idea would eventually be confirmed in our modern understanding of migration. However, one of the most prominent ideas around migration in the 1600s was that birds were going to the moon.
All of these ideas were the product of an observation: birds — now you see them, now you don’t. Knowing Aristotle (which I don’t), a lot of good thought went into these ideas. They were also informed by his way of seeing the world and the knowledge he had about what was around him (the moon must have seemed quite close). At the same time, there’s a true spirit of imagination that guided his thinking and others.
Today we might scoff at the idea of birds flying to the moon or sleeping under lakes, but that’s only because our knowledge gets in the way. We learn the rudimentary concept of migration in elementary school and then just let it linger in the corner of our minds labeled “not quite relevant information for daily life."
More often than not, our response to lack of information is not imagination, but knowledge. We’re attached to networked devices that seem to know everything. If you don’t have the answer, Google does. Who is the fifth Spice Girl? Scary Spice. What is the latitude of Sicily? 37-38 degrees. How does the Italian government work? Well...no one seems to have a good answer to that and we’re not even sure it does work…but the point is, very little is left to our imagination.
The result? We limit the extent of possibility when we focus solely on what we know, not what we imagine. I’m not saying that we need to ignore the reality that birds migrate south, but I’m wondering what might change if birds really did go to the moon? We might be able to see a whole new reality in which humans can also fly to the moon (on airplanes, not rockets nor wings). Perhaps, by imagining that idea, we unlock a sensation of freedom inside. And with that freedom, we might recognize the call of adventure. Or the motivation to explore new skill sets that would be applicable in that other reality. All of a sudden, our imagination sets in motion action in our daily lives: the call for freedom and adventure lead us to take up hiking. The idea of going to the moon has us thinking about a new product at work. Not knowing how far away the moon really motivates us to improve our math skills, for the sake of learning.
By going first to our imagination, we create possibility. We imagine a reality for ourselves and for the world, and by doing that, we can create the circumstances for our imagination to become reality. We’re able to explore that call for adventure or yearning for stillness and develop the practical steps to cultivate it in the here and now. We imagine a possibility, and then we ask: What would be different if that were true?
Let your imagination run wild. Start big. Create a world of moon-migrating birds, miracles, magic, and giant sloths (They existed. I’m so sad I missed them.)
What is your imagination trying to tell you? Let's find out, together.
Sending sunshine,
Henna
PS: There’s neuroscience to back up the benefits of imagination. If you don’t believe me, Google it ;) But you know when a pretty smart guy (Albert Einstein) tells us “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” he’s probably onto something.
PPS: As always, thanks for joining me in my Tuesday musings. I have a favor to ask. I’m not a “selling” sort of person. I’m showing up here as a way to share my thoughts and hopefully give you something to think about. My coaching isn’t about making promises to change you or lure you in with quick-fix solutions (More money! Less stress! Be free! All in only ten days!). It’s about building a trusting and authentic relationship to support you in showing up each day the way you want. In this spirit, may I ask you, if you enjoy these thoughts will you please spread the word? Or share my Instagram or website with someone who might be interested? I’d be honored to share this space.