Using your Imagination is a Good Thing

Responsibilities multiply. Schedules tighten. Notifications never stop. Suddenly, your world is inundated with a constant stream of tasks, reminders and duties. For most of us, it is within this stream of noise that imagination gets lost. It's still there, I promise, but it is simply drowned out by all the other tasks that seem more urgent.

Letting your mind wander its natural path requires quiet and space. A few moments of peace where your brain can pull away from all the other stuff and just wander, happily. 

Most people, both the younger generation and adults suffer from this overabundance of stimulation. Worse than that, our cellular devices are teaching us to crave it.  PEOPLE!!! We're losing ourselves in DATA!!  The average adult isn't lacking imagination. They’re lacking silence. Turn off all your devices (well not the computer just yet) but take a minute to turn off the TV, the radio, the cell phone, the computer or games. Walk away from all of it and sit in silence.  I promise you will not only feel like a stranger among all your stuff (assuming you're in your own house) but your mind will find a path. 

I read this statistic a few days ago, and I smiled to myself. I read fiction first thing every morning; I have consistently for about 4 years.

Regular reading, especially fiction, can slow memory decline by up to 32% in later life. It creates new neural pathways and strengthens white matter, improving communication between brain hemispheres.

For those of us at a certain age, this is an important statistic. I get that not everyone is a fiction fan, but I believe the point is that fiction leads you to an imaginary place, time or among imaginary people. It's refreshing.

We Prioritize Certainty Over Curiosity - Imagination thrives on curiosity. It depends on the willingness to explore the unknown. But sadly, adulthood often pushes us toward predictability and control. We want answers, not data that gives us more questions.  Humans naturally seek clarity, not exploration. We want guarantees, not possibilities or guesses. Curiosity feels risky, just as imagination feels indulgent so we trade wonder for concrete ideals, not realizing we’re giving up one of the most powerful tools for growth.

We Forget Imagination Is a Skill - Maybe it was never considered a skill. Imagination isn’t just a trait, it’s like a muscle that has memory, and like any muscle, it weakens when it's unused.

Kids imagine constantly, so their creative muscles stay strong. Adversely, adults imagine rarely, so the muscle atrophies. It doesn't do this because it’s gone, but because it’s neglected, and we know what happens to things that are neglected.

The best part of this conversation is that it can be rebuilt; strengthened. It can be reclaimed. All it takes is intentional wandering.

Sadly, We Stop Trusting Ourselves - This is the quiet, emotional reality.  As we grow, we accumulate baggage:

disappointments

failures

responsibilities

self‑doubt

Without realizing it, we, the adults, stop trusting our own ideas. We stop believing our imagination has value. It's hard to think of it, but we stop believing our inner world is worth exploring. Imagination isn’t about being right. It’s about being open.

So, the point I want to make is we, meaning everyone on the face of the earth, needs to find the space, wherever that might be, find the silence, whatever that might look like, and use your imagination. Let your mind wander. Find a great book. Find yourself, or rather, lose yourself, and enjoy the ride...