Imagine Yourself

Too often we forget to think about who we are. Do you imagine who you really are? What does that look like?

I remember as a kid dreaming of what I would be. An astronaut is what I wanted to be. I dreamed of being in the stars. I even went into college with the intent of being an astrophysicist.

So, what changed? Why am I not on PBS telling everyone about the cosmos? As I reflect on the choices I made in my life, it becomes apparent that they shaped my path. I do not regret those choices, but I do learn from them and some of the choices that were mistakes.

Let me get to those in a little bit.

What Did Your Ancestors Imagine?

Think about some of your ancestors. What did they imagine of themselves? Did they want to be doctors or soldiers? Perhaps they imagined owning lots of land to farm or ranch on.Some may have imagined freedom of thought and expression. Others may have wanted to serve others in a way that lifted their fellow man.

My grandfather, whom we called Tappa, imagined himself as an engineer. He did well in school and stayed on track to get into a good program when his whole life changed.

As a teen, he was forced to take over management of his family’s estate when his father had emergency stomach surgery that left him weak and unable to labor. My grandfather re-imagined himself to take over a responsibility he had not wanted. Instead of farming the estate as his ancestors had done, he changed the main focus to breeding horses.

A war came and went. All was lost, and once again he re-imagined his life. He thought on his lost family and yearned to find them. He desired to rebuild a life left in shambles.

As life progressed, he saw it all come to fruition. He reunited with his wife and daughters, his parents, and he built a new life, in a new country.

Can Something Better Exist?

Francis Fincher tired of persecution for his religious beliefs. He tired of going to jail for his simple desire to worship as he desired. In his old age, he left England with his second wife and children and started anew in Pennsylvania. Today, there are more Finchers in America than in England where he left siblings and cousins. For his posterity it was better.

For other ancestors, they imagined that there was not opportunity for them. They saw life as hard and overwhelming, and it was. My grandfather Doyle thought that people owed him something, that something was being taken away from him. This led to attitudes that created a lot of loss in his life. He died a broken, lonely man.

Can something better exist? Yes, but you have to think that it really will exist and that it is something that you are worthy of and deserve. Not deserving because you are better, but deserving because we all are deserving.

Choice Is Powerful

It is so powerful to choose that we often don’t recognize our own choices. What did you choose to eat this morning? Did you choose to eat? Did you choose to smile at someone? What is it that you are choosing to not decide about?

As you look at your life, you will see that almost each moment is full of choice.

I chose to drop out of my second semester honors calculus class my freshman year of college. I thought it was too hard and was ruining my GPA and my chances of keeping my scholarship. There was no way I could not be an astrophysicist without calculus. That choice required me to find a new major. I learned some valuable lessons from that choice. First, I could have continued and faced the challenge, but I was not up to the emotional exertion at that time. Second, the choice of major that I ended up making led me to new and exciting opportunities.

I think that the path I ended up following has brought me greater happiness than being an astrophysicist would have. Not to bash on them, it just was not the path I needed for my growth.

That choice brought me to your screen. I would not be sharing my insights with you without that choice.

Think Of Your Possibilities

Don’t discount your imagination. It will take you places that I hope you want to go. And if not, change your thoughts. There is no reason to despair or fret over your life. You stand as the conductor. Lead the symphony in the music you want in your life.

The peace you want is of your own making. If you want it, you must start looking for it. You will need to imagine it.

I have found the power of peace and calm in my life through creating a vision of where I am going.

I am here to help you see your potential. Let me know when you would like to start imagining your bright future.