We all know there are massive problems in the world. You don’t need to look very far to see violence, oppression, injustice, inequality, prejudice, corruption and above all fear.

Consumerism rules the world. And the problem with consumerism, is that it’s about certainty. To thrive, consumerism needs profit, and profit comes from taking as small a risk as possible. You find something which works and stick to the formula. Because the formula delivers results.

But the secret to solving the worlds problems, ironically, doesn’t come from certainty. It comes through risk.

It comes through pushing through fear and daring to imagine a new tomorrow. A different, better future, in any field of work and life, only comes through creativity.

Transformation comes, above all, through imagination.

If we’re going to have radical political and societal change, we need people to imagine a new tomorrow.

If we’re going to solve problems like poverty, slavery, and the water crisis, we need to imagine new solutions.

If we’re going to make scientific advances and breakthroughs, we need to imagine what might be possible.

And if we’re going to solve our environmental problems, and save our planet, we must engage our imaginations.

We need people willing to risk. And others willing to back people taking risk. We need a world where people feel comfortable and free to risk, to explore, to innovate. Free to fail.

The thing about the consumerist way is that it doesn’t involve imagination. It’s not about innovation, uncertainty, risk, or creativity. And the worse the world gets, the less risks are taken or supported.

In faith, certainty only leads one way – to stagnation and decline. In the numbers of people choosing that path – unless of course, they love certainty, which many do. But worse, we lose the freshness, intimacy, and depth of relationship with the divine. It becomes like a marriage which is stagnating, existing, but not growing.

And it’s the same in all walks of life.

 

Join The Adventure Of Imagination

This is why I’m passionate about creativity. It encourages risk, innovation, uncertainty, questioning, exploration, and engages our imaginations.

Whatever the outcome, the act of creativity leads to growth, maturity and wonder (you can tweet that). And we see this both in ourselves, and in our relationships – with each other, and the divine.

But more than that, it’s just more fun than certainty or fear.

Creativity, engaging our imagination – it’s an adventure. It’s stimulating for mind, body and soul. It gives us energy. It gives us a healthier, more grounded perspective on life. It can make us smile and make us cry. And you never know quite what’s round the corner.

Creativity and imagination help us discover wonder. And, deep down, we all want that.

Is it a bit scary? Yes, of course it is. Even I give in to certainty on occasion, I fully admit. But the risk, the scariness of imagination, makes it way more interesting than certainty.

As Albert Einstein once said:

Logic will get you from A-Z. Imagination will get you everywhere.

Being creative, risking, using our imaginations is ultimately not an option, or a choice. If the human race is to evolve, and continue to thrive and survive, we all need to begin risking. Start looking beyond ourselves, imagining new and better tomorrows, and be willing to risk failure in order to create a better world, and a better life for ourselves and others.

And we need to do this today.

Consumerism, certainty, is insular, it only looks at it’s own immediate circle, what it needs to survive, and never looks outward at the wider world, at the bigger picture, unless it absolutely has to – and by then it’s often too late.

And with many issues – in particular taking care of our environment, but also the water crisis, poverty, inequality and slavery – we simply cannot afford to wait.

We need to start risking, start imagining. And we need gatekeepers who will back the risk takers, back those imagining new tomorrows and solutions to big problems, and free them to fail, free them to keep risking and innovating.

Creativity, imagination, risk taking and uncertainty is the key to solving the problems of our world, fundamental to deepening our spirituality, and crucial to creating a better, more meaningful life for ourselves and others.

We simply cannot afford to stifle and inhibit these qualities, these gifts. Our culture, our world, needs to embrace them fully – and we need to be part of that change by living lives of risk, creativity and imagination, and encouraging it in others.

To survive as a species, we need to risk, we need uncertainty, we need creativity, and above all, we need imagination.

Are you with me?

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Question For Reflection:

How can you use your imagination to create a better tomorrow?

Let me know in the comments below!

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(Picture Sources: naturalwealthjournal.com / julettemillen.com)