“Fantasies are more than substitutes for unpleasant reality; they are also dress rehearsals, plans. All acts performed in the world begin in the imagination.”
— Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
Judith was not in the job she wanted, but she was not the least bit discouraged. She continued to show up at work and did a great job, but every time Judith had the chance she fantasized about the real career she wanted. She daydreamed about what her office would look like and what kind of clients she would have. Judith even fantasized about where she would eat lunch in the city when she was fabulously successful. She had her wardrobe, her office furniture, and her client list all picked out—in her mind.
Is Judith a silly dreamer, or is she cleverly planning her destiny? You be the judge. It might be important to get a little more information before you make that call. Judith might be a silly dreamer if she does nothing but fantasize. On the other hand, if she is backing up her fantasies with solid work in the real world to obtain her goals, then she is brilliant.
Behind every successful person is an out-of-control imagination. It’s true! You have at least to be willing to live a little on the edge in your dreams if you ever hope to take risks in real life. If you want it all, you’ve got to imagine it first. Are fantasies a part of your preparation for success? If not, you need to add them into the mix right now.
Spend at least a half hour today writing down your fantasies for a successful life. What does it look like? What are you doing? Who are your friends? Where is your office? What are you wearing? (That last question sounds like a more sordid fantasy, but try to keep it clean.) Fantasize about your success. It will open unseen doors in reality.
DAY
209
“It is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top.”
— Virginia Woolf
The other reason fantasy is a useful tool for success is that it allows you to get to the truth. When you practice fantasy and use your creative mind to remove the barriers you have attached to your real-world persona, you are sometimes able to see the truth about yourself.
In the real world, you may see your identity as a blue-collar worker who doodles a little on the side. In your dreams, you are an artist, and that truth might continually emerge in different forms when you fantasize. There is truth in fantasy. Do you have the courage to recognize it?
Your inner soul talks to you through your fantasies. That is one of the reasons they are so important to incorporate into your routine for achieving success. Your job today is to set aside thirty minutes to go in a room by yourself and listen to your favorite music. You can put on ear plugs to listen or crank up the volume on your computer or stereo (if it won’t bother anyone else in the vicinity). Pick music that makes you happy. It doesn’t matter what genre it is. It could be rock, pop, country, classical, reggae, new age, whatever pleases you today. Close your eyes and let the music wash over you. As you listen, allow your mind to wander in the direction of your fantasies. No fair thinking about real-world concerns.
Remember, your fantasies can be as unrealistic as you desire. Unleash your mind for thirty minutes and see where it takes you
DAY
210
“The dream of reason produces monsters. Imagination deserted by reason creates impossible, useless thoughts. United with reason, imagination is the mother of all art and the source of all its beauty.”
— Francisco Jose De Goya y Lucientes
Goya was an extraordinary Spanish painter who lived from 1746 to 1828. He was on the cusp of change in the world of art, so he is often considered one of the “old masters” and also one of the first “modern” painters. His work influenced such greats as Pablo Picasso and Edouard Manet in the next generation of artistic giants, and he was well-known for making a very bold statement with his brush strokes.
In this quote, Goya makes an important point. Imagination is a wonderful tool, but it is useless without reason. Your fantasies fuel what is unique about you. They tap into your soul and allow your mind to blossom in a way that is uninhibited. You must take it another step, though. You cannot obtain success without incorporating a dose of reason into your fantasy world. When the two unite, you will come up with a truly rare jewel.
Look back at the fantasies you wrote about in your journal a few days ago. Think also about the fantasies that your mind came up with when you listened to music. How can you infuse those fantasies with a dose of reason and create something truly unique? This is going to take some thought and planning on your part. Take the time over the next week or so to write in your journal about how you can combine imagination and reason to further your journey toward success. You are the inventor. What are you capable of accomplishing when you unite these two very potent powers?
DAY
211
“During adult-hood, along with the earning of wealth and involvement in the improvement of Society, attention must be paid to the promotion and preservation of virtues and to the observance of moral codes.”
— Sri Sathya Sai Baba
A moral code is a set of rules that is accepted by a person or a group of people that explains acceptable behavior. Moral codes define the difference between right and wrong according to that group or individual. It’s important for any society to be governed by the observance of certain moral codes, or the result would be chaos.
What are some moral codes by which your society is governed? “Do not kill” is probably one. What are others?
What about a personal code? Do you have your own moral code? If you haven’t stopped to define what you individually believe is right and wrong and the rules you choose to follow in your life, then you may be living in individual chaos.
What is your moral code? Create one today in your journal. Write down all the rules you think you should live by in order to be a productive member of society and a successful person. For example, one of your rules may be to be helpful to others. Also think about individual activities. You might want to write down something like, “It’s good to meditate daily,” if that is a rule you value. Create your own list of laws, or code, today, and you will have a chance to go back and look at it again in a few days.
DAY
212
“Men make the moral code and they expect women to accept it.”
— Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst was a British woman born in 1858 who spent most of her life working to get equal voting rights for women in Great Britain. This right came to many societies around the world at different times, and Great Britain was one of the last countries in the western world to embrace equal voting rights for men and woman in 1928, just a few weeks before Emmeline Pankhurst died.