We navigate through most of life with the reality of what we can see, feel, hear, taste and touch. There is also the reality of the mind and spirit. All of the aforementioned comprise the realm of the conscious mind . . . our awake moments. But is that all there is? What about our dreams? What about our imagination (our day-dreams)? Both can take us to alternate realities which seem very real, but how real?
Have you ever been in a dream that was as real as any life experience? Some are great dreams that you hate to wake up from, others are close to a near death experience. We awaken from these dark dreams with a sigh of relief. We have little or no control of our fast-asleep dreams, so I won’t spend much time on them. We all have them and the experts have offered up a multitude of conflicting theories as to why. We must need to dream, or we wouldn’t do so.
The second category, the realm of imagination, is most compelling. We are the captains of our own ship when we venture here. I probably day-dream as much as anyone. I have two great compulsions in life, I like to write fictional short stories and do artwork, often illustrating the stories. These creative forays start with a day-dream. I can time-travel and be anywhere man has ever set foot. The more I concentrate on the story line and characters, the more I become an actor and participant in that place and time. I can see and feel the scenes. If you use your imagination on a regular basis, it’s like working out in a gym . . . you can get better and better at entering this alternate reality. You may be wondering if there’s a danger of going too far into your imagination and perhaps ending up lost. I can only speak for myself. It’s never a problem. If I’m writing a short story about the Civil War, my characters stay put on the written page.
How can you use your imagination in your own life in a practical way? No matter what your circumstances, you can imagine a better life. The revelation here is that you are able to take steps to achieve that life. If you are in a financial hardship, write down your debts, your income, and your financial goals. Seek some financial counseling and plot a course to your new life. Call Tri-CAP, we can help you complete a working budget, and we host free financial fitness courses for our income eligible clients. Imagine being out of debt and staying out of debt. Imagine having a savings account with at least three months’ worth of bill paying power, just in case of emergencies. That’s a good day-dream that can become your new life.
Energy tips – Three steps to getting caught up on your fuel and electric bills: Prepare a written budget and determine your average monthly electric and fuel bills; do what you can to weatherize your home by caulking and sealing exterior doors and windows and attic access panels; get a clean and tune on your forced air furnace. Check Tri-CAP’s Energy Advisor program. You may be eligible for a number of programs that would make your home more energy efficient, and you may be eligible for energy assistance. Tri-CAP’s energy advisor could meet with you at your home and discuss the options. Your first step is to complete an Energy Assistance application.
Tri-CAP March 2018
By: Stephen Bjorklund
