I filled my shoebox with baby powder, the toe of a panty hose, a magnifying glass, a pencil and  notebook, a small bottle of water, and I was off. Off I went. I ran down the grassy hill towards the ditch where I hid.  I slowly crawled towards the edge so I wouldn’t be found until I was ready to make my next move. I could see the coast was clear as I peered over the edge of the bank towards the big blue house.

I slithered through the tall grass until it was safe to come to my feet.  Heel, toe, heel toe, crunch, crunch, crunch as I ran across the gravel driveway towards the playhouse.  I ran up the two steps, unlatched the small door, steps inside and shut the door as quietly as possible so as not to disturb or alarm anyone.

Just what I expected.  Someone had been here before me.  I took out my notebook and noted anything that seemed out of place.

I was in fact, Harriet the Spy.

Pretending to be Harriet the Spy was a game I played a lot when I was a kid.  When you live in the middle of nowhere (I’m serious, see the map below) and only have 3 public channels consisting primarily of soap opera’s and PBS, you’re left with little choice.  Luckily for us, over an acre of land with deep woods lent itself well to getting outside and using our imaginations – in the summer at least.

If you knew me when I was young, Harriet the Spy wasn’t the only game or activity I found myself dreaming up.  Nope, not even close.

• There were lemonade stands (pretty typical, and yes we thought these would work with no neighbors….we had 1 customer)
• And video store & library
• Talent shows for the school

My parents were so awesome in helping us keep creative. Rarely were we allowed to sit in front of the tv, computer, or Nintendo.  They gave us craft supplies, a massive basement, sporting equipment, the great outdoors, and each other. I was filled with ideas, creativity, and imagination. As a kid it made me so happy, brought me to life, and energized me.  At the time, I didn’t realize it did all of these things. I was just living my life!

I went back to visit that big blue house, on the gravel street in the middle of nowhere in the summer of 2016.  As we pulled down the driveway, pizza pretzels in hand from the local bakery (Thanks, Thomas!) all of the wonder, magic, and dreams flooded back.

As I pulled down the driveway and saw the playhouse where I trapped hundreds of little frogs and tried to charge people to come see them as if they were a novelty and the yard that a bear walked down as my brother was outside playing golf, I wondered does anyone wonder anymore? We must, right? There must be some sense of wonder – how is it different, how is it the same?

Having a sense of imagination and letting your mind wander isn’t just for the fun of it, there are actually proven benefits of an active imagination including:

• Self-discovery

• Increased intellect

• Make you more empathetic

• Creates desired outcomes

• Happiness

• Memory preservation

• Eliminates boundaries

 

While creating space for this sense of wonder and imagination isn’t always easy, when I do, I feel uplifted, energized, like I can take on the world, and most of all joyful.  The kind of joy that has no other sense.

Here are 4 to ignite your imagination today

Digital Detox

Technology runs our lives.  We’re connected from the minute we wake up to the minute we go to sleep (and sometimes even after if you’re waking up to texts in the middle of the night).  Don’t get me wrong, there’s so much to be excited about when it comes to technology, but it can also hinder our ability to just be. We get FOMO and feel the need to keep up with the Jonses over on Instagram.

You don’t have to go cold turkey to feel the benefits of a digital detox.  Try sleeping with your phone outside your bedroom, committing to checking social media just once per day, and no emails before 8:30 or after 8pm.

Breathing Breaks

Deep breathing calms your nervous system and opens up space in your mind for new ideas to flow.  I know that meditating for 30 minutes a day can seem a bit intimidating but much like the digital detox, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Simply setting aside 5 minutes to sit by yourself in silence focusing your breath can make a difference.

Active Meditation

Find an activity that helps you forget what time it is. For me there are two that immediately come to mind – 1. Running and 2. Cooking. When I am doing either of those things, I really get in the zone and rarely think about the world around me or things that are stressing me out.  It’s also when my other most creative ideas come to me. Sometimes, I daydream so much I forget I’m even running…those are the best runs!

People Watch

This might seem a bit strange, but it really works.  Plop yourself down on a bench in a park, at a beach, or in a coffee shop.  You’ll see so many different types of people going about their day and you’ll start to wonder who they are, where they came from, and what their story is.  You’ll gain a newfound appreciation for all types of people both similar and different to you, which helps you step outside of your standard day-to-day.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on igniting your imagination?