On imagination, disappointment and gratitude

When I was a kid I had a vivid imagination. I could spend hours playing in imaginary worlds in my head. As an adult I still have quite an imagination. And, though I no longer have imaginary friends, I do think it adds to my writing and work.

One benefit of having a vivid imagination is that I can get really excited about the potential for things: a potential collaboration, a potential new relationship or the potential of our country electing an incredible woman for president. The downside is that it can lead to some serious disappointment. And boy, have I been disappointed the last few weeks.

When I feel this intense disappointment, I don't always want to deal with the reality of the situation. It is just too hard. 

And, yes, with this hard reality there is much that needs to be done. But it is ok to not want to do it this week. With many people still feeling hurt and raw, maybe this Thanksgiving is not the time to have those tough political conversations.

We do eventually have to face what is happening, no matter how much we may want it to be different. To do this, I have found that rooting myself in gratitude is really helpful. Yes the world is not as I want it to be - but what about my life and my community am I grateful for? It does not change the hard shit but it allows me to remember the good stuff. And this can make everything a little more bearable. 

I know gratitude journals are not going to solve the problems that are heading our way - but at this time of year (when gratitude is sort of the point), it does help.

I do not have all the answers, but what I do know is that this work is more important than ever. And I would love any input you have about people/organizations/initiatives that I should be touch with (please hit reply and let me know, I am always looking for potential collaborations).

Lastly, though we may be disappointed and scared - we cannot allow this to make us lose our imagination. Because if we cannot imagine a world that is different, how can we make it happen?


Happy Thanksgiving and be kind out there.