Ever feel this?
Me too.
Once I saw the definition, I knew I’d caught the bug.
The more I think about this INTENSE AND IRRESISTIBLE DESIRE FOR FREEDOM, the stronger its pull becomes.
Since no pill’s gonna cure my ill, here’s how I manage the symptoms.
Rx #1: Take Imagination Seriously
Imagination may seem silly. You might think it’s nothing more than a temporary distraction or daydream. But actually, imagination can be a form of wisdom if used in a strategic way. I stole a few gems from this article, Imagination May Be More Important Than Knowledge.
Imagination enables us to scrutinize our past and construct hypothetical future scenarios that do not yet exist, but could.
Strategic imagination is a vision of ‘what could be’, the ability to recognize and evaluate opportunities by turning them into mental scenarios, seeing the benefits, identifying the resources required for taking particular actions.
Imagination can move freely across fields and disciplines, while logical thinking is orientated along a narrowly focused path.
Imagination decomposes what already is, replacing it with what could be, and is the source of hope, enlightenment and aspirations.
Sounds like freedom to me.
So get serious about your imagination — and leave some room for what you can’t possibly see right now.
The future is
something you haven’t
even thought of yet.
-Don Draper
Rx #2: Do Something!
When the Seattle Seahawks were in the playoffs last year, I watched one of the games at a bar with a crowd of eager fans. In front of the big screen TV, there was a large man who was rather tipsy. Whenever the game wasn’t going his way, he’d jump up — blocking the TV — and shout at the Seahawks, “Do something!!”
He must have run this play a dozen times before someone kindly asked him to stop.
This story turned into a bit of a joke in my head. When I notice moments of indecision or hesitation, I might shout, “Do something!” This is particularly useful when I’m driving. Yeah — I’m yelling at people, but they can’t hear me. More importantly, I often say it to myself. I know that nothing feels as bad as doing nothing. You’ve got to DO SOMETHING — anything — toward creating what you’ve imagined. When you do this, you are giving the universe/God/the force something to work with.
The truth is — you won’t know how you’ll feel about an activity until you actually do the activity. And the confidence and freedom you crave only comes through action.
Begin to act,
and your world begins to change.
Keep going, and your life takes on more
and more of the flavor of your dreams.
-Ralph Marston
Rx #3: Fall Out
During a recent yoga class on the beach, we were practicing a pose called warrior three.
Our yoga teacher said, “If you’re going to fall out, fall out.”
Not hard for me to do.
I thought of the band Fall Out Boy and, in my mind, I added a comma. Fall out, boy.
I say this to myself too.
To develop tenacity, you must fall fast and rise again.
Know that feeling foolish is part of the path.
Be willing to flirt with disaster.
Lead. Make mistakes, but lead.
This is how you begin to set yourself free.
I’ve got it bad and I’ve got it good.
I lifted this line from Robert Palmer because it makes me think of the tension created by wanting something and not having it. I don’t want to be cured of my intense and irresistible desire for freedom. I want to pursue it always and never reach the end. In fact, I don’t think there is a limit to how free you can feel. My hunch is this — as you become freer, you’ll begin to see other places where freedom is also possible.
Watch out! What I’ve got might be contagious…
So light ’em up, up, up
Light ’em up, up, up
Light ’em up, up, up
I’m on fire.
-Fall Out Boy
MORE THIRST AID
Want to get lucky? This is one of my FAVORITE articles to send to coaching clients. Here’s some scientific research that you can influence your destiny: How To Get Lucky.
I’m crazy about Brené Brown and her research on courage. This is a long interview, but so worth the time: Daring Greatly to Unlock Your Creativity.
That’s all for now. Hope this fall inspires you to find your freedom —
