Stunted By Logic

Vision is a gift we all have yet seldom use. Too often we are stunted by ‘logic’ and the expectation to conform with society’s predetermined regiments: go to school, then college, afterwards, enrol at a recognised University and once graduated, acquire a job with a respectable company, one that offers security and preferably contributes towards a pension. If we are lucky, we may be granted four weeks of holiday each year to pursue our personal passions. Except, rarely do we use this time for ourselves. Instead, logic takes precedence once more as we dedicate our free time to the endless list of ‘To Do’s’ that require our attention: “I must repair that leaky tap; clear out the garage; tend to the garden; get on top of my paperwork; paint the fence; visit my mother-in-law…” Logic tells us we must complete these errands before we are summoned back to the office. Is this life? And if so, according to whose standards?

I am not suggesting we should quit our day job, nor am I discouraging anyone from study – if this is what kindles fulfillment and joy. However, we must ask ourselves this – “Does this path align with the vision I hold for my future? Or is this simply the next logical step?” Yes, it is possible that logic will take us from A to B – allow us to obtain that Master’s degree and secure us a comfortable lifestyle – but let us not forget, that imagination can take us anywhere.

It seems that as we move through the system, the creative vision we once held as children gradually becomes lost: “Yes – it would be great to be an Astronaut, Dear… But what about a real job?” When I was a child, whenever asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I responded confidently; “An Author and an Illustrator!” I adored Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake and wanted to spend my days immersed in the world of fantasy and books. As it goes, my vision of becoming an Author was soon replaced by ‘logic’, the need to get my grades and find a ‘real job’ – just like everyone else. Like many, my dreams soon lay dormant in favour of following the status quo. It wasn’t until my thirties that I allowed myself to tap into that realm of creativity and imagination again. Coincidently, that’s when life, for me, began to flow.

What dreams have you resigned to the logic box? Today I invite you to lift the lid on logic and allow your imagination to run wild and free.