In My View

Thinking

When thoughts jumble your mind…
Everything is created twice: first as a thought, then in reality.
Like it or not, a thought, as exciting as it may be, gets you nowhere if it’s stuck between your ears. That’s the problem! For most of us, the issue is not imagining exciting and surreal scenarios, schemes or projects. It is acting on those wonderful ideas we concoct.
I have a robust imagination. My head is filled with operas and colourful productions. So what’s the problem? While my neurons are attending the latest mental Rave, what of my social, relational or economical reality?
Having an idea isn’t important. What is important is to bring into realization the “stuff” this great idea alludes to. Flipping on a theme doesn’t cut it. Everybody has Star Wars extravaganzas inside. Few of us translate them into concrete things. That is precisely why there are so few people like Steven Spielberg or George Lucas.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard I try to stop the mental tsunami, I always end up dizzy, disoriented, and submerged by the latest newfangled obsession of my virtual aspirations. Have any of my “crazy” ideas contributed in the least to the betterment of my financial, romantic or professional lives?
Get real!
It took me a while to realize ideas have more in common with intestinal peristalsis than with life planning. I digest every day. I also imagine every day. So what’s the difference between the fumes of my digestive system and those of my brain? You figure it out!
So now, what’s one to do? Are there ways to stop the flood? Personally, I found that solutions submitted to me when I research the subject tend to favour a “system” developed by people who realized the same things I did and found a solution that suited them.
Cool. Now the question is: does the proposed solution meet my needs? Not intellectually, spiritually or financially — particularly in these new, enhanced, Robber Baron times! —, but in concrete terms. Are the Time Management system that enables me to file my emails hierarchically, the Mind mapping software, the tablet PC, texting, blogs, instant Internet access, smart phones and the myriad of services the human spirit is creating and marketing real tools I’ve learned to use, or just the latest synaptic storms temporarily overloading my awareness?
I haven’t found a universal solution yet. What suits a CEO has to be different from what suits an artist or a neurosurgeon. In my case, I simply try, once in a while, to do something productive, concrete. More than anything, I have to disregard the mental hypothesis universes, the crazes, the fads and get down! That’s it! There are no secrets.
Parting thought: don’t be too quick to judge the value of your actions. Chill. The Universe is full of surprises! As John Lennon said, Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.