Mental Cleanse – Chapter 6

Genesis 5:5-7, states that God created multiple languages at Babel to prevent the post-Flood humans from building a huge tower. The Creator acknowledged, at that time, that there was nothing impossible for people to achieve if they set their minds to a project. This is significant to me because a large percentage of religious people that I know insist through their words and actions that they have no control over their lives. Everything that happens is because God is in control. I personally believe that God actively presents us with situations that will help us to grow, if we step up to the challenge. But ultimately God has given us the power to change our lives if we dare.

We have all been blessed with the gift of imagination. This facility to dream and imagine is what sets us apart. Imagination is developed by regular usage and, I think, fueled by a curiosity about the world in which we live. I think that the main reason that there seems to be a stagnation of imagination is because of the myopic viewpoint that is taught to many of us since birth. We're taught to only be concerned with our own immediate interests. We're taught that we are superior to others, so why bother associating or investigating other cultures or customs. And even when we learn about history, it's never taught as a dynamic living process. The points are isolated and sucked dry of anything that would cause us to question why events transpired as they did. So, in order to create something great for ourselves, we need to cultivate our imaginations. Only by doing so will we be able to break free of the shackles of indifference and start building a life that we know should be our own.

The one point that really stands out in Chapter 6 for me is the need to harness my imagination and channel towards a specific goal. In this case, I have to channel it towards a financial goal that will allow me and my family to live in the way that I know we deserve. I have lots of imagination and lots of ideas, but if I don't set a specific, concrete deadline to achieve these goals, I will always be floundering.

The story of Frank W. Gunsaulus is one that I will carry with me forever. He had a great idea. He saw a flaw in the educational system and thought for years about what he would do if he had a million dollars. He thought about it, prayed about it, but it wasn't until he finally stood up to himself and said "I want that million dollars by the end of the week" did he actually accomplish anything. So, I have set myself a definite date to achieve my financial goal. Doing that has forced me to put a course of action together to meet this goal. It is truly amazing how setting the date has fired my imagination towards accomplishing that goal. I've made appointments to work with people who will be able to assist me in creating fundraisers for school and homeowner associations.

Before reading this chapter, how I was going to reach my financial goal was nebulous. I knew what I'd do with the money, but it was still in the daydream stage. Now, I'm doing concrete actions which will lead me to the life that my imagination conjured up. Now that I am working on a course of action, I am noticing the many opportunities that are, and probably always were, before me. And I thank Mr. Hill for reminding me that our imagination is an important gift that needs constant cultivation. And when we couple our imagination with desire and action we be will lead to the proverbial promised land of success that we all want.