Your Guide to Daydreaming

You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, “Why not?”
– George Bernard Shaw

(Min’s Secret World)

Daydreaming is a form of using your creative imagination. When you daydream, you go into an imaginary world. You imagine yourself as capable of being, having and doing all that you desire. You imagine an utopian world. You imagine a world that has wondrous innovations, superb technology or advanced creations. You imagine living a life without a single worry.

You may have previously believed yourself as incapable of imagination. But this is incorrect thinking. Because anyone can daydream. When you daydream, you are able to visualize all kinds of possibilities. Daydreaming is an outlet for your creativity. You allow your mind to roam freely.

What has properly happened is that you find that you do not daydream anymore. You just do not have the time to. Perhaps when you were a child, you were scolded for daydreaming. Your teachers might have noticed your glassy eyes or found that you were not paying attention in class. Naturally, you had escaped into your own world because you had found their classes boring.

One of my daughters, Min (above picture), confessed to occasionally daydreaming. She would then doodle her fantasy world on the pages of her textbook during Chinese lessons in school. I responded with a grin it was much better than falling asleep at the back of her class like what her friend did!

You might have no control over what you dream at night but with daydreaming, you are in the driver’s seat. It is all up to your imagination. You do not hold yourself back with any of irrational doubts or fear. You actively build the movie set in your mind.

You could be Alice in Wonderland, a student attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Min’s favorite), a knight visiting mythical lands, an explorer of planets in the galaxy or have the ability to transport yourself to a different dimension. Or you could simply be projecting living a life as a multi-millionaire as your future self. You are the hero or heroine in your mental stories. Daydreaming is a great form of relaxation.

Daydreaming puts you in touch with creativity, intuition and play. When you actively imagine, you are able to see things that others do not see. An uncluttered mind also lends you greater clarity. You can connect the dots when others are not able to perceive that there is any relationship in the first place. In the real world, you become more creative for problem solving. New solutions, products or ideas are the result of using your creative imagination.

Daydreaming Quote for Inspiration

“Wishing is good for us.
Daydreams, fantasies, castles in the air, and aspirations
All drive us forward,
Impel us to make things happen.

They also tell us a lot about ourselves.
Our wishes come straight from our core,
And they are loaded with vital information
About who we are and who we can become.

Keeping track of our wishes
Helps us tap into the energy
That propels us to go after our happiness.”
— Barbara Ann Kipfer

Daydreaming 101

It’s been a long time since you daydream? Here are some tips to get you started again….

1. Exercise Your Imagination. The more you practice, the better you get. So start daydreaming. Play little scenarios in your mind. Imagine new frontiers. Allow yourself freedom to explore.

2. Set Aside Time. Luckily, this exercise can be fun. It can do you good by setting aside time for daydreaming, if you constantly find life stifling and stressful. Don’t forget what Napolean Hill said, “whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” You may find your reality changing when you start to focus on your dreams.

3. Give Creativity Importance. If you emphasize too much on what is logical, rational and practical, you are downplaying the importance of what it means to be intuitive, creative and imaginative. It is no wonder that you find yourself constantly lacking creative ideas, inspiration and meaning. It is hard to feel alive, in this instance.

4. Explore New Adventures Physically. Adventures spark new ideas for daydreaming. Try writing a poem, go out to the park, travel to a new country and so on. Do things that you have not done before. You get more creative ideas through having more experiences. I find this to be true because many of my creative stories draw on things that I have tried, seen and done.

5. Play Creative Games. One such game uses a technique called “concept combination.” Alone or with other players, you combine random concepts or things in new ways, to see who has the best idea. For instance, combine the ideas of a broom and a chair and see what you can come up with.

6. Relax First. You cannot daydream until you start to relax. So put on some nice meditative music in the background. Then again, don’t fall asleep just yet. You want to actively engage your imagination. If you are too drowsy, sleep first. And then as you wake up, don’t jump right out of bed but spend some time exploring in your mind.

7. Let Your Ideas Run Wild. Avoid censoring your dreams. And certainly don’t let your analytical mind tell you that your dream is impossible. It does not cost you anything to dream, so give your imagination the freedom to explore. Challenge yourself by stretching your imagination a day at a time.

Daydreaming is Loads of Fun

Daydreaming is a fun activity that you can also do together with your family. Over meal times, we would often encourage our girls to share more about their dreams. Dream topics include dream holidays, dream homes, dream jobs, etc. They will light up whenever we touch on dreams. Everyone always has something to say about the things that they would like.

And so,

I hope that you can participate in the daydreaming exercise now.

Close your eyes.

Relax.

Let your imagination fly away.

Allow your mind to open a canvas of possibility.

Wait three seconds.

See: What is the world that you have escaped to like? Are you in the picture? If so, where are you? What are you being, doing and having?

Share: Comments below!

Love and abundance always,

Author. Adventurer. Life Coach. More About Me.

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Theme for the month: Creativity

To live in abundance is also to be creative. Grab a copy of my book, Abundance Alchemy: Journey of Gold for tips on creating a life of abundance.
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