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Imagine All the World Living Life in Peace

I was fortunate to be born during the Beatles musical revolution in the Sixties. I was young then, but their music transformed the way I thought about life. I love all four Beatles, but I must admit John Lennon is my favorite. I always thought John’s songs held the most profound meanings to life, and it is one of his post-Beatles songs that came to be my favorite called Imagine.

The subject of our imagination has been coming up indirectly in my latest writings. Since this song popped up in my thoughts recently, I figure it is telling me it is time to write directly about the power of our imagination.

One of the most eye-opening lessons that I have learned in the last ten years is about how we take our imagination for granted. Imagination is critical to human evolution as it is our vehicle to express our creativity, our ingenuity, our spirit, and our vision for life. It is hard to live a life void of imagination. For some, imagination is reduced to a child’s activity as if there is a flaw with that assumption. The prophet Jesus reminds us: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Using our childlike imagination reveals the mysteries of life.

Our mind does not drive our future—our imagination does. We can imagine a future with positive potentials or negative ones but left to think only about facts and figures reduces us to a spiritless world unable to move in any direction. Our mind is a database. What do we do with all the words and numbers swirling around in our minds?

Imagination is the tool we use to discover a new answer. Scientists and researchers need their imagination to drive where to look next and what facts to seek out. What if it’s our thoughts that direct our DNA? What if it is a parasite causing this reaction? What if our financial system needs changing? Our mind seeks out facts, but our imagination creates a vision that drives our actions.

You cannot create a movement for change without a vision set by a leader or group. We see many examples, both positive and negative, throughout our history. Adolph Hitler set a negative vision of Aryan supremacy that was adopted by his countrymen and led to World War II. Martin Luther King Jr. set a positive vision of a promised land for African Americans in the United States that created sweeping change through the civil rights movement:

Although John Lennon is a songwriter, I consider him to be a leader for change reflected in his song, Imagine, that is a message of hope for the whole world. Songs are catalysts for grand visions in our imagination and can strike an emotional chord in our hearts. For example, national anthems invoke the love of country for most people. Religious songs inspire us to be better people.

Our world is heading down a dangerous road right now. The overwhelming speed of life cloaks us from the ticking clock that measures out the fate of harrowing challenges that we may have to face soon.

Imagining a world living in harmony and peace has been cast as a fool’s errand by many, but not me. I believe that the only thing that will save us is our imagination. However, it is going to take more than just one leader to promote a new way of seeing the world. We are going to have to imagine a new world together. John Lennon gives us a roadmap through his song of where to begin:

  • “Imagine all the people living for today!”

Imagine with me for a moment of a world where we live in the present moment. Imagine people and countries learning from their past mistakes and healing their grief and animosities. Imagine people forgiving themselves and others instead of holding on to their hate. Imagine, through reconciliation, we look for solutions for rehabilitation and for our everyday problems based on what we have learned instead of repeating past mistakes.

  • “Imagine all the people living life in peace!”

Imagine a world where humanity finally let’s go of the need for war and destruction. Imagine we finally declare that no country or group has the right to solve their problems through violence. Imagine every year we have a world holiday where we celebrate the destruction of all weapons of war. We call it World Disarmament Day. Of course, the world still has conflicts going on, but there is a structure in place to negotiate settlements, and all countries honor the process

  • “Imagine all the people sharing all the world!”

Imagine a future world where every person is provided healthy food, proper shelter, and the freedom to pursue their dreams. Imagine that we have realized that there is plenty of food to be shared, and we have created a fair system of sharing our natural resources. In our new world, the basic needs of every citizen of the world are met. Imagine a future humanity that reduces waste in our systems. Picture yourself walking down any street in any city or town in the world, knowing that every child playing joyfully in the road has a full belly and a soft place to rest their head at night. Imagine a world where children feel safe and free to express themselves and follow their imagination where it leads them. Imagine every adult in the world being able to do the same.

We do not have a limiting future without limiting thoughts! Some people will remain skeptical about the future and buy into our helplessness. They may mark me as another naïve free thinker that does not have a foot planted in reality. This is a label I am willing to take on proudly. I will continue to imagine for them because I know this path will help solve our problems. We are learning our thoughts are energy and energy can be reconfigured. It is what drives human evolution.

I sometimes wonder why we have so much trouble imagining a peaceful planet yet can easily picture a hundred variations of Armageddon. We must change the way we approach our systemic troubles. If not now, then when? The normal ways are not working very well. I think it is appropriate to close with the last set of lyrics from John Lennon’s song Imagine. I join with him wholeheartedly in his invitation to all of us.

You may say that I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one.

I hope someday you’ll join us,

And the world will live as one.”

~John Lennon

Imagine that!

Helen Heinmiller
Helen Heinmillerhttps://www.helenheinmiller.com/inspiration-exp-blog
Helen Heinmiller is an inspirational author, teacher, and speaker bringing a 21st century perspective to all aspects of life. After fifteen years in corporate America and another twenty years studying personal and spiritual growth, Helen discovered a vital link between our connection to the divine and our ability to manifest good health, enriching relationships, and satisfaction in work and service. She believes that divinity is woven into every aspect of life to include all parts of society and business because, when embraced, our divine connection powers the inspiration that's needed to succeed. Helen is the author of two inspiring adventure novels, The Rustling of Angels and, her thriller, Final Redemption. Through the art of storytelling, Helen reveals real paradigm-shifting truths about who we are as humans and the inherent power we all share to change the negative direction of the world today. Her mission is to bring this message to people, businesses, and organizations to inspire and build new inspirational conversations and positive solutions for the world. Helen is a contributing author to the inspiring book Crappy to Happy: Sacred Stories of Transformational Joy

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18 CONVERSATIONS

  1. Helen, your thoughts are lovely here. I believe Jesus, or even John Lennon for that matter, would have a difficult time witnessing our collective behavior as we approach 2020. For the most part we allow ourselves to be divided and manipulated by politicians and media alike. We no longer take the high road, instead we take cheap shots and fire our missiles before asking questions. We disregard art and the importance of reading and rarely thank people for their efforts. This is just surface irritation as our spirits are suffering from the most malignant cancer possible… indifference. All we can do is pray for wisdom and try to raise the next generation to have respect. I don’t know whether kindness is genetic or not, but it must be reintroduced in the family unit as soon as HUMANLY possible, emphasis on humanly as our very souls depend on it… You keep the faith my friend, as long as some of us remain aware, there is always hope… 🙏

    • Thanks for sharing. It can be a struggle to stay optimistic these days, but the malignant cancer your speak about it surfacing to be healed. It may feel like too much at times but the balm to be applied is love and patience and being an example of what an evolved human looks like. Have a great day.

  2. Helen, I am definitely joining you and John Lennon in his dreaming-the Imagination! I love all you have offered here in this thoughtful article. I appreciate this essay so very much for I feel incredibly hopeful, optimistic about our lives, the world, the shifts that are happening even as I type these words. Someone right now, somewhere in the world, could be having this experience of soulful peace, of connectedness, of bliss in the very core of their essential self or True Self or Pure Consciousness or Christ-like compassion…or however we want to language this silent witness of all that is. I, too, wonder how humans have created airplanes and I-phones, laptops, but people still scream at each other like their very life is threatened (when it isn’t). Can we heal the walking paradoxes that we are? And I’m not saying that some people’s lives aren’t threatened because clearly they are. The outdated mental constructs and repression of healthy emotional processing must be broken through for optimal imaginative creative expression for the sake of human lives. May we find our way to enduring mental, emotional, physical, and environmental health-to heal abandonment, the sense of worthlessness, and betrayal that some human beings perpetuate and many others work to heal. May we transform at the core of our souls and breakthrough to a new life of love, compassion, peace, and kindness. I promise to keep doing my part from the core of me. I’m inspired!!

    • Hi Laura and thank you for your powerful response. My heart stretched open as I read your words. At every moment, someone is having an awakened experience because of the work we do in spreading the light through our work and our words. I join you in imagining a new inspired world! I imagine that there is coming a day when a great many people wake up to a new sense of self and purpose for humanity. This community of writers plays an important role in creating new platforms to dream big! I am so happy to talk about this with you. You inspire me!

  3. I believe allowing free play and bringing back art into rhe schools will help with imagination. So often now we use technology to draw and create, and granted technology had allowed us to do new things; but sometimes a piece of paper or a canvas and some crayons, markers, paint, or colored pencils and a little imagination can spark all kinds of creations and even some solutions to current issues.

  4. The Chaos in our world seems overwhelming, but like John Lennon, I believe that if we Imagine we can change the Chaos to Clarity. I am a dreamer who believes in Dreams and the ability to co-create because we are a reflection and extension of our Higher Power. Beautiful article. Sharing.

  5. A world without conflict or war would be great. Sadly there are wars we must fight to protect our country or our allies. Perhaps one day there will be less conflict. When you have events like 09/11.we must always be on our guard. We can hope and pray for peace but war is a sad reality we must be prepared for.

    • Hi Joel. I agree we are not at a place where we can drop our vigilance, but the only way to change the future is for us to not accept the status quo. Speaking our truths is how we can begin to change. Integrity, honesty, and the pursuit of happiness for all of mankind. Thanks for speaking your truths.

    • We absolutely cannot change the status quo. Japan and North Korea are at odds which the US will get drawn into. North Korea is becoming more hostile and continues to develop and test new missiles. The truth is you are not facing up the reality we are living in. The ’60s are long over. If we drop our vigilance we open ourselves for an attack. To even suggest we do this is both irresponsible and dangerous. Thank G-d we have President Trump who is unlike you committed to protecting our country as well as our allies.

    • Joel, I am sorry my response seems to have upset you but I did agree with you that we are not in a place to drop our vigilance. I simply believe that what we are doing and have been doing isn’t working. I would appreciate it in the future if you keep politics out of our discussions. I do not think you have the right to assume that I am not interested in protecting our country or our allies. My greatest interest is in creating a safer world.

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