Is it possible to live a life without regret?
And if it is at all possible how do we best achieve it?
What’s the secret?
One answer is very simple: be lucky enough to have everything flow seamlessly in your life: thoroughly enjoy your work, your family, your friendships and your opportunities……… and delight in every day and every thing you undertake.
For those of us who lack this level of seamless luck (which is just about all of us) I suggest a second option: create the life you want through your imagination.
That’s right: create the life you want in your imagination and actually “think” it into reality.
Let’s face it…..
If you imagine life is cruel and hard…..welcome to cruel and hard.
If you imagine life lacks abundance…..welcome to lack of abundance
If you imagine you can’t lose weight – you won’t lose weight.
If you imagine your family hates you – you will continue to think they hate you, even if they treat you otherwise.
You eat because you “think” you’re hungry.
You get fearful because you “think” you are in danger.
That’s because your brain can’t tell the difference between thought and reality.
Thinking and imagining are the same function except ‘thinking’ tends to arise directly out of our memory and imagination arises out of many parts of the brain operating together.
The neuroscientist Christopher Berger wrote:
“What we imagine hearing can change what we actually see, and what we imagine seeing can change what we actually hear.”
To imagine is to think creatively.
In many situations you can “think” yourself well.
You can also “think” yourself successful or rich.
You can even “think” yourself lucky!
When I was 19 I decided I wanted to manage a bookshop.
So I simply visualised myself running one.
(I had never even worked in one).
After a month I decided the day had come to spring into action.
Early one morning I took myself to the Harbour Bridge end of
George Street in Sydney and confidently started my quest to find a bookshop to manage.
“Hello I wish to manage your bookshop” was my opening line.
Over the next few hours I travelled all the way up George Street, down Pitt Street, across the adjoining streets….always confident there was a bookshop waiting for me…..
By 3pm I was at Angus & Robertsons in Castlereagh Street.
My confidence slipped a tad (It was such a huge store) that my opening line changed to ‘managing a department…..”.
The Manager sized me up quickly and said he had no job vacancies.
I smiled weakly and went to leave……
“Are you sure you want to be a department manager?” he asked.
I hesitated before admitting “I’m looking to run a bookshop”.
“Why didn’t you say so!” he exclaimed, reaching for the phone…..
He called up Colonel Shepherd, the owner of Morgan’s Bookshop in Bathurst Street and told him he had the perfect candidate to run his bookshop whilst he went overseas on a military assignment.
By 5pm that day I was his Manager and ran the store for six months.
It had taken just one day’s activity to obtain my desired job.
I had no experience in a bookshop – but I had learnt to use my Mind to create my desired life using the power of my imagination rather
than just being at the mercy of my ‘poor me’ thoughts.
As far as our brain is concerned, what we imagine happening is actually happening.
So if you’d like to live a ‘no regret’ life choose to start today by imagining the life you’d like to live……
Maybe your weight starts to shrink….
Maybe your perfect job arrives…..
Maybe your perfect partner comes onto the scene…….
Maybe you are successful in some venture………
Maybe greater abundance comes into your life……
Maybe your health improves…….
Create imaginative, positive thoughts – and hold them in your Mind.
Affirm them daily, regularly.
Give thanks that they are in process this very moment.
And watch what others may call magic unfold in your life!
Peace be within you.
Les