“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to what we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know.” – Albert Einstien
When I was young my favorite heroes to dress up as were The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, GI Joe, and of course a police officer or detective. I’d spend hours putting together whatever came close to a similar costume look, and play away!
I often watch my own children thinking back to those wonderful childhood years where I was the hero (or villain, depending on my mood) of my own story. Now imagination takes on a whole different perspective for me as an adult. Funny thing I realized is that most adults I know, don’t have much in the way of imagination that is on par with that of a child’s. What makes a child’s imagination so different? Often times it’s doubtless, and full of confidence. The child, whether he/she is pretending to be a doctor, police officer, or superhero is sure in every action in their play. If doubt ever arises about something beyond what they know, they either ask an adult or make it up as they go.
Of course in the adult world we can’t practically make things up in our jobs, or businesses and expect it to work, however, our imagination tunes us into strengths we sometimes overlook and realize we had all along. Self-confidence, perseverance, and to use our minds to affect the world around us. It has the ability to allow us to see past certain obstacles, and allow us to forge goals and the means to attain them. I think back to some of my personal role models who while having very little to work with accomplished great things.
Frederick Douglass remains at the top of my list, even by modern-day standards. Any man that can educate himself in the grips of physical human slavery, not only has courage; but the imagination to put it into service. And with that imagination, Frederick Douglass became a hero, for every person believing in freedom.
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