Work Less, Accomplish More and Enjoy It Fully - Part II

By: Reggie Odom
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:40:21
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Use Your Imagination and Let Inspiration do its Work.

What if there was a way (or ways) to take the work out of work, out of relationships, out of life itself, while having more of what you want in all areas? Using your imagination and letting inspiration do its work is a natural way to do this.

Imagine for a moment that your actions are inspired. They are not "shoulds", but naturally flow and you are energized by doing them. Four aspects of inspiration are energy, elegance, enthusiasm and ease. Inspiration is an emotionally and spiritually high octane fuel, and a naturally replenishing energy source for the actions which it generates. There is elegance - gracefulness, neatness and profound simplicity - in inspired actions. When your actions are inspired, you embark upon them with enthusiasm, and discover an ease in their completion. They will be inherently purposeful and powerful. Interested?

We human beings have a habit of jumping right into action to do a job or to get what we want. Sometimes we don’t know what to do or what we want so we take action to relieve the discomfort of that. Or we procrastinate and feel terrible about not taking actions that we think we should be taking.

Many business owners and other professionals find themselves so caught up in continual action for fear of not doing all the things that need to get done, that they lose their zest, and their passion goes underground. They spend less time doing what they are naturally brilliant at or passionate about, and lose touch with the dream, calling, or love that led them to their work in the first place.

Then there is that seeming opposite and pulverizing gremlin of procrastination. You simply can’t get into an action mode to do what you think needs to get done. In this space, you may either be frozen in fear, or in reaction mode which disguises itself as the urgency to do totally unrelated things, like checking your email for the 49th time or shampooing the carpet. Actually, many procrastinating people become bionic when it comes to getting things done - that is things other than what they think they should be doing.

The above situations are usually filled with unsatisfying and meaningless actions. We end up wondering, “Is this all there is?” Or we feel guilty for not doing what we had on our “to do” list; even for being who we are. We find ourselves working more, accomplishing less, and enjoying it even less. I feel sure this isn't what any of us had in mind when we began this lifetime.

What about inspired actions? Isn't that where we started? Yes, there is this other way. It’s the way of imagination and inspiration. Einstein in his genius said that “imagination is more important than knowledge.” Imagination is a natural ability we all have to create mental images, to visualize something before it is created or "to see from the end" as Wayne Dyer says. A person can have all the knowledge in the world but if they haven't imagined something first, they won't accomplish it. Many great teachers and highly successful individuals over time have said that anything you can imagine is possible. Much of what we imagine actually shows up in our lives, usually by default because we haven't been imagining what we really want.

Whether you use your imagination to actually visualize something or to create an inner knowing, you are directing energy toward it, both your energy and the life energy beyond your own - you are engaging the universe. Rather than jumping right into action it is far more effective, and fun, to visualize what you want first. When you do this, you are engaging your inner wisdom and the universe in the process. One of several things will occur. You will be guided, inspired or led to the perfect action; or unexpected opportunities will arise - people will show up or synchronicities will occur to assist you in achieving what it is that you want. Abraham, a spiritual teacher, spoke to the powerful impact of using your imagination and allowing inspiration to do its work in a simple affirmation: “By visualizing my desired outcome, the perfect action is always inspired.” Imagination, along with the energy, elegance, enthusiasm and ease of inspiration, is a powerful partnership that assists you in accomplishing what you want with joy and ease.

Here’s the simple process:

1.Before you take action, sit quietly and spend time imagining your desired outcome, including your preferred feeling state. It is preferable not to take action until you are in alignment with a positive feeling state.

2. When you have lined up with a positive feeling state, and have a clearer idea about the outcomes you want, go on about your work and play, already inspired or knowing that inspiration is on its way.

Using your imagination and inspiration allows you greater access to your natural brilliance and passions, to the deepest truths of who you are, and to having what you really want, naturally.

Remember, you are a natural! You are brilliant! You are magnificent! Simply by being you. Won’t you let your light shine?

Reggie Odom LICSW, CPCC, PCC is founder of Inspired Works, a Life Coaching network, and an inspirational speaker and lecturer at the Simmons College School of Social Work. Reggie coaches individuals, professionals and practice based entrepreneurs who want to live and work with greater aliveness and authenticity. She can be contacted at (617) 524-6153, reggie@reggieodom.com or you can visit her website at http://www.reggieodom.com.

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