I dwell in possibility. Emily Dickinson
How often do we feel like we are stuck, trapped, or unable to imagine that things could be different than they are, whether they are bad or simply okay? It can leave us feeling barren or depressed—how can we break out into something new?
A joke found in an 1899 Punch magazine that had been donated to Harvard University by the Pulitzer family offered a look at the “coming century.” A genius asked, “Isn’t there a clerk who can examine patents?” A boy replied, “Quite unnecessary, Sir. Everything that can be invented has been invented.” How laughable is that today, with everything that has happened in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in virtually every field of endeavor.
We live in an Infinite Universe, which means there is an abundance of possibilities in every situation. It isn’t a lack of possibilities that keeps us stuck—it’s only the imagination to dream them up and the will to execute them. We worry about consequences, and failure, and the impact on our lives. Yet the only way for things to change, is for them to change. It all starts with knowing that we dwell in an ocean of possibility!
Spiritual Contemplation: Is there an area of your life where you feel stuck or trapped? Have you tried everything or run out of ideas and you just can’t figure out anything new? This means there are a whole host of possibilities you have not yet entertained out of fear or unwillingness. Begin to list all the possibilities, no matter how silly or fearful they seem. This is the first step.
Affirmation: I dwell in possibilities. I allow my imagination to soar and my mind to roam in the field of many options.