Creative Dreaming: Where Do Your Daydreams Take You?

If you've ever suddenly come to your senses while driving alone and wondered how you got there, or reached for the soap in the shower and thought to yourself, didn't I already do this? -- you're wandering in a daydream. Don't worry, you're normal. We all do it.

Where do you go on your mind wandering journeys?

Do you long for the good old days? Do you climb into the way-back machine to revisit pleasant memories from your childhood, or the day you first met your spouse? The past can be a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there.

If you find yourself constantly returning to past mistakes and hurts, you might be stuck in yesterday. Bill Harris, founder of The Centerpointe Research Institute says in his First Principles, "Let whatever happens be OK." That's great advice. You can't change the past, so why let it make you miserable today? Let go and get on with your life.

Do you find yourself going over the tasks ahead or cataloging your day? It's a great way to stay ahead of the game. Or do you time travel into the future to worry about what might happen (but probably won't)? Be easy and quit worrying. Have you ever thought you might be creating your future in your daydreams?

Do your daydreams take you far into the future, playing at what if, creating your ideal life? Do you fantasize, imagining the perfect mate or the ideal job? Focus on your dreams - often. They might just come true.

Daydream without preconceptions. Simply let your mind wander like a leaf drifting downstream or a bee flitting from flower to flower. It's easy. Just take your paddle out of the water and let your thoughts go. If you're like most people, wonderful, creative ideas will pop into your head when you least expect them. Nurture them and keep coming back for more.

Our minds are amazing. Whenever we don't have a definite task in front of us, our thoughts wander. You can build a better future, relive pleasant times or talk with your muse. But, your daydreams can be like quicksand that suck you down into unpleasant memories, or constant worrying.

Nurture your daydreams. Allow them to enfold you in a sea of creative ideas.