Singing As A Spiritual Practice

BEYOND IMAGINATION

The imagination is a wondrous thing; and all of us are capable of creating exciting visions that can grow into reality. Dreaming about creating art and performing can feel very inspiring, however putting those mental images into action is quite another matter. Actualizing our dreams can often lead us down an arduous path of self discovery. For many this experience can prove to be so frightening, that some people may prefer to live in their dream world, and settle for less in their "real lives".

Over the years I've met many creative and talented people, individuals gifted with a wonderful vision that remained unactualized. It is not enough to have a great imagination, one must be able to "take action", or our creations will remain simply mental images. To manifest actually what we imagine in our minds means that we believe in ourselves; that we are worthy enough to be the artist, writer, musician that we dream of being. The journey to self-fulfillment is often painful and risky, but worth every strenuous step. Freedom comes with a high price tag but we are nothing if our spirits are not free. What prevents many artists from moving ahead in their work and taking the necessary risks to expose their art is really fear. Fear is a very powerful emotion, and the decision to accept or resist a feeling of fear can have tremendous impact on our lives. The fear of rejection or the fear of success can have equal bearing on one's ability to let go. Artists are challenged by fear every day. With every creation or performance comes the questions of self doubt: "Am I good enough? What if I fail?" Giving too much power to your fear will only cripple your creative ideas; one must learn to use uncertainty as a stimulus to push self imposed limitations to the edge. To grow into a whole person we must each of us feel our feelings and fear is, after all, just a feeling.
It takes courage to face our fears and act on what we believe in. Most of us have spent years trying to deny or mask our feelings of uncertainty, but being able to survive our darkest moments often requires us to carry fear with us, and even use those feelings of insecurity to motivate action. Dealing with our emotional issues and childhood damage can help to alleviate our fears and allow for the embracing of all feelings in our lives.

So while it is wonderful to have an active imagination, it is important to learn how to reach beyond the imagination into actualization, believing that your ideas and creations can be real and that your dreams can come true. If there are voices in your head that prevent you from materializing your dreams, then it might be necessary to seek some professional help to release those blocks, to allow your spirits to breathe. We can not do it all ourselves, it is important to accept the fact that we are all sharing the "human experience" and we are all students as well as teachers. Life is about learning and growing, take the steps to free your soul and live your dreams.