Quite recently, I was reminded in a stunning way of the power of imagination. It was stunning because I felt "gobsmacked" (to use a favorite phrase of Linda Parelli's) by the recognition of my own failure of imagination. As Parelli students we all know that the 6th key to success is Imagination. You may also be aware that Pat often quotes Einstein to the effect that imagination is more important than knowledge because knowledge is limited. So, in various ways we all "know" that imagination is important, even vital, to our success as human beings and as students of the horse.
But knowing something in theory, in your head, is very different from experiencing it deep in your bones. That's one reason learning new skills and becoming savvy takes such hours (years!) of practice and accumulating experience; it's that journey of never-ending self-improvement that is one of the hall marks of Parelli.
My recent lesson had nothing to do with horses, directly. Years ago when I worked at St. John's University in the student counseling office. I also taught a course for "peer helpers", a course in communication and problem solving skills. One of my students was a young man who told me of his parents' (and soon to be, his) effort to improve the lives of poor people in Guatemala. I don't recall the details but do remember that, for me, he may as well have been talking about building a colony on Mars. I just didn't--couldn't--imagine such a project becoming a successful reality! My student was young and idealistic (though not much younger than I) and so, with my failure of imagination utterly unknown to me, I silently dismissed his talk as just that.
Fast forward more than 25 years to last month when I went, with friends and my husband, to Antigua, Guatemala to the Common Hope project to spend a week learning and working. I knew this was the project I had heard about years before it had a name, but didn't really know what to expect. It's a little hard to describe--you'll have to use your imagination!--how amazed, stunned, impressed, and moved I was to first see the physical place (a lovely compound with health clinic, day care, library, social work offices, guest rooms, construction area, ball court, dining hall and more)! And this didn't even include all the outreach efforts to local schools and families, as well as the creation of a beautiful, modern elementary school and community 2 hours away.
Among all the things I learned and experienced that week, the most astonishing lesson was seeing and living in the reality which my imagination had so utterly failed to see years ago. I don't think my relationship with imagination will ever be quite the same.
But knowing something in theory, in your head, is very different from experiencing it deep in your bones. That's one reason learning new skills and becoming savvy takes such hours (years!) of practice and accumulating experience; it's that journey of never-ending self-improvement that is one of the hall marks of Parelli.
My recent lesson had nothing to do with horses, directly. Years ago when I worked at St. John's University in the student counseling office. I also taught a course for "peer helpers", a course in communication and problem solving skills. One of my students was a young man who told me of his parents' (and soon to be, his) effort to improve the lives of poor people in Guatemala. I don't recall the details but do remember that, for me, he may as well have been talking about building a colony on Mars. I just didn't--couldn't--imagine such a project becoming a successful reality! My student was young and idealistic (though not much younger than I) and so, with my failure of imagination utterly unknown to me, I silently dismissed his talk as just that.
Fast forward more than 25 years to last month when I went, with friends and my husband, to Antigua, Guatemala to the Common Hope project to spend a week learning and working. I knew this was the project I had heard about years before it had a name, but didn't really know what to expect. It's a little hard to describe--you'll have to use your imagination!--how amazed, stunned, impressed, and moved I was to first see the physical place (a lovely compound with health clinic, day care, library, social work offices, guest rooms, construction area, ball court, dining hall and more)! And this didn't even include all the outreach efforts to local schools and families, as well as the creation of a beautiful, modern elementary school and community 2 hours away.
Among all the things I learned and experienced that week, the most astonishing lesson was seeing and living in the reality which my imagination had so utterly failed to see years ago. I don't think my relationship with imagination will ever be quite the same.
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