IMAGINE

The other day I was driving to work and heard a cut off of the newly released "Instant Karma -- The Campaign to Save Darfur" CD on WXRT in Chicago.

It was a poignant cover of "Imagine" by recording artist Jack Johnson. I heard the song in a way that I had never heard it before.

It serves as a reminder that as a principal of living creatively, we should as often as we can, look at and listen to things in as many different ways as possible ... upside down, backwards, in Chinese and through a blender. Challenge all your beliefs -- Then embrace what you disbelieve, just to try it on for size.

It also reconfirms the importance of an active imagination in our lives. Our dreams, as we imagine them, can become our realities. In fact, what we think about most almost always manifests -- Good or bad -- So I would keep your imaginations intensely focused on your passions and fantasies.

A few years ago -- 8 to be exact -- I dreamt of becoming a creativity/innovation consultant. And here I am. By the way, I never dreamed of becoming an Innovise Guy -- but we played our way there -- and that's a topic for another blog.

So go out there a ride your imagination to your dreams.

For now, here's the lyrics to John Lennon's epic song ...

Oh, and I would recommend the CD -- It's for a good cause. We CAN change the world, as the CSN&Y song goes -- and even incremental change -- one cause, one person, one perception, one organization at a time is just fine.

Doug Stevenson

Imagine
John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace...

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
In a brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one