Can you imagine?

A step beyond hope.

Can you imagine? Do you even remember what it feels like? Imagination? When is the last time you allowed yourself time to just dream?

---

Welcome to The LIFT

Let me know you were here by liking this post, leaving a comment + sharing it with your friends! If you haven’t subscribed, click the “Subscribe Now” button below for a weekly pick me up. A new issue comes out every Sunday + will be delivered right to your inbox. You can read previous issues here.

---

CHANGING PERSPECTIVE

If some magical little fairy showed up in your life today + told you with great certainty that the absolute best years of your life were just ahead, how would that change your perspective right now?

Would you start to get excited? Curious? What about your behaviors? Would you sleep better at night? Would you take better care of yourself so you could be ready? Would you start to daydream + wonder about all of the possibilities?

Is fun to think about, right? The best years of your life.

It gets better? Better than EVER?!

I always find it fascinating the way we as humans are constantly reaching for the next thing, never satisfied. Yet, we hate change.

We want everything to be the same, but better. It’s this weird dance between growth + security. We want something better, but we are simultaneously afraid there is nothing better. So, we settle into our status quo because we think it’s the best thing there is. It’s safe, comfortable + real (or so we think).

Even with all of our resistance, we still manage to change + evolve.

Think about it.

Are you the same person you were five years ago?

What changed? How are you different?

When I think of all of the things I have learned the last five years - the work I’m doing - the place I’m living - the people I spend time with - heck, even this newsletter - it’s all stuff that wasn’t even on my radar five years ago.

Has ANYTHING happened to you in the last five years that you NEVER could have imagined?

Be honest with yourself. We all had at least one thing happen that none of us could have imagined - Remember? The global pandemic.

The reason I ask is because it’s so easy to get stuck in what is. We see the patterns + we project what’s coming. We build our lives according to what IS.

We are always so certain we know what’s next.

But, we so quickly forget…

Most of life’s best moments are completely unplanned - total surprises. A chance encounter. A wrong turn. A random decision. An abrupt change.

Even life’s worst moments have beauty in them. It might take some time to see it, but at some point, you can look back at any loss or disaster + see the benefit it brought.

It’s so easy to see chaos, collapse + change as ‘THE END’ - but, what if it’s the beginning?

I’ve been around 54 years + I have to say that the end is ALWAYS the beginning. Every time. Without fail.

As John Lennon said:

Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.

We spend a lot of our time talking about how terrible things are + speculating, “How could it possibly get worse?” (Be careful what you ask for!)

We forget that things CAN be better. They DO get better. Always. That’s how nature works.

So, why not join her? Why not start getting excited about what’s ahead? Why not recognize how all of this is leading to something better? Why not start acting as if the most magical + best years of your life are just ahead?

What would you be doing differently if you really believed that to be true?

---

REMEMBERING WHO WE ARE

We all need hope - not for hope’s sake, but because hope makes us act differently + in acting different, we create different outcomes.

We also need to remember who we are + why we are here. To imagine, connect, create + share. If we aren’t doing that, we are lost. We are sick. We are isolated. We are alone. We are overcome with fear, uncertainty + doubt.

The industrial era is still such a deep part of our culture + the systems around us. It was the era where we built efficiencies + assembly lines + monocultures + monopolies. Cookie cutter sameness is required for that system to work. But, that is not how nature is designed. It’s not how WE are designed. And, it’s not how this next era works.

The new era is not about assembly line efficiency - it’s about connection. More inputs. More pieces. We are not part of an assembly line or cogs in a wheel. We are not here to complete a task + hand off. We are here to offer a perspective + build a connection.

Each of us has a unique perspective. Our purpose is to bring that perspective to the table. To share. To connect.

We are not the same. We were never meant to be. The more perspectives, the better.

Our work is not to fit in, but to add to. To connect to all of the other perspectives. To share. To create. To expand. To heal.

So, I say, it’s time to start imagining what is next. What’s better? What do YOU see? What can you imagine?

Yes, we are wired to notice patterns + build frameworks to create a sense of safety. But, that’s not our real work. Our real work is in using our unique perspective to paint a better picture + share it with others.

To imagine.

To hold space.

To surrender to the fact that the best is yet to come.

And, we are part of it.

---

YOUR MISSION:

This week, I challenge you to IMAGINE. Don’t limit yourself by reality. Dream big. What do you imagine? What do you wish you could imagine? Hold that vision. Find someone to share it with. Then, take one small action to move into the unknown - where the magic of creation begins. What do you imagine that will be?

---

HOW TO SPARK IMAGINATION:

There are lots of ways to spark imagination. We just forget how important it is.

• Make time to imagine. Commit some time to daydreaming. We have to find time to dream again - even if just for a moment right before you drift off to sleep at night. What does better look like? See it. Feel it.

• Leave room for the unexpected. That’s where all the magic happens. The surprise encounter. The new person in your life. Don’t be so committed to your plans that you miss the magic.

• Prioritize connections. Have someone over for dinner. Invite someone to join you on a walk. Send a message to someone you’ve lost touch with. Say hi to the stranger you pass. You will be amazed what sparks from a new connection.

---

IN SUMMARY:

If you want something new in your life, you have to let something new into your life. So, let’s spend the week looking for new things, new people + new perspectives. Then, let’s bring them back + share.

NOTE FROM KAREN:

Speaking of new…I am changing up my schedule + launching a new project right now, so I have decided to press ‘pause’ on The LIFT for a bit. You won’t be seeing me consistently on Sundays - though I may pop-in randomly with a post here + there. If you’d like to follow along with my project - please do. You’ll find me at www.itMayBeMenopause.com.

I have been laying the foundation to support women going through perimenopause to reduce symptoms + make a healthy (and happy) transition into menopause. It’s something I am incredibly passionate about + want to give my full attention to for the next few months as I get it off the ground. So, I am taking The LIFT off of my plate for now so I can use those extra hours on my launch.

I plan to return to writing here on September 1. Meanwhile, you can go back thru the archives (80 issues here!). I always find I learn something new when I re-read something. And, if you’re in the 45-55 age group, you will enjoy the information I will be putting out this summer on my new platform, so connect with me on IG or LinkedIn + come learn with me!

See you soon!

Please reach out to me anytime!

• Website: www.itMayBeMenopause.com

• Email: karen@itmaybemenopause.com

• Instagram: @itMayBeMenopause

• LinkedIn: KarenFriendSmith

---