Unused capacities atrophy, cease to be.

Those of us who have suffered a broken bone and had to put up with a cast for several weeks know how hard it is to use muscles that have been inactive for so long.

They have gotten weak from lack of use, and we have to begin to develop our strength all over again. 

The same thing happens if we don't use our other capacities. 

If we don't constantly use our minds to think and learn, we become dull people, almost incapable of new thoughts and insights.

If we don't use our hearts to love, we become uncaring and insensitive -- much like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

If we don't use our creative talents -- to draw or write or sew, or whatever it is we're into -- we lose the ability to do those things. 

On the other hand, like our muscles, our other capacities can be strengthened and developed by daily use.

We exercise our hearts by being kind and loving, our minds by thinking, our imaginations by being creative.

In this way, we become spiritually powerful, a force for good in the world.

Maybe being a writer or an athlete appeals to you.

Dreaming of what to be can be useful. It helps us set our goals and learn our values.

Also, using our imagination lets us "try on" a future role. 

We learn about our life's direction through our dreams of where to go and what to do. 

Not all dreams are helpful, however.

Sometimes we daydream about other things when we really do need to listen.

Learning how to use our imagination to guide our plans for growing up takes practice. 

Imagining ourselves happy and brave will help us feel both.

Imagining ourselves as failures can be just as powerful. 

Let's respect the power of the imagination and use it to form good images of our future.