In a recent episode of The Breakthrough Code Podcast, renowned filmmaker, author, and creativity expert Barnett Bain shared his unique and profoundd insights on the power of imagination, the importance of stories in our lives, and the transformative potential of conscious storytelling.
Bain, known for his work on movies like “Milton’s Secret,” spoke extensively about the role of imagination in personal and professional growth.
I loved the analogy he gives in response to people saying they are not creative, he said: “saying you are not creative is like a fish saying it can’t swim.”
How amazing is the idea that nothing uncreative exists?
He believes that every thought or decision is part of a creative process of choice, not that those choices are necessarily good.
People have been trained out of appreciating their own instincts.
As you may know, the idea that our lives are essentially a product of the stories we tell ourselves and that by changing these narratives, we can change our lives really resonates with me.
“How you do one thing, is how you do everything”
Everything you do has the same fingerprint of who you are. This idea then runs into the concept of how you are at work is how you are at home and in every facet of your life to some degree.
The Movies
The film “Milton’s Secret.” really dives into deep concepts of how our environment and rumenation on the past affects our current reality.
This film is essentially about bullying.
He says that bullying ain’t just about the guys on the playground. Nah, it starts right inside our own heads, with that internal dialogue we got goin’ on. You know what I’m talkin’ about, right? It’s that voice that’s always criticizing and putting us down.
He believes we have been trained to listen to our negative internal dialogue.
This film highlights how being present and taking control of our thoughts can change the game. It’s about empowering ourselves to rise above the negativity and create a kinder, more compassionate world.
He’s all about being present, living in the moment, and in the film they cover the idea about the power of deep, mindful breathing.
Bain’s insights serve as a reminder that we are not just the product of our past experiences but also the stories we tell ourselves about those experiences. By harnessing the power of imagination, we can rewrite these narratives and transform our lives.
Working with entrepreneurs
In his experience with entrpreneurs, they are not aware of their communications, of their judgments of others, that they are not empowering their teams, not celebrating achievements or looking at something that didn’t work out and figuring out together what went wrong and how to fix it.
People do not realise how much they affect others. How is your “style” of communicating affecting every facet of your life?
We need to model the ability to change.
Change your story, change your life
Bain introduced the concept of three types of stories that people tell themselves.
The first story is about what happened to us, the second is about how we overcame the first story, and the third story is about realizing that we’ve been climbing the ladder of success against the wrong wall.
This third story, according to Bain, is about energy and imagination.
He explained that imagination is the arena where energy gets in motion. By changing our thoughts, beliefs, choices, actions, decisions, and feelings, we can modulate our outcomes. However, this change is only skin-deep. The real transformation happens when we start playing with energies, when we flex the muscle of imagination itself.
Bain also discussed the importance of being aware of our psychological patterns and making our subconscious conscious. He noted that we are constantly moving through our own subconscious and by developing our capacity to imagine, we can hold changes that start coming at us beyond the threshold of our zone of familiarity.
Key Takeaways
Our lives are a product of the stories we tell ourselves. By changing these narratives, we can change our lives.
There are three types of stories: what happened to us, how we overcame what happened, and realizing we’ve been climbing the ladder of success against the wrong wall.
Imagination is the arena where energy gets in motion. The real transformation happens when we start playing with energies and flex the muscle of imagination itself.
We are constantly moving through our own subconscious. By developing our capacity to imagine, we can hold changes that start coming at us beyond the threshold of our zone of familiarity.
The bullying we see in the world often starts with the internal dialogue we have with ourselves. We are trained to empower our inner bully.
Call to Action
For more insightful discussions like this, visit The Breakthrough Code Podcast on YouTube and watch the full interview with Barnett Bain here. Learn more about the power of imagination, the importance of stories, and how you can harness these tools for personal and professional growth. Don’t forget to subscribe for more inspiring content!