By JERRIA MARTIN | Columnist 

How often do you use your imagination? Do you allow your imagination to run wild, or do you keep it restrained within the uninventive confinements of your mind? Has your imagination ever guided you into an exhilarating escapade?

For as long as l can remember, my imagination has always led the way to some of my most exciting and liberating adventures. As a child, I would sit for hours envisioning myself exploring the world, traveling to other countries, learning about their cultures, enjoying their food and attractions.

Sitting in church, I would specifically imagine myself walking the paths of Jesus in Israel, visiting the Holy Places. These creative thoughts led to me researching modern-day Israel and gaining an informed understanding of the issues they face.

Thus, it came to no surprise when I was able to write such a riveting and thorough narrative for my application to represent Princeton at the American Jewish Committee’s 2012 Journey through the Holy Land Program.

I was accepted as one of twelve students to be a part of a month-long internship studying the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, exploring the country I had frequented a thousand times in my mind.

Imaginations are powerful. I suppose Albert Einstein knew what he was talking about when he explained, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

How awesome is it to realize that every invention, company, organization, even our local attractions, started as an inventive thought in someone’s mind? These collective thoughts guided them into action.

Bestselling author, Napoleon Hill, explains this process best, “First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.”

Imagination shapes our vision and our vision encourages our actions, just as a company’s vision statement does.

A vision statement is a company’s road map, indicating both what the company wants to become and guiding transformational initiatives by setting a defined direction for the company’s growth.

What is your personal vision statement? What’s Selma’s vision statement? It’s important that we know we are all working towards the same goals, using our creative minds to meet the needs of our communities. In our citizens, we have at our disposal some of the most imaginative minds, innovative thinkers, and resourceful workers. I truly believe that whatever we set our minds to do, we can accomplish here in Selma, because there is powerful, ingenious, and revitalizing hope in our imaginations.