Imagination is a powerful thing. In our 'mind's eye' we can see ourselves in all sorts of wonderful scenarios… we can be transported to a romantic beach on a tropical island, ride gondolas in Venice, go on safari in Africa. We can have adventures everywhere, even outer space. We can imagine ourselves doing amazing feats, meeting famous people, being an extraordinary person. It's a bit like dreaming, except you're awake. It's only imagination, but it feels 'real'.

In actual fact, we know the power of imagination. We know that great athletes visualise themselves running the race, and then standing on the winning dais. We know that the most powerful part of goal setting is visualising ourselves as already having achieved our goal, each night just before sleeping. We know that the sick have healed themselves by visualising their body fighting the disease. Yes, our imagination is a very powerful tool for making our dreams become reality.

Somehow, the energy of our thoughts and feelings, our imaginings, helps us 'create' the future we desire. It's as though some magic happens. No one can explain what or how it actually happens, but 'life's winners' say they 'saw' themselves as succeeding first… and then they did.

So just as our imagination can help us to manifest the positive in our lives, it can help us to manifest the negative as well! Over the past few weeks, I've met several clients doing exactly this very thing.

One has a business that is experiencing a downturn. At the same time, his romantic partner has decided to withdraw from the relationship. Naturally, my client is experiencing stress, worry, and fear about his monetary future. Naturally, too, he is experiencing anger, confusion and grief about the loss of his relationship. In his imaginings, all he can 'see' is loneliness and despair. And the only solution he can 'see' is to opt out of life altogether.

Another has become a sole parent, after a drawn out violent separation. She has a young baby, no job, and receives no support from her ex-partner. She is experiencing fear, resentment and anger. All she can see in her imaginings is what could have been. How wonderful it could have been 'if only'. In her imagination, her future looks like a long lonely struggle. The future she imagines for her child is a fatherless one. The only solution she can 'see' is either getting back with her partner or suicide.

Still another is recovering from an acrimonious divorce. She is experiencing resentment, bitterness and jealousy. In her imagination, her future looks bleak. To her, her children's future looks like one filled with problems due to the 'damage' done them by the divorce and the loss of their dad. The future she imagines looks like struggle, with her life falling short of her long held dreams. Her future cannot include a partner of any kind.

Each of these clients has very different circumstances from the other, but they also have several common factors. They are all experiencing unwanted and painful circumstances. Their lives are going through breakdown and turmoil. However, these circumstances are part of life's journey. We all go through ups and downs, good and bad, positive and negative. While we are in a period of breakdown, it is hard to see the bigger picture. It is hard to see that the circumstances are only temporary. So while we are in the breakdown, feeling the pain, grief, anger and resentment, we become depressed. That is natural and normal. In fact, it would be abnormal not to be depressed in these types of circumstances!

When we become depressed, it's hard, if not downright impossible, to have positive, happy thoughts and imaginings. Rather, we spend countless hours picturing our bleak and unhappy futures. We spend more and more time daydreaming, or should I say, 'day nightmaring' about our negative future. We spend hours lying awake, tossing and turning, worrying and fearful. Our imaginations can and do imagine the worst. And the more time and energy we give to these negative imaginings, the worse we feel and the more depressed we become. We get caught in a downward spiral, a negative vortex.

If we stay in this place for too long, if we indulge our worst imaginings for too long, we end up creating exactly the future we are imagining.

The worst thing you can do, when faced with a breakdown in life's circumstance, is to withdraw. Certainly, we feel low and unhappy, and withdraw into our shell for a time. No one feels like partying in these times. But do not cut yourself off completely. Stay in touch with close friends and family. Experience your negative feelings fully and share yourself with people you can trust. See a counsellor if necessary. Keep up with your responsibilities. Make the effort, even though you don't feel like it. Keep on participating in life. Participate and communicate. If you do, you will survive, and live to turn everything around!

Remember fear is Fantisised Experiences Appearing Real - your imagination is not Real - But given enough time and energy, it will become so.