Why we need the currency of imagination | Esther Chungu Nyathando | TEDxLusaka

Key Concepts

• Imagination as a currency: The medium used to exchange value between thought and reality.
• Actualization: The process of making something a reality, which follows imagination.
• Relationship with nature: Fosters deeper and more imaginative thinking.
• Power of words: The ability to shape reality and identity through spoken declarations.
• Self-fulfilling prophecy: What you see about you becomes your reality; what you say about you becomes your identity.

1. Imagination as a Currency

• The speaker introduces the concept of imagination as a "currency," emphasizing its role as a medium of exchange between thought and reality.
• Imagination is presented as the initial step towards actualization, with "process" being the intermediary step.
• The speaker highlights the power of imagination by referencing the ability of a 5-year-old to dream and a 19-year-old to envision a future.

2. The Role of Nature in Fostering Imagination

• Dr. Bio Akali, a Nigerian philosopher and psychologist, is cited for his work on how indigenous and ecological knowledge systems enhance creative thinking.
• Akali's argument is that being in relationship with nature fosters deeper and more imaginative thinking.
• The speaker provides personal anecdotes of playing outdoors as a child in Zambia, making toys from clay and copper wires, and engaging in games like "itunu" (hide-and-seek) and "widah."
• Copper is identified as Zambia's biggest export, highlighting the connection between nature and resourcefulness.
• The speaker emphasizes that nature helped regulate emotions during exploration and growth.
• The speaker encourages allowing children to explore nature to foster imagination and creativity.

3. The Power of Words and Self-Declaration

• The speaker, a born-again Christian and gospel artist, shares her personal experience of visualizing and declaring her future as a singer.
• She emphasizes the importance of embodying and living the dream one envisions.
• The speaker recounts her childhood obsession with New York City, fueled by the movie "Home Alone," and how she would playfully interact with her nephew, pretending to be in New York.
• She describes a pivotal moment when she sang her song "Jehovah" on a large stage in New York City, introduced by Chris Martin of Coldplay.
• The speaker attributes this achievement to having "seen New York before in my mind."
• The speaker states that "the power of life and death lies in the tongue," underscoring the impact of spoken words.

4. Personal Anecdotes and Manifestation

• The speaker shares her childhood joy of singing with her family and how this early experience fueled her belief in her professional singing aspirations.
• She recounts her fascination with TEDx talks at age 19 and her aspiration to speak on the TEDx stage, which materialized 12 years later.
• The speaker reiterates the mantra: "What you see about you becomes your reality. What you say about you becomes your identity."

5. Call to Action and Musical Interlude

• The speaker invites the audience to sing along to a chorus, emphasizing the importance of speaking what one wants to see and declaring what one wants to be.
• The chorus includes the lyrics: "Silence. There are silence. Silence. So speak what you want to see and declare what you want to be. Oh silence silency."

6. Technical Terms and Concepts

• Actualization: The process of making something a reality. It is presented as the outcome of imagination combined with a process.
• Currency of Imagination: The speaker uses this term to describe imagination as a valuable medium for exchanging thoughts into reality.
• Ecological Knowledge Systems: The speaker references Dr. Bio Akali's work, which highlights the importance of understanding and utilizing knowledge derived from the natural environment to foster creative thinking.

7. Logical Connections

• The video begins by establishing the power of imagination through nostalgic reflection.
• It then connects imagination to nature, citing Dr. Akali's research and personal anecdotes.
• The video transitions to the power of words, using the speaker's personal journey as a gospel artist to illustrate how spoken declarations can shape reality.
• The speaker's TEDx experience serves as a final example of how visualized and spoken aspirations can manifest into reality.
• The chorus serves as a call to action, encouraging viewers to actively use their imagination and words to create their desired future.

8. Synthesis/Conclusion

The video emphasizes the transformative power of imagination and the spoken word in shaping one's reality. It advocates for nurturing imagination through connection with nature and consciously using language to declare one's desired future. The speaker's personal anecdotes serve as compelling evidence of the principles discussed, encouraging viewers to harness the "currency of imagination" to achieve their dreams.