Quote · The Mel Robbins Podcast
World Leading Psychologist: How to Manifest Anything & Create the Life You Want
Where this was said
The Power of Imagination: Bringing Magic Back to Life
At 7:08 · chapter starts 4:24
Mel's opening question — what could change if a listener applied everything Dr. Vieten is about to teach? — draws out two sweeping answers. First, you become the author of your own life. Second, you get the magic back. Vieten is quick to clarify she doesn't mean fantasy-magic: she means the vitality, awe, wonder, and curiosity that make life feel alive. She observes that somewhere around age 9 or 10, children are told to stop imagining and get real — and that over time the pendulum swings so far toward logic and rationality that people stop noticing synchronicities, beauty, and meaningful moments. Those filtered-out moments, she notes, are often what people remember as the most important things in their lives.
70% of millions of weekly listeners surveyed said they feel like they are reacting to life rather than intentionally creating it.
Society is engineered for reactivity. Screens, notifications, and constant input trap people in a loop of responding rather than creating. Dr. Vieten calls this the 'great flattening' — and your imagination is the escape hatch.
