“…Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Want to change the world?
There’s nothing to it
There is no life I know
To compare with pure imagination
Living there, you’ll be free
If you truly wish to be.”
I finally managed to sneak away and catch the new prequel, Wonka. It totally felt like the precursor to Gene Wilder’s 1971 film and the Roald Dahl story. Now, I’m not always a fan of musicals, but this one was a different story—packed with awe and wonder that had me hooked from the get-go.
Over the past few days, I’ve heard in conversations with several leaders and friends that “the world is on fire” and questioned if the work we do even matters right now. I would argue the opposite friends. Hope, Wonder, and Awe are the oxygen the world needs to breathe right now.
One of my favorite quotes is from Howard Thurman, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
No one is questioning that the world is crazy right now, peace on earth seems so far away, fear is winning the headlines, and scarcity is making decisions for everyone. Wonka stars Timothée Chalamet as a younger version of the eccentric candy maker finally chasing his dreams of becoming the greatest Chocolate Maker. We saw him as a magician, an inventor, and most importantly someone who discovers how much community matters. Willy
Imagination often gets a bad rap, but for me thanks to Steve Harvey and this famous quote from Albert Einstein, “Imagination is everything. It is the preview to life’s coming attractions.” I have a new perspective. Our imagination is where God drops possibilities on us.
Just like before any movie, we see the trailers for what’s coming to theaters soon, but in reality that came to someone’s imagination years ago. Our world’s hungry for dreamers brimming with awe and wonder, ready to act on what they see that others don’t. Willy Wonka always seems aloof because he sees and tastes something that no one else does.
Willy Wonka really got me when he said in this new film, “Every good thing in this world started with a dream.” The golden ticket you’ve been searching for has been beneath the wrapper of your imagination all along. What are you imagining for all of us? We need it now more than ever. Be brave, be one of those crazy ones turning what you see into reality. Whether you’re hunting for that spark or set to spread your fire, I’m right here, ready to help, surrounded by a community ready to help you set it ablaze.
What are you are fire with? What do you see that no one else does? What do you care about so much that people can see you come alive?
