Doing is a quantum leap from imagining.

Hear, O dreamers and doers, the words of Barbara Sher, a guide to those who seek to turn their longings into reality: “Doing is a quantum leap from imagining.” These words strike like a trumpet, calling us to awaken from the sweetness of thought into the fire of action. For in the chambers of the mind, a thousand worlds may be born, but unless the hand and the will rise to shape them, they remain shadows—beautiful, yet powerless. Sher reminds us that the gulf between imagining and doing is vast, but once crossed, it changes everything.

What is it to imagine? It is to give form to the invisible, to see with the inner eye possibilities not yet born. Imagination is sacred, for it is the soil from which all greatness springs. Every invention, every art, every revolution was first imagined. Yet imagination alone is safe—it asks no sacrifice, it demands no courage. It is a flame in the mind that flickers bright but does not burn. The true trial is to take that flame and set it upon the altar of the world through action.

And what is it to do? It is to take the uncertain step, to wrestle with difficulty, to face failure and rise again. Doing transforms the ethereal into the tangible. The bridge, the book, the symphony, the cure—all are born not in imagining alone but in the sweat and discipline of doing. Doing is dangerous; it strips away illusion and exposes the dreamer to judgment, struggle, and the possibility of defeat. Yet only through doing can the imagined become real, and only through action can the dreamer become creator.

Consider the tale of the Wright brothers, who imagined the possibility of flight. Many before them had dreamed of soaring like birds, and poets had written of it for centuries. But the Wrights leapt from imagining into doing—building, failing, rebuilding, enduring ridicule, and risking their lives. At last, their machine lifted from the earth, and mankind entered the age of flight. Here the truth of Sher’s words is made manifest: the quantum leap between imagining and doing changed the destiny of the human race.

So too did Mahatma Gandhi embody this principle. Millions imagined freedom from colonial rule, but it was Gandhi who stepped into doing—organizing marches, fasting, enduring prison, and embodying nonviolent resistance. The dream of independence became reality not through thought alone, but through relentless action that cost him dearly. He proved that doing, though fraught with hardship, has the power to move nations and reshape history.

The meaning of Sher’s wisdom is this: the distance between dream and deed is greater than most believe. To imagine is to see a possibility; to do is to leap into the unknown and wrestle with reality. But it is only in the leap of action that change is born. The one who only imagines may be a dreamer, but the one who acts becomes a builder of worlds.

The lesson, O listeners, is clear: honor your imagination, but do not stop there. Let your dreams be the compass, but let action be your path. Begin, even if small. Build, even if crude. Act, even if uncertain. For every step in doing is a victory over fear, and every act transforms possibility into being.

Therefore, let your practice be this: when you imagine a better life, a noble work, or a brighter future, do not let it remain a vision in your mind. Take one step toward it—today. For as Barbara Sher has taught, “Doing is a quantum leap from imagining.” And once you leap, you will know the power not only to dream of worlds, but to create them.