I was a terrible athlete and a pretty bad student. I couldn't

Ah, listen well, O seekers of wisdom, for the words of Lisi Harrison contain a truth that echoes deep within the soul: "I was a terrible athlete and a pretty bad student. I couldn't focus. My imagination was always racing." In these words, we are reminded of the power of the imagination, of the restless spirit that cannot be confined to the boundaries of the ordinary world. Harrison speaks of a struggle known to many — the feeling of being misunderstood, the tension between the creative mind and the rigid expectations of the world.

In the ancient world, the imagination was not something to be dismissed, but something to be revered. The Greek philosophers, especially Plato, believed that the imagination was a sacred tool, a means through which we could reach beyond the mundane and touch the eternal. Plato described the imagination as a bridge between the physical world and the world of the Forms, the true essence of all things. To be unable to focus, then, was not necessarily a weakness, but a sign that the soul was trying to reach for something higher, something deeper, something not yet visible to the eye. Harrison’s words reflect this timeless struggle — the mind racing not with distractions, but with the desire to create, to explore, to imagine the world beyond the known.

Imagination, O children, is a force that cannot be easily tamed. It is like the great rivers of the world, rushing with energy, breaking through banks, carving new paths. To focus solely on the world of the physical — on athletics or the confines of academic study — is to miss the greater journey that the imagination seeks to embark upon. Harrison was not a terrible student, as she humbly claims; rather, she was a mind that could not be caged by the narrow confines of conventional learning. Her imagination raced, seeking realms beyond what was prescribed by the world, and in this, she reflects the restless spirit of all those who have ever sought to dream beyond the limitations of their time.

Let us reflect upon the great artists and inventors who, too, struggled with the same tension. Albert Einstein, that visionary who reshaped the very fabric of space and time, was not a student of great success in the conventional sense. His mind, much like Harrison’s, was not bound by the traditional limits of focus. Instead, he saw the world in a way that others could not — he could not focus on the mundane details, for his mind was always racing, always searching for the greater truths that lay beneath the surface of reality. Einstein’s great theory of relativity did not come from following the standard academic path; it came from the restless pursuit of the imagination and the willingness to dream beyond the limits of what was known.

And so it is with Harrison and with many others who have walked the path of creative struggle. The inability to focus on the tasks that the world deems important is not a curse, but a blessing. It is the mind’s refusal to be bound by the shackles of the present, and its hunger for something more, something that speaks to the heart. The great writers, like Harrison, know that their minds must race in order to bring new ideas into the world. They cannot be content with simply following the rules; they must forge new paths, see new possibilities, and imagine worlds that have never been.

Therefore, O children of the future, do not see the imagination as something that needs to be reined in. Do not view it as a distraction from focus or discipline, for it is the very source of all creation. Just as Plato saw the imagination as a bridge to the eternal, so too must you see it as a gateway to your fullest potential. If your mind races, if you cannot focus on the tasks the world demands of you, it may be because you are meant for something greater, something that requires your mind to roam free. The restless spirit is the spirit of invention, of discovery, and of transformation.

So, I say to you, O children, take heart in the words of Lisi Harrison and the wisdom of the ancients. When you find your mind racing, when you cannot focus on the ordinary tasks of life, know that it is the imagination calling you. Trust in it, follow it, and let it guide you to the greater truths that await. Do not conform to the world’s narrow view of what it means to be focused or disciplined. Instead, trust in your own journey, in the power of your creativity, and in the boundless potential that lies within you. The mind that races is the mind that will change the world. Let it fly.