For those that love to dress-up for Halloween, thinking about the possibilities of what you might be is exciting. Whether you prefer to be Gumby, Buzz Lightyear or Princess Jasmine, there is an element of fantasy as you imagine which persona you will temporarily embody.  Perhaps you no longer dress-up.  Maybe instead you’re helping your kids to select special costumes. For the Halloween celebrators, the days leading up to wearing our costumes and Trick or Treating are filled with possibilities.

We just returned from visiting our daughter in Boston. We took a walk to the iParty store to find some things for her Halloween costume. She was in search of lollipops and a yellow tablecloth. On the way there, I saw Gumby standing on the street corner, waving to people as they passed by. You never know what will inspire you. As it turns out, Gumby did.

There was so much to look at in the store. It was a visual feast with colorful costume accessories like wigs, gloves, stockings, glitter, boas and hats. There were also complete outfits of pre-packaged costumes such as superheroes, ghosts and witches. The choices were almost overwhelming. I watched as people shopped and talked energetically with their friends about what they wanted to be. Dreaming and discussing was an essential first step in the decision-making process.

What if we used our Halloween frame of mind that’s infused with creativity, fantasy and fun to imagine the possibilities in our lives? What if we allowed ourselves to let go of our excuses and to instead envision where we’d like to be tomorrow, next month or next year? Unleash your unedited thoughts. Once they’ve been recorded, begin to sort them into groups such as pursue “Now,”  “Later,” or “Never.” But before editing or sorting, give yourself the freedom and space to capture your ideas.

In the spirit of creativity, whether your inspiration comes in the form of Gumby or a purple boa, I hope that you set aside some time this fall to imagine the possibilities for the next phase of your life.