I just finished another Friend Factory workshop.  -- We are often taught that imagination is a door we use to leave a certain place when its walls start closing in on us; seeking refuge in a “somewhere else” that feels lighter, safer, and seemingly more controllable. This is called escapism , and for a long time, we’ve treated it like a necessary safety valve. But there is a flaw in the exit strategy, which is: when you escape, you leave the terrain to those who created the walls in the first place. There might be some sort of temporary relief, but the system you fled remains unchanged, waiting for your inevitable return . Dun dun dun~ Escape is an illusion. Expansion is just deeper inclusion. I admit, this mindset might sound like surrender. Like, being told to “just deal with it” or to adjust your expectations to fit a bad situation; the classic if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em scene. But no. Deeper inclusion is not about submission; it is about sovereignty! It is the difference ...