How can I overcome my habit of imagining rather than living in reality?

[Ms. Bhanu Samykya asked: Pādanamaskāram Swāmi! I feel more entertained in my imaginations rather than living in reality. I imagine interacting with someone I like. I imagine myself playing the role of a desired character that I am not. It is more attractive and entertaining than interacting with people in my real life. There are no rules and limitations in the imaginary world unlike reality. It is just like playing video games on the phone, but with advanced features. Is it my ego that is making me live falsely in wishful interactions, ignoring the reality which God has created? Is it a bad quality? How should I put forth effort to overcome this? - At Your Divine Lotus Feet, Bhanu Samykya.]

Swāmi replied: If your imaginations are related to God, such an imaginary world is far far better than this real life with these real human beings around you. If your imaginations are related to some human beings, such an imaginary world is far far lower than this real world. The imagination about God is the purest theoretical devotion, which is the source of practical devotion. The practical devotion, in turn, gives you real salvation. Both the imagination and real practical life, if they are related to God, give you real fruit, whereas the imagination and the real practical life related to real human beings give you only unreal fruits. Hence, the main question is whether one is interacting with God or the world. Whether the interaction is imaginary or real is not that important.

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| Shri Datta Swami | How can I overcome my habit of imagining rather than living in reality? |