INSIDE THE BOX! Now that’s a phrase that has evolved into a sort of hodge-podge of meanings and connotations in recent years. I am thinking that somewhere in the fairly recent past, the phrase carried perhaps a sentimental tone of safety and familiarity. You know, if I am inside the box, then I have a certain feeling of security and sameness as opposed to outside the box which conjures up scenes of standing against the elements; exposed and alone; risky! After all, look at all of our structures! Are they not aberrations of the box concept? I rest my case! Sort of . . .
I am not bald enough to totally miss the meaning of "thinking outside the box" — no indeedy! I get it! I know that Corporate America seeks fresh new ideas to expand and strengthen our economy (and the bottom line); I see that coaches want athletes to abandon self-imposed limitations and strive to attain the "next level" in their athletic endeavors; I understand that therapists and life-coaches desire to see clients shed self-defeating belief and action systems in order to explore new personal heights! I get it! Heck! In an election year, I even hear politico types espouse the power of thinking outside the box! I GET IT!
I have even listed a couple of books under my "Must Reads" that can help all of us address the necessity of breaking free from the safety of sameness in order to challenge the turbulent present and uncertain future! Working Without a Net by Morris Shechtman is pure genius — you just have to read it — especially if you are a business/corporate type! Also, Laurie Beth Jones has written one of the most powerfully useful books entitled, The Path that should be used by every therapist and life coach as a primer for their clients. Heck, why not go ahead and buy the book yourself — might save a trip to the therapist or life coach! Seriously, these two books masterfully guide the reader through the exploration of personal knowledge; dream pursuit; and the secrets to successful living in troubled times.
As with any phrase — and thinking outside the box is one of those now — there are times when the power of a particular phrase becomes muted through overuse! What does it really mean? I recall a conversation I had recently with a company vice president about an individual being touted as one who "thinks outside the box." My comment was, "You know, sometimes people haven’t spent enough time in the box to know what thinking outside the box really means!" We have become so enamored with the phrase and people who travel under its banner that we often times fail to distinguish between truly innovative ideas and half-baked schemes meant to impress.
During the "mean times" in which we find ourselves currently — and I have alluded to many in recent weeks — we are likely to experience two extremes of the same continuum. On one end, there are those who will seek the safety and security of the box in an effort to protect self and family from destruction — going back to the tyranny of the familiar even though that path may not be the best! On the other end, there are those who will throw out ideas that sound good to our ears — ideas that carry the facade of careful thought and construction. Ideas that almost promise solutions to our problems — yet may never make it off the launch pad for lack of potency! During an election year, we hear a lot of those ideas! Oh! And we also hear how the ideas of the opposing party are nothing but going back to the box or hiding under a rock! One would wonder how our Country ever gets along!
I would like to propose perhaps a new phrase to kick around. It is LIVING OUTSIDE THE BOX! This phrase actually takes the ever popular and now overused phrase of thinking outside the box to a different (remember, different simply means different – not necessaryily better or worse, just differnet) place. You see, if we only think outside the box it could mean that we are actually all still living in the box, but merely projecting our thoughts outside! Hmmm? What do you think?
Living Outside the Box demands that we demonstrate the courage of our convictions; the power of our perceptions; the truth of our thoughts!
Wouldn’t it be interesting if we were to abandon the two tried and true political parties in our great Nation and create two new parties founded on Living Outside the Box instead? The premise would be that you could join one of two parties only if you committed yourself to taking active steps to carry out ideas espoused by your party. Now in this new system, the parties would never be opposing parties — NO — they would be collaborative parties — parties given to taking action in one of two arenas. These arenas would be based on the name of each party. One party would be called the Liberative Party while the other would be called the Conservaral Party. Obviously, the names of these two parties are combinations of the words Liberal and Conservative.
Liberative Party members would act on ideas and plans that actually addressed the liberation of people in this Country from the repression and tyranny of runaway fuel costs; high food bills; credit madness! They would lead the way in the liberation of this nation’s people to pursue affordable housing; alternate energy solutions; quality education; etc.! The commitment to action would create a synergy not seen in this Country for a long time! We wouldn’t have to fight about what’s liberal and what’s conservative (or what makes money)! We could just work on implementing plans that liberate our people to pursue those "inalienable rights" our forefathers fought so hard to obtain for us!
The Conservaral Party members? Oh, their task would be equally important and necessary. They would work on implementing plans that actually conserve the freedoms and privileges we often take for granted. They would work to ensure that all have equal opportunity and access to the vast storehouse of possibility we have in this Country. They would make sure that our Country Stands For human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc. and not take the narrow approach of always having to stand against that which rubs us the wrong way — and there IS a BIG DIFFERENCE between to two! I would much rather stand for something because I believe in that possibility for all than stand against something because it didn’t suit my fragile faith in humanity to find its way.
Oh! One other thing. In order to remain an active member of either party, you must always Live Outside the Box! None of this merely thinking outside the box would do. In fact, anytime a person falls into that trap, they would be assigned a "time out" and wouldn’t be allowed back in the fray until they found a way to engage in positive action to address a challenge facing the people.
Ludicrous? Yes! From the demented mind of a "bald man?" Most definitely! Seriously, wouldn’t it be nice to find leaders truly committed to action regardless of current party affiliation — action that brings actual solutions to problems and not merely more empty rhetoric? I know that I exaggerate the situation here a bit — but I do so purposely!
All of us — ALL of us can be part of the solution if we just took a moment and stepped outside our box to view who and what is truly around us! All over the world, people are just people — more often than not, people just like you and me doing the best they can to go through life. It seems that the world’s "crazies" get all the attention and by their actions, define the masses of which they are only a small part. We have only to look around to understand that truth.
On this Independence Day, while we celebrate in the midst of massive mean times, let us pause and reflect on the power of our freedoms; the power of our privileges; the power of our possibilities and then determine to do something to be a part of the solution — then carry that one step further — actually reach out and touch someone else with a word; a hug; a card; a meal; a ride; a bit of encouragement; an ear.
What a way to LET FREEDOM RING!
Happy Fourth of July!
Mark
Copyright 2008 Mark E. Hundley
