Every day's an Adventure! Step outside your box...

I love the scene in Men in Black when they open the locker to find an alien world living inside. The aliens didn’t realize that there was a whole other world outside their locker. They were fine with their box.

Imagine what would have happened if they took them out? It would have been overwhelming for them. Some would have like it and some wouldn’t. The one thing that would have happened for sure is that they all would have looked at their world in a different way.

That’s us. We live inside our own personal boxes without realizing that there is a whole other world out there for us to see. This is why mentors and coaches always say to step outside your box. When you do, you see the world in a different way.

What does it really mean to step outside your box? It‘s not an actual box like a locker in the movie. It’s the way you choose to live your life. The sum total of your experiences.

Everyone’s is different and the more times you step outside it, the bigger your box gets. There’s just one little problem.

Your life inside your box is where you are the most comfortable. It’s safe. If you asked, most people would say that their box is fine just like the aliens.

That creates the question, “Why should I step outside my box?” There are a lot of reasons. First, and most important, it helps you grow. You see the world in a different way. You will learn new things, meet new people and become more of the person you’re supposed to be. When you grow, you have more to offer others and you get back more from them. In short, you will live a more successful life.

Let me be more specific. It boils down to this… the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Your box is where you feel safe and comfortable, but it’s actually just the opposite. It holds you back and stops you from doing all the things that you want to do and being the person you want to be.

The next question is, “how do you do it? How does one step outside the box?” It will take a lot of courage but you can do it. Start small and get bigger. Try something new… maybe it’s a new haircut or food or even an exercise program. It’s something that you wouldn’t normally do. For instance, if you’re always trying new foods or new hairstyles, they’re already in your box. You have to do something else.

As you get comfortable with small steps, take bigger steps. Skydive. Speak in front of a group of people. Perform in a play. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you step outside of your comfort zone to do it and you keep growing you comfort zone.

Finally, take a giant leap. Is there something in your life that you’ve wanted to do, but have been afraid to do it? Face up to it and do it. This is when you begin to direct your steps so that you can get the life you want. As you grow and your box grows, you will begin to focus your steps in a positive way (I hope). It becomes easier to make that big change like starting your own business or adding on to the business you have or moving to another state. The list goes on and on…

Every time you take a step, your vision expands and grows. Your box gets a little bigger and you’re able to move to a higher and higher purpose just as you were meant to do.