You’ve probably heard the saying, “think outside the box” quite a few times in your life and perhaps used the term yourself. I definitely know I have. I’m not sure exactly when, but at some point, I started to grow an aversion to it. It’s not that the premise, which I don’t think we need to spend much time discussing here, is wrong or harmful in its intent. My slight annoyance with the phrase likely started because it seemed to become a mainstream expression used without much thought.
Doing what I often do with mainstream things, I began to use an updated and “justi-fied” version (justi-fied: that which is common but I, Justin McBride, put my own spin on to make it less boring for my brain). This version proposes that sometimes we have to, or it is more appropriate to, operate within the box…but the box doesn’t need to remain in its original form. It is often possible to grow the box, replicate the box, turn it into a pyramid, etc. While I still enjoy calling on this idea of the box when it comes to finding creative solutions, I recognize that there is a major component that’s still missing…mindfulness.
To be clear, the box represents creative limits that are based on a common understanding of how something “should” or ought to be done. “Outside the box” thinking assumes there is a box to begin with. It is quite possible that there once was a box or will be a box in the future, but that doesn’t mean there is a box around us right now. Mindfulness provides the opportunity to be aware of what actually is. If there isn’t a box at all, that completely changes the game.
You may be wondering, “isn’t thinking outside the box the same as thinking without the presence of a box?” Try this…Step outside of a room, place your back against the closed door, and extend your arms all the way out so that they are parallel to ground. Now, try to spin in a circle. You will quickly see that, even though you are “outside the box”, the box still limits your movement. There is also physics, which tells us that everything has gravity. Earth isn’t in the center of the sun, nor is it in the middle of the moon, but the gravity of the sun and moon both impact what happens on Earth.
While our thoughts and emotions are not exactly the same as rooms or planets, I believe the general premise is valid. When we focus too much on certain things that are not truly present, we miss out on many opportunities. Does this mean that we ignore the past and don’t consider the future? No. We want to be aware of what has happened in the past and learn from it. We also want to consider future possibilities so that we can better prepare for them now. It is only in the present moment though, where we can exist. It is only in the present where we can be aware of the existence or absence of a box that impacts our current reality.
The goal isn’t to be free from boxes. The intent is to be aware, without judgement, of the existence of boxes, pyramids, spheres, and all the other three dimensional objects that may be present. When we are fully aware of what is, finding creative solutions and taking appropriate action becomes second nature. The next time you hear “think outside the box”, take a deep breath and ask yourself, “does a box actually exist?”
