We love to put things in a box. It helps us makes sense of it, to know where it fits. We sort and index and define without even realize we’re doing it.
This is “good” – this is “bad”.
This “will work” – this “won’t work”.
This “fits here” – this “fits there”.
But in a world that’s shifting at the speed of light, what if we’re putting everything – situations, people, possibilities, opportunities, ideas – everything – into the wrong box? What if they don’t fit into a box at all?
I run into this all the time with OnStage Leadership . Is it a Presentations Skills class? Yes. Is it a Presence class? Yes. Is it about Influence? Yes. Is it about defining Purpose, or Vision or Mission? Yes. How about we categorize it as “Leadership“? Yes.
Yes. Yes. Yes. But it’s not just one thing. The conversation is bigger than just one thing. It doesn’t fit into a box.
It happens so often today. We miss the bigger conversation because we’re so eager to figure out where it fits. We miss the bigger picture of our lives, because we get so focused on putting ourselves in a box.
I do “this”.
I am “this”.
“This” is what’s possible for me.
If we categorize something – someone – ourselves – then all we’re going to pay attention to is whether or not it fits into a very small box. But if we can expand our thinking, move past the limitations of perception, then the world opens up endless possibilities.
What might we be missing in our haste to make something fit?
Maybe it’s time for some real “out-of-the-box” thinking.