That stupid box everyone talks about

Okay, this is based entirely on speculation, but I’ve got a feeling that the phrase “think outside the box” is used in every culture across the planet.

Alright, maybe not, but I think you get the point that we hear this everywhere.

We live in a time when businesses, churches, & people in general are trying to be as absolutely creative as possible. And not matter what industry you work in, my guess is that someone you work with has said in a meeting something along the lines of, “Okay, guys let really think outside the box about [insert project or problem that needs to be solved].” Now, I’m the type of person who doesn’t generally like to assume things because…well, you know what happens, but I think it’s pretty safe to assume that we’ve all heard this phrase more times than we care to count. I know I have.

And in the spirit of full disclosure, I must say…I absolutely hate it.

Seriously, every time I hear it I get frustrated & want to scream, “What box? There is no freakin box!”

I don’t think there has ever been a phrase that has grated my nerves as much as this one for the simple fact that there has never been a box, other than one we build around ourselves. Whether you’re a church leader, a designer, a CEO, a teacher, or a stay at home parent, the only box that is holding you back is the one you’ve built yourself. Whether it was built out of fear or people pleasing, the only boxes that we live in are the boxes that we establish.

Even though I’ve hated this phrase for years, I’ve only recently decided to see thing a different way. Instead of living inside the proverbial “box,” I’ve realized that I actually live more on the “horizon.”  What I mean by this is instead of seeing boundaries that I have set up around myself, whether they have to do with my art, my leadership style, my preaching, my spiritual practices, or even how I show my wife I love her, I’m choosing to see endless possibilities. Because that is where we all really living.

You see, the beautiful thing about the horizon is that we know there is something beyond what we can see right in front of us, not matter what direction we’re looking. And, even though we have no idea what it might be, which can be intimidating to say the least, we know there is something out there. Something we’ve not yet thought of, experienced, learned, or fought.

Watching the horizon can be scary, because it is a fight. It’s a fight against what’s working now. It’s a fight against stagnation. It’s a fight to set yourself apart from everyone else. You see, the horizon is where creativity lives, where inspiration is currency & where the tension of innovation is the status quo.

I just finished reading Stephen Brewster’s post about the 13 keys for innovation, & I have to say, he nailed it (& that you should go read it). One of his 13 keys (number 10 to be exact) is:

10. Accept rejection. Not everyone is going to like us, and that is okay. When we are being innovative, we are going to be rejected. We must believe in what God has called our church [business, home, or classroom] to be…at all costs. Live in the confidence of all that God has called you to be – that is innovative in its own right.

He’s right innovators are rejected. Picasso, Lincoln, Edison, the Wright brothers, & (not to mention) Jesus, were all rejected. Not only because they were innovators, but because they refused to be bound the same boxes that other people had built around themselves. These guys & countless others throughout history have lived with their eyes on the horizon instead of the walls the built themselves. They recognized that there has never been a box.

How different would our lives, let alone our world, be if we lived with the same perspective?

The perspective that what other people are building to keep themselves “safe” is actually holding them back. We don’t have to live in fear or with the mindset that being a “people pleaser” is how we’re supposed to live. We were all designed specifically by God to look at & chance the horizon in our own way.

Rejection is a part of life. And when we begin to chase the horizon we’re going to be rejected, sometimes by the people we thought would be with us all the way. It sucks, but it happens. And when it happens you’re faced with a decision that can shape the rest of your life: Are you going to stop & build walls to keep it from happening again? or Are you going to say “thanks for the support so far” to those who reject you & keep your eyes on the horizon?

I wish that I could tell you that I’ve spent most of my life chasing the horizon, but the truth is, I’ve spent most of my life building my box to withstand hurricane force winds. It’s not a good place to live. It’s marked with fear, stress, & a longing for something that seems out of reach.

Walls hold you back, the horizon is unending.
Walls fill you with fear about the unknown, the horizon inspires you to discover something new.

What are your walls?
Mine are fear.
What’s on the edge of your horizon?
Mine is living a life marked with courage & boldness for the sake of Christ.

Blessings.