Thinking Outside the Box
03/05/2015
All of my life I've heard the phrase "think outside the box." And for the most part I was always like, yeah! let's do that! But looking back, I realize that I hardly ever thought outside the box like I thought I was doing. I had these expectations for how I was supposed to be during my school years: play softball, be in band, get good grades, etc. I strove to please everyone and keep them happy with me. I remember being stressed out when things didn't go how I thought they should go. I had a plan and I had a schedule to go along with that plan. The ironic thing to me is that I thought I was more easy going than I actually was. But really, isn't that how it is with everyone, we criticize and compare to others what is actually a characteristic we fail to see in ourselves.
A few weeks ago I read somewhere to have a set goal but keep a fluid plan. Reading that statement was a total eye opener to me. Kevin has always seemed to follow this saying and I have been trying to adjust to his ways for several years now. Like, when we go to the coast this is usually how it goes in my head: "Oh, we're going to the coast! But wait, we aren't going to take 98 and then 49 south? Oh ok...then how? What? We're going to just head south on back roads? Well, okay then..." And you know what? It always works out. It took some getting used to, but not only do I know accept it, I embrace it! It doesn't matter that we don't go the same way everyone else goes, I'm having a grand time with the love of my life! Plus, how else would we find beautiful fields or magical looking roads??
I am very glad that I have been introduced to "letting things go" and rolling with it. I can't say it started out with me embracing doing this, but really, it makes life so much easier! Sometimes I forget and it hits me that I can actually do things a different way than I imagined. I don't know why, but it still surprises me when this happens, haha. Now I know that some people may have this all figured out already but this was a huge revelation to me when I realized all of this. Thinking it out this way has really cause me to understand more what it means to think outside the box.
I've been trying to apply this reasoning to more aspects of my life. Which is sometimes hard because I am really a person who loves routine, so rolling with it can be difficult for me to do. But remembering to keep my goal firm with my plan fluid really helps!