Boxes Are Helpful

Don’t get put in a box. Don’t get boxed in. Think outside the box.

But you know what this good advice has in common? Yeah, a box.

Boxes are good. They help compartmentalize an issue. Literally they hold stuff together so you can carry it around and store it or put it away somewhere.

They define the edges of what you can typically do, and what might generally be thought of as the usual solution.

That’s good stuff. That’s organization. It’s order out of chaos. Being able to find your notes. Keeping delicate stuff from casually being broken.

Don’t get me wrong. When I worked in cubical world my email signature for years was:

    __ 
 /__/  Think outside.

Absolutely break that boundary, often. Think outside the box. See the situation from more than one angle.

But check the box. Don’t you need a box to know when you are on the edge, or over it? And remember, that’s just awareness, not judgement. What you do with that understanding is where the excitement starts.

—–David

P.S. No I don’t always put kids in boxes, but you know what? They love it. They get it. Boxes are helpful playthings. This is my daughter enjoying being tossed around in a refrigerator box back in 2006.

P.P.S. Happy Boxing Day!