Thinking outside the box

“Thinking outside the box” … one of those ‘hip’ phrases that you just love or hate. Or, in my case, see another way and slide off on a tangent.

A coffin is a well designed box. It’s functional, respectful looking, well made, and just big enough for the job. I say big enough, but to be honest there’s not much room to spare inside. I think that’s a design decision though. On account of the fact that the occupant isn’t likely to be doing much.

In my experience, and I think you’ll back me up on this, the occupant of a coffin generally doesn’t do much of anything anymore. So it’s a pretty safe bet that if you don’t allow much space to move around inside, it’ll still be okay. A coffin needs to be just big enough to contain the occupant, that’s all. All his or her days of moving around and getting things done are in the past.

Which brings me nicely to my point. I thought of that phrase, thinking outside the box, earlier on today, while I was in the gym (which is where I’ve just been). I can’t remember what brought the phrase to mind because it’s certainly not one that I’d use, specially when I’m focusing on training. I must have heard it or seen it somewhere recently and something just triggered it to come into my mind. And here’s the thing: as soon as I thought of the phrase I thought of it in a different context. I thought of it as “thinking about what I’m doing NOW, before I end up in a box”.

So far, so good …

We’re all going to end up in a box one of these days, that’s a given. It’s just a matter of time. Personally, I intend to live forever and, as I saw in a little cartoon the other day, “So far, so good!”. Really though, as much as I value life and try to make the most of it, I know perfectly well that the paths of glory lead but to the grave. It’s what happens before you come to the end of the road that matters, that’s the thing.

We tend to stroll along merrily, blissfully unaware that with each passing step we are getting closer and closer to the end of the road. That’s a blessing in one way, of course – nobody wants to be obsessed with approaching death, and the inevitability of it – but it’s as well to at least be aware that each day is just one more day we’ll never have again, another 24 hours of opportunities and experiences to be used and savoured, not just endured.

Every day is a good day

Wake up in the morning and stretch out and if you don’t feel the sides of the box around you, it’s a good day. Get up and stretch and breathe, and smile, and welcome the new day … and realise that yes, it is indeed a good day. Walk to the bathroom and realise what a gift it is to have the use of your legs … and my oh my, it really, really is a good day. It goes on and on … be aware how fortunate we are to have indoor plumbing these days, and fresh water on tap, and enough to eat, and shoes on our feet, and a fairly stable government … yes, it goes on and on, the list of things we should be grateful for. And I mean that; these are things that we take for granted most of the time, but we should feel a real sense of gratitude for them. For most people, right throughout the history of the world, and even for many people today, these are things of real value, and to be deeply appreciated.

So I say be aware of all the good things in life right now, things you have even if you’re not a millionaire, or a celebrity, but just an ordinary person. Be grateful for all the things we have, which opens the floodgates to more of the good stuff. We are very, very fortunate. And we shouldn’t lose sight of that fact.

Do it NOW!

But to get back to my main point, we should make use of our time. Today. Right now. It’s the only time we’ve got. The past is … well, passed. Try as you might, you can’t change it. The future is still misty, a time of nebulous possibilities, no more than that. The only time we have is right now, this very moment. It’s the single point in time that we have control over. We need to grab it with both hands and make full use of it.

We need to shake ourselves up and do things! Get to the gym, if that’s your thing, don’t just ‘intend’ to … one of these days. Learn a language, if you’ve been meaning to. It won’t happen all by itself! Start a business for yourself, if that idea has been floating around in your head for a while. Don’t just plan it, start it!

Whatever it is you want to do, do it now, before you end up in a box. Because that time is coming, my friend, even for the boxmaker, it’s coming. It comes to us all. So, my idea of thinking outside the box is this; think of the things you’ve been meaning to do and get on with it. NOW! Before it’s too late, and before you end up in a box.