Be outside your box. Change the way you see the world, and the way you see the world will change. Changing our thoughts impacts our perception, and new possibilities become available because we can now ‘see’. You cannot create anything you want in your life without seeing it first. You cannot see it without believing it is possible first. You won’t believe it’s possible until you can see the thoughts you hold that keep you in the same limited perception. You unknowingly stay inside your box.

What stops us from having thoughts that serve our own well-being where we feel stuck, unable to move forward in the direction we want to go?

Our own self-judgment. Judgment creates a blind spot within us. It’s so ingrained in our social programming – our limiting beliefs of what is right and wrong that unless we find a way to see ourselves objectively we are blind to who we are being. Asking yourself ‘am I blaming, complaining, or justifying’ instead of taking responsibility for who I am choosing to be this situation? It helps us to see the thoughts that close us down to being open, and non-judgmental to what else is possible. Have you ever noticed whenever Oprah brings anything controversial on her show, she asks her audience – ‘have an open mind’. She does not say ‘try not to judge’ because this part of ourselves is hidden; no one wants to think of themselves as ‘judgmental’. She has effectively been modelling non-judgment the past 25 years, and we all know the possibilities she has created in her incredible life! Letting go of judgment, assumptions, and the meaningless comparisons we make with others when the only relevant comparison is within ourselves, and whether we are growing can create that opening for the possibilities you cannot see.

I came across these “rules” to remind me to stay in that uncomfortable place of pushing outside of my own boundaries. Commit to just one of these for 7 consecutive days, and see how your world begins to change.. please share your experience in the comments!!

11 Rules for Living Outside the Box

1. Always be willing to think for yourself.
2. Never live your life based on the uninformed or
 negative opinions of others.
3. Always be open to new ideas.
4. Associate with other people who think for themselves 
and are successful in life.
5. If you find yourself “going along with the crowd,” 
always ask yourself where the crowd is going.
6. Make the decision to believe in yourself, no matter what.
7. Frequently ask yourself the question, “Am I thinking 
inside the box, or outside the box?”
8. Be willing to take responsibility for your own choices 
and your own actions.
9. Set goals and stick to them. Don’t let other people 
deter you or hold you back.
10. Don’t be afraid to be different. Most of life’s
 greatest accomplishments are achieved by people who break
 the mold.
11. Enjoy your choices and enjoy what you do. Never let a 
day go by without being thankful for the fact that you get 
to be here in the first place.

~Author Unknown

P.S. The ‘eye’ photo was taken by Nasa with the Hubble Space Telescope named after American astronomer Edwin Hubble.