I’m guessing you’re familiar with the saying, “Think outside the box.” We know that it refers to trying something new, but what exactly is “the box?”

If you’re familiar with my Social Response Pyramid™, you know that the basis of the Pyramid is the fact that we each have a unique “starting point,” or CONTEXT. It is comprised of our past experiences and how we feel about them, our personality, emotions, interests, abilities, challenges, expectations, fears, etc. It is the bottom red portion of the Pyramid, and for each of us, it is essentially “our box!”

Our individual CONTEXT represents what’s comfortable and familiar for a person. For most of us, it defines the concept “normal,” as in, “Normal is whatever is familiar and comfortable to me.” When we think “outside the box,” we are demonstrating a willingness to step outside our own “comfort zone;” to go beyond the boundaries of things we’ve previously experienced, considered, preferred, or believed to be true.

So, how big is your box? Do you regularly expand the boundaries of your CONTEXT to include new ideas, information, people, and experiences? Do you look for or welcome new opportunities to learn and grow? Do you make room for other people’s ideas, emotions, and responses?

There are times when it is tempting to hold tightly to our “box,” without considering other ways of thinking, feeling, and responding. Yet thinking, feeling, and responding “outside the box” is a great way to meet our needs (nourish), grow, connect, and contribute—all essential components of growing personally and interpersonally!

How will you extend the confines of your CONTEXT (or “box”) this week? Feel free to email me your ideas and stories, or comment on this article on Facebook or here!