The philosophies that I live by
There is no box and the glass is always full.
The Box
Think Outside the Box?
My concern with this popular phrase that purportedly beckons creativity is that in order to think outside of the box, you have to believe that there is a box in the first place. If you believe that there is a box, then you have in your mind’s eye a full vision and understanding of what defines that box. Even though your intent is to avoid everything that makes up or is in that box, your mind will do tricky things and you will start to attract to yourself all of the elements of that box.
There is No Box!
So how do we set our minds right so that we can fully embrace creativity? We must realize that there is no box. If someone is to tell us that we need to think outside of the box, they must be inferring that whatever rules exist in the box simply don’t matter. If we operate opposite of that, we have created another, albeit larger, box. Forgetting that there ever was a box, we can allow the creative mind to consider any solution. Guess what? That solution may just use some elements from inside the original box. Who cares? Stay creative and innovate without any ridiculous box weighing on your mind.
The Glass
Is your glass half full or half empty?
This is a popular two-second personality test. Apparently the answer helps one conclude whether the target of this unfortunate question is a pessimist or an optimist. In business, we often hear folks talk about their problems and someone else may turn the conversation around with the argument that every problem is actually an opportunity. Sometimes this argument may merely be a vain attempt to “prove” that they are an optimist, but it definitely gets us closer to what I need you to understand.
The glass is always full
Let’s think pure physics for a second. Matter is everywhere in varying degrees of density. The piece of paper or screen you are using to read this is made of matter. The water in our glass of personality test is made of matter. The air you are breathing is made of matter. Examine the glass. There is water in half of the glass. What’s in the other half? Air. The glass is completely full. It’s just a matter of realizing that it may not all be water.
It is the concept that I believe we need to consider when we encounter any situation in life. There is always something to learn so even an event that seems completely negative has something of value for you. This is not saying that we need to live our lives in a state of sugar-sweet sickening optimism. It’s merely necessary to be able to take a step back and consider what lessons are available for growth.