Get out of the box!

Have you ever noticed that your spiritual lessons seem to revolve around different themes? Like, one week what you are learning is all about Setting Boundaries. Another, about Tolerance or Dealing with Annoyances (had that one last week). This week, for me, seems to be about Breaking Free from Boxes.

Usually what gets us reeling and pushing our buttons with others is what theme we are working on. One of my pet peeves is Ignorance, probably because being a teacher is so ingrained in me as a mission, that when others don’t want to learn a new way of being or doing things, my frustration level goes up. I’ve been dealing with outdated systems, which on some level, we all are. I watch Egypt throw out the old that didn’t work with loud protests and see change happen before them. And yet, I see credit card and financial organizations not working with the new economy or the change that is needed. And our government, well, you know.

Years ago, as a former child parent, my biggest frustration was dealing with a system that helped kids that was so forced into its little box that it didn’t cater to the individual–one size fits all. And guess what? Not everyone fits into that box! There’s lots of variations and some kids even throw the box out of the water demanding new solutions.

(My dear friend is dealing with this in the health-care system.)

When I was finally free from that system and situation, I wanted to go back to school to learn how to find solutions how to change and retool all those systems that didn’t work, like that clinic, an outdated model that doesn’t work for all the children or the parents. But I am realizing now on the other side of the fence, that the solution is to educate one person at a time to make change. And the secret is to reach those who want to learn and change, otherwise it’s useless outpouring of energy. (That, readers, was a big lesson for me to learn.)

I guess that’s why I like shows like HOUSE and other detective programs because the cases they see don’t fit into any box, so the detectives and doctors have to stretch their minds and find new solutions. What a concept! Make change? Develop new systems based on new needs? Educate and update your staff on new illnesses and treatments? Really?

I saw this the other day shopping at a local store. One patron complained she never ventured further then her small town and considered Sedona far, far away city. We live maybe 40 minutes away? There’s a whole world out there! Break out of the box!

I saw that in numerous local veterinarians in the past who didn’t even know the latest life-saving treatments for kidney disease.

I do realize though, that boxes keep us safe. What we don’t know can be scary. In the little box, you know what the walls look like.

Seeing this in big systems around me forced me to also look at my own thinking, and finding where my beliefs are out-dated and keep me very boxed in. I discovered this usually shows itself in black and white thinking–do or die, this or that. What a bunch of crap! There’s gray in my choices. This is a big realization for me. I don’t have to get rid of eating sugar, I just need to be balanced in my eating. I don’t have to get rid of people in my life, I just need to create some boundaries in some areas or retool or evolve the relationship based on new needs. There’s only a problem, when, like the big systems, that belief, area or person can’t, or refuses to change.

Do you relate to this? Where are you stuck in the box?