An Inspiring Way to Break Out of Your Box

Where are you right now?

You might answer:

• On my phone
• In front of my computer
• In my office
• At home
• In Amsterdam
• On a farm
• At a Starbucks (most popular choice?)

Equally true would be on the surface of planet Earth, in a very narrow strip of atmosphere that protects us from the vacuum of outer space.

All of these statements could be true, and none more correct than the others. But busy professionals have a tendency to get stuck in a narrow way of thinking about where they are and how they are doing.

As an antidote, I encourage you to periodically zoom out of your box, which means to deliberately escape the narrow mindset that you are in front of a screen or "in the office".

By periodically, I mean once or twice a day.

Whether for two minutes or twenty, intentionally shift your awareness of where and how you are. Is your breathing shallow or deep? Are your shoulders tense or relaxed? How about your lower back?

You don't have to stick with "practical" restrictions on the spaces you can visit. It might be hard to charter a rocket to take you to the International Space Station (ISS), where the above photo was taken, but you can imagine yourself to be there... or further out into space... or simply on a beach halfway around the Earth.

I've found that such exercises unlock my thinking as well as my sense of well-being. It's all too easy to get stuck in a sense of mild irritation at the same too-long daily commute down the same boring route... when in reality you dwell on this magically beautiful planet in a narrow strip of habitable space almost miraculous in its existence. As you remind yourself of the many, many, many ways of perceiving "reality", your mind opens itself to new possibilities:

• Maybe that insurmountable IT problem can be sidestepped by a little creative thinking...
• Maybe a little genuine warmth and sincerity can turn your resentful team member into a valued colleague...
• Maybe with one highly productive day, you can at last finish that project that has been dragging on for weeks

There are thousands of ways to perceive your reality. Why stick with just one?

I ghostwrite articles for entrepreneurs and other business professionals. Learn more at Kasanoff.com.