How often do you stop and take a look around? I don't mean the quick assessment of "phone? check; keys? check; wallet? check." I mean the 'take a breath, look up at the sky, observe what's around you' kind of stuff.
If you are anything like me, the days can go by quickly, even like a blur sometimes...if I let them. I have two young boys that are 7 and 8 and we can jam-pack our schedules with the best of them! We have soccer practice, basketball practice, homework, games, playdates - oh and yes, scheduling time to hang out with friends and maybe some family time if we are lucky.
Any of that sound familiar?
I had a rude awakening almost 3 years ago and I like to call it my "first new day." I had been working at a Consulting Firm that had offices in Boston and England. Had a great team and spent the previous 18 months building relationships with my team and clients. All of that came to a screeching halt the morning I was asked to attend a Senior Team meeting and everyone was there, except our President because he had been fired the night before. No one from the Boston office knew that was going to happen - not even the President.
At that moment, or actually over the course of the next couple of weeks, I had a decision to make. Stay in the Organization, find a new job or go out on my own. I had spent years getting an education in order to move up the Corporate Ladder. I went to College, got a Masters degree while working full-time and went on to get my PhD. But you know what they say about perfectly laid plans...?
From the outside looking in, I seemed to have so much - good paying job, an amazing husband, 2 young, beautiful boys, a house, etc. And I did have a lot but when I took a step back to look around, I did not like the box I had put myself in. I knew I was more than my degrees, more than a Senior Executive, more than a mom and wife...I was more. And that's when I made my decision to start my own company. That was the right decision for me.
We choose the boxes we put ourselves in. These boxes are shaped by our thoughts, our beliefs and our actions. And I have learned that I need to choose what I feel represents my uniqueness and what I have to share with others. And because of that, I no longer "box" myself in with one or two descriptions. I do not create self-imposed limitations on how I am perceived and how I express myself to the world.
Gone are the days of:
"I'm a coach...so I talk about my coaching programs."
"I'm a teacher...so I talk about my classes."
"I'm a healthcare researcher...so I share and focus on my research."
"I'm a mom...so I talk about my kids."
While they may describe me, I don't want to be "boxed in" to be one of those. And when I started my company 3 years ago, I changed my box and what it looked like.
Instead, I choose:
I am Amy.
A human being who happens to love helping others realize their truest, best selves...
...and my family
...and books
...and learning
...and stimulating conversation
...and a great, belly-aching laugh
...and running
...and yoga
...and the outdoors
...and coaching amazing people
...and speaking on-stage
...and things I have yet to truly discover about myself.
By changing my words, I am becoming UNBOXED. I am taking time to observe what's around me, absorb it, listen to it and then maybe act. Remembering that we choose our thoughts, our beliefs and our actions.
I choose to think outside of the box others may place me in.
I choose to believe in myself and in those I help and work with.
I choose to live intentionally each day and take my intentions and turn them into positive actions toward others.
Time is the most precious gift and often times, a gift we cheat ourselves of. We get too busy being boxed into a role or position. We have been trained by others and by ourselves that we need to act a certain way, be a certain type of person. And I understand that old habits are hard to break so my solution is simple - start a new one!
So, I encourage you to ask yourself "What does your box look like?" Ask this question and ask it often. If you don't like your box, think about what you want and why you don't have it. Thinking about it is the first step to awareness - and once you are aware of something you can begin to think of what you can do to change or improve it.
What does your box look like?