Think outside the box

To think outside of the box, which is, to think creatively and with wider perspective, it is helpful to see more of the world. We become myopic when we only focus on our immediate surroundings. Seeing how other people, organizations, cities, and countries govern their affairs can be refreshing, eye opening, and suggest best practices you can add to your tool kit. You won’t have fresh value to add if you don’t get exposed to an unfamiliar perspective. Only looking at the box you are normally in leads to cynicism and being out of touch with what is happening in the larger world. Getting outside the box can include having conversations with people you don’t normally interact with and working to build bridges of trust so you can get past the surface-level talk so many of us find ourselves engaged in daily. Just think about how refreshing it would be to make a true connection with someone you thought you had nothing in common with.

Consider going to a new place or environment totally different than your usual one. If you live and work in an upper middle-class community, think about having lunch in a less affluent place and observe how people connect there. If your income is more limited, don’t be afraid to venture into the “nice part of town” and experience what’s happening there. Always remember, we aspire to what we are exposed to.

When you are in these new environments and having these alternative experiences, think about how those might be useful where you are currently at.