Delivered in a Box

I know Christmas must be right around the corner, because we are starting to see the UPS guys a lot, delivering packages containing gifts for friends and family. As we sort through the boxes and try to remember who we had in mind when we purchased each gift, I noticed the packaging enclosing each item. Right there on each box is a picture of what it is supposed to contain along with a brief description of the product, including its features and benefits. But the packaging may also describe what it can’t do or how it should not be used. There’s lots of helpful information we can find on the box like “Do not use curling iron in bathtub” or “Do not light firecrackers in mouth” and “Enclosed Superman underwear does provide wearer with superpowers. Please don’t attempt to outrun a speeding bullet.” But seriously, the packaging usually gives us a good idea of the finite utility of the product as well as its limitations.

Many of us arrived in this world in much the same way: delivered in a “box” that described what our life should look like, what we could do and what we couldn’t do. This could be the socioeconomic status into which we were born, the neighborhood we grew up in, our ethnic background, family history and a whole host of other labels. Maybe it was something like, “We are good with numbers, but we aren’t a creative family. That’s why we are accountants!” Or “People in our family don’t go to college. You’ll be lucky to graduate high school.” It could be, “Folks in our family just don’t stay married.” You can fill in the conversation, but I am sure you were born into some kind of box with its pre-printed description of how things were supposed to turn out for you.

I remember my dad telling me as a kid, “We are Huffords, we are slow and run like ducks.” He wasn’t wrong. When I ran, I didn’t just look like any duck, I ran like a duck recovering from hip surgery while wearing snowshoes. It wasn’t a pretty sight. But one day I decided that was ridiculous and I would learn how to run. I determined to become a fast runner. It didn’t happen overnight, and it took several years to develop speed, but it happened eventually.

While the duck thing may seem small and insignificant, I remember that being a huge mental hurdle to overcome. It was part of my “box.” You may have been delivered inside a box of perceived limitations and restrictions, but that doesn’t have to define you. You shouldn’t just think outside the box, you should live outside it as well.