Thinking Outside the Box

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
― Albert Einstein 

 Like playing, thinking outside the box is done more by children than by adults.  By the time they grow up, children have learned social "rules," required protocols, the so-called social grease of relationships, and gradually begin conforming to a logical step-by-step hierarchy for things.  As in a prior blog entry, the key to not getting old is to never stop playing.  Here, the key to inventiveness, creativity, and energy is to avoid the tried-and-true, A to B linear thinking, and dare to step outside.  This is not confined merely to logical material, dry calculations of profit and loss, pros and cons, but to everything in life, including new careers, relocations, new friends. 

Have you ever wondered how it was possible for a little girl to understand rhythm and cadence to the point of being such a celebrated dancer as Shirley Temple? If you look at her videos, you would be amazed at the level of sophistication in the syncopation of her dance steps.  She didn't achieve that level of proficiency by studying countless hours or earning an advanced degree.  Her dance was instinctive, spontaneous childlike innocence that does not analyze everything.  When I try to dance, I slow the music (or shut it off entirely), then slowly count every step, every right-left-hop, frequently painfully and to no avail.  I, as an adult, require many, many repetitions, and I still cannot dream of reaching Shirley's level of proficiency.  Why? Because I'm dancing to someone else's tune. 

Dare to imagine.  Dare to design your life.  Think outside the box.