Dear Friends,

Happy spring or fall, depending on where you are in the world. Two Sundays ago, my son and I celebrated Easter by hosting our annual Easter egg hunt. What fun! If you want to put a spring in your step, nothing's better than watching two-, four- and five-year olds race through the yard searching for eggs. The entire range of positive human emotion was on display – glee, exhilaration, joy and immense pride. "Mom! Look how many eggs I got!"

This month's insight is a reprint from early 2005 and one of my favorite pieces.

My best to you!
Claudette

Bust Out of Your Box

"Turning points announce themselves through a variety of vague symptoms: deep restlessness, a yearning with no name, inexplicable boredom, the feeling of being stuck." ~ Gloria Karpinski

Do you

• feel restless, agitated and/or bored?
• notice you have developed a serious case of the "blahs"?
• experience tremendous resistance to doing what you need to do?
• have thoughts such as "What's the point?"

If you answered YES to two or more of these questions, your box may be too small. It's time to bust out! (For all of you who are thinking "What is she talking about?" – here's the explanation.)

Your box is a metaphor for the beliefs, rules and circumstances (aka BRCs) in your life that no longer work for you. You carry BRCs around despite that fact that they no longer serve your growth and development, and that it's in your best interest to discard them. For instance, my client Joanie was afraid to join a gym (even though she desperately wanted to) because she was concerned that she'd only use it for a month or so. If that happened, she'd feel like a failure and foolish in front of her friends and family. After reflecting, she recognized that she was hauling around an outmoded belief that it actually mattered how others perceived her decisions about whether work out.

Over time, these BRC's accumulate around us, brick by brick, walling us off from the awareness of what we want as well as the ability to act on what we want. I usually know that I'm in my box when I can't remember the last time that I had fun, or when someone asks what I do for fun, and my response is "Huh?" or something along those lines. As an entrepreneur and a mother, I'm busy and I work hard. It's easy to get trapped in my box of BRCs – to move from one responsibility to next without considering what's best for me. And sometimes having fun is best gift I could give myself.

Ways to bust out of your box:

• Ask yourself, "What have I outgrown?"
• Eliminate the thought that you need to feel better before taking action. For example, it's a common belief that feeling fear indicates that you shouldn't take action. Actually, the reverse is true. Most of the time, the only way to decrease fear is to do what you need to do
• Shift your perspective. Do one thing differently. This could be as simple as wearing purple socks if you usually wear black. It could be thinking, "Today, the glass is half full."
• Consider what you might be avoiding in your life and ask yourself, "Why?" Make sure you answer that one honestly.

Identifying the need to "bust out of your box" is a wake up call, a warning that either your comfort zone has gotten too narrow or that you need to listen to yourself. The next time you feel restless or bored, develop a case of the "blahs" or feel resistance, capitalize on this opportunity to take a closer look at your beliefs, rules and circumstances. It might be time to shake ‘em up.

return to top

Products & Services

If you liked today's issue, you'll love these services!

• Coaching with Claudette. Do you feel boxed in? Wanting to blaze a new trail in your life? If the answer is "yes" to either of these questions – now is the time for some "bust out of your box" coaching. This is one of my specialities. 
  
  Please contact me today for more information and to schedule your introductory coaching session. Reach me directly at 781.316.1923 or claudette@metavoice.org.
   
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I'm a long time fan of the MBTI – this instrument is one of the reasons I became a coach. Here's how it works: I send you the MBTI, score it for you and spend an hour with you (via phone) helping you apply the results to your life – personally and professionally. For more information, please visit http://www.metavoice.org/mbriggs.
   

return to top

Useful Resources

• A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle. Eckhart Tolle wrote the international bestseller The Power of Now, which teaches us to be fully conscious and present in each moment. His newest book takes these concepts a step farther. Highly recommended!
   
• Green Tip: Unplug your chargers. Did you know that 95% of the energy used by cell phone, iPod, camera and computer chargers is wasted? According to The Green Guide, if we all unplugged our cell phones after charging them, we'd save 190 megawatts per day – enough to power about 100,000 homes. Let's unplug today!

return to top