Break Out

"Trying to break out of the box." -Peter Kiss Gallery

“Great dreams... never even get out of the box. It takes an uncommon amount of guts to put your dreams on the line, to hold them up and say, "How good or how bad am I?" That's where courage comes in.” ~ Erma Bombeck

In the old western movies, there always seems to be a line in which one cowboy says to another, "this towns too small for both of us." It usually was followed by a fight scene in which the good guy wins.

The atmosphere is one of pending break out to something greater for the town. It is a bold statement that finally shows the true greatness of a hero.

We can modify the statement and apply it to our own life. We can apply it in such a manner as to cause the hero in side us to break out to something greater.

To envision what I'm saying, imagine a single cartoon pane as your life. This pane is your whole world, safe on four sides but limited in reach. Now imagine telling yourself, "this box is too small for me." Shout it out so those beyond the page can hear you.

As you gain confidence and grow, the box actually becomes too small for your life. You take your hand and push through the left side of the box. You then punch a hole in the bottom with your foot. You tear at the remaining pieces until your head emerges to reveal a big life awaiting your arrival.

No, I'm not talking about rebirth or analogies to that.

I'm talking about getting outside of the box we hide ourselves in. If we bust loose and break away from the artificial binds we have created, then a bigger and greater world is ours. We can rise above to the jet stream and sail to where we want to be in life.

Break out of the cartoon pane, break out in to a great life.

Stay inspired my friends!

Lead to Change

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
―Pablo Picasso

A person that decides to take a positive attitude towards life, family and work has to be willing to do a bit of leading. Putting yourself out there extending kindness and positive reinforcement to others is a first step in leading. But how can you begin the process of leading with a positive attitude.

I took the following from a bit of training I’ve had, which is to understand yourself in the workplace. And there are places in our own personal life that these suggestions should take place first. Whether it is your personal life or the work place, either can be the starting point. The point is to start somewhere.

I suggest the workplace because we spend so much of our time in it. If work goes well and you can leave with a good feeling, the drive home is easier, family time is much more relaxing and you will most likely sleep better. You will likely feel better in the morning and the day will get off to a much better start. The driver that accidentally cut you off just won’t bother you.

In “First, Break All the Rules”, there are twelve questions to ask yourself regarding your place of work. These questions can be used to measure your work environment.

Evaluate where you are, where your work place is and provide areas of opportunity for you to step in and make change.

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best everyday?
4. In the last 7 days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does my supervisor or someone at work seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
12. This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

As employers, have you done these things to improve your workplace? The opportunity to make change happens in both directions. Work can be so stressful, you may not realize that simply telling a co-worker or employee or even your boss that they’re doing a great job goes a long way.

So pick a spot, jump into it and move your life forward to a more enjoyable and fruitful experience.

Above all, stay inspired my friends.