Be unafraid to challenge the framework within which you live

I, and I suspect most people, live within a self-imposed framework (a “box”) within which they see what is possible for them. This box shapes the choices that they imagine themselves able to take, the opportunities they imagine are available to them - in short, most people limit the world of possibilities to a much smaller, much more easily navigated box.

I (like most people) am comfortable navigating that box. I understand it, and I feel confident in changing how my world works, within those self-imposed limitations. However, it is far more difficult to challenge that framework than to simply exist within it - unless you make a habit of it.

I’ve noticed a difference in “confidence” that people have operating within their “box” and the confidence that only a few have in constantly challenging what they make available to themselves. The size and shape of the box that we limit ourselves to has massive implications for how we live our lives.

“If your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.”

I was never raised to challenge the box in which I lived. My father never showed me that this is possible. He told me to keep my head down, not draw attention to yourself, and keep working; not to dream bigger and challenge the constraints that you find yourself operating within.

Pushing the boundaries of the box I live within promises to open up huge possibilities for me. This mindset is what separates people who live in our society and those who run it. This separates the business leader from the more-qualified manager three levels down. This separates the man who can hustle his way through a poorly-researched presentation from the audience member who notices the mistakes but is too afraid to speak up.

I wrote this on the same topic two weeks ago:

“If you approach a situation with confidence, you astronomically improve your chances of success on any metric that you might choose.”