Yes...I do have a box

Have you ever heard, "You need to get out of your box."?

For those of you who know me, this isn't a statement I am told very often. I'm thankful for two parents who encouraged us to take chances and it was okay to make a mistake and even to fail. The lesson was, and still is...how we respond to the failed attempt or error.  Sometimes the most success and joy are found after "our" plan fails and God's plan is able to happen.

As a child, I struggled with not succeeding and being perfect. At times this kept me from taking chances but thankfully, to quit or not try wasn't a philosophy my parents believed in. They never expected perfection, just that we try.

As an adult, I hear "Lisa, do you even have a box?" instead of encouragement to get out of my box. I'm thankful for this attitude shift from my childhood. There are still things that make me VERY nervous and uneasy yet I don't let these attributes of fear win.

I don't mind change and typically embrace it, when it's done with the proper planning and thought. A quote I love is, "Someone else's poor planning is not my emergency." Please don't misunderstand, when life throws us a curve ball,  we need to be flexible and change our schedules and/or plans. BUT it is when there is ample time for thought, development, and planning that I jump into my box and have temper tantrums before I come out.

Most don't get to witness the hissy-fit within my box, most...my husband and daughter on the other hand, know I am game for most things in life but poor planning. Did you know it was true confession Friday? Teehee...

Seriously though, do you need to get out of your box? Or do you need to set some boundaries and build a box?

The road traveled to transition Where's Heidi? One Sister's Journey from thoughts in my head to the book you can read starting on April 3, 2013 required flexibility, an open mind, patience, and tolerance. I am a get-r-done kind of gal, the publishing world is slow-and-steady. This process has helped me to pray and trust more, leaving things up to God because He is in control.

With each new turn, God finds aspects of my life that tend to build a box around me. Instead of hiding in the darkness of this box, I peek my head out to look at the possibilities around me, then one foot at a time ~ get out of that box and take the chance.

Most people don't see my box, but it's there. I've just learned to face the fears before they consume me and keep me from experiencing all God has for me. As for my box when it comes to poor planning, this is a matter of prayer and God gives me ample opportunities to work through this via experience.

So do you need to get out of your box? What area of your life confines you the most?