Between The Lines

Have you heard the saying, "Just keep it between the lines." It might come in response to asking someone how they are, or they may use it to describe their philosophy of life. Here are some words that could describe how that's lived out -

safe

comfortable

familiar

logical

rules

normal

predictable

Many of us find those words to be positive ones. In fact, it's one of the first things they taught us in school - color inside the lines. These words normally fit in my box of Good.

I'm wondering how different our personal worlds would be...how different the whole world would be if we chose to NOT live between the lines. What if we started living outside the lines. I'm not suggesting abandoning all of the above words completely, going crazy and living some sort of lawless existence. But, what if we just pushed out the boundaries a bit and stepped over onto the other side of the lines.

What if we got -

adventurous

impetuous

unsettled

edgy

audacious

exploratory

erratic

impulsive

irregular

And these are just the ones that start with a vowel :)

Here are some words that describe the realms in which we might practice this:

seeing...

thinking...

reading...

behaving...

visualizing...(not in a weird way)

Here's what I'm thinking....

What if we looked at something - a person, an animal, nature, a piece of art and really tried to see it, in detail, in context - noticing it's uniqueness and contemplating it's purpose.

What if we put something in a place it didn't belong, discovering a new use or beauty in placing it there.

What if we set aside some time to think about something that's not on our everyday radar. To think creatively about a challenge we have that needs a solution.

What if we picked up a paper or book that we would never want to read if we were still "between the lines". Maybe it would stir an idea or thought to share or savor.

What if we did something that would cause people to say, "that's so unlike you". All of a sudden you partake of a new experience and feel something about it - "I like it!" or "I wouldn't do that again".

What if we closed our eyes and visualized ourselves or our surroundings in a completely different color. Perhaps the shirt we would normally purchase in black, we decide to purchase in red. Or we buy new throw pillows in some indulgent color that transforms the room and our mood.

What if we outrageously gave some stuff away. Like the kind of stuff that people would say, "What!!?? Why are you doing that?" And you said, "because I'm outside the lines today".

How 'bout it? Dare to live outside the lines for just one day? One week?

I'd love to hear from you on this one...anybody wanna give it a try??