What if today was your last day on this planet? What would you do differently? Who would you call? It is a sad truth that humans are conditioned in thinking that they must work, work, work..forgetting what matters to them most…happiness. Conditioned to think we must ‘sacrifice’ our thoughts or beliefs to fit in with the ‘in-crowd.’ Even further, to ‘sacrifice’ our happiness at the cost of living the American Dream.

If today was your last day, would you go to work? Would you work twelve hours? You would call in sick and enjoy the remaining hours with those closest to you. Another sad truth: humans wait until some catastrophe happens to make necessary changes in their lives. Even sadder: some are hit with a two-by-four and still do not wake up. They are the walking dead.

While ninety-five percent of the population subscribes to the majority, the remaining five percent will break these chains of bondage. These freedom fighters are the true Warriors of Happiness. Sadly, these same Warriors who step out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary are considered crazy. Where do you want to be? Do you align with the ninety-five percent or the other five? Do you want to be ordinary or extraordinary?

Name one famous conformist….tick, tock…times up. Bet you cannot name one.

A friend once called with concern in her voice, asking for advice. When she explained the dilemma, I merely told her she already knew the answer. When she still hesitated to answer, I posed the same question as above, “Can you name one famous conformist?” She could not name one! My next question was, “Can you name one non-conformist?” Her reply, “I can name a thousand.” Silence came over the phone…and she said, “thank you…I know what I must do.”

We all know the answers haunting us throughout our day but believe in not thinking out of the box. An example of this comes from our friend Ani Po…
Witnessing a real-life oxymoron, Ani Po could not help but laugh aloud. She was working in a financial office, and the boss called all staff members into a strategic planning meeting. The boss and two other subordinates gave a pep talk about increasing revenue and turn-around but opened the floor to all staff members for suggestions. They encouraged all staff to think “outside of the box.” The irony was when they dismissed them into their little cubicles.

In this case, the boss told Ani Po to think out of the box while sending her back into her box (cubicle). This is very reflective of our society. We are told to do one thing but expected to do another. Why is this? It is because of our conditioning into bondage. Today is the day to be free…Step out of the box!

While the pilgrim subscribes to the majority of thinking, worrying about personal reputation and what everyone else is thinking, the Warrior subscribes only to that of self. “Self-inflicted fun” is all she has in mind. Her day is not spent worrying about “deadlines.” Instead, she is concerned with her ‘dead’ line. She knows that she will not be here one day, making the most of every day.

Stepping into the Canvas and out of the box, we allow the creative juices to flow. Spewing creative colors throughout the Canvas of Life, brightening the scenery with vibrant colors. From darkened Canvas to Canvas of Light, we are left living our lives to the fullest. Be authentic…dare to Step out of the box.

Will you do this now or later? The choice is yours…