Have you ever questioned your ability to do something based upon your age, gender, race, or disability? If so, do you know you’re letting society put you in an invisible box? I think sometimes we have these questions and we assume we shouldn’t or we can’t. The truth is we can do anything we put our minds to and are willing to work hard towards. My journey unknowingly put me in a box as well.
Having a disability gives us as well as others, the opportunity to be put in a box that some people feel is appropriate. One of the boxes, I constantly get put into is the “you have a disability so your life must be horrible” box. I’ve had complete strangers come up to me and ask if they can pray for me. They don’t even ask me for my name, they just start praying. This drives me insane because my life is SO far from horrible, but people don’t take the time to find that out. Do they give themselves a chance to get to know me? No, they just continue to make false assumptions.
There have been times where building my business has caused me to put myself in my own box. This can be dangerous because I have dreams and goals just like everyone else. I want to feel financial freedom, own my own home, and hopefully raise a family one day, and so much more. Knowing this, I’ve learned to question my abilities in order to avoid the box. Boxing yourself in cheats you and gives society permission to prove society’s point.
By now, you probably have a couple questions. For instance, what do I do to stay out of the box? What if I’m in the box already, how do I get out? I’ve come to realize staying out of the box and finding your way out of the box are the first important steps advocating for yourself. The value of this lesson is immeasurable. What you want and need is important. Advocating for yourself can be hard, but it needs to be done. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn this until well into my college years. It’s also important to remember that finding out what your goals and interests are become vital to others NOT putting you in a box. Once you find those two things, you need to find a community that supports what you desire for your life. Lastly, you must know that pleasing everyone in your life is impossible and the decisions you make are exactly that, YOUR decisions no one else’s.
For more tips and thoughts on getting rid of the box, check out chapter 1 of my book: The Wheel Truth: Don’t Survive-Learn to Thrive!
