I sat with a yellow pad this week.
And then, I stared at a yellow pad this week.
The page wasn’t empty because nothing was possible. It was empty because the next thought might ask more of me than I wanted to give. Maybe more effort. Maybe more thought. And then I realized that’s where most people get stuck.
We love the phrase think outside the box until the box turns out to be our identity, our reputation, our routines, our need to be the competent one in the room. Then suddenly “wisdom” becomes a very convenient excuse for staying small. Staying the same. Status-quo like.
Maybe the real prison is not your circumstance. Maybe it’s the version of reality you keep supporting. And calling it common sense.
Maybe that bothers me. Maybe that should bother you.
Because some of us have confused maturity with limits. We call ourselves grounded, but we are really just predictable. We call ourselves discerning, and yet we haven’t questioned our assumptions in years. We say we’re being responsible. Sometimes we are. Sometimes we’re just afraid of change.
Still, let’s not be ridiculous. Not every strange idea is revelation. Not every surge of excitement is vision. Some thoughts are brilliant.
So how do you stay open without becoming foolish?
You examine the thought.
When a new idea shows up, don’t ask first, “Will this work?” That question might be too soon. Ask, “What does this expose in me?” “Why does this feel dangerous?” “Am I resisting this because it’s wrong, or because it threatens the life I’ve arranged?”
Gets personal fast. Doesn’t it?
Then bring the idea down to earth. Give it a test. A real one. A conversation. A draft. A deadline. A small investment. A first move that costs something, but not everything. Because fantasy loves endless talk. Wisdom is willing to be examined and dissected.
And watch the ego. Some people reject every unusual idea because they fear failure. Others chase every unusual idea because they fear being ordinary. Both are still being ruled by self.
What if expansiveness is not about becoming wild, but becoming available? Available to truth. Available to correction. Available to a future you did not manufacture out of comfort and control.
These ideas may stretch your thinking. And may offend your vanity.
That’s usually where clearer vision begins.
Shift/Insight
Expansive thinking is not reckless belief in far-out ideas, and it is not hiding inside safe routines.
It is the disciplined courage to question your assumptions, test what is in front of you, and stay humble enough to be corrected.
Today’s Nudge
Write down one area where you feel stuck. What idea have I been dismissing too quickly because it threatens my comfort, image, or control?
Take one small action to test it this week.
Faith Connection
Romans 12:2 does not call you to recycled thinking with Bible language added on top. It calls for renewal. That means some of what feels normal to you may need to die.
Not because God wants less for you.
Because He wants truth in you more than He wants comfort for you.