There is a popular saying that goes, “Think outside the box.” These words are wonderful to live by. They encourage you to set your sights beyond habitual thoughts, help to expand possibilities and encourage empowering ways that are not usual or the norm. But sometimes it is important to “Think inside the box.” Let me explain.

I’m sure you have a repeated idea or dream that has not been acted upon. It returns to you over and over. Each time you ignore taking action, only to have the thought return once again. This is happening “inside the box.” It is something that has circulated in your mind for a while. The thought or thoughts are in the realm of what already exists and wishes to be expressed.

There are some things you are meant to do. They may be small, they may be grand or any where in between. If you sit quietly and look within you know what they are. If forgotten the memory of these thoughts suddenly jump into your mind at odd moments. If they are not put into action they remain with you. You won’t be able to forget them. You can continue to push them aside. But they return sooner or later. Perhaps the repetitive thought are things such as you want to begin to paint, maybe it’s to buy a houseplant, or could it be to take a trip? It might be a change of jobs or to end a relationship. Is there a recipe you have been yearning to try? How long has this aching been going on? For a month, a year, for five years? Even longer?

Inside your “box” is where your natural power to create resides. It is the part of your mind that is linked to your soul journey. It is an integral part of the path leading to your destiny. Here you are linked to your spiritual DNA. It is here where those inside the box thoughts originate. If you don’t follow up with the directed thoughts don’t worry. Spirit is divinely patient. It will gently keep prodding you until you listen and decide to surrender to what is suppose to be and move forth to do it.

So by all means think outside the box and then take action by diving into uncharted waters with faith and trust. By doing so what feels at first to be risky and scary can often lead to a fulfilling joy that you never thought was possible. I encourage you to spend some quiet time contemplating those thoughts inside the box of your mind that are wanting to be explored. Those things that you have been wanting to do, to try or to learn. When they next resurface make a decision to stop procrastinating. Go forth and do them. Outside the box is waiting for you. You got this!

©2021 Michael Long

1. Become so unfocused that your inner vision sharpens.

2. Become so still that you move without effort.

3. Become so silent that you speak a wondrous language.

4. Become so empty that you become full of guidance.

5. Become so centered that you expand.

6. Become so passive that action takes over.

7. Become so unconcerned with your self that Self takes over.

8. Know you don’t know and create to find out.

9. Don’t be in a hurry, but be ready to rush forward if called.

10. Surrender, but don’t give up.

11. Follow what is there and not there on the paper or canvas.

12. Draw or paint what you feel, but cannot yet see.

13. Rid yourself of intentions except the intention to be guided.

14. Become so unattached that you attach to stillness.

15. Let go of the the desire to create, but be filled with gratitude that you are creating.

16. Close your eyes, let go of what you are doing and watch your breath.

17. Don’t stand or sit while creating. Fly instead.

18. Sing songs that make you happy.

19. Play. Play some more. And play some more. Keep playing.

20. Bow reverently, then start laughing.

21. Know that process reveals and that process knows you.

22. Enjoy the journey, but realize you are already there.

23. Loosen the pencil or paintbrush and know Spirit is holding you.

24. Look at your artwork and judge not. Just bless it and yourself.

25. Disregard all the above methods and just create.

Perhaps you read the true story I posted previous to this blog. Here is another true story that happens to involve the same friend. It took place before the events of that previous blog.

I was at a spiritual gathering of about twelve people at a friend’s house about two months ago and the last activity we participated in was making collage art. My friend had a pile of treasured books and publications that were full of colorful photographs and graphic work he allowed us to cut up. He gave us all an eight by eight inch panel. The only instruction was to have fun and create. Since I have been a long-time artist, I immediately was inspired and started to find different colors of paper to work with, tearing shapes in a quick spontaneous fashion. Following my intuition throughout the process I completed my piece fairly rapidly.

Everybody’s finished collages were left behind as my friend continued his generosity by saying he would encase each work with an epoxy resin that would give each piece a professional, finished look. About a week and a half later my friend gave my piece back to me and said that he was sad to see it go as he really loved it and had enjoyed living with it for a while.

After having the piece in my studio for a few days I had the inspiration to take it further in process. I drilled small equal distant holes all around the edge and then with a needle weaved red thread in the holes all along the perimeter of the piece. The “stitching,” in my eyes, gave the collage an added element of excitement and uniqueness. While the work was displayed in my studio over the course of more than a month, many people coming for small group and private art classes and mentoring sessions commented how wonderful the work was. I become quite attached to it and did not want to sell it.

Just after the more than a month period, I started to have a strong urge to gift the collage to my friend, remembering how much he liked it and for all his generosity allowing everyone to cut up many of his treasured books that he personally uses for his own collage work. But I tried to discount the thought, because I really liked the piece. A few days passed and I kept having urges to give back the collage as a gift. And I remembered many times in my life when I felt an urge to do something and following the urge, magic followed in some form or another.

After I finally “agreed” to gift the collage to my friend I felt another urge to put a wood straddling structure on the back to so it would have more dimensional thickness and could be hung on a wall. It is what I would have done if the piece was going into an exhibition. I spent a few days trying to rationalize how it would be too much work to put on the wood straddling and convinced myself that giving the piece as it already was would be just fine. But I finally gave into the prompting and took out my hand tools. It was interesting to say the least that I had just enough three-quarter inch furring strip to go around the piece. If I made a false cut I would have to buy more wood. Since I have much experience working in wood, the task was executed with precision, cutting the ends at a forty-five degree angle in a miter box with a hand saw. I glued the pieces on, then I painted the sides three coats of dark grey paint I had on hand, sanded lightly between each coat. Finally, I placed two screw eyes into the wood and wired it for hanging. I enjoyed the process and felt the integrity of the guided workmanship. The finished project looked great and I looked forward to gifting it.

The next time I saw my friend, which was at our next spiritual gathering, I gave him the gift. He was quite surprised as it was certainly unexpected.  Smiling widely, he said he was honored to have the artwork. I was happy to give it to him.

Now I want to tell you how things “came together” after gifting the artwork. During the time period of the above events, I was busy painting on a series of thirty-six by twenty-four inch vertical canvases. A day before giving the gift I had just completed the fourth painting in a row of that size, as I really enjoyed exploring and connecting to that scale. I realized I had no more canvases to work on and wished I had another of that size to continue my series. The day after I gave the collage gift I received an email. A participant that had been in many of my art classes was moving away from Santa Fe, as her husband has a wonderful opportunity to study though an organization of his chosen field. The participant said she had a wood panel and some paint she could not take, as the family was trying to scale down things to move and she wanted to gift them to me. I emailed back thanking her, saying it would be wonderful. She replied that she would drop the panel and paint off at my studio. A few days later I came home from running errands and saw the panel and paint outside my studio door. When I spotted the panel I smiled widely! Wow! Guess what size the panel was? That’s right - it was thirty-six by twenty-four inches! And it had the exact same dimensional thickness of straddling on the back as the I put on the collage! The bag of paint she gave me was my favorite acrylic brand. To give is to receive? I think so!

The synchronicity of this event anchored once again that there are no coincidences in life. This was another powerful message for me to remember that I don’t have to hold on, be in control or be in charge. It’s better to let go and let be. There have been many times in my life when something extraordinary happened and it took my breath away. The events in this story are one of those times. Today while writing this piece I came to a deep realization. When my breath is “taken away,” now I know who takes it. God does! I have allowed Him to breathe me.

This past Sunday I attended a group gathering organized by a good friend of mine for the purpose of connecting, sharing and supporting our personal life journey and to more fully awaken to life’s possibilities, while discovering blocks that may be holding back fulfillment. The gathering took place early in the afternoon. That’s the time I am usually playing baseball with a large group of men. It’s something I really love, so in some respects I was lamenting missing the Sunday baseball activity.

As a kid I would play baseball for hours and hours, sometimes only with my older brother, but often with the neighborhood kids. It was always exhilarating running after, stretching towards, throwing, catching and hitting the ball. Sprinting to the bases or scoring a run was always exciting.

The spiritual gathering at my friend’s house was completely nourishing. There was a beautiful openness and sharing among the group of about twelve people. I felt blessed to be part of a group that respected what each person expressed, holding open the space in a non-judgmental way. The honesty of expression and listening was heartfelt. While everyone was leaving I noticed a drawing of a boy about 8 years old on the organizer’s kitchen wall. The boy has a gleam in his eyes, a playful and confident grin and a relaxed innocence that exuded life’s potential of infinite possibility and fun. I questioned my friend if it was a drawing of him. He said indeed it was, that it was drawn from a photograph. He expressed that he had it there to remind him of the openness, joy and passion of that time in his life. We both expressed we wanted to get back to that childhood feeling in a permanent way.

As drove home after the gathering I reflected that though I missed my cherished baseball playing, the gathering had been an absolutely a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I also continued to reflect upon how open and wonderful life had felt as an 8 year old and realized that playing baseball was always a reminder of that. I said a silent prayer affirming to attract more of that feeling into my life, combining it with all the wisdom and maturity I had acquired as an adult.  

The following Monday morning after the gathering I was driving to a community college where I teach painting and photography classes, as I needed to pick up some paper work at a college office. I was driving up a hill where there is an elementary school up ahead. I looked to the right to see a kickball on the wrong side of the playground fence starting to roll down the side parking lot. It was beginning to pick up speed to where the hill begins to get steeper and segues into the street. There was a mass of dispirited children pressed up against the fence watching the ball about to disappear out of sight.

In a flash decision, I quickly steered my car onto the shoulder, threw it in park and pulled on the emergency brake. Leaving the car running I sprinted a good distance to my right, hopped a few curbs and lunged. Just in time, I scooped up the quickly gaining speed, rolling kickball up with my right hand to the sound of wild cheering from what seemed to be about sixty children on the playground. I then turned in fluid motion and threw the ball about forty feet. I first I thought it would not clear the fence, but indeed it did to the delight of myself and the ecstatic children. As I was jogging back to my car all of the children were still cheering loudly and yelling “THANK YOU” over and over.  I never heard so many people yelling thank you at the same time! As I was opening my car door I shouted back “YOU’RE WELCOME! In my mind I wanted to shout back “THANK YOU” as well because even though I did not get to play ball on the previous Sunday, I unexpectedly got to play on Monday! And not only did I get to play, but I made a stellar fielding play to adoring, cheering fans.

As I continued my drive to the college I suddenly and amazingly realized that all the children on the playground were about 8 years old! The thought took my breath away. Everything in life is so connected and on purpose. This was an example for me to continue to trust all is well. I was in deep awe and so thankful. I felt Spirit reply, “You’re welcome.”