Do you remember when you were a kid? Your parents would tell you to shut up, so you’d talk more. They’d tell you to stay out of the neighbors’ yards, so obviously the answer was to throw your ball across the property line and chase it. One of my fondest memories growing up was asking ‘too many questions’ in the first grade. (Let’s not even talk about my messy desk, or how my teacher frequently dumped its contents onto my lap.) Apparently, I was supposed to learn about the world around me only by listening to what I was told, rather than following my own curious instincts.
At twenty two, my life is pretty much the same as it was when I was six. A lot of people who I’ve known for a long time (and who obviously should know better by now) like to ask me questions like, “Bob, why don’t you have a nine-to-five like everyone else?” The first time I was asked this question, I wasn’t really sure how to answer it, but it really got me thinking… “Why do I do things the way I do?”
As someone who has always lived outside the box, I find it increasingly difficult to imagine what life in there must feel like. I certainly don’t think there’s anything wrong with my friends who like their jobs. I just enjoy waking up each morning and knowing that I hold the power to make my day exactly what I want it to be. If I want to start my morning by going to a yoga class, I will. Coffee at Starbucks? Yes, please. How about a nice walk to the Boston Common before I start my day?
Does this make me lazy? Not by any stretch of the imagination. When my roommate gets back from work around five, I’m still working. When my friends are heading out to the bar on Saturday night, I’m telling them “I’ll meet you there in an hour, I should finish some things up first.”
From where I sit, living your life outside the box does not mean being lazy. To me, it means being more creative, harder working, and playing harder. Damn the box. Break free. Live your life on your own terms.
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