Coloring is therapeutic for me. I enjoy the idea of putting colors together and making a picture seem to come alive by adding my own special touches. As a kindergartener I colored outside of the lines because my hands would not cooperate with the vision that my teacher had for a “great” paper. I cut and colored outside of the lines until my hands finally cooperated with my teacher’s vision.
Today, I color as I was taught but decided to intentionally go outside the lines. I also intentionally decided to use colors that would not normally be used for my picture. I almost colored Scooby Doo ® a different color but liked the idea of him being the color that the cartoonist chose for him. As for the rest of the picture– I broke all the rules.
Life dictates rules for almost everything that we do including how we should follow our dreams. It tells us that we should follow certain steps to obtain the “greatness” that the world has to offer. The only problem is that sometimes those steps don’t cooperate with the vision we have for great success in our own life. We do not understand why we feel so empty and uninspired. We don’t understand why the world’s version of success does not feel that way to us.
I am not advocating for anyone to stop following rules that will keep you and others safe, however I am challenging you who are creative, innovative and visionaries to stop allowing the rules to hinder your ability to follow your goals and dreams. Don’t throw away your potential because the picture that you have does not cooperate with the vision that someone else dictates. Do not allow yourself to become stuck because your picture looks different from the majority.
Older parents do go to college to follow the dream that was delayed for a time. Teenage parents do finish school and obtain degrees that seemed impossible to achieve. College drop-outs find their life’s purpose and create companies that can compete with those who did finish college. Ex-Felons find purpose outside of the life that they lived in the past. A person who has seemingly lost it all can regain all that they lost and more by not following the rules that says that homelessness is their place. People who grew up with little to no parenting can become the best parent to their children.
The possibilities are endless just as the combination of colors in my picture. I choose to not lose hope in a situation because my vision does not cooperate with the rules. I respect the rules as they are but accept that it is fine for me to challenge the rules, too. I accept that coloring outside the lines are necessary for some people to discover a passion inside of them that helps the rule change for the better.
Almost anything that you enjoy today is because someone decided that coloring outside the lines was beautiful to them. Electricity, blood plasma, civil rights, personal computers, charities, and grassroots organizations all began because someone decided that coloring outside the lines was necessary.
How do you or will you color outside of your lines?
Just another day’s journey of challenging myself to color outside the lines. Peace.
Just Another Day's Journey 