"Embrace the gamut of possibility and define for [our]selves what is normal"

Thomas Beatie

When I took my coaching training a few years ago, one of my classmates, an artist, expressed a desire to have red shoes in her closet. A few days into the training, Martha Beck told her that she buying red shoes might be just the ticket for her in that moment, rather than developing her practice. Does it sound bizarre? Perhaps, but it was a way for the woman to embrace her true self and to begin to move towards her new life.

We're all live 'inside the box' to a certain extent. Maybe not in every area of our life, but certainly in some. Our mind defines the parameters of what we think and therefore of what we do. If we can tweak or ratchet our mind just a bit, a tiny space will open, and that is all we need to begin our change. There's no going back once we begin to change.

Thomas Beatie and his partner really know how to throw away preconceived ideas and think outside the box. I'm sure you've heard about Thomas on the news, in people mag or on Oprah - he's the pregnant man. Although he is legally a man and went through complex sex changes, he opted to retain his female reproductive organs because he always knew he wanted to have a child.

Some people would say Thomas is a freak, others might say he wants to have his cake and eat it too, having the best of both genders. Some might say he and his partner are selfish, that their child might be compromised by society's judgements. I see someone who has put aside all preconceived ideas about gender and parenting, a warm, intelligent man with clear values and ethics.

Maybe Thomas felt he had no choice but to follow his heart because he always knew he was different from a young age. Whatever his reasons, to me he is a brave human being and a primo example of living outside the box. The box that our upbringing, our society, and mostly our minds has put us in.

It takes a lot of courage to make serious change in our lives. Imagine the courage it takes to be Thomas Beatie. But sometimes we reach the point where there is just no turning back. In order for our spirit to thrive and be joyful we must live our lives differently.

Let's try thinking outside the box for one week...in small or large ways. I often say that it's the small things that make up a life. So try doing a couple of things differently each day and see how it feels. It may open new doors to us.