“We are all living in cages 
with the door wide open.”  
George Lucas

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a cage? Maybe that feeling was associated with a nagging sense of dissatisfaction in your workplace. Perhaps you had a less-than-ideal roommate during your college years. It might even have been the result of a rental agreement on an apartment which was no longer serving your needs. In these and so many other situations, we think we are trapped with no way out. But are we really?

It’s quite common for someone to feel helpless in such a dilemma. They literally feel “caged-in” by their circumstances. “I have no option but to stay in this job, because…” Really? There are no other options? Or is it possible that the person has simply not investigated the possibilities or given serious consideration to any other viable options?

I’ve never been a big fan of the phrase “thinking outside the box.” It has been used ad nauseam, yet I’m totally okay with the concept. There is certainly some value in considering unique or innovative alternatives to challenging situations. The first step, it seems, is to recognize that, in most cases, we are not powerless.  It’s our choice to remain in or to leave almost any situation. So what stops us from making the change? Quite often, it’s fear.

What might one be afraid of? I’m sure there are many possible answers, but the one that comes to mind as I write this piece is fear of regret. If we make the change, we may regret having done so. If we don’t make the change, we may regret that we didn’t. I guess that’s a risk we take with just about any decision in our lifetime.

I was unaware of the George Lucas quote above until I heard it mentioned on the radio as I was driving home from the Santa Clara train station yesterday afternoon. The words got me thinking,… and now writing. It seems that most people I know feel caged-in to some extent. There are so many expectations placed on us — by parents, family members, friends, or society in general — pressuring us to live our lives in a certain way. Despite this, it’s important that we recognize that the door to the cage in which we believe we are confined… is wide open.

Life is short. We are all invited and challenged to live our life to the fullest. Too many, however, focus on simply enduring their present situation. It’s critical for each of us to recognize that we were not created to merely survive, but, rather, to thrive.