[Note: The first incarnation of this post was originally published on June 26, 2008. I felt an updated version would serve as a great addition to the newly reborn robertcalise.com.]
Do you remember when you were a kid? If your parents told you to shut up, you’d probably talk more. If they told you to stay out of the neighbors’ yards, chances are that you’d throw your ball right across the property line and chase it. I have fond memories growing up of always being the kid who asked “too many questions” that go back as far back as 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-five, my attitude is pretty much the same as it was when I was six. People love to ask me why I do things so differently… even people who have known me for so long that they should obviously know better by now. At first, I didn’t really know what to say, but it really got me thinking: “Why do I do things the way I do?”
As someone who has always lived life “outside the box,” I find it increasingly difficult to imagine what life in there must feel like. For the millennial generation, this goes way beyond our work lives; it doesn’t matter whether you’ve got a “real job” like everyone else or not, and it manifests itself differently for each individual.
For someone looking to advance rapidly in their careers, it could just be working smarter and thinking more creatively than anyone else in the office. For an athlete who wants to be at the top of their game, it could mean practicing more often and harder than their teammates or opponents. For me, it means a relaxing walk around the Boston Common whenever I feel like it, spending time with family or friends on a random afternoon, or waking up 3,000 miles away just for the hell of it… without any real interruption to my daily schedule or productivity.
I’m proud of doing things differently. It means being more creative, working harder, and playing harder. There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that I’ll ever apologize for it, and you shouldn’t either. Damn the box. Break free from mediocrity. Live your life on your own terms, and enjoy every second of it.
