Close Quarters....

Are you a "box" person? Are you the type who likes to have your world defined and live within it's confines? Do you like to have structure and routine? Do you appear to the world as a very "stable" person because people always know where you are, what you are doing, what you will order at the restaurant, what style of clothing you would prefer, etc? Do you get rattled if the mailman is 10 minutes late or if you run out of your breakfast cheerios?

Or are you a person who likes to live without boundaries... free to roam the open world and experience all that life has to offer? Do you feel hemmed in by rules and authority? Do you like to eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired and just let life unfold before you? Does routine bore you to the point of nausea.

Maybe you are one of those people that live somewhere in the middle, able to bridge the gap between the two extremes. I know people like that, always up for an adventure and yet content to spend quiet times in their room, reading their favorite books.

The world is a colorful place full of many types of people. My precious mother is a box person, while I prefer a river with undefined banks. Growing up was a struggle for both of us as she tried to teach me to live in the box and I banged at the boundaries with a sledge hammer.  Many years later, we appreciate each other's differences - she comes to me for decorating and creative ideas, and I go to her for book keeping and practical advice.

It takes all kinds of people to give the world balance. Part of each of our strengths is knowing who we are and what gifts we bring to the table. Own and celebrate your unique brand of you! Go with your flow and let it take you deeper into self-revelation. If you know that you will be anxious in a situation that you can't control, take a structured vacation all planned out for you. On the other hand, if you are dying to explore places unseen, don't go camping with the same people, in the same campsite every year.

Appreciate each other's differences. No way is right or wrong... they are just different. Do not impose your ways on others or criticize their choices. Learn from those that are opposite and accept yourself just the way you are.  Life will be more rich when we all learn to love and value one another.