you're secure...

Now that I have the chaos of the master thesis FAR, FAR behind me, I am relieved. I have more time to do what I love most—blog my thoughts. Also, I have time to read things that have nothing to do with school and I am even staying away from medical literature (am a medical junkie, is part of my job and a passion driven hobby). So to refresh myself, each year I read a fabulous book (several times) called *Orbiting the Giant Hairball* by Gordon MacKenzie. It is about how to keep your light, energy and spirit intact while navigating organizational life. Gordon was a Creative Director at Hallmark. A. must. read. for. everyone. I have to give a huge thanks to Tom Philippe, a leading academic in the field of organizational hypocrisy and a good friend and mentor, for lending me this book (and yes, I should have returned it… Tom, I will get you another one!). This book brings me joy every time I read it.

There is an entry that discusses how we aim to be free—free from the constraints of society, of the jail cell that we create around ourselves and of the expectation that others have of us. He refers to a cartoon where Garfield the cat strives to free all of these animals at a pet shop by opening their cages. They do not move. Instead they are frightened. Quickly Garfield reacts by closing the cages, remarking

…you’re secure: by staying in your shell and not challenging the world, yourself and embracing life

only to remain in the same stagnant state as before. Unhappy, yet resolved through fear to remain the same. “cage dwellers” is the term Gordon uses.

What a concept!

I am sure that we have all hit that point. I find myself there a wee bit lately (and I mean only a teeny bit!)—having made some amazing changes, returning to the girl I know best, I am relearning who I am and sometimes get *stuck* in my “secure” cage, yet only to dwell there momentarily.

On the flip—what if we do not have soldiers like Garfield to open our cages? And once our cage is open, is it possible that the world we know is truly healthy and we do not need to leave? After all, why leave when the going is perceivably good?

My thought is—if the world in which we live is healthy, we will leave the cage when the door is open. We may even try to squeeze through the bars just to continue the journey of life, impatient for someone or something to open the door. Curious people are not afraid. Beautiful people are not afraid. And yes, none of us are 100% “healthy”, yet those of us who strive to be so are not afraid.

We may know others who are just as afraid and frozen. Our challenge is to assist them to take that jump, squeeze through the bars, whatever it takes to be free in life. And I am learning that in a relationship it takes both to do so, committing to that level with one another, so that each grows beautifully as individuals and that the relationship as a whole is exciting, fulfilling and a journey all of its own.

question: what is your “security”?