A majority of offices these days are semi-open cubicles rather than individual closed offices. Some companies even have moved their executives into cubicles just like the staff (albeit in somewhat larger cubicles!).
Beyond what you may experience in your workplace, do you ever get the feeling that you are living your whole life in a kind of cubicle? There are windows through which you can look out at your world but not really participate in what is going on “out there.” Sometimes, we may actually see this as a way to protect ourselves from having to be involved.
I began to think about the idea of living in a cubicle after reading an email from a friend who recounted a gathering recently attended where it seemed each person had some particularly difficult experience they were currently facing. I suddenly imagined how life sometimes is like that cubicle and how it seems that the windows are closing up and becoming walls. We feel isolated from whatever the view had been through that now closed window. Then I imagined that I turned around and, behold, there was another window! The view was different. It was refreshing. It was colorful. It was all the things the previous window/view had lost.
I was reminded of the time-honored saying: When one door
closes, another opens. I also remembered the words from Revelation: Behold, I have set before you an open door, which none can close. (Rev.3:8). When, or if, we come upon that feeling of being closed in, cut off from others, hopefully we will remember to turn our attention to new viewpoints. There are always options available to us when it comes to how we view our lives. As one view closes, look to the new, open doors. When you feel alone or are experiencing a loss of some kind, remember you are not alone. A new viewpoint offers new resources, whether they are new friends, a new environment, a new job or simply a refreshed sense of self. Never accept the supposed limitations of the cubicle in which you may find yourself.
Personally, I am grateful for new viewpoints that bring new opportunities and new friends. It feels even better when they are not replacements but additions.
Wishing you the best for Thanksgiving, and always!
Beyond what you may experience in your workplace, do you ever get the feeling that you are living your whole life in a kind of cubicle? There are windows through which you can look out at your world but not really participate in what is going on “out there.” Sometimes, we may actually see this as a way to protect ourselves from having to be involved.
I began to think about the idea of living in a cubicle after reading an email from a friend who recounted a gathering recently attended where it seemed each person had some particularly difficult experience they were currently facing. I suddenly imagined how life sometimes is like that cubicle and how it seems that the windows are closing up and becoming walls. We feel isolated from whatever the view had been through that now closed window. Then I imagined that I turned around and, behold, there was another window! The view was different. It was refreshing. It was colorful. It was all the things the previous window/view had lost.
I was reminded of the time-honored saying: When one door
closes, another opens. I also remembered the words from Revelation: Behold, I have set before you an open door, which none can close. (Rev.3:8). When, or if, we come upon that feeling of being closed in, cut off from others, hopefully we will remember to turn our attention to new viewpoints. There are always options available to us when it comes to how we view our lives. As one view closes, look to the new, open doors. When you feel alone or are experiencing a loss of some kind, remember you are not alone. A new viewpoint offers new resources, whether they are new friends, a new environment, a new job or simply a refreshed sense of self. Never accept the supposed limitations of the cubicle in which you may find yourself.Personally, I am grateful for new viewpoints that bring new opportunities and new friends. It feels even better when they are not replacements but additions.
Wishing you the best for Thanksgiving, and always!
2 comments:
I believe that human interaction is the key. The more contact we have with others, the more windows and doors surround us. Avoiding others, not listening, and settling for preconceived notions do not advance much in the way of learning. Couple those with fear, and you have a deadly combination. Read, learn, explore, and be curious.
Finally, almost every new world that I explored was either through reading, or the recommendation of a friend. Lot's of stuff out there.
Well said! It sometimes takes more courage to reach out than one may feel he/she has at the time, but certainly the world "out there" offers opportunity and hope.
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