Your Boundaries ... Your Choices

As soon as I announced my decision to move from the corporate world to ocean conservation volunteering, I was surprisingly inundated with comments and questions about this choice that I’ve taken.

This move had been cooking in my mind and in recent years it was getting more clear of what I wanted to do. Two years ago I did an oil painting which I called Boundaries that represented the various stages a person sets and move to new boundaries, alone or with the help of others. This painting, which is now hanging at NetEnt’s Malta office, represents my life’s boundaries experience and am sure you may associate with it too.

We immediately find ourselves in our first boundary in our mother’s womb. Then, once we are welcomed amongst other living beings, we move from one boundary to another. Initially, others make choices on our behalf, parents or guardians, and as we get older, we start making our own choices. The brain sets its own boundaries designing our thoughts and opinions. Which toy you want to play with, which shirt to put on, who to be friend with. Likewise we start moving from one boundary to another. Our family, our group of friends, our school, our sports club, our dancing class, our town, our country. Such boundaries, both physical and emotional, define who we are, our identity.

We all have our own boundaries. Our home, our sofa, our dining table, our bed, our car, our office, our desk, our time, our relationships, and many more. Setting boundaries is very important for one’s well being however there may be cases where individuals stay within fixed boundaries either by choice or due to other circumstances. I am sure that you heard of the comfort zone and am sure it has its benefits. One feels safe and risk free. I am not that type of individual and the comfort zone is not my piece of cake. I always want to experience new things, skills, cultures. Most of the jobs I had always involved travelling to different countries maybe because I come from a tiny island. I’ve travelled to all the Middle East, all Europe, North Africa and Asia where I met new cultures and experienced various ways of doing business in different markets. I moved from one boundary or new territory to another and always enjoyed the interaction with people from different backgrounds. That was what excited me. That was what made me tick.

It is not always easy to expand your boundaries. Change does come with risks, some are low some are high. Risk is subjective as one man’s risk may be another man’s comfort zone. But focus on your boundaries and not others’. In my opinion, change shall be a constant in one’s life or in any business. It takes courage to let things go and it is not that easy: relationships, possessions, family,  friends, hometown etc. But I know, for me, what is ahead of me is greater than what I am going to leave behind. Life is too short not to live your bucket list. I do not want to sit and watch my life pass by. 

Have a good look at our planet and observe its beauty.  Our blue planet has its own boundaries and us humans are interfering too much with nature resulting in losing its ecological balance that may have catastrophic consequences on our existence. My next new boundary is the ocean and I chose to contribute towards its conservation. 

I encourage you to listen to your heart , be vulnerable and be open. Look at what is around you from a different perspective. Learn new things, explore, read, discuss and take action to reach new heights. 

Live a life rich of amazing experiences.

Jose’ Micallef

Challenge your Boundaries